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omnombailey's Reviews (111)
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
So I'm not the target audience for this book. At all. Had I read this in book form, I would've dnf'd, but the audiobook narrator was what kept me going. She was extremely melodramatic and it made this book way more entertaining in ways I don't think the author or narrator ever intended. It felt like listening to a very campy radio play. And for that, I had fun with it. Everything else? Not so much.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This started off really strong and I was super invested in the mystery and drama, but by the last 20%, I was struggling to care about what happened. By then, my only concern was "is Leonora's poor cat ok and safe??" I had really high expectations, as I love the author, but this is the weakest book I've read by her. Still well-written and interesting. Just didn't have me in a chokehold like Mexican Gothic did.
Did literally no one edit this book? Every sentence is needlessly long and somehow the author pulled off being obtuse and pedantic with this prose. The worldbuilding is interesting once you dig past the dense text, but so much of the narrative is just shoving details down your throat that I guess are fine on their own, but don't make a compelling or fun read. Got 70% into it and still felt like nothing happened, nor did I care about anyone. There's no reason for this book to be as long as it is.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've read the very first anthology (All Out) and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I was thrilled to see there was a sci-fi version. This was way more of a mixed bag in terms of story quality and how much each author embraced the sci-fi elements (there were a few that had me wondering if they had ever written sci-fi before bc it was so bare bones), but I mostly enjoyed it. What I liked the most about this collection was that it gave the creative freedom to queer writers to explore the futures and possibilities THEY wanted to write. Not every single story is wholesome and happy, nor should they be, and I really appreciated the variety. Besides, sci-fi imo is at its best when it reflects aspects of our current world and then dissected.
My rating is just an average of all the individual story ratings. Below are details of my thoughts on each short story.
Doublers (Alex London): 3
Really interesting worldbuilding. Liked the characters well enough, but the prose and POV was difficult to follow.
Aesthetically Hungry (Mato J Steger): 3.5
Loved the characters/plot/worldbuilding (I could've read a whole novel with this concept), but wow I did NOT like the prose at all. Way too simple and amateurish to the point of being distracting. Even so, I enjoyed reading this one more than the first one.
The Rift (Claire Kann): 4.5
Beautiful prose, equally compelling characters and worldbuilding, and fantastic from beginning to end. That said, it ended VERY abruptly and on a cliffhanger, which is fine but kinda gave me mental whiplash lol. Regardless, I couldn't put this one down.
Renaissance (Emma K Ohland): 5
Gorgeous and emotional from start to finish. Definitely one of my favorites, also made me tear up.
Like Sunshine, Like Concrete (Z R Ellor): 1.5
The worst one. I just could not be bothered to give a shit about the characters or the story. The prose felt odd at times too. Some of the queer sci-fi ideas were neat, but not well-executed. Just really disappointing, especially after really the previous short story.
Translating for the Machine (Nita Tyndall): 3
I was the most excited about this one, but ended up being disappointed. It was decent, but spent way too long info dumping the story's setup. By the time it finished the foundations, the story was essentially over and just ended on a weird cliffhanger. I did enjoy what WAS there. Just think it needed to marinate longer during edits, which is unfortunate.
Reshadow (Adam Sass): 3.5
The prose was stellar and flowed well, but I had so many mixed feelings about the main character. On one hand, he was petulant and insufferable, making it impossible for me to give a shit about him. But on the other hand, it's because of his personality that made the narrative work. But even then, I was a bit disappointed with the twist at the end.
The Department of Homegoing Affairs (Kalynn Bayron): 2
Super info dumpy and I was bored for most of it. Which is a massive shame bc the idea is awesome and very me, but the execution is very meh.
The Undeniable Price of Everything (Z Brewer): 4
Really haunting and fascinating, both with the worldbuilding and prose. Wish it was longer and I definitely would've read a whole novel with this concept.
Present: Tense (Jim McCarthy): 2.5
I am NOT the target audience for this story lol it was honestly fine, both with plot and prose, but I don't enjoy "coming out stories featuring deeply bigoted religious bullshit". The sci-fi aspects felt like very last minute additions, but were at least interesting.
Nick and Bodhi (Naomi Kanakia): 2.5
A bit too abrasive/obnoxious for me, but I appreciate the author's boldness to tackle this story. Sadly didn't feel like a coherent story and made it hard for me to wrap my head around what was actually going on plot-wise.
Crash Landing (Mason Deaver): 5
So sweet and witty! Immensely relatable and felt like a plot for an 80s sci-fi movie, but make it very queer. Also teared up over this one.
Beauty Sleep (Alechia Dow): 4
This concept is STELLAR, but I found the prose a bit too dense at times, which made it difficult to properly enjoy this. Still thoroughly enjoyed it—a lovely sci-fi spin on a fairytale.
Concerto (Adbi Nazemian): 5
Hands down one of the best short stories in this anthology. Give this author a raise.
Home (K Ancrum): 3.5
Took a while for me to get invested, but was really heartfelt. A bit hard to understand what was going on at first, but I enjoyed connecting the dots. Probably would enjoy it more with a reread.
Fractal Eyes (Ugochi M Agoawike): 4
Took a bit to adjust to what was going on, but I really enjoyed the story. Wish it was a novel and expanded more on this idea. Imagery was gorgeous.
Nobody Cares Who You Kiss at the End of the World (Leah Johnson): 3
For the final story, this was Just Okay. I don't know if it was because I wanted to wrap things up, but it felt very wordy and redundant. Also was annoyed that the "why" of the apocalypse was never remotely explained. Just felt like a remixed version of the straight rapture story from earlier, religious bullshit included. At least the characters were enjoyable.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Didn't love it as much as the first book (think it's the absence of the tea monk stuff), but still hit me with all the best feels! Really adore all the quiet moments and the ways different lifeforms celebrate and honor life. Hope there's a third book soon!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I could not stop reading this book. The prose and storytelling style was very different from what I typically read and I found it immensely refreshing. For an mundane slice of life story that's strung together via loosely related short story chapters, it's introspective and compelling and deeply cathartic. I was rooting for everyone by the end, teary-eyed and grinning. Gonna be thinking about this book for a long while.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't want this to end. Absolutely phenomenal. Also this is the second Becky Chambers book I've read that made me cry. Amazing. 10/10. Now to make some tea~
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I wanted to like this book. I really, REALLY did. The ideas and themes are incredible and just my cup of tea, but sadly the convoluted and pedantic prose made this a tedious chore to read, let alone enjoy. There are better sci-fi books (and movies and shows and video games) that accomplish what this book is trying to do.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a phenomenally haunting book. Literally was holding my breath until the very last sentence. I don't want to spoil a damn thing bc I want others to experience this as blind as possible, but I highly recommend this book. It does gothic horror magnificently and I could not put this down bc I NEEDED to know what happened. Chef kiss. I'll be thinking about this one for a LONG while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Incest, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
It's tough to flag all the content warnings without spoiling the entire narrative, but typical Gothic Horror tropes are constantly present along with the underlying eugenics of everything going on.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely phenomenal book. A great spin on mermaids and folklore. My only complaints were that the prose was a bit too simple at times and I wish it was longer, but fantastic regardless.