this book felt cynical, indulgent, and obtuse in a way that was somehow necessary for me to read. i needed someone to probe the the psyche of the jaded cis straight millennial leftist woman like this. and sooo funny in a frustrated facepalm kind of way. hated it, 5 stars
Reviews and Comments
I like books about the future
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addie reviewed Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler
addie reviewed The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Review of 'The Fall of Hyperion' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
this book avoids a lot of the problems of its prequel. the story is richer, the characters are more interesting and interact with each other more, the gigantic world is explored and detailed more, and the large-scale philosophical + political developments are crafted with patience and precision. I feel fulfilled after being slightly disappointed by book 1 overall.
addie reviewed Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Review of 'Hyperion' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
TL;DR removing one star because it falls into some classic uncritical usage of colonialist + imperialist narrative, misogynist plot devices + characters, and ableist language + lenses. without downplaying these core issues, i still have to say this book (and its sequel) are some of the most impressive, ambitious, & compelling hard sci-fi i've ever read. more specifics:
in particular "the soldier's tale" and "the consul's tale" were both totally uncritical of their feminine muse characters-as-plot-devices, and the sex scenes felt shoehorned and pointless because of it. "the detective's tale" starts by centering a dope & hyper-competent woman character but she too is eventually shrunk into a confused & lovesick wench. the book in general also has a poorly-hidden enjoyment of militarism & military aesthetics without much of a critical eye, although I think the sequel does more in this regard. "the priest's tale" could have done without its offensive …
TL;DR removing one star because it falls into some classic uncritical usage of colonialist + imperialist narrative, misogynist plot devices + characters, and ableist language + lenses. without downplaying these core issues, i still have to say this book (and its sequel) are some of the most impressive, ambitious, & compelling hard sci-fi i've ever read. more specifics:
in particular "the soldier's tale" and "the consul's tale" were both totally uncritical of their feminine muse characters-as-plot-devices, and the sex scenes felt shoehorned and pointless because of it. "the detective's tale" starts by centering a dope & hyper-competent woman character but she too is eventually shrunk into a confused & lovesick wench. the book in general also has a poorly-hidden enjoyment of militarism & military aesthetics without much of a critical eye, although I think the sequel does more in this regard. "the priest's tale" could have done without its offensive takes on neurodivergence and the frontiersman/missionary narrative too.
thankfully Simmons does engage much more critically with imperialism, sex/gender, and disability as the book+series progresses. "the scholar's tale" in particular was beautiful and devastating, and I enjoyed "the poet's tale" for its view on socioeconomics + disability and life in an over-networked world. speaking of, the world of the book is massive and intricate with a rich history that is revealed in media res as you read (my favorite type of worldbuilding though i know some find it tedious). if huge-scale speculative political & philosophical intrigue interwoven with intimate hyper-personal character-driven narrative is your cup of tea, give it a shot and hit me up to discuss!