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Antolius reviewed The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin

Once a culturally rich world, the planet Aka has been utterly transformed by technology. Records …

A beautiful masterpiece

5 stars

It is fitting that a story about storytelling is so beautifully told.

Out of several Hainish Cycle books that I've read this one is the most exquisitely written. Others might be more immediately thought provoking, or include more elaborate sci-fi elements. The Telling, on the other hand, is laser focused on its theme of suppression of a culture. Everything supports and complements this.

The main protagonist, Sutty, is the only character that we really get to know deeply. And her backstory and entire personality molds here into a perfect vessel for exploring the world of the book. The story focuses on her reflections and the atmosphere of the place and the people she interacts with, instead of plot points. Even the rarest instances of paranormal occurrences are not mysteries to be unraveled, but simply add to the mystique of the world.

I fullheartedly recommend reading this wonderful book.

Antolius reviewed At the mountains of madness by H. P. Lovecraft

At the Mountains of Madness is a science fiction-horror novella by American author H. P. …

It left me disappointed

2 stars

Perhaps I had too high expectations. But then again, it's H. P. Lovecraft. I'd say his work is generally hyped a lot. This was my first encounter with his opus and it was decidedly meh.

I guess my main issue is that simply restating that a thing is terrible and scary over and over again does not make it scary. Majority of descriptions are second hand in so far as they describe the impact of events, setting, etc. on the main protagonist (i.e. he perceived them as scary), and not the inherent quality of themselves. Even the description of this second hand impact is somehow sterile.

The novella is written as a quasiscientific report from an old school research expedition. Perhaps that is what influenced the sterile delivery. Then again, I contrast this with Eversion by Alastair Reynolds which came out recently, adopts a similar style (and to a point …

Perhaps I had too high expectations. But then again, it's H. P. Lovecraft. I'd say his work is generally hyped a lot. This was my first encounter with his opus and it was decidedly meh.

I guess my main issue is that simply restating that a thing is terrible and scary over and over again does not make it scary. Majority of descriptions are second hand in so far as they describe the impact of events, setting, etc. on the main protagonist (i.e. he perceived them as scary), and not the inherent quality of themselves. Even the description of this second hand impact is somehow sterile.

The novella is written as a quasiscientific report from an old school research expedition. Perhaps that is what influenced the sterile delivery. Then again, I contrast this with Eversion by Alastair Reynolds which came out recently, adopts a similar style (and to a point theme), and yet manages to delivers far more compelling storytelling. Of course, it is also a much newer book. But if I am to judge Lovecraft as the master of the genre I can't really disregard this issue on the grounds of relative age of his works.

One thing I liked was the feeling of a larger prevailing mythos loosely connecting this and other Lovecraft's works. It gave the world a richer texture. But, for now at least, I guess I won't be exploring this world any further.

Antolius reviewed Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson

Termination Shock (Hardcover, 2021, William Morrow)

Termination Shock takes readers on a thrilling, chilling visit to our not-too-distant future – a …

Classic Stephenson

4 stars

Content warning Mild spoilers about some topics covered by the book

While his heroes might be horse riding vagabonds or rocket riding scientists, I have a feeling that everything that Neal Stephenson writes is essentially a techno-thriller. With Termination Shock this is true in both the theme as well as the style, and Stephenson again demonstrates his mastery over this hybrid genre.

This time around the topic is the climate crisis, a solution to which is presented in groovy technical details. Story takes place in a near future. It carries over the increasingly plausible and dystopian depiction of US that we've previously seen in Fall; or, Dodge in Hell. Though this time the story is more global, so we get to see other places in more detail. I especially appreciated European locales.

Characters are typically clever, witty or stoic, if a bit stylized (no-one really info-dumps in their everyday conversations like that). Not the most believable bunch, but I liked them.

There are the standard weak points as well. The story drags on a bit, and I lost interest in it after a while. It took me almost a year to finish the book because I dropped it around 2/3 of the way through and it took a vacation for me to pick it up again.

In the end, if you like Stephenson you'll like this book. If you don't there's probably nothing revolutionary here that will change your mind. And if you haven't read much of him so far there are better books to pick up first.

Antolius reviewed Eversion by Alastair Reynolds

From the master of the space opera comes a dark, mind-bending adventure spread across time …

A plot twisting masterpiece

5 stars

Content warning Mild spoilers coming from discussing novel's structure and some of the foreshadowing

I loved this book from start to finish.

Alastair Reynolds' mastery over atmosphere and style is on display from the outset. As the novel jumps through time with each of Coade's "awakenings" you can almost feel author's enjoyment at the opportunity to capture the style of the era.

While these vivid descriptions and dialog are what drew me in initially, it's the unraveling mystery that made it impossible to put this book down. The foreshadowing was enjoyable over the top, building from subtle hints to overwhelming crescendo. The biggest kick is that as I was slowly piecing together the whole story so was the main protagonist, just from the opposite direction: I was eager to figure it all out and Coade was in active denial of it! Not to mention classic hints such as anagrams and homophones ("I am Coade" quote is pure gold!).

All this intrigue is wrapped into hard core sfi-fi concepts like space exploration, aliens, AI and topology. At the heart of it is the theme of identity which grounds the entire novel. In concert with good character work and proper consequences it gives finale the emotional kick it deserves.

Speaking of finale, Reynolds manages to avoid the pitfalls of rushed endings common in some of his other writing. Pacing here is great, and I had enough space to process the gravity of the story's climax.

All in all, a perfect novel.

Antolius reviewed Dark Side of the Sun by Terry Pratchett

Dark Side of the Sun (Paperback, 1988, Corgi)

A book I wanted to love but couldn't

2 stars

While I'm a big fan or Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, the first few Rincewind focused novels are my least favorite. Unfortunately this book shares not only close publication date, but also many of the traits of those early novels which I find disagreeable.

In its core this is an adventure story, with a lot of references to staples of the sci-fi genre, wrapped in a lot of clever world building ideas. However, those ideas are not given proper room to grow and develop; instead plot is propelled ever forward by silly or at times outright nonsensical events. The adventure loses any gravitas it might have had to attempts at silly humor, and I ended up not caring about the characters who felt like empty caricatures.

This is a pity because in his later works Pratchett does manage to craft some of the most wholesome fictional characters I ever encountered. And …

While I'm a big fan or Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, the first few Rincewind focused novels are my least favorite. Unfortunately this book shares not only close publication date, but also many of the traits of those early novels which I find disagreeable.

In its core this is an adventure story, with a lot of references to staples of the sci-fi genre, wrapped in a lot of clever world building ideas. However, those ideas are not given proper room to grow and develop; instead plot is propelled ever forward by silly or at times outright nonsensical events. The adventure loses any gravitas it might have had to attempts at silly humor, and I ended up not caring about the characters who felt like empty caricatures.

This is a pity because in his later works Pratchett does manage to craft some of the most wholesome fictional characters I ever encountered. And the sci-fi concepts in this book are an interesting blend of rehashing and original. Unfortunately actual negatives outweigh this potential.

Antolius reviewed Next: A Novel by Michael Crichton

Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct? Is everyone at …

Review of 'Next' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

A collection of loosely related short stories clumsily cobbled together.

Good:
Raises valid concerns about genetic engineering and US patent law.

Bad:
Most characters appear morally wrong for no good reason. It detracts from valid criticism of corporate wrongdoers if all characters are adulterers & chauvinists.
Ending is unbelievable.
There's almost no narrative structure to the novel.
* It should have been an essay.

Antolius reviewed Inhibitor Phase by Alastair Reynolds

Review of 'Inhibitor Phase' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Read this if you are already invested in Revelation Space series.

Good:
Familiar characters & locations show up.
Ties to the war on Mars, which is one of my favorite parts of the lore.
Story beats reminded me of a Culture series novel.

Bad:
Drawn-out midsection, rushed & unnecessarily complicated ending.
Aliens end up feeling mundane.
Not a viable entry point into the series, despite being advertised as standalone.

Antolius reviewed The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Dispossessed (Paperback, 1999, Gollancz)

Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, …

Review of 'The Dispossessed' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Good:
Speculative fiction at its finest.
Great society & world building, shown through a lens of a single life.
Two timelines nicely intertwine & support each other.
The scenes of hardship & revolution resonate deeply.
* Evokes the feeling of classic Sci-Fi without any problematic elements often associated with it.

Bad: ∅

For a depiction of a similar theme check out John Kessel's [b:The Moon and the Other|30753686|The Moon and the Other|John Kessel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491126501l/30753686.SY75.jpg|51302140].

Antolius reviewed Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett

As a magical revolution remakes a city, an ancient evil is awakened in a brilliant …

Review of 'Shorefall' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Good:
Picks up nicely from where Foundryside left off
Crasedes is a scary villain
I liked drawing parallels between Foundrysiders and free software movement (though book itself doesn't delve too deep into this)

Bad:
Main characters felt bland, I cared more about villains
Repetitive plot: a new complication arises → clever scriving scene → heist/action scene → repeat
Major plot-lines remain unresolved

Antolius reviewed Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary (Hardcover, 2021, Ballantine Books)

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission--and if he fails, humanity …

Review of 'Project Hail Mary' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Good:
The plot twist around Ryland's amnesia is great!
"Space amoeba" story done right.
Relationship between Ryland and Rocky is endearing.
Audiobook elevates the whole experience.

Bad:
Protagonist with amnesia trope has been done before.
Rocky has interesting alien physiology & boring human psychology.
* Earthbound story-line and characters seem childish & oversimplified compared to science in space sequences.

Antolius reviewed Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente

"Severin Unck's father is a famous director of Gothic romances in an alternate 1986 in …

Review of 'Radiance' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

It's uniquely beautiful.

Good:
I liked the mash-up of styles & the film making theme nicely ties them together.
Different story-lines are all interesting, I enjoyed how they each centered on a mystery.
The vision of Solar System / alternate history is stunning.

Bad:
The callowhale exposition at the end was superfluous & took the magic away.
* It went a little bit over my novelty budget (your millage may vary).

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Antolius reviewed The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin

A beautiful masterpiece

5 stars

Antolius reviewed At the mountains of madness by H. P. Lovecraft

It left me disappointed

2 stars

Antolius reviewed Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson

Classic Stephenson

4 stars

Antolius reviewed Eversion by Alastair Reynolds

A plot twisting masterpiece

5 stars

Antolius reviewed Dark Side of the Sun by Terry Pratchett

A book I wanted to love but couldn't

2 stars

Antolius reviewed Next: A Novel by Michael Crichton

Review of 'Next' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Antolius reviewed Inhibitor Phase by Alastair Reynolds

Review of 'Inhibitor Phase' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Antolius reviewed The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

Review of 'The Dispossessed' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Antolius reviewed Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett

Review of 'Shorefall' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Antolius reviewed Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Review of 'Project Hail Mary' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Antolius reviewed Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente

Review of 'Radiance' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars