The Future is Now
A Review of Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller
I really wanted to like Blackfish City, and I have to admit that the major themes of the use of power and the importance of empathy are well realized, but there were significant issues that spoiled my potential enjoyment. Read my full review at SFBook.com.
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There could have been a Kurtis Blow reference (I had to google who that is) and it would have escaped me completely.For me, the problem boils down to something I didn't end up articulating in the review—the novel's science fiction elements aren't strictly necessary to exploring the topics the novel wants to explore. And when the novelty of the world building ran out of steam, the narrative devolved into a very basic action-adventure. It's essentially the very same flaw that plagues Deep Space Nine.
I'm not as bothered by that sort of thing as I am by a story that brings up an idea but doesn't seem interested in actually exploring its implications as the substance of the story. Or are we talking about the same thing in different language?
It sounds like the main problem with this book is that it tries to stuff too many things into the same suitcase. More's not better; sometimes it's just more.
If I had this book as a prospective project, I think I would have taken "the breaks", spun it out into its own story, ditched everything else, and run with it. And added at least one Kurtis Blow reference for giggles.