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LoveStar

Andri Snær Magnason (Goodreads Author)

3.84 · Rating details · 1,573 ratings · 234 reviews

LoveStar, the enigmatic and obsessively driven founder of the LoveStar corporation, has unlocked the key to transmitting data via birdwaves, thus freeing mankind from wires and devices, and allowing consumerism, technology, and science to run rampant over all aspects of daily life. Cordless modern men and women are paid to howl advertisements at unsuspecting passers-by, RE ...more

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Paperback, 2020 Edition, 304 pages

Published October 30th 2020 by Eichborn; 1. Aufl. (first published 2002)

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· 1,573 ratings · 234 reviews

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Oct 11, 2012 Allyssa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, european-lit, satire

Finally after 10 years, Magnason’s novel has been translated from Icelandic into English. LoveStar is set in the future in Iceland at a time when consumerism and technology have been optimized by iStar, the LoveStar Mood Division’s Image, Marketing, and Publicity Department. Men and women have been made cordless using birdwaves to transmit data. People can be programed to howl advertisements, REGRET can eliminate doubt over people’s chosen paths, the dead are rocketed into space in order to fall ...more

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Mar 03, 2016 Linda Robinson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Lucky find. Roaming the scifi/fantasy shelves at the library, scanning for the not-unicorn library indice I found this gem. Good cover design made me pick this book up because I couldn't read it. Upside down Love. Beautiful matte black with a no fingerprint finish. Packaging. As further luck would have it, also a slice of the delicious plot. We follow our protagonist Indridi, from the time of his second birth, with flashbacks to his first provided by his doting parents. To the adult Indridi, so ...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Steve McCann rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: pkd-nominees

A 2012 Philip K Dick nominee. This novel is about the inevitability and momentum of ideas and the power of information. It's also about the three ideas which can never be anything but subjective, and yet rule everything: Love, Death, and God. It's set in Iceland where everything is known about a person, true love is "calculated" accurately, and secret hosts are constantly being directed to steer those around them in some more profitable direction. LoveStar is the man who discovers these calculat ...more

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Nov 16, 2014 Muhammad Amer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Being the Arabic translator of the novel, I really enjoyed its strangeness and twisted plot. The novel is based on a the mere idea of consumption, in which every human being in this world is labeled "For Sale!". In the beginning, a reader may shape a presumption about the novel giving its weird love story, yet he discovers latter that it's not just about love, it's about love, death, God and life in one pack. The clash between LoveStar and God is mere philosophical, and maybe this clash is based ...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Owen rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: translated, library, didn-t-finish

Jeezus what a load of crap. I'd hoped it might err on the side of silliness and irreverence, but it was just stupid. Flat, affectless writing, too, beyond the point where that might've been ironically amusing and into the territory of boredom. I read 20% and gave up. ...more

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Aug 18, 2019 Anna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia

Kind of a classic dystopian story (that I am a bit bored of), but it has really interesting applications and amazing creative ideas(e.g. I loved LoveDeath) and all that ... networking. Set in Iceland, it has all the ordinary ethical questioning about technology and the future...

I bought it and read it because next week I will meet the author in a conference plenary session (it was very interesting that they chose him for a talk, I'll return with an update soon!) ...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Sean rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is like Vonnegut, Philip K. Dick and Orwell wrapped into a big, fun, scary ball. A smart commentary on our hyper-networked world, how it impacts our culture and consumption, and how we market to each other and ourselves.

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Jun 17, 2019 Emily rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: speculative-fiction

This was batshit crazy from beginning--with Arctic terns and Chicago surrendered to the bees--to the end, which I won't spoil. The central idea seems to be about being gripped with an idea, powerless to it, and how much that can take from both the idea's host and the whole world. So what if the idea is horrible? If you don't follow through on it, someone else will. I'm honestly not even sure if I liked it or hated it; it was definitely a wild ride. ...more

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Jan 25, 2015 Heather rated it it was ok · review of another edition

--FOR SCI-FI BOOK CLUB--

First, a caveat: I listened to this one and I suspect my listening experience strongly informed my attitude about the book. I have very little love for the narration of the audiobook. It was stilted and affected and, frankly, irritating. The narrator performed any female voice in a screechy howl, and one particular passage (if you've read it, it was Per's repetitive diary entry -- you know the one) made me willing to commit terrible acts if it'd bring about the end more q --FOR SCI-FI BOOK CLUB--

First, a caveat: I listened to this one and I suspect my listening experience strongly informed my attitude about the book. I have very little love for the narration of the audiobook. It was stilted and affected and, frankly, irritating. The narrator performed any female voice in a screechy howl, and one particular passage (if you've read it, it was Per's repetitive diary entry -- you know the one) made me willing to commit terrible acts if it'd bring about the end more quickly. Please, if you want to read this book, actually read it and don't listen. Trust me.

LoveStar (the book) is generally about a Steve Jobs like ideas-man (also named LoveStar) who comes up with wild notions (like pulling together a bunch of dead satellites to make the brightest body in the heavens, also named...LoveStar) and gets his minions to pursue them while he moves on to the next brainstorm. His ideas have led to a world of people reliant on technology in unpredictable ways. His ideas have led to things that might seem beautiful (LoveDeath, for instance, involves bodies shot into the atmosphere, which burn up and look like falling stars) but are ultimately disastrous and serve to divorce individuals from their own humanity (this "beautiful death" is expensive and wasteful, and allows citizens to disassociate from the reality of the end of life). His ideas have led to disaster that no one is willing to admit is disaster. The plot is also focused on two young people in love, a simple enough notion complicated by the governmental organization iLove, which matches humans across the globe with their ideal other halves.

I absolutely adored a lot of the near-future ideas in LoveStar (originally published in Icelandic in 2002, translated into English in 2012). The advertising concepts (people can hire themselves out as Howlers and bark advertisements to passersby on behalf of companies), social constructs (for a time, children can be discarded and a clone born in its place in order to raise a better product if the first attempt proved disastrous), and take on globalism (war and racism would become obsolete if people were love-matched with people form different parts of the world, thus removing the notion of us-vs.-them) were really interesting and fun. The problem for me is that I didn't care about the main plot at all and was left with little payoff at the end. The fairy-tale conclusion (in a sort of Grimms way, not a Disney way) felt rushed and too easy. Comparisons are made to Kurt Vonnegut and I didn't find that comparison particularly apt. (This may be because I adore Kurt Vonnegut.) ...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Dave White rated it really liked it · review of another edition

In the near future LoveStar, an eccentric Steve Jobs-like genius, has used his scientific studies of birds butterflies to revolutionize all aspects of life, interpersonal communications, death, and even love. As the book opens he is on the verge of his greatest breakthrough - discovering the true nature of God.

But in spite of these breakthroughs the core of human nature remains unchanged. LoveStar's monolithic corporation uses the data it gathers from its operations to reshape society into unthi ...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Michael Seidlinger rated it liked it · review of another edition

We are all cordless modern people.

Consider buying some advertising space. I am free to shout your marketing copy from the hours of 1PM to 3PM. I am typically running errands during this time so your copy will likely be heard by people at the grocery store, at the gas station, some truly strategic locations.

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Aug 04, 2013 Erin rated it liked it · review of another edition

So this is sci -fi. Mmmkay. Some interesting things in here but so bizarre at the same time. I mean doin' it in the belly of the Big Bad Wolf? You almost have to read it just to experience it. I think people who played Trivial Pursuit on weekend nights in high school like my sister would love it. ;)

I think it would be a great book for a book club. Discussing this can only be a good thing. ...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Paul McCann rated it liked it · review of another edition

Excellent setup and a bunch of lovely concepts come together in a very promising manner, but some loose ends are left completely untouched and the ending arc was unfortunately flat. Still enjoyed it overall, and looking forward to anything else by the author that gets translated into English.

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Apr 16, 2013 Alex rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-heaven

It reads like a fairy-tale and ends in a similar fashion. The author sets up an amazing and thoughtful world, but I would have liked to find out more. This book could have safely been much longer. Still worth reading if you are into science fiction along the lines of Bradbury or Heinlein.

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Dec 02, 2017 Kjeld Schmidt rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Magnason introduces a lot of very interesting concepts and ideas for his cautionary future vision. Unfortunately, he has no idea what to do with those good ideas. It's a cringey read almost from start to finish. Many things make no sense, and ultimately, I wondered what the point of it all was. ...more

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Oct 30, 2020 Nick Lechler rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2020

I’ve probably never read a book as bonkers as Andri Snær Magnasons “Lovestar”. 🤯
° ° °
It starts off with a handful of really intriguing, “Black Mirror”-esque ideas that even got me thinking for a while. But towards the second half the story brings said ideas to a boil and swirls down the drain with whole chapters that are straight up nuts. 🌀 Honestly, I think it’s hardly recommendable.

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Jan 13, 2019 Luan Morina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

as the story evolves, you get pulled into a dystopian world, that while it keeps getting more and more technologically advanced, philosophically it gets deeper and clearer.. the ending, the last pages are just special...

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Nov 04, 2017 Shannon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Bit of an Oryx and Crake vibe to me, but still felt fresh. Relevant and scary vision of a consumer driven world.

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Jan 28, 2013 Larissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, for-review, in-translation, icelandic, fantastical

Review published in Three Percent, here: http://www.rochester.edu/College/tran...

When Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason first published LoveStar, his darkly comic parable of corporate power and media influence run amok, the world was in a very different place. (This was back before both Facebook and Twitter, if you can recall such a time.) He noted as much himself in a recent interview with The Reykjavík Grapevine: “[w]hen it came out in 2002 it was called a dystopian novel; now it’s being ca Review published in Three Percent, here: http://www.rochester.edu/College/tran...

When Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason first published LoveStar, his darkly comic parable of corporate power and media influence run amok, the world was in a very different place. (This was back before both Facebook and Twitter, if you can recall such a time.) He noted as much himself in a recent interview with The Reykjavík Grapevine: “[w]hen it came out in 2002 it was called a dystopian novel; now it’s being called a parody. We seem to have already reached that dystopia.”

It is difficult to create a fictional milieu that touches on anything remotely related to technology or The Future and doesn’t feel dated pretty much the minute the ink dries on the page. (My favorite example of this is the Ethan Hawke Hamlet adaptation, which came out in 2000 and was peppered with cutting edge technology . . . like fax machines and Polaroid cameras.) As such, it is no small accomplishment that in the ten years since LoveStar was released, the book feels not obsolete, but rather prescient, or at least exasperatingly plausible.

The novel kicks off at some indeterminate point in the future, after a series of freakish, but not cataclysmic, natural events lead a group of intrepid Icelandic scientists to seek wireless alternatives to current technology. (An oversaturation of “waves, messages, transmissions, and electric fields,” they believe, is to blame for such events as clouds of bees taking over Chicago, driving out residents and flooding the downtown area with ponds of honey.)

Then comes the dawn of the “the cordless man,” who can both communicate and be communicated to through entirely internal methods:

When men in suits talked to themselves out on the streets and reeled off figures, no one took them for lunatics: they were probably doing business with some unseen client. The man who sat in rapt concentration on a riverbank might be an engineer designing a bridge . . . and when a teenager made strange humming noises on the bus, nodding his head to and fro, he was probably listening to an invisible radio.

None of this, of course, is too great an exaggeration on technology that has come into being in the last decade, and even the absurd advertising methods that quickly become the norm in the world of LoveStar feel accurate. People in debt can rent out their brains’ speech centers out and become “howlers,” automatically screeching advertisements or reminders at specific passersby (“I can’t believe that guy is still wearing a Blue Millets anorak!” or “_Dallas_ is starting!”). “Secret hosts” are hired by companies to go around surreptitiously selling their friends products within everyday conversations. And everything—from birth to love to death—is monetized and monopolized by one gigantic corporation and its subsidiaries: LoveStar.

All of this, it bears noting, is just prologue and backdrop to the novel’s main focus: such is the sheer density of the world that Andri Snær creates within just the first few chapters. There are two main plots that overlap, somewhat achronologically. One follows the executive LoveStar himself in the last hours of his life (Andri Snær has likened the character to Steve Jobs; another reviewer saw Kári Stefánson, the founder of deCODE Genetics). The other plot follows the repeatedly thwarted attempts of a young couple, Indridi and Sigrid, trying to evade the corporate machinations that would break them apart from one another and re-pair them with their supposedly scientifically verifiable perfect partner.

There is a lot going on—arguably a little too much, as some of the larger themes get somewhat lost in the sweep of the (literally) explosive climax, or are, in some cases, grandly dramatized, but done so with little finesse. Though overall, it’s compulsively readable, due in great part to Andri Snær’s kooky creativity and the novel’s simple, straightforward style of prose (credit here to translator Victoria Cribb, who has translated, among others, three novels by Sjón and Gyrðir Elíasson’s Stone Tree).

Read today—in the wake of not only myriad technological advances, but also a worldwide financial meltdown the consequences of which were profoundly felt in Iceland, and will continue to be so for probably decades to come— LoveStar feels a bit like cracking open a time capsule. Its world is poised on the edge of implosion, held in check by only the tiniest bit of better judgement. “If we don’t do it,” LoveStar remarks before embarking on one last, ruinous power quest, “someone else will.” ...more

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Jan 25, 2020 Katie (readingwithkt) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Found this review in the notes on my phone:

LoveStar is an enigmatic and obsessive corporate titan based in North Iceland. He has unlocked the key to transmitting data via bird waves, thus freeing mankind from wires and devices, and allowing consumerism and technology to run rampant over all aspects of daily life. Cordless modern men and women are paid to howl advertisements, REGRET machines eliminate doubt over roads not taken, and soulmates are scientifically identified and brought together.
Ind Found this review in the notes on my phone:

LoveStar is an enigmatic and obsessive corporate titan based in North Iceland. He has unlocked the key to transmitting data via bird waves, thus freeing mankind from wires and devices, and allowing consumerism and technology to run rampant over all aspects of daily life. Cordless modern men and women are paid to howl advertisements, REGRET machines eliminate doubt over roads not taken, and soulmates are scientifically identified and brought together.
Indridi and Sigrid, two happy young lovers, have their perfect world threatened when they are “calculated apart” and are forced to go to extreme lengths to prove their love.

What I enjoyed about this book:
- I loved the parts of the book where Indridi and Sigrid were the focus. I found their relationship interesting and was so curious to know how it would end up.
- I think it is so clever what Magnason did here by forcing the reader to think about the way technology and consumerism is taking over the way we live our lives. In this dystopian world, rejecting technology and consumerism has grave consequences. Here there were some interesting parallels with modern day.
- I find in Icelandic literature, there are always some seriously weird and wacky things that happen. The thing I liked about this dystopian novel is that this weird and wacky side flourished and made the book all the more hilarious/startling.

What didn’t work for me:
- At times I found the pace of the writing to be slow. This was especially the case in the first half of the book. After the half way point, I barely put the book down.
- I was less invested in the story of LoveStar, though I did appreciate it was central to developing the setting of the book.

I would highly recommend this for lovers of dystopian fiction. It is compared to Orwell, which is bloody high praise indeed! Having not yet read Orwell (though I’ve bought the book at least 3x 😳), all I can say is that this book is cracking in its own right. I rated it 4 stars. ...more

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Jul 28, 2013 Jessie rated it liked it · review of another edition

This book was so amazing and so strange. The fact that it was written in 2002 (I think?) makes it even creepier - the futurist technology is spot on. It's like he read Steve Job's mind. The descriptions were cool and there was a quite a bit of "world building", which I always appreciate in a sci-fi novel. The reason I'm giving it only 3 stars is because of the strange plot device that felt a bit sloppy. Maybe it was the translation from Icelandic, or maybe it's a sci-fi thing I'm unfamiliar with ...more

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Feb 08, 2019 Tatiana Valada rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-portuguese, 4-stars, european-authors

Judging only by the title and the sentence "A futuristic world where love tries to survive an overwhelming control" I immediately was pointing for a lame romance and probably wouldn't choose this book for my readings. However it was a Secret Santa gift from last christmas so I decided to give it a try.
Yes it has romance and erotism, sometimes way too explicit for my taste, but that's not the main focus and even the author describes the head couple as been clingy and overly attached. That aside, ...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Karli Vincent rated it really liked it · review of another edition

LoveStar asks readers to consider how far we will allow technology, calculations, and statistics to go. Are we advancing as a society, or are we creating a breed of humanity that is incapable of making emotional and intimate choices with whimsy and instinct? Do we instead rely on the possibilities of outcomes that science has taught us to rely on? And if we rely on them for basic decisions, how long until our lives are completely controlled by machines that falsely claim humanity and morality? I ...more

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Jul 11, 2017 Mariam Aboud rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Extremely UGLY
At first, I thought this book is incredible, the writer was able to foresee a lot of the disadvantages of the futuristic world of technology, it seems like he's seen Augmented Reality 15 years ago. Thoughts discussed towards the beginning of the book were real enjoyable science fiction.
But then, appears repetitive & tremendous amounts of unneeded obscenity, it's REALLY UGLY.
The writer also deviated from the original storyline & despite the elongated & repetitive body of the story.. ...more

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Sep 22, 2017 Jess rated it did not like it · review of another edition

see, the difference between this and Vonnegut, is that in the midst of Vonnegut's cutting satire, he actually manages to make you care about his characters.
also fuck this book's depiction of sex. hard. ...more

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Aug 24, 2013 Amber Dawn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It is rare to encounter such pure and awesome wackiness.

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Sep 27, 2017 Hulda Gudmundsdottir rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I totally loved the preview of the future going wrong.

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Jun 10, 2019 Erika Schoeps rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Lovestar begins by pushing the limits of what you'll accept in Sci-Fi with a radical image. Chicago, covered in a fuzzy undulating carpet of bees, presumably because of too much electronic wave interference. The waves have confused the bees, and they're converging on Chicago. At first, the government tried to deal with the problem by mass-murdering the bees with pesticide (horrific but classically American). Then, the people are evacuated. Society ends up accepting the bee situation begrudging Lovestar begins by pushing the limits of what you'll accept in Sci-Fi with a radical image. Chicago, covered in a fuzzy undulating carpet of bees, presumably because of too much electronic wave interference. The waves have confused the bees, and they're converging on Chicago. At first, the government tried to deal with the problem by mass-murdering the bees with pesticide (horrific but classically American). Then, the people are evacuated. Society ends up accepting the bee situation begrudgingly because we can harvest honey from the Chicago bees and then jack up the price through clever branding.

There are more images of the overly-connected world that are just as well-extended, comical, and feasible before we join our actual main narrators. Within its heart, Lovestar is a love story between two people in a comical future. They are the last point of hope in a world where scientists have plotted our emotions, behaviors, and desires. Almost all can be predicted and controlled. Everything will be min-maxed, efficient, and sculpted. Sigrid and Indridi won't cave in to the machine. They're in love, but they haven't been paired with each other officially by iLove. How can they escape an all-consuming system?

More images like that first one about Chicago's bee takeover abound. Something I particularly love about these images is that they rebound and always pop back up in a surprising, still humorous manner. It prevents it from becoming dry, patronizing, and overly satirical. Even when the satirical point has been made, the world is still there; and it will come back and announce itself again.

Another way that Magnason detaches from a parable-based Sci-Fi is by injecting life-sucking technology descriptions with levity and emotion. The technology LoveDeath lets you launch dead loved ones into space. This was a hard sell for society at first, but a way to convince people that this idea is good is by prettying up the marketing. Launched dead bodies have mineral-based color added to their space pod to make their flight look beautiful. A mascot in a costume hangs out with kids as poor ailing relatives are transported away. The children have fond, almost excited feelings surrounding death because of the calculated marketing. Creepy, yet understandable.

The final scene between our two main characters isn't preaching or trite. I'm still grappling the purpose behind their continued survival--I won't say more than that. Lovestar's conclusion is a sizzling bang that winds into a confusing, uncharted new beginning with our leads at the center. Magnason leaves us with a weighty seed for dealing with a technology-reliant world. ...more

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Jun 10, 2018 Taylor rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: the-cover-made-me-do-it, contemporary, sci-fi, dystopian, magical-realism, literature-literary-fiction

A solid 4.5/5 stars for Magnason's LoveStar.

I would have given the novel a 5/5 but there was one part in the book that gave me pause and that I didn't entirely like, so off goes half a point!

LoveStar is one of those blind reads for me: I saw it on a shelf in the library and the title (since the cover is so minimalist) partnered with the fact that it is an Icelandic translation AND has won awards made me dive right in without any further ado.

LoveStar follows two narratives: one of Indridi an ...more

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Jul 11, 2020 Janice Chan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

First published in Icelandic in 2002, Magnason wat before the idea of "social influencers" had taken hold, the author has imagined a society where "cordless" people are freed of their electronic devices but where corporate ideas and suggestions go directly to their brains, courtesy of a science derived from bird and butterfly migration.

The self-christened businessman / scientist LoveStar sets out to bring harmony to the world by "calculating" couples from all of the world, guaranteeing complete ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Critical Era: The Typographical Era interview with Andri Snaer Magnason	1	14	Jan 23, 2013 05:40AM
Seven Stories Press: Lovestar Nominated for Philip K. Dick Award	1	7	Jan 17, 2013 12:05PM

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About Andri Snær Magnason

Andri Snær Magnason

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Andri Snær Magnason is an Icelandic writer, born in Reykjavik on July 14, 1973. An award winning author published in 35 languages. His most recent book is The Casket of Time. Andri has written novels, poetry, plays, short stories, essays and he has directed documentary films. His work has been published or performed in more than thirty countries. His novel LoveStar was chosen as “Novel of the year ...more