Ryan doesn't like being challenged

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

G2KY

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

Allison Feeding Frenzy
Ann's 2 star Persephone Station
Beth 5 star The Isle of Glass
Beth 2 star glass?
Munachiso Life After Life
Elena The Book of the Unnamed Midwife
Elena Ambiguity Machines and Other Stories
Leonie Frontier Incursion
Jess Inheritors of Eschaton
Jess City of Stairs

[〰️Beth〰️]

I absolutely love your title! 📚Happy Reading📚

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

Thanking you!

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

Series completion challenge

Bingo (full published series completed):
☐A1 Trilogy:
☐B1 Science Fiction:
☐C1 Fresh Off the Press -

☐A2 ★★★★★ First Book:
☐B2 Favorite Author:
☐C2 Fantasy:

☐A3 BIPOC Author:
☐B3 Duology:
☐C3 Binge Read:

Bonus (individual books):
☐Non-human land creature/animal on the cover or in the title: 🐯
☐Water/any other liquid on the cover or in the title: 🌊
☐A flower/plant on the cover or in title: 🌱
☐Wings/flying creature/cloud on the cover or in title: 🐝
☐Book or cover features a scientist/researcher/scholar: 👩‍🔬👨‍🔬
☐Book or cover features a rogue/thief/pirate/assassin: 🐱‍👤
☐Book or cover features an aristocrat/royalty/emperor/empress: 👸🤴
☐Book or cover features a physician/doctor/healer: 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️
☐Sun/moon/star(s) on cover or in title: 🌞
☐Book has LGBTQ+ representation: 🌈
☐Fire/flame on cover or in title: 🔥
☐Book or cover features ruins, a mask or a statue 🗿

☐If you collect all 12 bonus emojis, you get a medal: 🏅
☐Earn an extra sparkle ✨ if you used only sequels for fulfilling the 12 bonuses.
☐Participants who complete both the bingo board and all 12 bonus challenges by the end of 2022 get a gold medal: 🥇 and much acclaim and applause!

Cover Hunt Covers:

All Covers Completed:

My Emojis!:
Bingos:
Bonuses:

Series Completed in 2022

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

Alphabet Title Challenge

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

A Ariadne
B Breaking of Northwall, The
C Corinth 2642 AD
D Darkling Sea, A
E Eternal Machine, The
F Feeding Frenzy
G Gearbreakers
H Hench
I I Contain Multitudes
J
K
L Lightest Object in the Universe, The
M Map of Salt and Stars, The
N
O Obsidian
P Penric's Fox
Q
R Record Keeper, The
S The Song of Achilles
T Test, The Too Like the Lightning
U
V
W
X
Y You Don't Know Us Negroes
Z

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

Alphabet Author Challenge

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

A
B Brown, Pierce
C Chiang, Ted
D Dunstall, S.K.
E Eisele, Kimi
F Fairleigh, Jami
G Gailey, Sarah
H Hurd, Allison Feeding Frenzy
I
J Joukhadar, Zeyn The Map of Salt and Stars
K
L Lucassen, Jan
M Mikuta, Zoe Hana
N Neuvel, Sylvain
O
P Prosek, Brian Palmeer, Suzanne
Q
R Russell, Mary Doria
S Schaefer, Bindiya Corinth 2642 AD
T Thomas, Aiden
U
V
W Walschots, Natalie Zina Hench
X X. Stork, Francisco X. Kendi, Ibram
Y Yong, Ed
Z

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

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[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

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[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

[placeholder 6]

This is my third Mieville having read Perdido Street Station and bouncing off of The City & The City previously and it's likely to be my last. It's not that he's a bad writer or even a good writer of topics that I find abhorrent. He just writes with a style and focus that does little for me despite writing of topics that interest me in both genre fiction and life in general.

Like Eminem's output in the 2010s there's an immense level of technical craft on display in Embassytown but its not saying anything worth paying attention to. For awhile I wondered whether the story was too smart for me. That I just wasn't getting it, but no. Embassytown consists of mostly simple ideas that aren't particularly novel presented in a needlessly convoluted manner. He throws 'What Ifs' at you without doing a good enough job of examining the consequences of what he proposes.

For example, we have a race of people

__________
People have children and they're left to grow up in orphanages as the norm. There's no exploration of the repercussions of this dramatic change to the family unit. Mieville merely throws it in there for intellectuals to pontificate about in their book clubs despite it adding nothing of value to the story. Typical. Like the modern day Eminem we witness someone exhibiting a high technical ability without saying anything of value. If you like supercilious blathering like this review then you'll love Embassytown and the rest of the bilge that he churns out in the form of SFF novels.

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

I can just edit these so my personal challenge tracker thread can slip down your notifications.

Edit

Wrote this as if it's not SOP for the forum.

"Ooooo! Ryan, you're so special!" kmt

[DivaDiane]

LOL 😘

[Leonie]

There are...one or two challenges there!

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

Aye, but it's me doing the challenging!