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laurareads87's reviews
591 reviews
The Ex-Human: Science Fiction and the Fate of Our Species by Michael Bérubé
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
In The Ex-Human, Michael Bérubé looks closely at several well known novels – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Oryx & Crake, The Three Body Problem, Lilith’s Brood, Parable of the Sower & Parable of the Talents, The Left Hand of Darkness, the Dispossessed – as well as some films – the Matrix, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Bladerunner – and considers how these works’ explorations of the fate of humanity function to open up perspectives that might be called ex-human.
I come to reading this book having read every novel Bérubé discusses and have seen all the films.
I also have an academic background in Cultural Studies and, like the author, have taught some of these novellists’ work in undergraduate courses (I’ve taught Butler and LeGuin) – this inevitably impacts my reading.
If you haven’t read these novels, this book will obviously include major spoilers. I think that Bérubé does a good job of explaining and contextualizing the scenes and passages he refers to, so someone who hasn’t read a particular novel would certainly still be able to follow his line of argument.
I will not say I’m 100% on board with every interpretation that Bérubé offers about every work, but all in all, this text is wonderfully thought provoking and I can see chapters from it being wonderful supplementary reading alongside the novels they discuss (on a syllabus or just for personal interest). I appreciate his inclusion of autobiographical context, including situating the writing of this book in the context of how the COVID19 pandemic has thusfar impacted his family’s lives and within the context of the American political landscape. I would definitely recommend this text to readers interested in thoughtful political analysis of science fictional works.
Content warnings: this is a scholarly analysis of post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction; it refers to and discusses all the kinds of content you'd expect in these kinds of works.
I come to reading this book having read every novel Bérubé discusses and have seen all the films.
I also have an academic background in Cultural Studies and, like the author, have taught some of these novellists’ work in undergraduate courses (I’ve taught Butler and LeGuin) – this inevitably impacts my reading.
If you haven’t read these novels, this book will obviously include major spoilers. I think that Bérubé does a good job of explaining and contextualizing the scenes and passages he refers to, so someone who hasn’t read a particular novel would certainly still be able to follow his line of argument.
I will not say I’m 100% on board with every interpretation that Bérubé offers about every work, but all in all, this text is wonderfully thought provoking and I can see chapters from it being wonderful supplementary reading alongside the novels they discuss (on a syllabus or just for personal interest). I appreciate his inclusion of autobiographical context, including situating the writing of this book in the context of how the COVID19 pandemic has thusfar impacted his family’s lives and within the context of the American political landscape. I would definitely recommend this text to readers interested in thoughtful political analysis of science fictional works.
Content warnings: this is a scholarly analysis of post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction; it refers to and discusses all the kinds of content you'd expect in these kinds of works.
Diloggún Tales of the Natural World: How the Moon Fooled the Sun and Other Santería Stories by Ócha'ni Lele
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
These patakís are beautifully written and clear. Lele provides a glossary at the back, which is very helpful for those who are not familiar with the terminology, as well as a few notes on pronunciation. For each story, the author notes which odu it comes from; "their unifying thread here is that of the natural world and natural phenomenon" [xiii].
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death
Moderate: Violence, War
Minor: Slavery
Meditations: The Annotated Edition by Marcus Aurelius
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I cannot bring myself to give a star rating to the personal, never-meant-for-publication journals of the sixteenth emperor of Rome. These notebooks are the result of Marcus Aurelius' practicing of the Stoic exhortation to maintain one's 'command centre;' he reminds himself, in many cases repeatedly, of such central Stoic ideas as living in the moment (rather than dwelling on the past/future), valuing only what matters (justice, honestly, being a good man), understanding that those who do wrong cannot help it (but can perhaps be corrected so as not to be misled by their own false beliefs about what goodness is), and maintaining control over one's reaction to one's fate.
What I will mention (from the standpoint of someone with an academic background in philosophy) is that Robin Waterfield's presentation of this material is excellent - well annotated, clear, readable, and with a substantial bibliography. If Stoic ideas interest you, I would absolutely recommend this particular translation.
What I will mention (from the standpoint of someone with an academic background in philosophy) is that Robin Waterfield's presentation of this material is excellent - well annotated, clear, readable, and with a substantial bibliography. If Stoic ideas interest you, I would absolutely recommend this particular translation.
We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A Palestinian Memoir by Raja Shehadeh
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I is an account of the lives of two men: Aziz Shehadeh, a lawyer who fought for a Palestinian state and the right of Palestinians forced from their homes to return, and his son Raja Shehadeh, the author, also a lawyer, who in this text grapples with his relationship with his father and his influence on the author's own trajectory as a lawyer and activist. Raja considers the distinctions both men have, at different times, made between legal work, political work, and human rights work, and the similarities between some of their experiences that they never got the chance to discuss. Aziz was murdered in 1985, and at the time of publication the author still had not successfully obtained the release of the documents pertaining to the police investigation that was shut down before it was finished.
Content warnings: war, colonization, forced displacement, deportation, murder, forced institutionalization, violence, grief
Content warnings: war, colonization, forced displacement, deportation, murder, forced institutionalization, violence, grief
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, Deportation
Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I have really enjoyed Wole Talabi’s short fiction so I was happy to pick up what I believe is his first full length novel.
A lot about this worked for me – I enjoyed the way the orisha and spirits of the Yoruba pantheon were characterized as members of a board of a Spirit Company, and the world-building focused on a kind of corporate capitalist restructuring wherein spirits and gods respond to petitions for the pray-pay that keeps them alive – the critiques are strong but the novel doesn’t feel didactic. I liked the urban fantasy vibe, set predominantly in Lagos and London, and I enjoyed Shigidi’s transformations and POV. I also found the non-linear structure effective. I did not expect Aleister Crowley to turn up as a character, but I appreciate that his overt racism was named explicitly.
What didn’t quite work for me was the pacing – there were sections that were very fast action, and others that were rather plodding. While I appreciate that Nneoma, a succubus, is given a complex internal life and her own set of motivations beyond her sexual powers, I feel like having her very explicitly committing rape was not really... addressed in any kind of adequate way. I understand there is mythology here, but I cannot say this text does the best job handling gender & sexuality & patriarchal dynamics.
Content warnings: violence, blood, gore (relatively minor), sexual assault, rape (on page), racism, misogyny / sexism, car accident
Thank you DAW & NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Car accident
Minor: Gore, Blood
Blackheart Man by Nalo Hopkinson
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Blackheart Man is set on the island of Chynchin, where main character Veycosi is working to become a singer-storyteller and looking forward to wedding his betrotheds, Thandiwe and Gombey. From the outset, it is clear Veycosi is someone keen to accomplish great things and solve problems his community is facing, but he is far from consistently effective. When the Ymisen arrive – whom Chynchin had previously successfully repelled from their island – Veycosi tries to help, but of course it doesn’t go as planned.
Hopkinson’s worldbuilding is, as always, incredible. On Chynchin, the economy is decidedly non-capitalist – people give away items they don’t need in ‘generousities’ and the idea of paying someone for work is seen as an insult (‘I assume you are a layabout who must be bribed to do an honest day’s work’); ship’s captain is a role for women and third-sexed folks and marriages are between threes. This is a world where diverse genders and sexualities are for the most part unremarkable, not marginalized. Chynchin’s Caribbean influences are clear – references to obeah, for example, are plentiful – and Hopkinson’s writing in Chynchin dialects, incorporation of myth, and exploration of the role of storytelling in Chynchin all contribute to making this novel a truly immersive read.
The plot is quite quick. There is a lot going on here. I think there is room for a sequel – if Hopkinson were to write another book in this world, I’d happily pick it up.
Content warnings: violence, colonization, war, death, murder, child death, medical content (not graphic), sexual assault (not graphically described), blood, injury detail, animal death
Thank you to NetGalley & Simon and Schuster for providing me with an ARC to review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Animal death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Excrement, Medical content
Embroidered Worlds by Valya Dudycz Lupescu, Olha Brylova, Iryna Pasko
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I backed <i>Embroidered Worlds</i> on Kickstarter; when I saw the campaign promised "a living snapshot of imaginative fiction in Ukrainian culture today, including stories that span and cross the speculative genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror, weird fiction, magic realism, and alternate history," I knew it would be a book I would want to read. I love collections like this as an opportunity to discover authors I wouldn't have come across otherwise. Inevitably with an anthology, particularly one as wide ranging as this one in terms of genre and tone, I enjoyed some stories more than others; overall, though, this collection is excellent, and there are some really stand out stories here.
<i>Content warnings:</i> the anthology includes a 'Content Notes' section with a list of content warnings for each story. The editors also note that "stories in this collection deal heavily with war, violence, and grief. Discussions of war generally deal with and mention fascism and real-life historical events and atrocities. Discussions and mentions of violence or death often deal with a close family member, including children and animals." Quite a few of these stories are hard to read - I would recommend checking the 'Content Notes' before proceeding if you have concerns.
<i>Content warnings:</i> the anthology includes a 'Content Notes' section with a list of content warnings for each story. The editors also note that "stories in this collection deal heavily with war, violence, and grief. Discussions of war generally deal with and mention fascism and real-life historical events and atrocities. Discussions and mentions of violence or death often deal with a close family member, including children and animals." Quite a few of these stories are hard to read - I would recommend checking the 'Content Notes' before proceeding if you have concerns.
Kundo Wakes Up by Saad Z. Hossain
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Kundo Wakes Up is the second book by Saad Z. Hossain that I've read, and I enjoyed this one just as much as its predecessor. This book follows Kundo, a painter whose wife disappeared, as he searches for her & the reasons she left. The setting is a nanotech-powered AI-administered Chittagong that is slowly being overtaken by the rising sea; with 'green zones' safe and 'red zones' abandoned to 'zeroes' who scavenge in hazmat suits, there are a lot of possibilities as to why over a thousand people seem to be missing. With themes of classism, fixation on digital worlds (here, video games), cyborg tech, and the combination of near-infinitely life-extending medical possibilities with a world that is increasingly unsafe, Hossain explores a lot of themes. At the book's heart, though, is a circle of unlikely people on an adventure together and a real sense of humour. Definitely recommend.
Content warnings: addiction, chronic illness, violence, death, suicide (not on-page or in any way graphic)
Content warnings: addiction, chronic illness, violence, death, suicide (not on-page or in any way graphic)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Death
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Suicide
The Marseille Tarot Revealed: A Complete Guide to Symbolism, Meanings & Methods by Yoav Ben-Dov
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.5
3.5.
There is a lot that I appreciate about this book: Ben-Dov's tone is welcoming and approachable, and he explains the open reading style well; he is quite non-dogmatic and in several instances offers various options of how to approach things. His discussion of reading techniques using directionality, horizontal & vertical axes, and the visual language of the cards are clear and concise. There are some great exercises and spread suggestions.
There are also some aspects of the book I appreciate less. Perhaps most seriously, there are some significant issues with the history presented here. No bibliography is provided to support any of the historical claims. There is some definite gender stereotyping in some of the discussion despite the author's (welcome) clarification - repeatedly - that a card depicting a woman can absolutely represent a man in a reading (or vice versa).
There is a lot that I appreciate about this book: Ben-Dov's tone is welcoming and approachable, and he explains the open reading style well; he is quite non-dogmatic and in several instances offers various options of how to approach things. His discussion of reading techniques using directionality, horizontal & vertical axes, and the visual language of the cards are clear and concise. There are some great exercises and spread suggestions.
There are also some aspects of the book I appreciate less. Perhaps most seriously, there are some significant issues with the history presented here. No bibliography is provided to support any of the historical claims. There is some definite gender stereotyping in some of the discussion despite the author's (welcome) clarification - repeatedly - that a card depicting a woman can absolutely represent a man in a reading (or vice versa).
A Kingdom of Stargazers by Michael A. Ryan
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This is a thorough, well researched account of how three successive rulers of Aragon engaged with astrology and other divinatory arts as well as some of the reactions they received for doing so. Recommend for those with an interest in this period and/or those who share my interest in the history of divination.