China Mountain Zhang in Beyond Reality

May 15, 2008 Wealhtheow rated it really liked it

Shelves: queer-characters, sci-fi

Zhang is a young queer man who works construction and hopes for a brighter future in an alternate world where communist China overtook the US as the global power. This book blew me away. I read it in a single sitting, instead of sleeping.

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Jan 10, 2008 Chessa rated it really liked it

Shelves: sf_fantasy, tiptree_award_winner

This was a really interesting book. Not plot driven at all, it weaves in and out of a few characters' perspectives, loosely tied together. The characters themselves are the point of the book, and McHugh does an excellent job of creating their world in vivid, emotional detail. One of those books that sort of creates a layer between how you see the world, like a colored light gel...if that makes any sense. ...more

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Sep 16, 2013 Oni rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction

The theme is interesting, a post-Sinification world, following American-type-Mao-Zedong-lead cultural revolution, The Great Cleansing Wind, which made (well) America becomes China. It is a bit far-fetch, off course, considering that the Mao type communism has lost its steam long time ago, replaced by Chinese type capitalism, ignited by Deng Xiaoping, with his own type of glasnost and perestroika, which is called Gaige Kaifang, many years ahead of Gorbachev. If this world is sinified after all in The theme is interesting, a post-Sinification world, following American-type-Mao-Zedong-lead cultural revolution, The Great Cleansing Wind, which made (well) America becomes China. It is a bit far-fetch, off course, considering that the Mao type communism has lost its steam long time ago, replaced by Chinese type capitalism, ignited by Deng Xiaoping, with his own type of glasnost and perestroika, which is called Gaige Kaifang, many years ahead of Gorbachev. If this world is sinified after all in the end , it will become a Chinese type capitalist instead of a Mao type communist (which will make a much more interesting sci-fi, I think). But, still it is an interesting alternate history.

The main character is (surprisingly) China Mountain Zhang, which is read in Chinese, Zhang Zhong Shan (Zhong = middle, or China because China is the middle kingdom, sounds like Middle Earth, right? :) , Shan = mountain). He is gay, which makes his life increasingly difficult in a family oriented communist culture. He is also an ABC (American Born Chinese), which make him a second class citizen (to be a first class you should be a Chinese born in China). I truly like the term created by the author. ABC does ring a bell like WASP. The conversation is also very natural, by insertion of Chinese short phrase here and there. I can enjoy those Chinese insertion thanks to my rudimentary understanding of Chinese. It serves the novel well.

The novel is not told in a exactly linear plot, it is jumping from one character to another without a exact link provided (yes, there are still some hints of connection). I myself am not bothered by this way of story telling. If used properly, it can be quite powerful.

I felt that this novel is not coherent. In one part it wants to tell the story about a post-communist world, in the other part it wants to tell the characters living in this world. I find both part unsatisfying. The character is deep, but not deep enough, the world building is OK, but not that OK. For a sci-fi novel, I expect the world building to be more than just OK. It would be better if the book just focuses in one side (I prefer the world building).

Overall, still a very good novel, but can be much better. 4 star it is. Closer to 3.75 actually.

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Oct 16, 2021 Richard rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, science-fiction, sffbc, sffbc-challenge-8

A good slice of life from multiple but loosely interconnected viewpoints of a plausible not too distant future. Interesting and well done sociological SF.

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