Theory Of Bastards, by Audrey Schulman

One thing I want to deal with up front: Many previous reviewers have expressed confusion over the cover. They don't understand why the covers look like romance novel covers. People--this is a romance novel! It has many of the romance novel tropes--the misunderstood and remote female protagonist who finds herself warming to a handsome man--the focus on bodies and bodily reactions--romance, definitely. There's more romance than speculative fiction here.

Events have caught up to this book--I am reading it six years after publication and her predictions are well on target. We have Bindis (actually glasses), we have AI-powered viruses, climate collapse proceeds apace. The social science speculation is interesting--our protagonist is particularly talented at teasing out and quantifying behavior that the participants would prefer to stay hidden, like married women having children by men who are not their husbands. She is also strongly and deliberately unlikeable due to her chronic pain, which she is just getting over at the time of the story. Kudos to the author for featuring endometriosis, it is a seriously misunderstood condition.

The bonobo behavior descriptions dominate the book, and they are fascinating. But there's a great big research no-no in this book--in real life, primate researchers do not enter the research enclosures or interact directly with the apes. This is for safety and for ethical reasons. Great ape research is done through voluntary interaction, but the plot turns on the protagonist specifically not allowing this privacy for the mating bonobos. So we have to assume this takes place in an alternate universe where these ethical and safety concerns do not exist. The plot would not work without the direct interaction of humans and bonobos. Such interaction definitely happens--people for whatever reason do raise great apes as part of their families. But research institutes of the sort described in this story would receive no government funding and would be shunned by the research community.

And of course we have the sexual tension between the protagonist and Stotts, the classically handsome male researcher. This is all described in standard romance novel fashion, and seems to have thrown a lot of readers off. It adds a weird twist to the book but is completely believable, a natural reaction to being in a stressful situation.

The setting for the heroes' journey through the aftermath of a sandstorm reminds me of the movie Interstellar. I loved how they began the movie with survivors of the Dust Bowl.

Not sure I would say I liked this story. But I am glad to have read it.

My Goodreads Review

When the Moon Hits Your Eye, by John Scalzi

Scalzi is able to write humorous novels that get at deeper truths and really go places. "Red Shirts" and "The Kaiju Preservation Society" are Scalzi at his peak. This is not one of those books. It probably should have been a novelette, like "The President's Brain is Missing". It's a one-trick book, and those are best when the one trick is researched and taken to its logical extreme. That didn't happen here--Scalzi wrote the science off the top of his head, and spent much more time working out how people in various positions would react to the sure end of the world. Toward the end it gets quite heartwarming, and made me happy I had read it. But I can't lift the rating any higher than a 3. Lots of stories but little depth.

David (Spring, TX)’s review of When the Moon Hits Your Eye | Goodreads 

Circe, by Madeline Miller

So I got through this very long exercise, but it never grabbed me at all. I couldn't work up much sympathy for our namesake protagonist. The Greek gods are narcissistic and cruel but anyone with even casual knowledge of the classics would know that. Homer comes off as more complex, so that was interesting. But I am with others who say this doesn't hang together as a novel, it's more a series of stories about Circe's life on her banishment island and those who come to visit her.

My Goodreads Review

Rakesfall, by Vajra Chandrasekera

What to say here? This is one tough read. I got through it, and I can see the through line (with help from the author at the end). I cannot discern the why of it. It is based in Sri Lankan culture and its fight for independence. Maybe if you have deeper knowledge of that you will appreciate it more. There's a lot of good and interesting parts, but it only comes together by juxtaposition. Oof. 3 stars for the parts my poor mind was able to comprehend.

My Goodreads Review

Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings, by Christopher Moore

Well, I wanted a funny book and I got one. Lots of places to laugh out loud, sometimes really crudely. Most of the characters have varying degrees of dry in their sense of humor, but Kona the faux Hawaiian was great slapstick. The whale researcher obsessiveness seemed very real, the part that grounded the book and supported the speculation. For me the plot fell apart as the book went further--we kept getting new revelations about what was going on, but it simply felt less relevant. The book held my interest and I had a good time, but if people weren't telling me that there are much better Christopher Moore books I would not be able to make time for another one.

My Goodreads Review

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, by John Wiswell

I really like what I've read of John Wiswell so looked forward to this one. And it was intriguing enough to read all the way to the end. But I gotta agree with the reviewers who found Shesheshen's therapizing and take on humanity both unreal in a way that's hard to handle (I mean it's fiction, it's not supposed to be real) and in some ways patronizing. You could sort of imagine how Shesheshen would acquire a take on humanity by way of ingestion, and what she does with ingested parts. But since she only seems to eat bad people (at least during the events of the book) I would think she'd have a pretty evil orientation if she's literally absorbing their attitudes. And she is basically good. Unlike her mother that somehow got more instruction and knowledge about how to be a monster (Shesheshen often laments her lack of ethnology on how to be a monster, as though in other circumstances she could have done better). Homily and Shesheshen make a very human pair, in the end. Now I know what cozy horror is.

My Goodreads Review

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

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

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

System Collapse, by Martha Wells

I read all of these as soon as I can get to them, but I have to say that the formula is wearing a bit. Wells is trying to add some dimensions to Murderbot by having him be more vulnerable, and that works to a certain extent. He's made it from one- to two-dimensional. The action in the series is great, always compelling. What's leaving me itchy is that her commitment to telling the story entirely from Murderbot's perspective leaves the humans in the shallows. Murderbot's relationship to them is as a protector, by programming. He can indulge their illogical behavior as being silly, and commit to protecting them from and in spite of themselves, but it's pretty much impossible to tell one human from another outside of their skill sets.

Wells is a very good author and I expect that the series will acquire depth if she commits to it. It will be hard to put down since it's been so successful.

My Goodreads Review

The Saint of Bright Doors, by Vajra Chandrasekera

I did not know when reading this story that it was a retelling of the origin story of the Buddha. It would have made a difference in how much I appreciated it. I have read and been around enough Buddhism to have consumed some versions of his origin story, and the fact that he named his child Fetter IRL was never mentioned.

Another reviewer said they admired the story more than liked it. I can second this. I found it amazingly imaginative just as a story, but it went on and on without really gripping me and took me a long time to finish. The idea of a prison so large that it becomes more like a country is one that will stick with me. Fetter the protagonist did kind of grow on me, but not so much that I truly cared about his fate. So much went on in this story that just got by me. I appreciate his perspective and hope Chandrasekera keeps writing.

My Goodreads Review

Witch King, by Martha Wells

I just finished reading this, which took a really long time. Martha Wells is a very versatile writer--the Murderbot series is all quick hits and snappy dialog, a fun read. This one feels more like a masterwork in the making--no doubt Wells has huge files of backstory. Very little of that is in the book, you have to figure out the fantasy world as she describes it, which is fine. Wells is taking her time building characters--Demon and Prince of the 4th House Kaiisterion (Kai to his friends) being the protagonist, with fellow traveler Ziede (I never figured out exactly what she was, a Witch I guess?).

A lot of the book is driven by Kai's memory of events, and his speculations on what and who is driving them. The book opens with Kai waking up from an imprisonment that should have been impossible, and freeing Ziede from a similar imprisonment. From there we have a very slow build, first introducing the powerful factions, then watching Kai and Ziede narrow down who was behind their capture. There's not a lot of action in either of the parallel story lines until the last third of the book.

There's a whole lot of potential here, you can see the scaffolding for the above-mentioned masterwork. This is one where the sequels could be better than the opener. This one feels like it's mostly introduction (through actions, but still an introduction).

The Water Outlaws, by S. L. Huang

According to the introduction this book is intended to evoke "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (thought that title is not explicitly referenced)--feminine superhero-martial arts-wire fu action. And it delivers on that pretty well. I find myself agreeing with others that the focus of the book felt off--I didn't care that much about Lin Chong and Li Junyi as protagonists. The other characters had more potential to be interesting, mostly because they didn't carry that baggage about loyalty to a corrupt empire. That may be what is playing out in real life, but I think most of us are over it. The author's work to build those protagonists actually detracted from enjoyment of the action.

Overall it was OK, but felt like it went on for a long time. I can't quite give it four stars.

My Goodreads Review

The Road to Roswell, by Connie Willis

This is a rom-com, a nice relaxing read. I think Connie Willis could have put more into it than that, but in the end it's pretty much a better grade of Hallmark movie (maybe a low-stakes romantic comedy with some big name actors between projects). The special effects would not be very difficult at all, and there's a lot you could do with an animated, very fast tumbleweed that would be fun to watch. A nice break from post-apocalyptic stories I guess, since reality has a way of catching up to those and that will never happen with alien stories. I think it's better than a 3 but it's not a 4.

My Goodreads Review

In the Lives of Puppets, by T. J. Klune

I picked this up on Goodreads' recommendation. What I'd say about this book is, it was fine. Interesting and sympathetic characters, a hero's journey, love and surrender and redemption. All fine. The characters are unfortunately one-dimensional, but they mesh together to produce fun reading. It wasn't challenging reading, unless you find alternative sexuality challenging, and really if you're reading SF award winners or anything outside of mainstream romance novels you should be over that by now. No actual sex. In the afterword Klune says he backed off of telling the story he wanted to tell with these characters, which explained this for me. I wasn't sorry I read it, but mainly it occupied time.

My Goodreads Review

A Monster In the Shape Of a Boy, by Hanna Yang

A Monster in the Shape of a Boy is a kind of folk tale.  A boy finds himself face to face with a being that looks exactly like him.  He is the son of a hunter of these monsters, but finds himself unable to kill it.  His father fixes that.  A fun story.

D.I.Y. by John Wiswell

D.I.Y. is a story where justice is served.  The magical metaphor is really pretty thin, it would be fine if the protagonist was an amateur scientist fighting science patents instead of magical ones.  It is an enlightening and enjoyable read.

Master of Ceremonies by Frances Ogamba

Master of Ceremonies is an absolutely unique story.  I have never heard of a microphone passed down through generations that acquires magic powers, so kudos for that. The metaphors are way out toward the strange and nearly nonsensical.  Yet they clearly show the Nigerian cultural influence, so it was actually pretty cool to read.  I do not know if I could say I liked it, but I'm glad I read it.

Dick Pig, by Ian Muneshwar

Dick Pig is gay porn, on the sadistic side but actual consummation not described.  Kind of wrapped in a horror story, but maybe just weird not horrible. Guess it's worth 3 stars for ok writing.

Solidity, by Greg Egan

Solidity is a play-with-the-rules story.  People, and some things, all of a sudden do not persist when they are not observed.  They get swapped for other, sort of similar people and things.  So all of a sudden you're in a somewhat different house, with similar but not related people.  So the story has two tracks--the social handling, and the "scientific" handling.  Our protagonist (a boy named Omar) keeps his cool and tries to start sorting things out.  Most others do too, working out a way to live.  There is a Solidity manifesto that people figure out how to persist.  More magical than Greg Egan usually gets, this could be a Seanan McGuire story.