I don't know whether I like this as much or more than any of the other Culture novels I've read. It seems to be a different sort of beast, really. The...moreI don't know whether I like this as much or more than any of the other Culture novels I've read. It seems to be a different sort of beast, really. The others are things that are happening, even in Use of Weapons with the dual flow of the story; this one is the aftermath, things that have happened and dealing with them (or not). That's not to say that there isn't a plot, but the things that're happening are happening as a direct result of a known and understood past: in Consider Phlebas, the conflict is new; in Use of Weapons, Zakalwe gets involved in a lot of unrelated (except by his presence) situations; in The Player of Games, the Culture is actively meddling. But Look to Windward is the aftermath of Consider Phlebas and of the same kind of situation that is played out in Use of Weapons and Player of Games.
The depictions of grief and guilt, loss and longing, are incredibly well done. There's some gorgeous writing in the way Banks unveils his world, and some amazing background to his world.
Two complaints, really: one, I'm no longer sure if Banks is really managing to distinguish aliens from humans, in terms of character and outlook -- I could forget Kabe and Quilan's races if I let my mind wander; two, the last couple of sections/chapters wrap everything up so very neatly, and I've realised that happens in his other books too. Oh for a little bit of ambiguity to take away with me...(less)
Fascinating idea: I love this view of contact with aliens, the idea that maybe they'll come along and they won't care about us, they'll just leave the...moreFascinating idea: I love this view of contact with aliens, the idea that maybe they'll come along and they won't care about us, they'll just leave their litter here on earth and not care what happens to us because of it. Obviously the novel unpacks that, but that's the basic idea at the heart of it. And as with so many masterworks of SF, the book is mostly worth reading for that: the characters are indifferent to unpleasant, and only a couple of the relationships are important.
The end is -- whoa. It's awful. And it's somehow the more awful because we don't see what comes of it, whether it was remotely worth it.(less)
The Space Merchants has a very 1984 feel: the underground movement, the profession of the main character... but it's very different as well. A similar...moreThe Space Merchants has a very 1984 feel: the underground movement, the profession of the main character... but it's very different as well. A similar situation, if you like, but with a capitalist society taken to the extremes rather than a socialist one. I'm surprised at people saying it feels outdated; I'm with the people who feel it still seems surprisingly relevant for something written in the 1950s.
It's a very quick read, and one worth reading not so much for characters or relationships, but for the way the idea plays out.(less)
Interesting if you're into the character of Natasha -- a solo outing for her, backed up by Coulson, in the run-up to the Avengers. Art's reasonable to...moreInteresting if you're into the character of Natasha -- a solo outing for her, backed up by Coulson, in the run-up to the Avengers. Art's reasonable to good -- sometimes they get the essence of Scarlett Johansson down, sometimes they miss by a mile. Actually, at times it feels that way with the character, although I wonder if I'd feel differently about that rewatching Avengers with it in mind.
Also includes an old Iron Man comic involving the Crimson Dynamo and Black Widow, and some of the process art for the Black Widow Strikes cover.(less)
Somewhat disappointing, but I wasn't really expecting much of it. This volume contains a graphic novelisation of Iron Man 2, a short lead-up to Iron M...moreSomewhat disappointing, but I wasn't really expecting much of it. This volume contains a graphic novelisation of Iron Man 2, a short lead-up to Iron Man 3 which happily features plenty of Rhodey (and explains where he was during Avengers and why War Machine -- sorry, Iron Patriot -- wasn't fighting at Tony's side), and what I think is an excerpt from the Extremis storyline from 2005, not that the book makes it terribly clear. The art is mostly unremarkable, and most of the fun stuff is Rhodey kicking ass.(less)
This isn't really a science fiction story that's about the science. It's about what science can give us -- and what it c...moreSecond book for the readathon!
This isn't really a science fiction story that's about the science. It's about what science can give us -- and what it can't. The main character, Jimson, had cancer, which is entirely controllable as long as he stays on his own planet. Which is fine for some time, but his art is stagnating, and he wants to see new worlds, see things in a literally different light, the light of other suns. And this book is about his journey, the people he meets. There is a plot in the background, but compared to -- say -- Iain M. Banks' work, it's almost incidental. What matters are the people brought into contact with each other, and what they take away from each other.
It's almost a quiet little story: the action doesn't ring as loudly as the awkward silences, the quiet moments of pain.(less)
There are many faults with On Basilisk Station. I'm not going to deny that. The bit where a tense action scene was interrupted for eight pages of back...moreThere are many faults with On Basilisk Station. I'm not going to deny that. The bit where a tense action scene was interrupted for eight pages of background on the ins and outs of space travel was a particularly egregious one, and David Weber is quite frankly, to judge on this, not that good a writer at all. I also understand people who think Honor is a bit of a "Mary Sue", a bit too perfect. I understand, but I don't agree -- at least not at this stage in the series, though I've read analyses which suggests it definitely gets that way.
But for me I was mesmerised. Hard SF with a strong, non-sexualised female lead, absolutely no romantic plot, platonic relationships with multiple male characters... A female lead who is resourceful, determined, and quite frankly does her superiors' jobs better than they were doing them themselves. She isn't faultless. She isn't even pretty. There's nothing about her which implies Weber thought sex appeal would be important, and good god that should not be so refreshing in SF.
I think Weber's worldbuilding really shines: he's clearly thought through all the political situations and the exact details of the technology involved, too. Granted, he doesn't deploy this with the greatest of subtlety -- holy infodump, Batman! -- but the planning is all there.
To top all that off, I got very involved with the characters, my heart was in my mouth during the action scenes (bar the bit with the eight page digression) and I was willing to overlook all its flaws because of that. It gets four stars not for being a brilliant piece of writing, but for taking a firm grip on my heart.(less)
It took me a while to get around to reading Consider Phlebas, and now I'm not entirely sure why. Something about it struck me as stuffy and boring. I...moreIt took me a while to get around to reading Consider Phlebas, and now I'm not entirely sure why. Something about it struck me as stuffy and boring. I have no idea why because actually reading it... I read it in more or less two sessions, straight through. It's not as polished and carefully structured as Use of Weapons, nor did it 'wow' me as much, but it's crammed full of interesting ideas. The whole concept of Schar's World, of Horza's race, of all the things that are so familiar now to fans of the Culture... It introduced a whole new world, and yet there isn't that getting to know you feeling of a first book at all.
Some parts of it weren't very well written in my view -- the last handful of chapters' breathless style struck me as sort of amateurish -- but it's still a worthwhile read, and I love that it presents so many points of view, not just that of the Culture.
I'm sad that I'm really getting into the Culture novels only after Banks' announcement of his cancer. Still, it's as good a way to honour him as any!(less)
I've played this game, it's called Assassin's Creed.
Okay, I think this novel came out before Assassin's Creed, and there are some obvious differences,...moreI've played this game, it's called Assassin's Creed.
Okay, I think this novel came out before Assassin's Creed, and there are some obvious differences, not to mention plenty of other examples in all sorts of media that did this story already, but it was really all I could think while reading the opening chapters. I did a little more research and decided not to continue reading this, since I wasn't that impressed with it. It's a library copy and someone else reserved it, so I'll return it ASAP so it can find a more appreciative audience.
(I do appreciate the worries about our surveillance culture. If you haven't thought about that sort of thing, you might find it eye-opening... On the other hand, you might just read 1984: it's less technologically up to date, perhaps, but it's the same message on that front.)
P.S. Good going with the stereotyping about Romani in the very first chapter! I've sure never heard that about "Gypsies" being thieves before.
I know I was reviewing each section separately, but I decided I wasn't going to finish this. All in all, it wasn't keeping my attention as much as I w...moreI know I was reviewing each section separately, but I decided I wasn't going to finish this. All in all, it wasn't keeping my attention as much as I would've liked -- Juliette is a great character, but otherwise, meh, and the plot wasn't so original or well put together that I couldn't spend my time poking holes in it, even to the extent I read it. Combine that with learning what the end is from a helpful reading group member and I was severely sceptical... It isn't bad, and with an editor the workmanlike prose could even have turned out to be a good thing for it, but...
Then I was linked to a post from the author's site, in which he is a misogynistic, ablist jerk. And this is where I regret contributing financially to his success. I could forgive the insensitive, arrogant post where he proves himself as bad as the person he's denigrating, if he was willing to accept the criticism in the comments, but no.
My star rating is for what I've read so far, and not influenced by Howey's personal opinions. The fact that I broke off and didn't finish it, on the other hand...
Edit: As I posted that, I was directed to an apology. To me, it still misses the point and is just an "oh shit, I annoyed potential readers" reaction.(less)
And now the serial's over, I will sum up my impressions here. I quickly skimmed through all the episodes again, trying to decide how I felt about how...moreAnd now the serial's over, I will sum up my impressions here. I quickly skimmed through all the episodes again, trying to decide how I felt about how well it all tied in. And I really don't know. Some of it still feels incredibly bitty, sort of gratuitous -- The Dog King, for example, is funny, but I'm not sure how much it contributes.
The overall plot is pretty good, but by the time the next "season" comes out, my surmises and hopes will be so much less present and powerful. I wish there'd been a few more clues in the last episode to keep me wondering.
The characters, looking over the whole serial, are pretty engaging. Mostly Wilson and Schmidt: my heart was in my mouth for them during the final episode. Also the captain, for whom I felt sad. Most people further up the chain of command just needed a kick in the ass, though.
I think it was an interesting experiment, definitely. Parts of it were a lot of fun, and some of the more experimental episodes (like episode two) worked quite well.
I remember liking The Player of Games well enough, but not going 'omg, must read more of this guy's work'. But this...moreI don't know what to say right now.
I remember liking The Player of Games well enough, but not going 'omg, must read more of this guy's work'. But this... I shuffled it up my reading list when I heard the recent sad news about Banks: I'm glad I did. This is what has really got me invested in his work: the clever narrative structure, the awfulness at the heart of this story that we see exposed only layer by layer, the ending which both made perfect sense and seemed the only natural way to finish the story and still felt immediate, sudden and horrifying.
I shall get myself round to reading more of Banks' work all the quicker, now. This is really good speculative fiction, which doesn't just speculate about technology, aliens, culture, but also feels real, touches on something relevant and ghastly that comments on the way we are now as well as the way things could be.(less)
I'm not sure this really belongs under speculative fiction, but I found it in the SF/F section in Waterstones, so it'll do. Nor is it exactly humour -...moreI'm not sure this really belongs under speculative fiction, but I found it in the SF/F section in Waterstones, so it'll do. Nor is it exactly humour -- it's humorous, but I don't think that's the main feature of the book. It's also not a romance, even though there is romance in it. In fact, I'm not entirely sure what it is, altogether.
I did enjoy it, all the way through, which is a step up for me when it comes to Connie Willis. (I found The Domesday Book painful when it comes to pacing, but good, and haven't been able to finish anything else of any length by her.) But all the time I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to hook onto, what I was supposed to be connecting with. I did like the little romance, but I saw it coming, and some parts of it were ridiculous -- but I also saw them coming because of the set-up.
Anyway, quite fun, but not a good introduction to Connie Willis, I would say. Painful as I found the pacing, go with Domesday Book, or the novella I actually started with, Fire Watch. There's some good writing buried under the crap pacing (or pacing that really doesn't work for me, anyway), and a bright mind.(less)
Oh -- my -- god. When I started reading this book I expected it to keep up the fairly light tone of the early chapters. Then it fucked with my heart b...moreOh -- my -- god. When I started reading this book I expected it to keep up the fairly light tone of the early chapters. Then it fucked with my heart bad. Don't believe reviews saying it makes no sense: it makes perfect sense, in the end, as long as you stop holding onto normal logic and start applying some dream logic. The narrator is unreliable, yeah, and he has attitude, and he knows he's telling a story, so there are bits that some people find irritating, like the way he keeps saying he'll tell us more about [whatever] later, if it's relevant. And I can understand that, but for me it's all part of who the narrator is.
I love the world built up here. The different neighbourhoods, the cats, the whys and wherefores of The City. I love the writing, because so much of it is painfully on the nose about trauma, about the demons we're capable of dreaming up. I love all of this more than I love the characters, really: I love it for what it has to say about trauma, about the way we think.
It's hard to talk about it without any spoilers, really. All I can say is that it comes together in the end, and you understand things in a heartbreaking rush, and it really is good. Weird, yes. But very good.(less)
The number of literary references dizzy and delight me, but somehow don't make up for the fact that I'm still left with so many questions. This trilog...moreThe number of literary references dizzy and delight me, but somehow don't make up for the fact that I'm still left with so many questions. This trilogy is a lot of fun, quick-paced and full of allusions and minglings of history and fiction and a possible future. There are some great kickass female characters (and I don't just mean Lucy Westenra, Action Heroine, I mean Havisham as well, and Irene Adler, and Queen Victoria).
It's hard to take it seriously, though, partly because it's such a mass of allusions and homages. The plots of a dozen other stories swirl up with Lavie Tidhar's plot and I just can't keep them separate -- and I imagine anyone who hasn't read a fair few of the books referenced would be equally confused in the other direction.(less)
Camera Obscura is another fun action-filled story -- gore-filled, too. Milady De Winter is a more compelling character than Orphan: she seems less wis...moreCamera Obscura is another fun action-filled story -- gore-filled, too. Milady De Winter is a more compelling character than Orphan: she seems less wishy-washy. Still, both of them are at the mercy of the plot: they're pawns, being moved by peripheral characters. Which... is a little too obvious to the reader, all along. So I can't say it impresses me or is likely to stick in my mind.
But it's also not to be totally dismissed. It really is fun, and the world Lavie Tidhar has created is bizarre and colourful and fascinating.(less)
The Quantum Thief is hard SF with a bit of a detective story and a heist story running as subroutines. I really enjoyed it, though it's in no way a bo...moreThe Quantum Thief is hard SF with a bit of a detective story and a heist story running as subroutines. I really enjoyed it, though it's in no way a book to read if you're feeling lazy. The world is built by showing you the things in it; you learn about things from context. This makes it hard to guess the plot ahead of time, because you don't know all the rules.
The characters were less intriguing than the plot and world; I'm interested in The Fractal Prince because I want to know how this plays out, who the major players are and why they're doing what they're doing. I'm not really attached to the main characters. I do want to know if Mieli gets what she's doing this for, though.(less)
Hmm. Still processing this one. Again, there was a bit of a sting in the tale, but I saw it coming through some clumsy foreshadowing. Interesting addi...moreHmm. Still processing this one. Again, there was a bit of a sting in the tale, but I saw it coming through some clumsy foreshadowing. Interesting addition to the world we already know a little about, and building things up nicely as far as explaining the inside of the silo goes.
But after the first book, I'm interested in outside, I want to know why and how and maybe when. While I liked the cautious, tender, careful relationship built up here, I wanted some more answers, not more questions.
This is an interesting set-up for a world, with quite a good twist in the end -- a sting in the tale, as I like to refer to it, which I most often see...moreThis is an interesting set-up for a world, with quite a good twist in the end -- a sting in the tale, as I like to refer to it, which I most often see with short stories. I wonder how that will fit in with it being part of a series.
We don't learn much about the whys and wherefores: we're as stuck in the world of the silo as the characters. That might pique your interest or irritate the bejesus out of you, depending on personal taste. I liked the way the end was done, anyway: another reviewer (can't find it again to quote it exactly) mentioned that it was using their own cynicism about the dystopic world against them. That's exactly right, it does. Again, it depends on how cynical you were.
I'd like to know a few of the whys and wherefores sooner rather than later, but we'll see...(less)
Gaaaah, right now I could kill Scalzi. I know there'll be another 'season', now, but this was not a satisfying end. This was my heart being put throug...moreGaaaah, right now I could kill Scalzi. I know there'll be another 'season', now, but this was not a satisfying end. This was my heart being put through a blender good action and so on, but I didn't get answers to my questions and I'm beginning to forget what those questions even were.
As an episode in an ongoing series, this was great, though, and as a book in a trilogy or whatever length of series, it'd also work. I think I was just hoping too much for resolution and answers.
Ugh. And suddenly shifting into reverse gear to go back to another episode and connect some more dots from a few episodes ago. It is a reasonable foll...moreUgh. And suddenly shifting into reverse gear to go back to another episode and connect some more dots from a few episodes ago. It is a reasonable follow-up in one sense, but ugh, I just want to know what's happening. I don't know how it's all going to get wrapped up in today's new episode.
Best way to find out is to go ahead and read it, I guess!(less)
Oh, now this, this episode I really liked. Well, insofar as you can like something that stabs you in the heart a little. This worked really well, and...moreOh, now this, this episode I really liked. Well, insofar as you can like something that stabs you in the heart a little. This worked really well, and I think I see how things are connecting up -- and for me, at least, it brought in a level of emotion and connection that I hadn't yet really felt.
I'm sure Scalzi knows what he's doing and is not an idiot, so somehow this will all come together, but argh. Right now I want to shake him. Stop side...moreI'm sure Scalzi knows what he's doing and is not an idiot, so somehow this will all come together, but argh. Right now I want to shake him. Stop side tracking! Entertaining as it is, there are bigger things on the line!(less)
I liked this episode a lot: it finally felt like something I could hold onto and start making guesses about. And it was pretty darn funny at times, to...moreI liked this episode a lot: it finally felt like something I could hold onto and start making guesses about. And it was pretty darn funny at times, too. Good connections to other stuff in the Old Man's War universe, too.(less)
This feels a little more connected to the plot than the last episode, but I'm still not sure I can see how this is all going to come together. Awesome...moreThis feels a little more connected to the plot than the last episode, but I'm still not sure I can see how this is all going to come together. Awesome female lead character for this episode, though, and a fun escape method that fits in well with everything we already know about the CDF and what they're capable of, while not being obvious or too much of a deus ex machina type situation.(less)
This episode is kinda cute and pretty funny, but again, this still feels bitty and disjointed and I don't think it works as a novel. The serial format...moreThis episode is kinda cute and pretty funny, but again, this still feels bitty and disjointed and I don't think it works as a novel. The serial format makes it sort of alright, but it really doesn't feel unified enough.(less)
Anyway, this is a fun addition to the series. It still feels way too bitty: I'm not sure it'll work at all as a...moreWhat is a churro, anyway? Must google.
Anyway, this is a fun addition to the series. It still feels way too bitty: I'm not sure it'll work at all as a novel, but it is quite fun as a serial, like this. I liked this 'episode', too, with its focus on alien races. They all feel quite close to human to me, but it's still pretty good.(less)
A fun entry in the story, though to me it felt a bit like filler -- I was hoping for it to move a bit faster, I guess, and I wasn't impressed by the t...moreA fun entry in the story, though to me it felt a bit like filler -- I was hoping for it to move a bit faster, I guess, and I wasn't impressed by the totally unsubtle recaps of earlier episodes. It felt bitty and not so clever.
Still, the actual story is interesting and it's a good bit of Scalzi's writing in other ways.(less)
Hmm. Not such an interesting chapter. It furthers the plot, in the same way as the second episode, but it doesn't include characters to hold on to, to...moreHmm. Not such an interesting chapter. It furthers the plot, in the same way as the second episode, but it doesn't include characters to hold on to, to stay interested in. It's a clever enough chapter, but I wasn't emotionally engaged at all. There weren't even references back to the crew of the Clarke, which might've helped.(less)
Returning to characters from the first episode/chapter, and tying in with the second episode/chapter, We Only Need The Heads advances the plot and giv...moreReturning to characters from the first episode/chapter, and tying in with the second episode/chapter, We Only Need The Heads advances the plot and gives me a bit more of a clue where we're going. I think. I'm certainly hooked now, anyway. Straight on to the next episode, I think...
There's not much to say about each individual chapter, I think, but I'll keep reviewing them separately since I've started. It'll be interesting to keep track of my reactions all the way through.(less)
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