3/5 stars - This was a somewhat dreamy, somewhat ethereal, and mostly melancholic exploration of implanted AI (one in particular) and the effects on t3/5 stars - This was a somewhat dreamy, somewhat ethereal, and mostly melancholic exploration of implanted AI (one in particular) and the effects on those around them. The structure of the book was that each chapter provides the perspective of a different person connected to the AI Implant, Aviva, but sometimes this led to the novel itself being more disjointed and difficult to pick up the thread of the plot line. Ultimately, while it was about this very real emerging technology (see Starlink, yikes), it was also about mental health and social connection, especially Alex's struggles with anxiety and his death by suicide. Apart from those specifics, the book gave me the overall feeling of "After Yang" the movie, which was melancholic but beautiful....more
3/5 stars - This book felt like a bit of a mish-mash. Part romance, part sci-fi, part tragedy, part romance ... and that's fine, most stories are more3/5 stars - This book felt like a bit of a mish-mash. Part romance, part sci-fi, part tragedy, part romance ... and that's fine, most stories are more than one thing. But this one felt a little too jarring in some places to be entirely a great experience. I did really enjoy what I think of as "the first part," where Nate, Alex, and Artemis Darth Vader are at the cabin in the woods. Once all the chase and trauma re: Artemis and Alex's "before" story opens up, it became something different for me. I loved the humor of Art and the quiet bond Alex and she had from the start. Many laugh out loud moments from her, for sure. A big no thanks to Oren and his bs, but SO MUCH vegan food shade! Won't even touch a soup without meat? Huh? Ever heard of tomato soup? Ever heard of potato leek soup? C'mon. And the spice levels between Nate and Alex felt a bit sudden to be really believable, I felt. There were some journeying moments that made the book feel longer than it needed to be as well. But on the whole, Art was the star of this novel....more
2.5/5 stars - I typically love the space horror novels by S.A. Barnes, but this one felt like it was trying to do too much while also attempting to ke2.5/5 stars - I typically love the space horror novels by S.A. Barnes, but this one felt like it was trying to do too much while also attempting to keep the creepy space stuff. I didn't love all the political work background of Katerina, and the stuff with the holograms was super strange to me. I think if I'd had more of the ship full of the cryogenic dead and the something lurking without all the family business news drama, I would have enjoyed it a lot more....more
Holy space-thriller! I requested a partial galley of this book on netgalley not really knowing what I was going to get. I've never read an "Eragon" boHoly space-thriller! I requested a partial galley of this book on netgalley not really knowing what I was going to get. I've never read an "Eragon" book and had no preconceived expectations for Paolini. Furthermore, the full publication page count of OVER 800 pages really dampened any desire to read the whole thing. All I can say is boy was I wrong. It is mid-June, the book isn't published until September, and I just finished this partial galley... OMG I NEED THE REST!
This book was so good. From a classic space questing scenario where scientists are studying a planet to ultimately rehab it for human colonization, I was sucked right into the lives of those aboard, immediately worried about anyone who loved another person, immediately concerned with any last minute fixes involving trekking back out of the habitat thing ... and then things get really good. I worried about how engaged I would be with alien stuff, because sometimes that very very sci fi genre can just be too strange, but Paolini masterfully intertwined the alien situation with the person with the science, etc. that I was all in. The chapter breaks of almost vignette style - a heading with sub-chapters - really worked to release pressure/build up then begin it again or take a look from another angle. I could go on, but so far I'm very impressed. Obviously I can't comment on how the whole thing comes together in the end, but I can't WAIT to find out.
Merged review:
Holy space-thriller! I requested a partial galley of this book on netgalley not really knowing what I was going to get. I've never read an "Eragon" book and had no preconceived expectations for Paolini. Furthermore, the full publication page count of OVER 800 pages really dampened any desire to read the whole thing. All I can say is boy was I wrong. It is mid-June, the book isn't published until September, and I just finished this partial galley... OMG I NEED THE REST!
This book was so good. From a classic space questing scenario where scientists are studying a planet to ultimately rehab it for human colonization, I was sucked right into the lives of those aboard, immediately worried about anyone who loved another person, immediately concerned with any last minute fixes involving trekking back out of the habitat thing ... and then things get really good. I worried about how engaged I would be with alien stuff, because sometimes that very very sci fi genre can just be too strange, but Paolini masterfully intertwined the alien situation with the person with the science, etc. that I was all in. The chapter breaks of almost vignette style - a heading with sub-chapters - really worked to release pressure/build up then begin it again or take a look from another angle. I could go on, but so far I'm very impressed. Obviously I can't comment on how the whole thing comes together in the end, but I can't WAIT to find out....more
2/5 stars - I really wanted more story about the actual time travel element of the story. This part was like a setting piece that wasn't fully formed,2/5 stars - I really wanted more story about the actual time travel element of the story. This part was like a setting piece that wasn't fully formed, and so the book felt more like a relationship book with lots of introspection about family ancestry and connection and morality. There were some funny moments, but on the whole it felt pretty bland....more
3/5 stars - This was a decent enough horror/thriller, though it didn't feel fresh or new. Everyone seems to be on the horror-AI train these days, and 3/5 stars - This was a decent enough horror/thriller, though it didn't feel fresh or new. Everyone seems to be on the horror-AI train these days, and this one just adds to the batch. I predicted much of it, which led it to not feel all that suspenseful/creepy for me. A fast read at a couple of hours....more
3.5/5 stars - I love Nnedi Okorafor's books; they're packed with such cool concepts and the descriptions of the places her characters live are always 3.5/5 stars - I love Nnedi Okorafor's books; they're packed with such cool concepts and the descriptions of the places her characters live are always so vivid. I enjoyed this novella, though I found myself wanting more (perhaps the downside of novellas). The salt lake was amazing, the desert witches, the Paper House, and the funny description of the curmudgeonly archivist (being an archivist myself). ...more
3.5/5 stars - "Murderbot" meets "Wizard of Oz" - this was a fun, post-apocalyptic, robot-uprising, philosophical "what's the point" novel. There are m3.5/5 stars - "Murderbot" meets "Wizard of Oz" - this was a fun, post-apocalyptic, robot-uprising, philosophical "what's the point" novel. There are many different "waves" of plot which was helpful for when one part starts to drag, suddenly new part! The Archives was my favorite (might be biased as an archivist). Uncharles and The Wonk are good characters, and the audiobook narrated by the author Adrian Tchaikovsky was brilliant....more
3.5/5 stars - An interesting addition to the AI/androids-as-companions sci-fi genre. Ultimately, these storylines are about evaluating our humanity an3.5/5 stars - An interesting addition to the AI/androids-as-companions sci-fi genre. Ultimately, these storylines are about evaluating our humanity and the question of how far humans are willing to extend our understanding of humanity to those who might not be biologically human. I think we resist this as a species a lot, probably because it would be a threat to how we perceive ownership, service, and ourselves. We resist extending empathy to animals who have proven to have human-like emotions and perceptions of themselves and pain and feelings, why wouldn't we also resist extending that empathy to machines we build then provide with computer programs that are able to learn and grow?
This book was also a really painful examination of an abusive relationship. Is Doug like this because Annie is his purchased sex-toy property? Or is he just a shitty man who needs a woman without her own mind and feelings and opinions? Hard to say which is completely true, and it may be a bit of both. I think we are forced to empathize with Annie through the first person POV style, so we share her thoughts and feelings and her growing confusion and grappling with who she is. Doug has some battle wounds from his previous relationship, that's clear, but the fact that Annie responds to his berating and punishment the same way as a human person who is abused into cowering obeisance made me feel more like Annie was a person. An interesting though experiment for sure. And this book really pushes us to examine this, I found....more
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