This is a beautiful collection of short stories (and a few essays). If you want a better understanding of Chinese science fiction, this is a great plaThis is a beautiful collection of short stories (and a few essays). If you want a better understanding of Chinese science fiction, this is a great place to start. ...more
I love how this book picks up the story of humanity's future from the point of view of a minor character in the first book. It's a brilliant way to exI love how this book picks up the story of humanity's future from the point of view of a minor character in the first book. It's a brilliant way to explore more of the world from a different perspective. ...more
I love the world building in this book. The science fiction concepts are plausible, and Birdwell runs with them to create a terrifying yet believable I love the world building in this book. The science fiction concepts are plausible, and Birdwell runs with them to create a terrifying yet believable future for humanity. The characters are appealing and believable. Neither overwhelmingly competent and righteous nor annoyingly idiotic, they are people I could imagine as friends. Like all of us, they are trying to get along in a world rife with economic, political, environmental, and social ills stemming from the drive to do-good and create profit. ...more
This is a great followup to Song of All Songs. We get the continuation of Meridia's saga and the ongoing tensions between the Melfar and Mundani. I paThis is a great followup to Song of All Songs. We get the continuation of Meridia's saga and the ongoing tensions between the Melfar and Mundani. I particularly enjoy how Birdwell gives us a post-apocalyptic / far future story told from the perspectives of women and men of different ages and how power struggles, attempts to do good, and attempts to just get along can all lead to a host of unexpected positive and negative consequences.
This book is very dated: implausible science, simplistic plot, simplistically developed characters, pets kept in cages, etc. However, it has its charmThis book is very dated: implausible science, simplistic plot, simplistically developed characters, pets kept in cages, etc. However, it has its charms. This book will not stress you out. There are bits of world building that seem prescient and other bits that give an insight into social conditions in the early 1950s. It is something of a love letter to introverted, intellectual children who struggle in various ways to fit in with the people around them. It's a quick, easy read. If you're looking for classic sf with a gentle mien, give this a try. If you're looking for complexity, high stakes, and realistic character development, pick up something more recent....more
Solid sf space opera. I appreciated: the predominance of female characters, the normalization of lgbtqia+, the world building, the complexities of theSolid sf space opera. I appreciated: the predominance of female characters, the normalization of lgbtqia+, the world building, the complexities of the characters' backstories, the exploration of passivism. I was less impressed by: the slow pace (perhaps exacerbated by the audiobook format), some redundancies/overly-detailed descriptions without payoff, the military elements (didn't quite ring true). ...more
This is a beautiful collection of short stories. Reisman has a wide-ranging imagination, great world building, solid characters, and beautiful descripThis is a beautiful collection of short stories. Reisman has a wide-ranging imagination, great world building, solid characters, and beautiful descriptions. A couple of my favorite lines: "It was a rainy, sweet-throated morning" and "Her pale hair was soft, but tangled hopelessly; she smelled of band-aid and dog." If you're a fan of sf/f/liminal-space short stories, this book will absolutely be worth your time. ...more
Couldn't get into it - put it down. I may revisit this as an ebook; the audio version didn't do much for me. Couldn't get into it - put it down. I may revisit this as an ebook; the audio version didn't do much for me. ...more
My favorite part of this book is the idea that humans are too socially incompetent/sociopathic/psychopathic to either survive as a species or interactMy favorite part of this book is the idea that humans are too socially incompetent/sociopathic/psychopathic to either survive as a species or interact in a responsible manner with other sentient species. The logical solution? Chemically hack our brains so that we can behave in a more socially acceptable manner.
Aside from that basic world-building premise, Bear did a great job with the characters (the aliens weren't just humans in masks, although for the sake of story, they couldn't be totally ineffable) and the setting. The plot moved quickly enough, and the ending was satisfying. ...more
This is a solid story, but the audiobook lost my interest multiple times. The narration was just fine. Perhaps the problem was the premise (not enoughThis is a solid story, but the audiobook lost my interest multiple times. The narration was just fine. Perhaps the problem was the premise (not enough new ideas for me) or the plot (not enough twists, which is a me-problem with time-travel books). ...more
I don't read a lot of romance, but I enjoyed this story. The characters were compelling, the plot moved at a good clip, and the world-building was a lI don't read a lot of romance, but I enjoyed this story. The characters were compelling, the plot moved at a good clip, and the world-building was a lot of fun. If I had to give the story a single-adjective descriptor, I would call it "lovely."...more
I've never had a book flirt with me. Or do a strip tease. Or keep me reading for all the hookups that never happen on-page. This book does all those tI've never had a book flirt with me. Or do a strip tease. Or keep me reading for all the hookups that never happen on-page. This book does all those things.
Aside from that, there's a lot of great world-building, engaging characters, solid descriptions (the food! the motorcycles!), and plot twists that lead to a satisfying conclusion. The story touches on themes of identity, political change, race, class, and bodily autonomy. Some of the givens (especially mores around sex and drugs are different from those of a typical Western reader), and that's what made this story uniquely interesting to me. ...more
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