Shards of Earth, by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Well--I just finished Cat Rambo's You Sexy Thing, and had commented on how many times the "tightly bonded crew of an old but trusty ship" thing has been done, and it's done again here. But I'm really glad I read it, as that crew is compelling. Actually it's mostly the protagonist, Idris Telemmier, that is compelling. He's been altered beyond understanding by a process that allows one to navigate deep space and potentially interact with the book's nemesis, the Architects. It has cost him his ability to sleep, and to age as well. He is simultaneously frail as a kitten and far stronger than anyone around him. The other characters, though they get their space, are really a supporting cast. The universe of the Architects is a desperate one--they are constructs of godlike power, nearly invincible, and bent on the destruction of humanity, and they're doing well at it. Idris is one of a handful of people with the capability to do anything more than slow them down a little, and the enormity of that weight is very aptly conveyed. The book starts off a bit slowly but really comes along as the stakes of the situation become clear. I think it could be a pretty good movie adaptation, as centered as it is on a lead character.

My Goodreads Review

You Sexy Thing, by Cat Rambo

This is a good bit of space opera. I have to say that the first thing that struck me was that it isn't super original--the tightly bonded crew of a small spaceship thing is done, and done, and done. Making some of the characters aliens isn't quite working here as the aliens have recognizably human personalities. So I end up stacking it up against a series like The Expanse (which I'm also reading) and the character development just isn't the same. Good, not great. I do look forward to the day when characters with same-sex relationships aren't automatically boxed as LGBTQ+ explorations. Mostly these are people having relationships, and they happen to be with the same sex or with aliens, but I do think Rambo brings some depth here. Captain Niko's relationships get beyond sexuality into attachment in a way that you don't usually find with SF.

The Holy Hive Mind universe that the crew inhabits is a deadly serious place. Niko's nemesis, the pirate Tubal Last, is a deeply disturbed, capable and fanatical enemy. Their personal battle exacts massive costs on both sides. This is set in a book that just isn't that heavy--they enlist the title character (a biologically constructed self-aware ship) by teaching it to cook. I think I'm agreeing with reviewers that say this book isn't sure what it wants to be.

The book does not say it is the start of a series but there's a lot of world-building here so it seems safe to say that it is. Maybe the world will decide what it is, and allow Cat Rambo to write it.

My Goodreads Review

We Are Satellites, by Sarah Pinsker

I am a huge fan of Sarah Pinsker's work. Her novella "And Then There Were (N-one)" is one of the most clever and entertaining things I've read, and I took a lot away from it. "Song For a New Day" is terrifyingly prescient.

The scale of this book is about the same, and I liked it a lot, but I have to say it just doesn't quite measure up to my favorites. We have a very interesting speculation that ties a technical advance to a social change--a company invents a device that stimulates the brain in a specific way, allowing people to multitask and be more productive. And they advertise that they have it with a blue LED on their temple. Pretty soon if you don't have one you're left behind.

The real driver of the story is the family--two moms, a son and a daughter (the daughter is neurodivergent--seizures--and cannot get a Pilot). They all get a lot of attention and build the story together, so that by the time the book is over you know these people. The moments of tension and tenderness are perfectly balanced, so that even with their significant flaws you can't help but love them. The book is worth reading for that.

The plot feels like we've been there before--brain controlling devices aren't super new. In fact they're going commercial next year. There is some plot tension around whether or not the parent company (Balkenhol) is aware that someone's Pilot has been disconnected. Umm...there's an app to control your Pilot, and the home screen gives a big old error message if you disconnect it. You really think Balkenhol doesn't know? More plot tension around whether they have exact records of the brain activity they are enhancing/controlling. Of Course They Do. And users willingly traded that information for the advantages. That could have been a believable plot driver.

When I said it felt like we've been there before, it's because we really have--with cell phones. They went from curiosity to advantage to necessity in 10-15 years. If you don't have a smart phone now you are at a disadvantage, and it's considered rude not to carry one so that people can find and communicate with you at all times. Some refuse, and I wonder if someone who will not carry a phone is employable beyond a menial job? And they're pretty good at tracking us. So the plot in this story is dressed-up nonfiction. Pinsker could have written a history of the smart phone.

I struggled with whether to round this up to a four. I think not. It's beautifully executed but the world has passed it by.

My Goodreads Review