Res's review
Carnival by Elizabeth Bear
The one set after the enviroterrorist apocalypse, where Vincent and Michelangelo, lovers and spies, are sent to make a treaty with the viciously matriarchal planet New Amazonia.
I liked many things about this book. I enjoyed the characters: Vincent and Angelo, to a lesser degree Lesa and Julian, and especially especially Kii; I just beamed every time Kii brought conversation to a halt in order to feel around for just precisely the right word.
New Amazonia -- city, jungle, and House -- was fascinating. There were some wonderful culture-shock moments, especially the guys' reactions to wood furniture, meat, pets, and sunburn.
The backstory is fabulous; this time the death, cultural destruction, and diaspora are caused not by war but by environmental terrorists, who set in motion machines that kill off everyone of Chinese or European descent, followed (after a brief "get the hell off of Earth" delay) by about 90% of everybody else.
My minor problem was this:...more
I liked many things about this book. I enjoyed the characters: Vincent and Angelo, to a lesser degree Lesa and Julian, and especially especially Kii; I just beamed every time Kii brought conversation to a halt in order to feel around for just precisely the right word.
New Amazonia -- city, jungle, and House -- was fascinating. There were some wonderful culture-shock moments, especially the guys' reactions to wood furniture, meat, pets, and sunburn.
The backstory is fabulous; this time the death, cultural destruction, and diaspora are caused not by war but by environmental terrorists, who set in motion machines that kill off everyone of Chinese or European descent, followed (after a brief "get the hell off of Earth" delay) by about 90% of everybody else.
My minor problem was this:...more
