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hawkwing_lbBooks 2015: 129-137
129. S.L. Huang, Root of Unity. 2015. Ebook. Copy courtesy of the author.
Read for column. An awful lot of fun.
130. Carrie Vaughn, Kitty Saves The World. Tor, 2015. Copy courtesy of Tor.com.
Read for column. Also fun.
131. Cindy Pon, Serpentine. 2015. Ebook.
Read for column. Fun, albeit I wanted more world and an ending that resolved differently. Has queer women in.
132. Alastair Reynolds, Poseidon's Wake. Gollancz, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Third in trilogy. I haven't read the first two, so walking in to this was a lot like coming in to a play in the middle of the second act - but it stands as a complete thing in its own right very well. Reynolds has improved greatly since the last time I read one of his novels (which would be going on eight years ago by now, so that's unsurprising), or this novel is working with material which I'm a lot more primed to like. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Multiple different machine intelligences, scientific journeys of discovery, sentient intelligent elephants, excellently interesting characters.
"The Terror," which shows up towards the end as an alien intelligence's protective mechanism to turn other people away from the record of their reaction to the knowledge that the universe will ultimately destroy itself... Well, it's described in terms that mirror my periods of depression almost exactly. You mean there are people who don't live with the knowledge that everything is doomed to annihilation and futility, and posterity is a myth and a lie? (Most of the time, I find the point in life is to be kind to other sentient beings and to do as little harm - and have as much fun - as possible, because kindness and being as good a person as possible are things that are worthwhile for their own sake, for the now that we have.) So I'm not sure the conclusion is as profound as it seems to think it's reaching for.
But, you know. It's a good book. I might have to read the first books in the trilogy now.
133. Ian McDonald, Luna (US: Luna: New Moon), Gollancz UK/Tor US, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
The thing that lets me enjoy so much science fiction is that I don't actually bother to pay attention to much science. Helium 3 mining on the Moon? Effects of lower gravity on humans? Tell me anything you like, I will suspend my disbelief while you entertain me!
This is a complex, multi-stranded story full of interesting characters and fascinating asides, set on a Moon that resembles a libertarian paradise - or hellhole, depending on which end of the wealth spectrum you're on. (The only law is contract law.) It follows the Corta family/corporation, who're the newest (and possibly the brashest) of the moon's five great families. None of the characters are particularly nice people, but they're all compelling and believable.
Then things start blowing up.
The most fun thing about this book, though, is how it treats the social aspects. McDonald's thought about what a future enclosed society might look like, how it'll treat gender and sexuality and marriage (all negotiable, in whatever configuration suits), what'll count as wealth and poverty. This isn't one of those SF novels that transposes the 1950s-1970s to shiny tech future - not that I'd expect McDonald to do that, anyway.
Good book. I liked it.
134. Ilana C. Myer, Last Song Before Night. Tor, 2015. Copy courtesy of Tor.com.
Read for review for Tor.com. Reaction: meh? Slightly better than meh? It's not a book I can get excited about.
135. Laura Anne Gilman, Silver On The Road. Saga Press, 2015. Copy via Tor.com.
Read for review for Tor.com. I liked it a lot more than I expected to.
136. Kieran Shea, Koko Takes A Holiday. Titan, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Read for Patreon review. It's pulpish, and fun in a hyperviolent way.
137. Cecelia Holland, Dragon Heart. Tor, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Read for review for Tor.com. It's very well-written, but rubbed me the wrong way.
129. S.L. Huang, Root of Unity. 2015. Ebook. Copy courtesy of the author.
Read for column. An awful lot of fun.
130. Carrie Vaughn, Kitty Saves The World. Tor, 2015. Copy courtesy of Tor.com.
Read for column. Also fun.
131. Cindy Pon, Serpentine. 2015. Ebook.
Read for column. Fun, albeit I wanted more world and an ending that resolved differently. Has queer women in.
132. Alastair Reynolds, Poseidon's Wake. Gollancz, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Third in trilogy. I haven't read the first two, so walking in to this was a lot like coming in to a play in the middle of the second act - but it stands as a complete thing in its own right very well. Reynolds has improved greatly since the last time I read one of his novels (which would be going on eight years ago by now, so that's unsurprising), or this novel is working with material which I'm a lot more primed to like. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Multiple different machine intelligences, scientific journeys of discovery, sentient intelligent elephants, excellently interesting characters.
"The Terror," which shows up towards the end as an alien intelligence's protective mechanism to turn other people away from the record of their reaction to the knowledge that the universe will ultimately destroy itself... Well, it's described in terms that mirror my periods of depression almost exactly. You mean there are people who don't live with the knowledge that everything is doomed to annihilation and futility, and posterity is a myth and a lie? (Most of the time, I find the point in life is to be kind to other sentient beings and to do as little harm - and have as much fun - as possible, because kindness and being as good a person as possible are things that are worthwhile for their own sake, for the now that we have.) So I'm not sure the conclusion is as profound as it seems to think it's reaching for.
But, you know. It's a good book. I might have to read the first books in the trilogy now.
133. Ian McDonald, Luna (US: Luna: New Moon), Gollancz UK/Tor US, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
The thing that lets me enjoy so much science fiction is that I don't actually bother to pay attention to much science. Helium 3 mining on the Moon? Effects of lower gravity on humans? Tell me anything you like, I will suspend my disbelief while you entertain me!
This is a complex, multi-stranded story full of interesting characters and fascinating asides, set on a Moon that resembles a libertarian paradise - or hellhole, depending on which end of the wealth spectrum you're on. (The only law is contract law.) It follows the Corta family/corporation, who're the newest (and possibly the brashest) of the moon's five great families. None of the characters are particularly nice people, but they're all compelling and believable.
Then things start blowing up.
The most fun thing about this book, though, is how it treats the social aspects. McDonald's thought about what a future enclosed society might look like, how it'll treat gender and sexuality and marriage (all negotiable, in whatever configuration suits), what'll count as wealth and poverty. This isn't one of those SF novels that transposes the 1950s-1970s to shiny tech future - not that I'd expect McDonald to do that, anyway.
Good book. I liked it.
134. Ilana C. Myer, Last Song Before Night. Tor, 2015. Copy courtesy of Tor.com.
Read for review for Tor.com. Reaction: meh? Slightly better than meh? It's not a book I can get excited about.
135. Laura Anne Gilman, Silver On The Road. Saga Press, 2015. Copy via Tor.com.
Read for review for Tor.com. I liked it a lot more than I expected to.
136. Kieran Shea, Koko Takes A Holiday. Titan, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Read for Patreon review. It's pulpish, and fun in a hyperviolent way.
137. Cecelia Holland, Dragon Heart. Tor, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Read for review for Tor.com. It's very well-written, but rubbed me the wrong way.
