Yellow Blue Tibia in The Alternative Worlds

Jan 13, 2009 Kara Babcock rated it liked it

Shelves: alternate-history, science-fiction, 2012-read, from-library

This is a very odd book. It’s the kind of love-child that might result from someone distilling Umberto Eco and Kurt Vonnegut. Adam Roberts takes on the spectre of Soviet Russia and, at the same time, explores how science fiction shapes and is shaped by the issues at work in the society of its time. Yellow Blue Tibia is not your typical work of alternative history.

At the end of World War II, Stalin gathers some of Russia’s greatest science fiction minds and asks them to create an alien menace tha ...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Nicky rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction-alternatehistory, speculative-fiction

I have no idea what I just read. It probably doesn't help that I'm sleep deprived. Does it help if I say that I enjoyed it anyway? It was almost easier to read in this state: something in my sleep-deprived head clicked with the narrative quite well. I'm curious to read it again sometime when I'm not sleep deprived, as well, though. (And I'm sure you're all curious to see me review it when I'm not sleep deprived.)

I think it's really best read to understand what the experience is like. I can't pit ...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Ryandake rated it it was amazing

Shelves: the-good-shit

who'd a thunk you could make a serious book containing the chernobyl disaster and alien invasion funny?

Adam Roberts, he's got a way about him.

Our Hero, Konstantin Skvorecky, begins this tale as a science fiction writer in service to Josef Stalin and the post-WWII communist state. Stalin has commissioned Konsty and a bunch of other Russian sf writers to write a tale of alien invasion, to put some steel in those (!!!) flaccid Soviet spines. and then, precipitously, before the work is even finished ...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Daniel Roy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sf, alternate-history, humor, taw-bookclub

Yellow Blue Tibia is a strange, delightful beast. At times it can be a farce, a satire of Soviet-era Russia, a reflection of the role of SF in society, a thought experiment on the cultural phenomenon of UFO sightings, and a conspiracy novel. The tale truly shines when it combines all of these elements at once.

Roberts' tale manages something truly rare in SF: it instills a sense of skepticism in the reader, which lasts throughout the book. It's never truly clear if we're reading a SF tale, or the Yellow Blue Tibia is a strange, delightful beast. At times it can be a farce, a satire of Soviet-era Russia, a reflection of the role of SF in society, a thought experiment on the cultural phenomenon of UFO sightings, and a conspiracy novel. The tale truly shines when it combines all of these elements at once.

Roberts' tale manages something truly rare in SF: it instills a sense of skepticism in the reader, which lasts throughout the book. It's never truly clear if we're reading a SF tale, or the story of people deluded into believing in aliens. The mystery at the heart of the book kept me engaged at every page, even when I felt the action slowed down or meandered. The unpredictability of the story is truly refreshing in a world of worn-out tropes and predictable tales.

Another strong aspect of Yellow Blue Tibia is the dialogs. Roberts has an ear for character arguments and misunderstandings. To read Roberts' characters talk is to witness just how tragic and funny it can be when two characters utterly fail to get their point across to the other. The dialogs go on and on, but they're hilarious and unpredictable, and never boring. Some key scenes in the novel reach utter brilliance for their perfect blend of humor, witty dialogs, and dramatic tension. The car chase, as well as the ending itself, are two perfect moments in the novel where Roberts transcends all the genres he tries to blend.

There are a few points on which Yellow Blue Tibia fails to achieve true greatness. The most important one is its story and pacing: although the set pieces and the dialogs keep the reader fully engaged, the overall plot meanders around and moves at a haphazard, sometimes frustrating pace. Character motivations are unclear, and the protagonist basically gets pushed around by the requirements of the plot. Likewise, although some characters are funny and complex, others are mere sketches or caricatures. The biggest offender is Dora, whose only characteristic of note is that she's fat and American. As hard as I try, I can't find anything else to say about her, and yet she's one of the most important characters in the story.

An important criticism of Yellow Blue Tibia, leveled notably by Catherynne M. Valente on her Livejournal, concerns the setting's verisimilitude. Valente argues that Roberts has utterly failed to capture the culture and mindset of Soviet-era Russia, to the point that she despised everything about the novel. Verisimilitude of foreign settings is usually of huge importance to me; I found similar problems with The Windup Girl's Thai setting, for instance, so I understand where Valente is coming from. But being totally ignorant of Soviet-era culture, I have to give this novel a pass on the matter. Furthermore, I believe that the novel's satirical nature makes its anachronisms and cultural faux-pas more forgivable. It's clear, for instance, that Roberts was not trying too hard for historical accuracy when he gave one of his characters Asperger syndrome. This leads me to believe that Ms. Valente largely missed the point of Roberts' novel. And unless you're familiar with Russian culture, I doubt you'll have a problem with the novel's verisimilitude yourself.

Yellow Blue Tibia has its flaws, but overall it stands as a truly unique piece of SF literature that keeps you guessing until the end. It's part Foucault's Pendulum, part SF nostalgia, and when it gets into high gear, it's one hell of a hilarious adventure. ...more

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May 31, 2012 John Montagne rated it really liked it

It's a novel set in the cold war, concerning a (very subtle) alien invasion. From this you might think spy vs. spy with alien tech., but no, it's not that. In fact, I'm quite surprised the book didn't bore me - but its characters and unique take on an alien invasion is what kept me interested - and the way Roberts WRITES like a Russian. His characters are like those in famous Russian works of literature, deal with some of the same issues and share cultural perceptions that have been established. ...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Suz rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, science-fiction, alternate, library

Alright, I'm going to complain about this book, yo, because it's so very, very frustrating.

On its face, it sounds like a great idea. Back in the day, Stalin appropriated some sci-fi writers in the Soviet Union to come up with an enemy the Soviet people can rally behind. He believes that the capitalist United States will fall within a few years and wants to have something that will unite the people. Years later, the alien threat the writers came up with seem to be real. This book is supposed to b ...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: alternate-history, speculative-fiction, brains

This book had some big issues, but I have to admit there was something about the tone and the language and the characters that kept me going. I loved Saltykov, even if his mysterious syndrome hadn't actually been a specific category of diagnosis at the time this novel is supposed to have taken place, and even if some of his symptoms seemed more like OCD than Asperger's. I loved the narrative voice. I loved the way the action sequences were written.
After that? There's pretty much just one woman ...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Michelle rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, hilarity, historical-fiction, book_club, dtb-own

despite being sprinkled with moments of laugh-out-loud humor (well, if you're in the mood for some juvenile chuckles), this book is ultimately a jumbled mess with a tediously boring middle section. the spectacular premise only sorta comes to fruition in the final chapter, but the rest of the slog to get there just isn't worth it. ...more

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