The Long Earth, by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

Like many I think this book is stronger in concept than in execution. The Long Earth is a cool idea--that alternate versions of Earth are available to us with a thought, perhaps guided by a machine powered by a potato. The scope of the book is huge, potentially infinite, which is something I am drawn to. But Terry Pratchett is known for his humor, and this collaboration with Stephen Baxter takes all that away. The idea dominates the book. The main character, Joshua, is close to a cipher in terms of personality. Lapsang the artificial intelligence has something more going on, and I am aligned with his desire to explore all the way to the end of the Long Earth. Sally and Helen offer possibilities but are also pretty stiff. In the end, I blame the collaboration. The strengths of both authors are watered down.

My Goodreads Review

Service Model, by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This is a very serviceable (ha ha) stand-alone novel. Tchaikovsky is very good at main characters, and this is no exception, but it might take some effort to see that. Charles the robot valet is designed to derive satisfaction from ticking off his assigned tasks, and is "conscious" of this. I put it in quotes because it's hard to say that Charles thinks of himself as conscious (see how hard this is? How does a robot that explicitly denies that it has consciousness and free will demonstrate it?). This tension becomes a core of the book as Charles has to leave his manor job and become Uncharles, in search of employment. The plot is a pretty standard robot rebellion with hero's journey, but that tension between Uncharles's developing consciousness and explicit denial that this is happening makes it interesting. Tchaikovsky is an ambitious writer and wants to take on big questions. He is also a prolific writer, and these two drives sometimes interfere with each other. Service Model is a really interesting read and wrestles with the biggest question of all, but in the end he needed to finish the book and get on to the next project.

My Goodreads Review

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, by Django Wexler

In my mind this is better than a 2 but not quite a 3. Lots of problems. I think the content warning was clear enough, and if it isn't you figure that out within a page or two. Grisly Groundhog Day. I was able to get past the problems enough to read the whole thing, and even enjoy parts of it mildly. The importance of friendship and thinking outside the box are always good for a plot.

But like pretty much every other reviewer I find that Wexler doesn't come close to bringing off a female character. All the sexual references pretty much come off as porn. A book full of this is cloying and leaves a bad taste.

We have a character who's lived over 200 lives, each multiple years, so she's been at this a long time. And hasn't really reflected on what kind of time loop she's caught in. And claims to have forgotten much of her previous life, but remembers enough to drop every current cultural reference the author knows.

The plot so far is just too shallow to justify the over-the-top grossness of the character. I could have used my time better.

My Goodreads Review

One Man's Treasure, by Sarah Pinsker

I think One Man's Treasure has a great premise, maybe could use more development to give the conclusion a heavier hit. Sarah Pinsker is an amazing author and other work I have read by her sets the bar really high. The discarding of magical items as a premise is great, and using that process to dispose of a body is great too. A novel could have a lot of twists and turns before getting to the reveal. A fun story to think about.

My Goodreads Review

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, by Shannon Chakraboty

The title describes this book quite well. And the first pages of the book describe Amina al-Sirafi very well. The book is a straight up adventure read with a female protagonist. She is a giant and strong, but also revels in her appreciation of men and sex. The book comes in halves--some people like the first half, some the second more. In the first half she and her adventures are more on a human scale. Then she undergoes a magical transformation and from there her character and the action are more bombastic. I liked the transition, for me it refreshed the book at the halfway point. In the end I give it 4 stars rather than 5--it left me entertained but not moved. If you want entertainment with a strong female protagonist this is your story.

My Goodreads Review

Semiosis, by Sue Burke

I think I liked this better than most reviewers. What I got out of it was an exploration of how human colonists would communicate and share space with a native being that was incredibly powerful in ways they knew they would not understand, and also absolutely necessary for their survival. Stevland, the sentient plant that is the character of continuity for most of the book, reflects in a very thoughtful way about how he (Stevland adopts a male persona and pronoun) relates to aliens.

I do get the criticism that the way the Pacifists talk about their community makes it sound a bit YA. I wonder how this would have gone over if she had made them be an overtly religious group, and had their convictions come from their faith? In places she seems to be quoting directly from the founding principles of the Unitarian Universalists.

I would say that this is "medium-hard" SF. Little is said about how the colonists actually made it to Pax. And nothing at all is said about how a plant embodies sentience. What do they think with, if not brains? I didn't struggle to believe that an intelligent and capable plant would think in terms of the chemistry it is intentionally trying to create. Stevland (the main plant) is capable of manipulating his chemical products (as many plants are) and Burke chooses to show this by having Stevland's inner monologue be very geared toward common names for what he is producing.

There is a rape scene in an early chapter that is meant to illustrate the depths to which the original colonists are willing to go in order to control future generations. Think Clockwork Orange, but in writing so less graphic. Some reviewers pointed out that the consequences of this action were not well explored.

Overall I thought the book had a lot of nuance and explored difficult topics well, and I'm glad I read it.

My Goodreads Review

Red Team Blues, by Cory Doctorow

I liked reading this book. Fast paced action, an appealing if imperfect hero, at the cutting edge of computers, society, and security. A quick read that kept me turning pages.

I am still disappointed. Where is the Cory Doctorow of "Walkaway"? Or "Radicalized"? The protagonist in this story seems to be a guy who is feeling his age and still has sympathies for progressive ideas but has (sort of) made peace with things as they are. Though I think the ending is worth reading a couple of times. At first it sounds a bit obvious and some have thought it tone-deaf, but I think it is self-consciously so.

Cory Doctorow intends his speculative fiction to be "at the very edge of the present". This one feels less at the edge. More like a modern thriller than speculative fiction, he's just slotted there.

Maybe he will stretch Martin Hench in future books. But it kind of doesn't look that way.

David (Spring, TX)’s review of Red Team Blues | Goodreads