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explikator's Reviews (76)
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
NASA lost the race to Mars to China, private companies are in charge of space travel. Until one day a huge object from deep space enters the solar system and Sally - the last astronaut from the title - dones her space suit once again. First contact, but things are much different than expected.
A sci fi horror book that reads like a proposal for a B movie. Fast paced and written very efficiently it stays entertaining and holds back its surprises almost too sparingly.
Though the inner monologue of all characters takes a lot of room, none of them are very relatable apart from the protagonist herself. The billionaire is in love with himself, the Navy Seal from the Space Force looks only for a military solution and seceretly carries a gun and the young biologist is highly intelligent and sexy, too. Stereotypical? Yes, they are.
It's a good book, if you're into sci fi and looking for a distraction and it never tries to be more. That's fair. Could it be better? Like Stanley Robinson or Liu? Sure. But that would take 400 more pages. And I wouldn't like to read an 800 page book with that premise.
A sci fi horror book that reads like a proposal for a B movie. Fast paced and written very efficiently it stays entertaining and holds back its surprises almost too sparingly.
It's a good book, if you're into sci fi and looking for a distraction and it never tries to be more. That's fair. Could it be better? Like Stanley Robinson or Liu? Sure. But that would take 400 more pages. And I wouldn't like to read an 800 page book with that premise.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The future of books is digital, they said. Everyone will be his own publisher and every niche interest will be served, they said. What have we got? There are some authors that do earn money through self publishing. They do so by writing a book every month, stretching bad ideas into as many installments as possible and spending 50% of their time on self marketing.
Thus we are flooded by badly written books designed specifically to maximally fit the genre expectations, so they get good search results on Amazon and Google. This kind of literature was called 'Kolportage' in Germany, which is similar to 'pulp' in English, but describes not only the bad quality but the kind of publishing. 'Kolporteure' came to your doorstep and talk you into buying their cheaply produced books.
'3zekiel" tries to be hard sci-fi, but it is not. The science behind the story can easily be found in the wikipedia in about one hour worth of work. The characters are stereotypical and flat, the reader never gets a feeling for the scenario, the hero's journey ends with nothing gained and nothing learned.
Amazon tells me 3zekiel is just one book in a series of 17 titles. Each one telling another first contact story. That's the future of books. They lied to us.
Thus we are flooded by badly written books designed specifically to maximally fit the genre expectations, so they get good search results on Amazon and Google. This kind of literature was called 'Kolportage' in Germany, which is similar to 'pulp' in English, but describes not only the bad quality but the kind of publishing. 'Kolporteure' came to your doorstep and talk you into buying their cheaply produced books.
'3zekiel" tries to be hard sci-fi, but it is not. The science behind the story can easily be found in the wikipedia in about one hour worth of work. The characters are stereotypical and flat, the reader never gets a feeling for the scenario, the hero's journey ends with nothing gained and nothing learned.
Amazon tells me 3zekiel is just one book in a series of 17 titles. Each one telling another first contact story. That's the future of books. They lied to us.
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In the Mojave there is a magical place, where three rock formations stick out like fingers of a God. There seems to be a door to another plane, to another dimension, to the afterlife. This is what people always felt and Kunzru's huge cast is drawn to this place through four centuries.
With their experiences they draw a picture of America and its inhabitants: Natives, Mormons, inventors, rock stars, Wallstreet mathematicians, hippies, UFO cultists or coyotes. It's a book about what makes us believe what we want to believe. It's supernatural, mystical, metaphysical and even magical.
My problem: The author doesn't believe into his postmodern version of magical realism at all. And he doesn't really care about his characters, too. Thus there is no closure on any of the dozens of arcs, even when they seem to intertwine - which they don't. But, even if it was not a light journey, it was fun to read, because Kunzru is a well versed writer. I will read another of his books, as soon as my reading list allows for it.
With their experiences they draw a picture of America and its inhabitants: Natives, Mormons, inventors, rock stars, Wallstreet mathematicians, hippies, UFO cultists or coyotes. It's a book about what makes us believe what we want to believe. It's supernatural, mystical, metaphysical and even magical.
My problem: The author doesn't believe into his postmodern version of magical realism at all. And he doesn't really care about his characters, too. Thus there is no closure on any of the dozens of arcs, even when they seem to intertwine - which they don't. But, even if it was not a light journey, it was fun to read, because Kunzru is a well versed writer. I will read another of his books, as soon as my reading list allows for it.
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A nice and easy read, well written and with very good characters. It does stand on its own, you could read the book without having seen the movie, but I guess that is not a very common scenario. I had seen the movie and my brain casted DiCaprio and Pitt for the leading roles, which was rather strange.
But, to be honest: If this book would have been written by an unknown author, things would be different. In the end I could not relate to any human being described in this tale and I really do not care what is happening to them. Hm. That's not true. There's Marvin Schwartz. I can relate to him. He is a human being. My unsung hero: Marvin!
But, to be honest: If this book would have been written by an unknown author, things would be different. In the end I could not relate to any human being described in this tale and I really do not care what is happening to them. Hm. That's not true. There's Marvin Schwartz. I can relate to him. He is a human being. My unsung hero: Marvin!
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well written and cleverly constructed 'Severance' never was boring or flat. It has lost some of its impact AFTER the peak of the Covid pandemic and in fact I'm a little tired of dystopic 'I Am Legend' stories.
But 'Severance' is much more than that. It's an immigration story, one about families and how they are built and a story about working in a globalized world. The fungus from China changes its victims into braindead corpses repeating their routines again and again.
These parts work so well that they are worth the read alone.
Then there's the part of the story where Candace finally flees New York and joins a strange Christian cult. This is interwoven chapterwise and I really was dissappointed every time the action turned to those uninteresting characters raiding houses or just being frightening jerks.
I understand the implications of the setting or at least I guess I do so. Bob dominating his group with his pseudo religious devotion to God, but being sick himself - and the group which just can't stop consuming goods and each other's company. Candace has to flee this kind of America to grow really independent. Fine. But I didn't care. To me this whole part was just not real enough. The characters of Bob and the gang did not interest me at all.
So, the New York part would be 4.5 stars, but the Bob part is only 1.5. That does come to around 3.5, doesn't it?
But 'Severance' is much more than that. It's an immigration story, one about families and how they are built and a story about working in a globalized world. The fungus from China changes its victims into braindead corpses repeating their routines again and again.
These parts work so well that they are worth the read alone.
I understand the implications of the setting or at least I guess I do so. Bob dominating his group with his pseudo religious devotion to God, but being sick himself - and the group which just can't stop consuming goods and each other's company. Candace has to flee this kind of America to grow really independent. Fine. But I didn't care. To me this whole part was just not real enough. The characters of Bob and the gang did not interest me at all.
So, the New York part would be 4.5 stars, but the Bob part is only 1.5. That does come to around 3.5, doesn't it?
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Piranesi lives in a House, but it's the world to him. It's encapsulating an ocean in its cellars, the top floor is filled with clouds. Apart from the mysterious "Other" that visits the house for two hours a week, he lives alone in the presence of marble statues and birds and fish.
His will of belonging is so strong that his world comes alive for him. The statues share messages with him and the birds usher warnings in their flight patterns.
But - as always - things are not what they seem to be. There is a dark secret hidden and, in some strange way, Piranesi's world and ours are connected.
The author shows - again - what Fantasy is able to do. This book is Fantasy, Magical Realism, Thriller and a profound psychological and philosophical study in only a little more than 200 pages. What a ride!
The only reason I can't give five stars to this book is that it felt like Susanna Clarke was holding back too much. The restrained language she uses and the rigid structure of this story are in the way of a broader, more compelling story. I felt like someone wanted to explain something important to me but dared only to whisper.
But I'm so happy with the ending! Around 50% I was so anxious that the whole world was only a fever phantasy of a dying person. That would be so dissapointing! Thank you, Susanna Clarke, for being more creative.
His will of belonging is so strong that his world comes alive for him. The statues share messages with him and the birds usher warnings in their flight patterns.
But - as always - things are not what they seem to be. There is a dark secret hidden and, in some strange way, Piranesi's world and ours are connected.
The author shows - again - what Fantasy is able to do. This book is Fantasy, Magical Realism, Thriller and a profound psychological and philosophical study in only a little more than 200 pages. What a ride!
The only reason I can't give five stars to this book is that it felt like Susanna Clarke was holding back too much. The restrained language she uses and the rigid structure of this story are in the way of a broader, more compelling story. I felt like someone wanted to explain something important to me but dared only to whisper.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is a masterwork. I can't describe properly what makes it so special. But it has to be the narrator's voice. It's written in a first person point of view, using an omniscient narrator, a pov that's seems a little out of date. It fluctuates between an objective and a subjective stance, meaning: We can sometimes hear the character thinking.
But it's not taking the easy way. Everything we see and hear tells us about the characters, informs us of the world Haruf has created for us.
The language is very unobtrusive and poetic, but the author is never shining through. Everything is told in favour of the characters. There is no judgement in this book. We simply are witnesses as the story of life itself unfolds. I'm very impressed.
But it's not taking the easy way. Everything we see and hear tells us about the characters, informs us of the world Haruf has created for us.
The language is very unobtrusive and poetic, but the author is never shining through. Everything is told in favour of the characters. There is no judgement in this book. We simply are witnesses as the story of life itself unfolds. I'm very impressed.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A slowly burning crime story about a retired cop from America, who bought himself a little farmhouse in an Irish village. He's getting accomodated to the different landscape and the people living there, when suddenly a 13 year old needs his help investigating the whereabouts of a sibling. This search helps the protagonist to see behind the romantic facade, where another set of laws is enforced.
The story has a very detailed architecture and takes its time to develop its characters. Though the lovers of more gritty thrillers may be dissapointed by the lack of gore - there's another form of violence at work here, that's not less threatening.
I really enjoyed that there are no gun fights and no one had to die. The problems don't disperse suddenly and no villain gets punished. That's refreshing. And, in the same vain, no love story is forced to happen, even more against crime story stereotypes.
The story has a very detailed architecture and takes its time to develop its characters. Though the lovers of more gritty thrillers may be dissapointed by the lack of gore - there's another form of violence at work here, that's not less threatening.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A plague kills 99% of human life on Earth and we follow our protagonists through a dystopian future. Not really a very fresh premise and you can find many tropes you will recognize again. For instance a band of survivors travel through the villages and perform Shakespeare, because that's what their audience wants to see. Feel the "Postman" vibes?
But the story is well constructed and the characters are relatable. I like it, when seperate lives merge in the end, it's soothing somehow. Another thing I really enjoyed in this book:
There's no real showdown. This is not a book about heroes saving the universe. I am so tired of Campbell's Hero's Journey, I am thankful for everyone audacious enough to explore other terrain.
In the end this book is about what defines a civilization and why we need more than just meager survival.
But the story is well constructed and the characters are relatable. I like it, when seperate lives merge in the end, it's soothing somehow. Another thing I really enjoyed in this book:
In the end this book is about what defines a civilization and why we need more than just meager survival.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Very readable book with a dystopian perspective on today's world. Based on a scientific premise that was revolutionary the year the book was published, but was proven wrong shortly afterwards.
Interesting cover art and a killer blurb: "A seven-year-old girl puts a nail-gun to her grandmothers neck and fires." That's how you sell a book, said the publisher. But I'm afraid fans of horror will be very dissapointed and never touch a book by Liz Jensen again. Which is a tragedy.
The main character is on the spectrum, but highly functional and very relatable. The mystery is a very unusual one and the main antagonist has to be a little boy, which our hero loves as a son. These are very well developed in the plot.
The ending is what's called a 'French Ending' in Hollywood and maybe too open for most readers.
I really like books that do not cling to the popular storytelling formulas, but in this case the ending was quite harsh. Another chapter would have been necessary to take care of all the loose ends.
Interesting cover art and a killer blurb: "A seven-year-old girl puts a nail-gun to her grandmothers neck and fires." That's how you sell a book, said the publisher. But I'm afraid fans of horror will be very dissapointed and never touch a book by Liz Jensen again. Which is a tragedy.
The main character is on the spectrum, but highly functional and very relatable. The mystery is a very unusual one and the main antagonist has to be a little boy, which our hero loves as a son. These are very well developed in the plot.
The ending is what's called a 'French Ending' in Hollywood and maybe too open for most readers.