In the same way non-inquisitors are not supposed to ask questions in this novel's setting, readers shouldn't ask too many questions, lest the thin facIn the same way non-inquisitors are not supposed to ask questions in this novel's setting, readers shouldn't ask too many questions, lest the thin facade Lethem built crash down and reveal his underdeveloped world building. Questions such as how society came to a point with such controlled media, freely available addictive drugs, evolved animals and "babyheads," and yet so few other technological advancements. Altered Carbon takes a similarly noir approach to science fiction, but Richard K. Morgan's universe feels real and lived in, while this feels like an Old Hollywood set.
Also, do women really need to be slapped in the face in every noir book? Was it not already clear this was noir inspired without that? And this from the P.I. that was gender transformed to have female sexual responses, a confusing subplot that did not serve the story in the least. Seriously, why even mention it? Just to make the story needlessly weirder? Or are we supposed to believe his attitude at the end of the book -- which made no sense -- was in some way related to not being a full, complete male? I think that may be overanalyzing a text that isn't that deep. The end really wanted to have the gravitas of 1984, but it just didn't feel earned in the least. (view spoiler)[In the few years he was asleep, he watched society degrade drastically, including near complete transformations of the few people he knew from before. And we are supposed to believe he was okay with going back in the freezer and reemerging years later again, with some naive idea it may somehow get better on its own? (hide spoiler)]
Don't get the idea I hated this book from my above criticism. It was okay, as long as you don't expect too much from it. But it is definitely not the best example of noir, science fiction, or dystopian literature, although it is a fairly interesting, if underdeveloped, mix of all three....more
Eh, while this book wasn't bad, it didn't compel me to finish it either. It was overwritten in that "I'm a writer, watch me be literary" sense, and I Eh, while this book wasn't bad, it didn't compel me to finish it either. It was overwritten in that "I'm a writer, watch me be literary" sense, and I wasn't seeing a lot of new ideas in terms of dystopian literature either. I'm glad I rented it from the library and don't own it....more
This discourse on dystopias won Hugo, Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and National Book awards, and almost every single one of my Goodreads friends thatThis discourse on dystopias won Hugo, Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and National Book awards, and almost every single one of my Goodreads friends that has read it has it tagged with a 4 or 5 star rating. So clearly, the problem here is with me, because I really hated this book -- and it isn't because this book is dated or aged poorly, because the Cold War era slant of this book plays perfectly to a modern audience considering the current state of Russian-U.S. relations.
I'm giving it two stars because I do appreciate the big ideas Le Guin brings up. The vision behind the "profiteering" cultures of Urras -- with subdivisions for the capitalists of A-Io (U.S.) and the authoritarian state of the Thu (Russia) -- and the anarchist outcast settlement of Anarres was a solid and interesting foundation for the book. But the weak characterizations, uninspiring writing, unnecessarily non-linear storytelling, lack of action, and disappointing ending all added up to a very difficult and unrewarding reading experience for me. To address those points specifically (mild spoilers may follow):
- There is only one character, Shevek, who is more than one-dimensional. The rest fill out the story as needed -- corrupt bureaucrat, radical friend, loving partner, etc. As for Shevek, for as brilliant as he is, he is naive to the point of incredulity. And I don't mean just after he leaves Anarres for A-Io. It takes him decades longer than his friends to see the corruption in his own anarchist world. He is willfully ignorant of what is going on around him for someone involved in something as deep as theoretical physics.
- The writing was clunky throughout the entire novel, and had no rhythm. There were tedious lists, long sections of discourse about the various imperfections in the various imperfect societies, and unnecessary word invention -- although I will grant calling the toilet a shittery is funny, if nothing else.
- Another aspect of the storytelling that did not agree with me was the alternating chapters, where one chapter would be a flashback to Anarres, and the next a current day chapter on Urras. I would have minded this less if anything interesting or noteworthy happened on Anarres -- what little did happen could have easily been worked into flashbacks in the current day chapters, which could have greatly shortened the novel, and likely, my enjoyment of it.
- There was one action scene in entire novel, and, if you include the aftermath, maybe ten pages are spent on it in total. There were also two other scenes that contained somewhat tense conflict. I don't need every book I read to be paced like The Hunger Games, but I need more of an action-driven plot than this, especially if you expect me to sit through endless info dumps on your imaginary dystopias.
- The book ends right before another action scene -- or at least a scene with great potential for conflict -- that Le Guin either didn't know how to write her way out of, or didn't want to go out on a limb and make a stand for, which I see as a cop-out either way.
- The overall feeling I was left with after reading this book was that capitalism sucks, anarchism sucks in different ways, and the only hope forward lies in benevolent aliens. This could have been improved if the ending to the novel went one chapter further, however it turned out.
I could go on, but I believe my opinion is already more than clear. I will leave you with a quote from this book that sums up how I felt about reading it:
He tried to read an elementary economics text; it bored him past endurance, it was like listening to somebody interminably recounting a long and stupid dream.
Goodreads friends, in all seriousness, tell me what I am missing that led you to rate this so highly. I feel like I am the only one seeing the Emperor's bare ass here....more
I saw the Sylvester Stallone Judge Dredd movie as a teenager and was turned off by its campiness, and so -- despite my love of comics -- never bothereI saw the Sylvester Stallone Judge Dredd movie as a teenager and was turned off by its campiness, and so -- despite my love of comics -- never bothered looking into the comic character it was based on. I didn't have very high hopes for the rebooted Karl Urban Dredd movie from last year, but heard positive things from enough people that I gave it a chance. Seeing it totally changed my mind and made me a believer in Dredd -- it was a post-apocolyptic, science fiction, Orwellian version of The Raid, and it kicked all sorts of ass.
The reason my above digression is relevant to this is simple -- this graphic novel is cut 100% from the same cloth as the latter movie, and kicked just as much ass. It definitely has me looking forward to reading more of this series. It also functions as an excellent entry point to the character, as it's a story of Dredd's first year as a Judge -- although, to gripe, he doesn't act, nor is he drawn, particularly young.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review....more
This book is a lot of things -- an amalgam of various dystopian ideas, an stream-of-consciousness inspection of the butterfly effect, an analysis on tThis book is a lot of things -- an amalgam of various dystopian ideas, an stream-of-consciousness inspection of the butterfly effect, an analysis on the effects of power on the human psyche, a foray into the multiverse strangely reminiscent of Inception, a love story, an ode to George Orwell (the main character is named George Orr in homage to the author) -- but one thing it isn't is boring.
I have to point that out specifically because I did not want to read this, and if it weren't for my book club, I wouldn't have. This is the blurb from the book:
George Orr is a man who discovers he has the peculiar ability to dream things into being -- for better or for worse. In desperation, he consults a psychotherapist who promises to help him -- but who, it soon becomes clear, has his own plans for George and his dreams.
Nothing about that hooked me at all. I was worried the entire book would be filled with unintelligibly meaningful dream sequences reminiscent of Dali paintings, and I can't stand dream sequences (although I didn't mind them at all in the above-mentioned Inception, go figure). And reading the first paragraph, below, didn't help:
Current-borne, wave-flung, tugged hugely by the whole might of ocean, the jellyfish drifts in the tidal abyss. The light shines through it, and the dark enters it. Borne, flung, tugged from anywhere to anywhere, for in the deep sea there is no compass but nearer and farther, higher and lower, the jellyfish hangs and sways; pulses move slight and quick within it, as the vast diurnal pulses beat in the moondriven sea. Hanging, swaying, pulsing, the most vulnerable and insubstantial creature, it has for its defense the violence and power of the whole ocean, to which it has entrusted its being, its going, and its will.
But I am thrilled to report that the book's opening is also its last into the ethereal world of dreamscapes. The rest of the book is tightly concerned with the consequences of Orr's imaginings, not the acts themselves.
I can't say much more without spoiling some aspects of the plot, such as (view spoiler)[the aliens George dreams up are among my all-time favorite aliens in speculative literature (hide spoiler)], but I feel compelled to add that this story, despite being written in 1971, was very progressive in terms of race, gender and sexuality, and did not feel terribly dated. Michael Chabon's quote from the cover echoes that in a more personal way:
When I read The Lathe of Heaven as a young man, my mind was boggled. When I read it, more than 25 years later, it breaks my heart. Only a great work of literature can bridge — so thrillingly — that impossible span.
The lack of action made this book too easy to put down, even with it being so short. I think the major issue is that I was expecting Red Dawn, and notThe lack of action made this book too easy to put down, even with it being so short. I think the major issue is that I was expecting Red Dawn, and not this day in the life character study from the points-of-view of an antique dealer, a jewelry maker, and a diplomat. And even as a character study, I feel this was deeply flawed, as the main female character was written terribly -- almost as if Phillip K. Dick took the advice of Melvin Udall from As Good As It Gets when he wrote her, and thought of a man, and then took away all reason and accountability. Even at the end, when the spy and the assassin are revealed, it's really too little, too late as far as saving the narrative. While I'm glad that I've now to be able to say I've read it, I didn't enjoy the actual act of reading it. A five-star idea with a one-star execution....more
The artwork was beautiful and the premise -- food is the lone remaining form of entertainment, leaving chefs to rule "like crime lords" in the city --The artwork was beautiful and the premise -- food is the lone remaining form of entertainment, leaving chefs to rule "like crime lords" in the city -- piqued my interest. But the execution left a bit to be desired -- the introductory explanation of the dystopian future rang hollow, and the plot was disjointed and shallow. Also, the tone waffled between straight-faced and satire, leaving it too austere to be funny and too absurd to be taken seriously. ...more
If you substitute "love" with "pretty", you have Scott Westerfeld'sUglies, which was written six years earlier. Here are some parallels -- teenage giIf you substitute "love" with "pretty", you have Scott Westerfeld'sUglies, which was written six years earlier. Here are some parallels -- teenage girl protagonist, government mandated surgery approaching for the protagonist, rebellious teenage girl friend/side-kick, mysterious outsider boy/love interest, walled-in society with rebels living in the outlying areas, the protagonist escaping to the outlying area, (view spoiler)[surgery is actually a partial lobotomy in disguise (hide spoiler)]. So not only didn't I like this, I also can't escape the feeling that it was not in the least bit original. Boo. Hiss.
As for specifics -- the story moves way too slow, the character endlessly repeats herself, a lot of what happens is sadly predictable, and it ends on a cliffhanger. As much as I am mildly curious where the author wanted to take this, there is no way I am reading two more 400+ page installments to find out. I might read the plot synopsis on Wikipedia -- maybe....more
I hunted this down after learning the Justin Timberlake sci-fi movie In Time was loosely based on this short story.
Two quick points before my review I hunted this down after learning the Justin Timberlake sci-fi movie In Time was loosely based on this short story.
Two quick points before my review of the short story:
1) After reading this and seeing the trailer to In Time, I can't see how they are related at all, other than that their themes both involve the concept of time as it is related to people. It seems to be a stretch, but hey, whatever.
2) I say "I hunted this down" because this book is out-of-print and not available digitally (how the publisher did not release this as a Kindle book to coincide with the movie's release is beyond me). So, I found the entire short story on this website, which I don't really feel guilty about, as I tried to buy it -- physically and digitally -- first.
As for the short story, it's really great. It is an extremely stylized look at some 60's counter-culture talking points, but also works as a great sci-fi/dystopian story, and somehow also manages to have a steam-punk flavor to it. With tips of the hat to Henry David Thoreau, Robin Hood and 1984, it knows exactly what it wants to be, and manages to get there in around ten pages, despite having a long quote from Civil Disobedience and a lengthy run-on paragraph describing in great existential detail the experience of tons of jelly beans raining down from the sky....more
There are some interesting ideas about where we are going as a society and what technological advances we will see in the next two decades, but they aThere are some interesting ideas about where we are going as a society and what technological advances we will see in the next two decades, but they are lost amid uninspired prose and shallow character development, along with some of the least plausible scientific/economic/political ideas I have ever encountered.
To be specific (some vague spoilers below):
- By following so many characters with opposing goals -- many of them unnecessarily -- it was hard to become invested in, or root for any of them, especially considering how unlikable, one-dimensional, and shallow they all were.
- Brooks' pseudo-explanation of how the cure for cancer worked (amino acids!) made my eyes roll. He wouldn't have lost anything by glossing over the cure without any explanation at all.
- It wasn't made clear enough how the "olds" were draining society to such a degree. Who was subsidizing them to live so lavishly? It seems like their only burden to the government was health care and social security, not programs to make or keep them rich at the expense of the younger generations. And if they were rich, their spending would have been good for the younger generation -- who would have been the recipient of their disposable incomes -- and they would have drained themselves, so I just don't understand this key argument of the book.
- The idea that the U.S. would welcome China as a partner on American soil with open arms and no resistance was even harder to swallow than the generational tension, regardless of the magnitude of disaster. Even if L.A. was clamoring for China's assistance after the earthquake, there is no way the Bible Belt or the AARP would have went along with it. It would have been believable for it to happen, but not without any objections at all.
- I was really looking forward to the civil war that seemed to be building throughout the book between the olds and the younger generation, which I falsely assumed would be the climax of the book. It never happened. Instead, we get the anti-climactic cruise ship scene. The resentment issue never really gets addressed again, as everyone is too busy being enamored with the Chinese -- whose healthcare and logistical solutions would not do anything to solve the generational divide, and hence, shouldn't have tempered the younger generations' rage.
- This was supposed to be a comedy, and I didn't find the book to be funny at all, and the resolution for almost every single character was beyond tragic. Specifically, (view spoiler)[Brad is murdered after losing his home and saddling his son with his retirement debt; Kathy is accused of being a terrorist and unfairly saddled with over $1M in debt fighting the claims; and Matthew Bernstein is divorced by his wife, abandoned by his chief of staff, and is ousted from office by a foreigner (hide spoiler)]....more
I had such high hopes for this, being a fan of gritty graphic novels and The Art of War, the book that inspired it. But the plot seemed to be bigger iI had such high hopes for this, being a fan of gritty graphic novels and The Art of War, the book that inspired it. But the plot seemed to be bigger in scope than the space allotted for it, while the art, which did have its stylistic moments, suffered from the limited color palette of black, white, and occasionally red (mostly to highlight blood).
Additionally, the decision to print long passages of Sun Tzu's source text over equally long bits of the story muddled both the quotes and the ongoing action -- I think the quotes would have been better served between the various segments of the book instead of intertwined through them.
While I don't regret reading it, and have already passed it along to a friend I believe will appreciate it, I was a bit underwhelmed by this finished product, which was not as good as the potential sum of its parts....more
**spoiler alert** I did not enjoy this near as much as the first two books in the series. Why?
- No Hunger Games. The tension created by these may have**spoiler alert** I did not enjoy this near as much as the first two books in the series. Why?
- No Hunger Games. The tension created by these may have been part of what made the first two books so great. The lack of it in the third was palpable. And Collins attempt to make the Capital invasion into a pseudo Hunger Games failed.
- Too many secondary character deaths. Is this to make up for the fact that all three main characters survive? I don't know, but it didn't sit well with me. And I am not against having characters be mortal, I just don't understand the senselessness of some of the deaths, and really didn't understand the lack of attention paid to the deaths and their affect to the surviving characters, especially in the case of Finnick.
- Lack of action. This book featured a lot of off-screen action, and a lot of telling about action. Examples: The media war between the Capital and the rebels, Katniss being shot and falling unconscious, the taking of the capital and Katniss again falling unconscious, Katniss's trial, etc.
- The regression of Katniss's character. One of the things that made the first two books great was what a strong and decisive character we are given in Katniss. That is lost in the third book, where she spends a good portion of it wallowing and whining.
- The lack of proper resolution of the love triangle. I did not read this for the love triangle aspect, but accepted it as a necessary trope of the genre. That being said, it still would have been nice to have a better conclusion to it. Fact is, she just stays with the one guy that hangs around, meaning he basically made her decision for her by sticking around. And winning by attrition is hardly exciting story-telling.
- Katniss giving up her beliefs in the end. The fact that she marries Peeta and has his children, despite repeated proclamations that she wants neither marriage nor children is sad to read in what I believe is supposed to be a hopeful epilogue.
- The overall bleakness of the series. I understood the books leading up to this being bleak, and even things getting worse before they got better, but even after the climax of the third book, the tone is still incredibly bleak. I get that the author is using this trilogy as a podium against senseless war, but seriously, did even the end of the series need to be that downtrodden?
Overall, it was just a very disappointing end to an otherwise phenomenal series. ...more
This picks up right where The Hunger Games left off, and continues its momentum from start to finish.This picks up right where The Hunger Games left off, and continues its momentum from start to finish....more
So why does it work so well? It's well written, extremely fast paced, and the characters are believable in their actions, even though their circumstances are extraordinary. Also, it doesn't hurt that this particular to-the-death competition is so compelling (I would be very interested in playing a video game version of the Hunger Games)....more
I read this back in High School, but its Utopian ideals stick with me to this day. Unrealistic as they may be, they still push people to strive higherI read this back in High School, but its Utopian ideals stick with me to this day. Unrealistic as they may be, they still push people to strive higher, and that is a notable accomplishment for a book published over a century ago....more
I had read a synopsis of this book and thought the premise was interesting enough to give it a read. While I am glad I read it, it did not live up to I had read a synopsis of this book and thought the premise was interesting enough to give it a read. While I am glad I read it, it did not live up to my expectations from seeing the interesting premise.
The writing was not exceptional, and nothing about the societies was fleshed out particularly well. Also, I found the ending disappointing and it did not make me want to continue on to the next book (Uglies was originally intended to be the first book of a trilogy, but there are now four books out in the series).
In summation, it read as "dystopian literature light." Being that Uglies is written for a younger audience, this makes sense, and hopefully this pushes young adults to push on to the Brave New World's and 1984's of the world. ...more
A very interesting premise for a graphic novel. Having read a bunch of various super hero graphic novels recently, it was refreshing to read a story aA very interesting premise for a graphic novel. Having read a bunch of various super hero graphic novels recently, it was refreshing to read a story about normal people -- albeit in an alternate future that seems to be the nightmare of every American conspiracy theorist. I can't wait to see where this is going......more
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