I was right. Not just one, but two wars are breaking out. And a couple of metaphorical ones, too.
I'm SO glad some of the characters from before are geI was right. Not just one, but two wars are breaking out. And a couple of metaphorical ones, too.
I'm SO glad some of the characters from before are getting into the fight again. As much as I've grown to love all the new ones, it's really satisfying to see it all come together again.
A lot of consequences here. Massive consequences to the real world and especially this world. The Administrator's demise is hardly the worst part. BetA lot of consequences here. Massive consequences to the real world and especially this world. The Administrator's demise is hardly the worst part. Between the game's upcoming stress test and new baddies rising up on the other side and our MC's curse... things couldn't look bleaker.
As it is, this whole novella serves as a massive laid groundwork for a lot to come, no less the heroic return of a fallen hero. ...more
This is basically a straight continuation of the tower-climb, complete with more battles, reversals, and gains. All said, it's more of a middle scene This is basically a straight continuation of the tower-climb, complete with more battles, reversals, and gains. All said, it's more of a middle scene in a grand adventure than a full novel.
Not that it isn't entertaining as all hell, because it is.
This is a solid step-up for the action. For all the missing action in middle books, we get a great correction. It's especially good since we're not ceThis is a solid step-up for the action. For all the missing action in middle books, we get a great correction. It's especially good since we're not certain of the outcome.
Stakes: the whole world and all its people. The twist: the mindset you go out with.
I can't fault this at all. It's very beautiful. :)
I'm of two minds with this final book in the trilogy. First, I was very invested in exploration, etc, so when it turned into a PoV with an alien mindsI'm of two minds with this final book in the trilogy. First, I was very invested in exploration, etc, so when it turned into a PoV with an alien mindset that seemed too familiar with us, or being about an AI vs AI thriller surrounding base survival for the humans, I was a bit Meh.
After all, I wanted to have truly alien aliens and exploration, discovery, etc.
On the other hand, it was still pretty entertaining and the end was pretty cool. So I went from meh to alright. Not too bad. A decent SF to be read strictly for a bit of escapism....more
"The Stars You Can't See by Looking Directly" by Samantha Murray - (5*) I'm a sucker for end of the world baby stories when they don't go gentle. Thin"The Stars You Can't See by Looking Directly" by Samantha Murray - (5*) I'm a sucker for end of the world baby stories when they don't go gentle. Think Darwin's Children. Now draw lines in the sand. *shiver*
"Down We Go Gently" by M. L. Clark - (4*) Crazy weird deep spacecraft wonkiness. I likey.
"Donor Unknown" by Nika Murphy - (4*) Odd how an android painting heist mystery really turns into something completely different. :)
"Je Ne Regrette Rien" by James Patrick Kelly - (4*) Food and a balanced (not feel-good) look at robotics (anthropomorphism). Nuanced, but I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it.
"Tomorrow's Beautiful Dream" by Ju Chu - (5*) A very chilling dystopian nightmare of ultra-efficiency. Right at home in any cyberpunk portfolio. Soon to be our reality. Again.
"The Desolate Order of the Head in the Water" by A. W. Prihandita - (4*) Almost reminds me of an old impressionist work, but revolving around AI takeover.
"Space is Deep" by Seth Chambers - (4*) Ah, the problems of living in space. Rather grounded for a story.
Out of all these stories, I really enjoyed John Chu's. The others are just fine, but "Tomorrow's Beautiful Dream" was chilling.
Not a bad month but there have been better....more
Well, honestly, I thought this would have been a more breathtaking take on colony shipping, especially with a plug like what we get in the blurb. CompWell, honestly, I thought this would have been a more breathtaking take on colony shipping, especially with a plug like what we get in the blurb. Completely altering the way she thinks about everything, etc.
And to be fair, it IS there, in the text. Hearthspace itself is pretty fascinating. Multi-universal exploration of space, of space itself AND alt-universes--a very Baxterian trope we've seen with his Manifold series.
But in this particular book, I can't say whether it's an awfully our-world-reflective story, or whether it's almost cartoonishly set with its focus squarely on fascism. And, like I said, it's rather too on the nose.
You'd think an interstellar civilization could get things moving a bit better without mass-scale slavery. But it IS audacious enough to be plausible. Especially when the goal is just power and looting without thinking about sustainability or long term anything.
Ahem.
No, no, it's not relevant today.
But that brings me back to my rating. Why so low? Because it's practically all just fighting the man from inside the belly of the beast, with just a FEW small parts that fulfill the promise of the blurb.
It's a stream of consciousness wild ride that reminds me of all modernist fiction--rambling and detailed and seemingly chaotic as hellFirst, the good:
It's a stream of consciousness wild ride that reminds me of all modernist fiction--rambling and detailed and seemingly chaotic as hell, but always with a purpose, a line through which all passes.
Hell, I was reminded quite a bit of Mitchell's Bone Clocks as I read this. I even wanted to expect something more science-fictiony to come out of it. Imagine my consternation if, upon wanting to read this BECAUSE it was supposed to be speculative fiction, it turned out to be just another "oh, look, dead people judging other soon-to-be-dead people, don't you feel regret now" book.
The bad:
You might have guessed it already.
A Christmas Carol without Christmas.
Ah, alas, but I should be fair about this: the text IS a chaotic and fascinating ride, overflowing with cliches strapped to a whip. It WAS entertaining. It just wasn't a book that broke any boundaries. At all.
I suspect this book might suffer from high expectations. ...more
I would say it's a solid YA SF--assuming you haven't read MANY others just like it.
Unfortunately, between the breaking-down generational starship, tigI would say it's a solid YA SF--assuming you haven't read MANY others just like it.
Unfortunately, between the breaking-down generational starship, tight resource terrors, AI, and adventure through the history and architecture of the ship, it reads like an old-school regular adventure.
I don't think it's bad, but it doesn't break any new ground or pass gracefully into originality.
BUT, it feeling exactly like a YA, that may be a benefit, not a detriment.
It doesn't quite do it for me, however. It was OKAY....more
Beginnings are the best time. But that being said, middle books are still progression. And here we learn ever more about Proxima, it's deadly mystery,Beginnings are the best time. But that being said, middle books are still progression. And here we learn ever more about Proxima, it's deadly mystery, and the kids' own (as well as the mission's) dark past.
Pretty standard, story-wise. Nothing even close to unique. BUT, it's well-done and quite entertaining, and I appreciate it for exactly that.
SF exploration is and should be a thing we still have in our heads. Endlessly trawling the depths of our own depravity shouldn't be everything we get. :)
You know, honestly, I really appreciate all old-school SF adventure/exploration tales. Especially when they just KNOW their job and do it extremely weYou know, honestly, I really appreciate all old-school SF adventure/exploration tales. Especially when they just KNOW their job and do it extremely well. Bring out that sense of awe and wonder and danger, throw in a little intrigue, but really stick to the landing.
It's not something we get much of anymore. So, I rather loved it.
It's half of Bobbiverse, and half Interstellar. Maybe not quite as wonderful as either, alone, but very entertaining and nerdy anyway.
Yeah. So. This one really didn't connect with me. I mean, Mr. Beast doing a reality TV show contest on Survival Island, only it goes really bad with dYeah. So. This one really didn't connect with me. I mean, Mr. Beast doing a reality TV show contest on Survival Island, only it goes really bad with deep dark mystery island stuff a-la cults. Yeah. Well. Practically none of that sparks me as original or not over-done in today's entertainment.
When books need to steal from youtube and decades of reality tv and a smidge of Jonestown, you know we're scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Otherwise, the writing was okay. I simply had a hard time caring....more
It's a western, and I'm not a huge fan of westerns.
That being said, I got through the veiled references to all things wild wild west and the AmericanIt's a western, and I'm not a huge fan of westerns.
That being said, I got through the veiled references to all things wild wild west and the American Civil war and hungrily ate up all things that made it alternate universes, settling an alien word, high tech, many races, and, of course, the revenge story.
I'll be honest. It took me well over half the novel before I truly got into it, and by then, it was all about seeing new places and killing new people. And sometimes old people. And the intelligent gun.
But by then I liked it just fine. Entertaining....more
New life to the series. It's full-on modern LitRPG now, but with a MUCH more solid foundation of multiple books deepening and enriching what is now toNew life to the series. It's full-on modern LitRPG now, but with a MUCH more solid foundation of multiple books deepening and enriching what is now to be the de facto standard of the genre.
This is a turning point for the series, I believe. Or rather, it takes on a whole new life, aka, ANY of the LitRPG novels that have come out AFTER thiThis is a turning point for the series, I believe. Or rather, it takes on a whole new life, aka, ANY of the LitRPG novels that have come out AFTER this.
Indeed, my interest had been waning for the last couple of novels, but this one makes me feel like it's all brand new again. :)
I can say this 100% every single time now: I cannot get over how much I love this series and how excited I am to get to read it. It's christmas and myI can say this 100% every single time now: I cannot get over how much I love this series and how excited I am to get to read it. It's christmas and my birthday all at the same time, and on top of that, I read it slower because I never want it to end.
For how long the books are, and this one is just as heart-stoppingly long as the others, it's unique in that I never ever ever want it to stop.
So many characters at this point. So many gorgeous stories. So much current history. So much EMOTION.
I was just laughing with my family about just how crazy it is to have a single little scene where an ancient and impossibly powerful dragon is complaining about just how stupid Shrek is while refusing to stop watching it. And require commentary.
I couldn't stop chortling... not because the scene was funny in concept, and it is, but because of ALL the other things that had to happen FIRST for it to hit QUITE this hard.
That's the genius of this work. And I love it. Love, love, love.
And that's just a tiny little sliver. So much happens in just this book and it's world-wide and amazing in scope, with wars, a whole pirate section, medical drama with body-stealing friends, sex drama, and most of all---friendship.
And while all that's happening, we even get Soccer. And a little troublemaking inn-keeper telling the most powerful king in all the world to "stuff his face" on live TV. And he loves it. *shakes head*
I can't recommend this series enough. It's just too good on way too many levels.
