Mod Read - The Mirror Empire

[Roger, Knight Radiant]

Sorry for the late announcement but our next Bi-Monthly Mod Read is going to be The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley.

Correct me if i am wrong Wayland but this can be used to substitute for one energy cell....so say someone doesn't want to read the tome of Seveneves and learn how to build a space station then they can substitute this book instead.

[Shawnie]

I read Seveneves and learned how to build a space station! Haha

The Mirror Empire looks like a great substitute.

[Dawn]

I also need a break from space station construction. This looks like a good alternative. Thanks mods

[Vinca]

Fantastic! This one has been on my tbr pile for a while now so glad of the push to finally read it. I'd like to read Seveneves at some point but don't have the time fur such a big book just now :-\

[rin]

Happened to just finish this at the end of December. Look forward to hearing others' responses to it!

[Falynn - the TyGrammarSaurus Rex]

How are people getting on with this? I haven't quite decided if I want to read it yet. To be honest, some of the reviews have put me off a bit!

[Cupcakes & Machetes, Hybrid Creature]

I read this a few years ago and have to say that I was quite disappointed in it. But, I'll wait to discuss until more people have read it.

[Ryan]

I just started today. The setting certainly seems different.

[Rick]

I read part of this a few years ago and I'll be interested to see the discussion. I DNFed it for a few reasons. But first the positives... the writing is excellent. The world building is quite good and the premise is an interesting one. The characterization is generally good. However, Hurley's decision to force everything through a lens of sexual politics compromises the novel. In this world, women are the powerful sex, men being relegated to the supporting role. That's fine... but the way she did it (view spoiler)[ was to simply invert traditional Western male/female stereotypes. At one point, a powerful general comes home unexpectedly and her weak husband is portrayed as precisely in the same manner that older, more misogynistic SF would sometimes portray the women of strong men - compliant, a bit whiny, etc. You know, the old, bad stereotype. Anyway, she wants sex and takes him forcibly... again, just an inversion of the strong general stereotype. This didn't offend me, but it is an illustration of Hurley's lazy approach to exploring this. Instead of flipping sexual politics in an interesting, original fashion, it's as if Hurley wrote an old fashioned SF novel with square jawed male heroes and compliant women, then did a find and replace on personal pronouns. Far from being innovative or interesting, it comes off as lazy and uninspired. By all means, write a world where the women are preeminent. That's fine. But make that emerge from the nature of the world and not be so artificially pasted on. (hide spoiler)]

Oddly, she also never really explains this role flip. In our world it's largely because men on the average are physically bigger and stronger and can impose their will (yes, this is simplifying...). Is that true of the women in this world? We don't really know. I think the reversal is interesting, I just wish it wasn't so blatantly pasted onto the novel and grew from it more organically.

The other reason I DNFed this is it's the first in a series and if I wasn't enjoying this as it was and it was destined to not be self-contained.... eh.

[Cupcakes & Machetes, Hybrid Creature]

Rick,I definitely agree with you about the gender role reversal. That was a big problem I had with the book as well.

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

Meh I chose this and I am so disappointed/bored/confused.

[Roger, Knight Radiant]

Rinn wrote: "Meh I chose this and I am so disappointed/bored/confused."

I just started it, seems like a bit of a background would be nice...

[Rick]

Roger, This is one of those books that tosses you into the world and reveals itself over time. You will, within the first book, get the background you need to understand the basics of the world and the conflict. I actually didn't mind this aspect of the book - the alternative would be some kind of infodump early on and honestly, I like being tossed into an alien world as long as I *can* figure things out eventually.

Rinn - what's disappointing/boring/confusing?

[Vinca]

Is there a discussion thread up for this one yet? Struggling to navigate to find out on my phone...

[Roger, Knight Radiant]

Vinca wrote: "Is there a discussion thread up for this one yet? Struggling to navigate to find out on my phone..."

Just set up a thread for it

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

Well I haven't picked this book up in a few weeks. Actually really quite sad about how much I was looking forward to it, and how much it's disappointed me.

I'll finish it, but maybe not before the month is up...