"Planetfall" Discuss Everything *Spoilers*

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Join us for a discussion of Planetfall!

Please note that at message 92 this became a group read. There are spoilers without tags from that point onward.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

(Thanks for the nudge, Anna!!)

[Anna]

Go here to discuss books 2-4 in the series!


I'm slightly obsessed with this series. I read Planetfall and After Atlas in January, then listened to the Planetfall audiobook in March, then read Before Mars a week ago, and just finished listening to the After Atlas audiobook. I'm trying my hardest to wait a bit before getting the Before Mars audiobook.

edit: What, have I rated this only four stars?!
edit2: Oh, it takes the rating from my latest read, that's the audio edition. So my rating is actually 4.5 rounded to 5 stars for the book, and 4 stars for the audiobook.

[Don]

Anna, if you're only "slightly obsessed" the right doctor might change the diagnosis to a bout of enthusiasm.

[Anna]

Hah, that's good to know!

I know I said the audiobook changes the tone of the book a bit, with Newman's lovely voice being more suited to non-scifi in my opinion, but there's something absolutely f*king magnificent about the audio, and that's the acknowledgments. Yes, it's also there in all the other editions, but hearing her read it was everything to me, I started bawling before chapter one.

[Rachel]

So a I’ve read Planetfall and After Atlas already too and will join in. BUT I just got my library hold of Before Mars and I’m excited!

To start I’ll just say I think Planetfall has one of the best depictions of anxiety I’ve read.

[Anna]

Rachel wrote: "I think Planetfall has one of the best depictions of anxiety I’ve read."

Yes! And that's why I love it so much.

[Rachel]

I wonder if this could become a buddy read thread for the whole series? Maybe Anna and I could discuss Before Mars and After Atlas behind spoilers? Fearless leader?

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I ain't mad if y'all ain't. But then let's also please say which book AND chapter (abbreviations fine) so that we remember what was happening. :)

[Anna]

I just wrote a super long post about all the things but I can't post it. I want to say all those things, but I can't. So I'll try and make it very short and impersonal. I have an anxiety disorder, in fact several. This book speaks to me. The whole series does. It's amazing. I wish I could express what I really want to say, but I can't.

That's not at all what I wanted to say, but you get the point. This book knows anxiety, it's brilliant, go read it!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

<3 <3 I hope you find the words, or the space to say them! I'm looking forward to this one and feel you on the anxiety front.

[Rachel]

Yep Im with you!! And getting into Before Mars- another great mental health portrayal!!

[Anna]

About Before Mars, no spoilers!

The type of mental health issue it deals with is something I have zero personal experience of, so you'd think it would be hard to connect to the character. On the contrary, it felt very real to me, and it's the final proof I needed that Newman writes from such deep personal experience, and completely puts herself on the page, that it's impossible not to feel connected to these people. The anxiety etc. feels real because it is real.

[Rachel]

Is it a spoiler to say what the kinds of mental health challenges are in the books? As someone who has experienced part of what is described in Before Mars it is - SO on point. SO true. I'm about 100 pages into it.

And whenever anyone else gets on here we'll go back to discussing Planetfall, lol

[Anna]

I had it ”spoiled” for me by a tweet by the author, so I guess a normal person wouldn’t consider it a spoiler. I just usually want to know as little as possible, so decided not to name it in case someone else feels the same way.

[Meredith]

Just getting started on Planetfall. I like how we are immediately in this new world, trying to learn about the technology etc. (which is very cool!), PLUS the mystery starts almost immediately too.

The enthusiasm from the other folks in this group also is a great incentive to dive into this book.

[Anna]

Yay, we lured someone in!

[Jordan]

I've listened to both Planetfall and After Atlas on audiobook and loved them both. I'm listening to Before Mars right now.

I'm going to agree with everyone else that Planetfall does an excellent job of portraying a person with anxiety.

[Ashley in Wonderland]

My Cloud Library has the Planetfall audio so I think I’ll go that route. The audio is good, right Jordan and Anna? I think it’s read by the author, which will be a first for me. I probably won’t start it until closer to the end of the month though...I’ve got two audiobooks going right now, and I’ve got two other buddy reads coming up, plus two books from my TBR challenge I’m wanting to start. I’m really excited about this one though!

[Jordan]

I personally loved the audio for both. Also loving the audio for Before Mars so far. After Atlas has a male narrator, but the other two are indeed author narrated. I think it helps a lot in really conveying the feeling of the book and the main character's anxiety to have her narrating it.

[Anna]

Yes I think the audio is good, but it sets a very specific tone in my opinion, which might not be the same as reading your average scifi book. I know I felt a very different Renata when I first read it compared to my audio reread. But other than that, Newman's voice is so lovely the audio will always be worth it. And I guess it's not your average scifi anyway, so it fits.

[Ashley in Wonderland]

Great, thanks y’all!

[Meredith]

Ooof. I just read the section where we fully learn about Ren's mental health problem. (chapter 19) (view spoiler)[ The author's writing about Ren all along has been masterful, letting little bits of info drop, building things up. I guessed about the hoarding. I think it was made pretty clear not too long before the actual reveal in the scene where she became so upset over dropping a mug that she could no longer "save." Nevertheless, the scene with Sung-Soo was difficult and heart-rending, her situation worse than I had imagined. (hide spoiler)]

[Meredith]

okay, I finished.
!!!!
ho-lee shitsnacks!! why didn't this book win, like, all the awards???
*crawls off to blanket fort to decompress*

[Anna]

Meredith wrote: "ho-lee shitsnacks!! why didn't this book win, like, all the awards???
*crawls off to blanket fort to decompress*"

I know! I had to talk my brother's ear off after I finished, and the poor thing hasn't even read the book. I still keep bothering him with the series, I hope to eventually wear him down so he'll read it and squee with me :D

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Starting today! I wanted to wait for a holiday week, so that maybe I'll have some hope of being able to tell everyone to heck off while I finish it.

I'm excited/anxious to hear about anxiety being done well.

[Nicol]

I finished it a couple of days ago but still feel immersed into the world of that makes any sense. I definitely want to continue the series. The other books are like prequels though, right? Any news that she might write one where this one leaves off? I loved the world building as well as the emotional and realistic portrayal of mental illness. Does Emma narrate the books herself?

[Anna]

Nicol wrote: "The other books are like prequels though, right?"

They are sort of sequels, technically they could be read in any order, but I think the little things make more sense if read in publication order. In any case, both sequels take place after Planetfall.

Nicol wrote: "Any news that she might write one where this one leaves off?"

I have no idea, but after you've read the other two, you'll see a pattern forming, which I think tends to lean towards yes/sort of/maybe.

Nicol wrote: "Does Emma narrate the books herself? "

Planetfall and Before Mars are narrated by her, and After Atlas by a man (can't remember his name now), but his style is very similar to Emma's.

[Kristin B.]

I just finished this and I have some mixed feelings. The portrayal of mental illness was amazing. So compelling and real. I wasn't super thrilled with other parts.

Details under tag, for the whole book.

(view spoiler)[The buildup to the discovery of Ren's hoarding was spectacular. The small little details in hindsight were brilliantly placed. How she connects walking down to the Masher room to a very specific memory of her mother, and then each memory attached to each item in her home echoed so genuinely. The sheer amount of STUFF as physical barrier between her and Suh was so heartbreaking and real. This was an amazing representation of honest and brutal mental illness.

As for the story itself, I wasn't as enamored. Originally I really disliked the small hints that we got about the incident that occurred at Planetfall. It's just not my favorite plot device. I did appreciate it more as the book went on and we started to see how the details linked to her disorder. So while it's not my favorite way to experience a story, I can at least appreciate it's value.

I'm not a fan of the ending. Especially knowing that the following books do not pick up where this one left off. The journey up through God's city felt tedious. Then to have everything end with her taking the place of a random body on a slab just felt kind of empty. I'm sure there is some symbolism there. But I stink at symbolism. lol.

The theology aspects of the story also kind of threw me off. I'm more a fan of Fantasy than Sci-Fi in general anyway, but when I do read Sci-Fi I don't love it when religion is mixed in. It just doesn't usually gel in my opinion.

I think for me the story was a 3 and the portrayal of mental illness was a stellar 5. Extra kudos for mental illness being in Sci-Fi and not general literature, where I think it is more prevalent.

I'm glad I read it, and while I won't be continuing with this series, I will be keeping my eye out for more representation of mental and chronic illness in my Sci-Fi and Fantasy picks. (hide spoiler)]

[Anna]

re: Kristin B.
Spoilers for everything.

(view spoiler)[Kristin B. wrote: "I'm not a fan of the ending. Especially knowing that the following books do not pick up where this one left off. The journey up through God's city felt tedious. Then to have everything end with her taking the place of a random body on a slab just felt kind of empty."

I kind of like it when books end on a question. I don't need to know everything. I'm trying not to spoil anything from the next books, so I'll only say that I'm far more interested in the overall series wide continuation of the story, than finding out more about Ren. Which may sound ridiculous considering Ren is AMAZING! But I feel satisfied with the ending of her story. Sure I'd read more if there was more, but I don't feel a burning need to know, like I do with other things.

Kristin B. wrote: "The theology aspects of the story also kind of threw me off. I'm more a fan of Fantasy than Sci-Fi in general anyway, but when I do read Sci-Fi I don't love it when religion is mixed in. It just doesn't usually gel in my opinion."

I'm the same about religion in my books, but I was so enthralled I didn't even mind. I minded a little when I reread, but not so much that it'd annoy me. It's surprising to me how many scifi books have religious elements in them.

Kristin B. wrote: "I'm glad I read it, and while I won't be continuing with this series, I will be keeping my eye out for more representation of mental and chronic illness in my Sci-Fi and Fantasy picks."

The other two books are by far less weird. They don't deal with the Planetfall planet or God's city, etc. at all. Just saying in case you felt this one was a bit too far out there.
(hide spoiler)]

[Kristin B.]

Re: Anna wrote: "re: Kristin B.
Spoilers for everything.

(view spoiler)[ The other two books are by far less weird. They don't deal with the Planetfall planet or God's city, etc. at all. Just saying in case you felt this one was a bit too far out there.

It sounds like, from the thread, the other books still deal with mental illness. Since they aren't Ren's story, I'm going to assume it deals with issues other than hoarding. Would you be able to tell me what they deal with? I am curious because the portrayal of that part of Ren's character was the most interesting part of the book. No guarantees I'll read them, only because my TBR list is almost 300 books long, but I'll never say never.
(hide spoiler)]

[Anna]

I'll put these things behind spoiler tags for those who don't want to know anything at all about the books, but these are things you can find out from the blurb and/or author's Twitter, etc.

After Atlas (view spoiler)[ takes place on Earth about forty years after Atlas left. The main character is a man who as a baby was left behind with his father, when his mother left on Atlas. (hide spoiler)] The rest is a bit more spoilery, but everything you need to know is in this Tor.com review.

Before Mars (view spoiler)[ takes place on Mars, and the main character has postpartum depression. It takes place around the same time as After Atlas. (hide spoiler)]


edit: I'm so weird about spoilers, I feel like I've just spoiled everything in the world for everyone with that Before Mars description, since it's not in the blurb. That's also why I had to link to Tor.com, I did describe all those things myself at first, but to me it feels like they're major spoilers. Obviously they can't be for most people, since those things are mentioned in all reviews.

[Rachel]

Ack!! I have no internet or WiFi yet ai want to click the spoiler tags!! Damn you Fios Verizon for bailing on us so many times!! And I’m missing my game 7 hockey!!

[Kristin B.]

Anna wrote: "I'll put these things behind spoiler tags for those who don't want to know anything at all about the books, but these are things you can find out from the blurb and/or author's Twitter, etc.

After..."

Thanks for the info! and don't worry about being spoilery. 1. I asked for details, and 2. you put it behind tags, so anyone who doesn't want to know won't see it. (Plus it doesn't feel super spoilery.)

They sound interesting, particularly Before Mars, but I already have so much on my plate I'll probably skip them. I'm not super invested in the universe. I do love that folks are excited about these types of characters though! I adore really human characters that aren't perfect.

[Rachel]

I REALLY enjoyed after Atlas. Wait no - enjoyed isn’t right. It was horrifying and amazing.
Just finished before Mars and it may have done even better with mental illness than the others.

Plus....I’m fairly very there will be a 4th that will tie the three together somehow.

[Anna]

Rachel wrote: "I’m fairly very there will be a 4th that will tie the three together somehow. "

I kind of wouldn't even mind having to wait for the conclusion if the reason was that there were going to be more than four books total! All the books stand on their own, so the only cliffhanger is what happens when everything comes together. As long as the books continue being as awesome as they are, I don't mind waiting for more. Of course I wouldn't want her to write several books just for the sake of it, they would have to make sense in the end.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I'm like 6 chapters in so far. I'm enjoying it quite a bit! Fast paced. Just starting to learn what's going on. I will say (view spoiler)["Confirm subject is homo sapiens" (hide spoiler)] was one of the creepiest sentences I've ever read.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Okay, at Chapter 8. Not really a spoiler, but in case.

(view spoiler)[There are a lot of hints and foreshadowing, and I'm hoping really soon that she tells us more. I think the writing is excellent and the world building is amazing, but the "Except for my dark secret" and "that's when IT happened" kind of mystery building is frustrating for me. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

So I just started this (I'm on Chapter 8) and it's flying by (which is a huge relief). I love that Newman just threw us right into the action. I'm already sucked in by the mystery of it, imagining the world and the city they inhabit, etc.

Also: (view spoiler)[ The Return of Carpet Plant!!! I will never give up on dreams of carpet plant in my own home. Honestly. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[The anxiety aspect is very interesting. At first I was thinking- oh she left her home. Her mom was a jerk. Then it's revealed that she lost a child which I can't even imagine. So at first I sort of assumed she had developed this later in life. Then she has the flashback scene with her dad and he's talking about worry-thoughts and it hurt a little.

Kids are supposed to be (relatively) carefree. I was talking to a man who works with kids the other day and he was relating all these stories of kids he teaches being younger and younger having to deal with this anxiety and depression. So even though it's a difficult topic I'm hoping there are more flashbacks included.

Anna are you able to say when Ren would have been growing up? I'm guessing a lot of the books are set in the far future but there was some mention of her grandfather fighting wars which made me think post WWII-Korea. (hide spoiler)]

[Anna]

Sarah wrote: "Anna are you able to say when Ren would have been growing up?"

I can't remember for sure, but it's possible there's a mention in either Planetfall or After Atlas that sort of puts things on a timeline. I think the story starts in the not so distant future, but that's just a feeling based on how she describes some of the past events and the world.

[Sarah]

Thanks! That’s sort of the feeling I have too- not too far removed from the present.

[Anna]

I don't know if anyone else besides me and Rachel has read all three books, but let's do this anyway. Don't worry everyone else, you're not missing out on anything spectacular, it's just a long list of questions!

Major spoilers for both Planetfall and After Atlas:

(view spoiler)[ The Circle ship is on its way to the planet. It left 40 years after Atlas. The colony had been living on the planet for 20 years. I expect this means the new batch of people will arrive about 20 years after the events at the end of Planetfall. What will they find? Is Sung-Soo's colony still in charge? Are the evil Americans going to take over? How could they not with how little is left of the colony. Is there any chance Carmen is alive, and we get to see a reunion? I don't really want to, but it would add another level of uncomfortable to the mix. (hide spoiler)]

Major spoilers for Before Mars:

(view spoiler)[ The two ships leaving from Mars both have a tiny crew. What is their role in all this? The only people who know about the evil Americans are Anna's crew, Carlos, Dee and Travis. Anna and Travis have a connection. Will they side with the colony, does that depend on who's in charge? They don't know what happened on the planet 20 years ago, so they wouldn't know who to trust. On the other hand the surviving colonists don't know what happened on Earth and why. What is the role of Dr. B?

I'm eagerly waiting to hear news about the fourth book, just when and where it's going to take place. Are we going back to the planet now, or is there still a part of the puzzle missing? Is there a chance Travis didn't know all of Gabor's plans, could there be another ship we don't know about? Or is there a chance we get a look at the colony before new people start arriving? I have no idea, but I can't wait to find out! The only thing I'm pretty sure about is that the themes of anxiety and isolation will continue. The tiny pockets of people all have reasons to stay clear of the main body of Americans, and to some extent, each other. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

I'm up to Chapter 21- but this is probably safe to click after 19.

(view spoiler)[Unlike Meredith, I didn't guess that Ren was a hoarder, but looking back I see all the clues I missed. Talking about nooks and the shattered mug and her worry over people seeing her at the masher, etc. I'm curious about what to expect for future chapters. I'm wondering if this is something that's always been an issue for her (I'm guessing not- it sounds like she's had roomates and had allowed people to see her living spaces prior to Planetfall) or if it was something triggered by the fact that she needed to leave so much behind. (hide spoiler)]

[Meredith]

Sarah wrote: "So I just started this (I'm on Chapter 8) and it's flying by (which is a huge relief). I love that Newman just threw us right into the action. I'm already sucked in by the mystery of it, imagining ..."

lol, you are so right! (view spoiler)[ now I am on a quest for my own, plush and fringy area rug that I can pretend is a real carpet plant! (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

Kristin B. wrote: "I just finished this and I have some mixed feelings. The portrayal of mental illness was amazing. So compelling and real. I wasn't super thrilled with other parts.

Details under tag, for the whol..."

You said it perfectly. I don’t really have much to add.

End of Book spoilers:
(view spoiler)[The portrayal of the mental illness and build up to the big reveal that Ren was a hoarder was really excellent. The problem, for me I think was that that was the climax?

By the time we get around to the door reveal- I already knew Suh was in there because what other massive Secret could she have to hide beyond the hoarding. So that wasn’t much of a shock.

Sung-Soo was a traitor. I also sort of saw this one coming (though not to that extreme). His story just didn’t really add up. The way he talked about how his father talked about Ren didn’t make any sense. I think Ren even says: “He’d have no reason to speak kindly of us/me.” And then there’s the way he reveals Ren’s illness which was just cruel- someone who would treat a “friend” that way is not a good guy.

Then the ending- the religion stuff grated on me hard. Another review said: “a cult lands on a new planet” and that’s exactly what it is. I hadn’t thought of it in so many words but I think that’s what bothered me.

So I’m still undecided about my final rating/thoughts. Most of the book was excellent but that ending did not do the rest of the book justice. (hide spoiler)]

[Rachel]

ok I know I've seen a million other people ask, but how do you do spoiler tags again?

[Sarah]

Hi Rachel: it’s < spoiler > and closed with < /spoiler > but no spaces.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Omgggg friends...

Chapter 19...I just about crawled out of my skin. My personal issues manifest in the exact opposite way, and I had to (view spoiler)[ go clean something after reading about her house, and then I ran into a spider, which is a phobia I have, so I had to vacuum *everything* and the whole time I kept thinking how bad Ren and I would be together. (hide spoiler)] We'd just be one big spiral of "this is all so awful!"

But I think that shows how good the writing is, that it set me off so decisively!

[Sarah]

Allison wrote: "Omgggg friends...

Chapter 19...I just about crawled out of my skin. My personal issues manifest in the exact opposite way, and I had to [spoilers removed] We'd just be one big spiral of "this is a..."

Haha- I felt the same way. I started (view spoiler)[looking at all the nooks and crannies in my house going, Time for another spring cleaning! (hide spoiler)]

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Yep. Gonna go iron all my summer clothes now, BRB.