Group Reads Discussions 2023: "Prey of Gods" Discuss Everything *Spoilers*

[Silvana]

Hi all, this now a group read and there will be open spoilers later in the thread!

[Hank, Hankenstein's Modster]

I already own it and would love to join.

[Silvana]

Happy to have you!

[Meagan]

I'll join! I've been meaning to read this book for a long time.

[Silvana]

Yay, Meagan!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Count me in too!

[Silvana]

Gasp! Allison is in da house!

I have two formats: ebook and audio , not sure which I'll try first..... What about you folks?

[Kevin]

This will start on August 25? That does seem like a lot of time.

[Silvana]

Kevin wrote: "This will start on August 25? That does seem like a lot of time."

I usually start my BRs at the starting date but some people sometimes read earlier or later. As long as spoiler tags are used, anyone can post whenever, I guess.

Also I made the thread early so people can mark their schedule if they want to join.

[Hank, Hankenstein's Modster]

ebook

[Jordan]

Oh, this one's been sitting on my shelf for a while! I'll try and join in on this.

[Silvana]

We'll be here!

[Cheryl]

It's an ebook at least one of my libraries, so assuming a waitlist doesn't unexpectedly accumulate, I'll be here. Hopepunk just sounds great!

[Meagan]

I am going to do the ebook. It's available in the Scribd app.

[Meredith]

Ooh, this looked interesting to me and my library has it, so I may jump in too (maybe a bit late, I've already planned to read too many books this month).

[Silvana]

Meagan ✊🏼 Blacklivesmatter ✊🏼Blacktranslivesmatter wrote: "I am going to do the ebook. It's available in the Scribd app."

Apparently I forgot that I had not purchased the ebook (which is weird), so I'll go with audio.

[Bobby]

I've got it lined up for an e-book from my library. Happy to see so many people interested.

[Silvana]

I started since I need an audio read now. Up to chapter 5.

I liked the world. So far it felt more fantasy than SF due to (view spoiler)[the witchy manicurist and the winged girl. (hide spoiler)]

The audio is really good :)

[Gabi]

Silvana wrote: "The audio is really good :)"

That is great to hear. I have access to the audio and am in a listening-a-lot-to-audiobooks month, so perhaps I'll join.

[Meredith]

I'm picking my copy up from the library today, so starting reading later today or tomorrow.

[Bobby]

I'll probably start Monday after I finish up a short book I'm reading.

[Midiain]

Kind of last minute but I'd like to join in and read this too. I've never read any hopepunk.

[Silvana]

The more the merrier!

[Gabi]

I've started as well (5 chapters in).
I'm positively surprised, cause (view spoiler)[ going after the cover I thought it would be a robot story. That's why I never gave it a second glance. But so far there is very little robots and a lot of interesting, crazy human characters. I'm a bit reminded of Nnedi Okorafor (hide spoiler)]

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

As of chapter 5

(view spoiler)[ I did not expect the South African flare! I'm enjoying the slow reveals and connections of things, though the little girl's story made me sick (hide spoiler)]

[Gabi]

@Allison: oh yes, same here regarding the girl.

[Silvana]

Oh yes, that chapter (chapter 4) is quite triggery, I forgot to mention it here.

I am up to chapter 13. Still trying look for more SFish stuff aside from the (view spoiler)[I think therefore I am sequence by the bot. There's a virus mentioned in Stoker's chapter so I'll be looking forward to that one. (hide spoiler)]

Sidney (view spoiler)[ooh ..... an old god. her meeting Nomvula would be interesting later. So, the title of the book refers to them, I suppose? (hide spoiler)]

[Silvana]

I've a question. There are mentions of caramel skin and almond-shaped eyes a few times. So, from what I know is that writing people's body parts color as commodity (e.g. food) is a big no-no. But the author is Black. So, that's okay?

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Good question. When in-group people do things out-group people wouldn't do, I generally consider that an in-group issue. If other Black or Brown people find it offensive, that's a conversation they can have with the author, but I wouldn't personally say it's good or bad.

[Silvana]

Almond-shaped eyes is also being used a lot to describe Asian characters. And that gets more complicated here LOL
Yet, as an Asian person, I too prefer no one (even fellow POC) use that term.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Totally fair and understandable!

[Meredith]

Silvana wrote: "Oh yes, that chapter (chapter 4) is quite triggery, I forgot to mention it here.

I am up to chapter 13. Still trying look for more SFish stuff aside from the [spoilers removed]"

In term of SF elements, I think that (view spoiler)[ the personal robots, Alphas, that many people have, plus the other working-type robots, Deltas(?), give a SF aspect. I also include "set in the future." :) (hide spoiler)] I agree, there's more fantasy elements than I was expecting.

[Meredith]

I've finished parts 1 and 2 (through chapter 16), and I'm really enjoying this. (view spoiler)[ I like the various characters that are being developed, Drayden is giving them each some real, relatable aspects. I want to give Muzi a hug. Nomvula's story is the grimmest, from her origin to how she is learning and coming into her powers living in her township. (hide spoiler)]

I appreciate your perspective on the descriptions of POC, Silvana, thank you for raising the topic.

[Gabi]

Thanks for the reminder of awareness, Silvana. This is something that never crosses my mind (I'm so used to the 'alabaster skin' 'hair like honey' poets stuff, that I didn't realise how un-asked for such descriptions are nowadays - learning each day)

I've now reached end of part 2 as well (view spoiler)[ Nomvula's story is horribly grim. This really reminds me of Nnedi Okorafor's merciless descriptions in her adult books - a bit also of Tad Thompson's Wormwood Trilogy. It makes me shiver reading this, but I appreciate the bluntness of the tone.
As for being SF or Fantasy: This element of spirit-world incorporated into the future technologies is something that for me somehow belongs together in Afrofuturims, so I'm not irritated by it. (hide spoiler)]

[Silvana]

I just finished part 2 too. Nomvula (view spoiler)[story is horrifying. It's sad what happened to her, and also sad that she had that connection with her mother's rapist. *shivers* (hide spoiler)]

Gabi, (view spoiler)[that's a good reminder on Afrofuturism, It is still a new thing for me, so I'd definitely like to know more on how those spiritual aspects affect the scientific and technological aspects on the community. Maybe like a distinct technology imbued with a particular cultural aspect?

There was a panel I attended on Afrofuturism recently and it did not touch the spiritual stuff at all, and more on more tangible issues like social justice, environment, health access, food system, and so on. However, the panelists also provided many good recs for further reading, like Dominion: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora and Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism and Beyond (hide spoiler)]

[Gabi]

Silvana wrote: "Gabi, (view spoiler)."

Afrofuturism: (view spoiler)[I can't say that I know exactly what the definition of this subgenre is, but in the majority of African based books I've read so far the naturalness of the spiritworld existing aside and intertwining with the real world was standing out to me. So as well as the mentioned by you social, cultural and political aspects I had the feeling that spiritual aspects are an equal important part of being of African descent (perhaps I just read only books tending in this direction idk). So having fantastical elements in this kind of SF feels quite natural to me. I'm not sure if they influence the technical development or if they just exist alongside. (hide spoiler)]

[Gabi]

Question: What is it that Riya doesn't want to sign for Elkin? I'm listening to it and couldn't look up the word, cause I'm not sure I understand it correctly.

[Silvana]

Gabi wrote: "Question: What is it that Riya doesn't want to sign for Elkin? I'm listening to it and couldn't look up the word, cause I'm not sure I understand it correctly."

which chapter?

[Silvana]

My friend Beige from the World Beyond the Margins group just posted this link, http://www.nisishawl.com/CCHBSF.html A Crash Course in the History of Black Science Fiction by Nisi Shawl

And then there's this quote:

"Just one caveat before you start ordering and downloading and diving into things: some of these works could be construed as fantasy rather than science fiction. The distinction between these two imaginative genres is often blurred, and it’s especially hard to make out their boundaries when exploring the writing of African-descended authors. Why? Because access to the scientific knowledge from which SF often derives has been denied to people of the African diaspora for much of history. And the classification of what is and is not scientific knowledge hasn’t been under our control--it’s frequently a matter of dispute. Also, it’s sometimes difficult to understand the history of black science fiction without reference to the history of black fantasy."

Very useful for me and hopefully for you all too when reading this book.

[Gabi]

@ Silvana: I unfortunately don't recall the chapter. It is when the concert starts.

The quote is great, btw. That's how I feel when reading African SF.

[Silvana]

Gabi wrote: "@ Silvana: I unfortunately don't recall the chapter. It is when the concert starts.

The quote is great, btw. That's how I feel when reading African SF."

Is it in part 1 or 2? I have not started part 3.

[Gabi]

It is in part 3. So you'll be getting there.

[Silvana]

Ah, got it.

[Anna]

Gabi wrote: "Question: What is it that Riya doesn't want to sign for Elkin? I'm listening to it and couldn't look up the word, cause I'm not sure I understand it correctly."

(view spoiler)[ His bong? (hide spoiler)]

I read this in January 2018, so sorry if that's not it :D

[Gabi]

Thanks Anna, that's it! Now I know which word to look up. :-*

[Silvana]

Chapter 20 is creepy and gross!
(view spoiler)[what is wrong with the dads in the novel! (hide spoiler)]

Other than that, (view spoiler)[ooh another demigoddess (hide spoiler)]

[Gabi]

Silvana wrote: "Chapter 20 is creepy and gross!
[spoilers removed]"

Yup, they are sh** there.

[Midiain]

Just starting it now that I finished one book and got to a place that I can pause in another.

[Bobby]

I also just started and finished Chapter 4.

(view spoiler)[I'm liking the world building and like others said it definitely has a lot more of a fantasy feel, but set in a future Earth.

I was definitely cringing with the chapter of the little girl, dreading what looked like was going to happen. Now I'm just really intrigued by what is going on. (hide spoiler)]

I haven't had as much time to read this as I'd like, but even just at the beginning I'm definitely hooked.

[E.D.]

Also at the end of chapter 4, nice steady build up at the moment.