/lit/ - Literature

>>22207207
The Gate of the Feral Gods, Dungeon Crawler Carl #4 - Matt Dinniman (2021)

The Gate of the Feral Gods is definitely the most conflicted I've felt about the series thus far. However, there's still considerably more that I like about it than what I don't, though it also has more that I dislike than any previous book.

I've liked this setting the least so far. That's mostly personal bias and possibly because I'm unable to relate it to games or quite as well. I'd hazard a guess that the more relevant references here are Indiana Jones, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Middle Eastern fables, and Egyptian tales. What concerns me more than the setting is Carl's personal development.

After reading this book I looked at Dinniman's comment history on Reddit to see whether he had commented on my concerns, and he had, and it wasn't reassuring. That's not how I'd prefer the narrative to go if it does, as it's what I most dislike most about a lot of the progression protagonists I've tried reading, but at least I know that it's a likely possibility and can prepare myself for it.

Once again I felt the latter half was stronger than the first half, especially the last quarter which was all kinds of absurdities. For this and the last book I haven't been liking it as much until it gets to the rising action. It's not so much that it's filler as it that I find it uneven in terms of how much I'm interested in it.

This fourth book seems to be a turning point for the series, as it may now be halfway over, at least in terms of book count if not word count. In 2022, Dinniman commented on Reddit that he currently expected the series to last for 8 or 9 books. Based on what happens by the end of this book I fully believe it could be that long. The background space opera certainly made overtures to share the foreground, though that may up end being less overall than I'm now expecting.

Rating: 4/5

>>22200225
mobilism and other sites

>>22197192
The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook, Dungeon Crawler Carl #3 - Matt Dinniman (2021)

For most of the book I thought that I would have to rate it lower. The setting is basically many metro stations with a complex arrangement of crisscrossing train lines of two primary types. It's meant to a be a puzzle. The preface notes that the reader doesn't have to understand what's going on. A lot was done with the setting later on that made me laugh and chuckle at the outrageous developments, so although I didn't like it at first it ended well.

The previously mentioned stuff that would be available on the fourth floor didn't disappoint. The personal spaces reminded me of the base building in Fallout 4. The sponsorships added a bit to the intrigue, of which there was more than I expected. The background space opera continued on. Various other foreshadowed events occurred. I assume that stating how the future floors will be is in-book marketing hype, which probably does well enough, but it also may be a bit overdone.

I still don't like Mongo. Katia was a lot better by the end. Many other characters played more of a role, mostly through the chat function, which showed that a greater community was beginning to form. I await seeing how that progresses. My primary concern is that each book is longer than the previous which may mean that I'll feel like there's a lot of filler and have to lower my rating. Hopefully even if there is, it'll be sufficiently enjoyable.

Rating: 4.5/5

>>22182827
Carl's Doomsday Scenario, Dungeon Crawler Carl #2 - Matt Dinniman (2021)

I'm pleased that the second book is at least as enjoyable as the first. It's amazing how absurdly fun it is. I have negligible problems with the humor now. I don't know whether that's because I acclimatized and/or because it aligns more with my preferences. I still don't know whether this series can be recommended widely as requires experience in various forms of gaming to fully appreciate it. Maybe that matters less than I think it does though.

This floor is an open world RPG type. The focus is on the town and quests. I was reminded of a variety of games such as Baldur's Gate II, Dragon Age, Skyrim, Final Fantasy XI(V), Dragon Quest, and various others. It's delightful how much it plays with RPG conventions and tropes. There's a lot of other pop culture and memes that I didn't mind at all that in other books I may have.

I was mostly indifferent to Princess Donut in the first book, but now I'm lukewarm. She serves her narrative role well and mitigates other concerns. However, judging by the banner image on Dinniman's twitter account some people have unfortunate ideas regardless, which can't be helped. I'm leaning towards dislike of Mongo. I haven't read enough about the new character to have an opinion yet.

I'll be finishing what's out of this series in short order. There continues to be a lot of rough edges and curious decisions, which is why I've rounded the previous and this book down to four stars from its 4.5. Even so, this is quickly becoming my all-time favorite self-published series. There isn't much competition in that regard, so it may stay as such for a long time.

Rating: 4.5/5

>>22171788
The game mechanics are both practical and an aesthetic. They're a rather incoherent mixture from many different sources. The d20 System Reference Document is a major influence, from the levels, stats, magic, classes, equipment, and much else. Combat is entirely freeform and free of minutiae, aside from the occasional mention of how much of a healthbar is remaining. There's a hotbar, cooldown timers, healing potions, and other similar mechanics displayed through the HUD. The focus seems to be more on clever solutions than brute force. Grinding is mostly skimmed over. The inventory system reminded me of Fallout, both in terms of hoarding literally anything the protagonist comes across and being functionally unlimited, though without the carried weight limitations. Borderlands seemed to be a primary influence in terms of its humor, active and passive abilities, challenges/achievements, and boss fights.

In terms of dungeon crawling there are primarily hallways that have connecting rooms. Fog of war is present and what's been explored can be viewed through the minimap, which is filled with the relevant colored icons. There are a lot of menus, though they're mostly applicable to peace mode. A few other mechanics are that skills increase through usage, any notable event may give a treasure box, and there are various chat functions. Overall it provides a distinct feeling of both tabletop and video gaming without being overly concerned with trying to exactly replicate the experience.

The story leans into ludonarrative dissonance through agency, or lack thereof. Rather than a crawler trying to get as much entertainment out of the game as possible, the game tries to get as much entertainment as it can from the crawler, adapting as needed to do so. Situations similar to Spec Ops: The Line's White Phosphorous and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's No Russian scenes occur where a crawler is all but forced to commit atrocities to progress the gameplay, though unlike the former example, no self-reflection is intended. The only moral judgement is how well it plays to the audience.

As this is a for-profit death game, merit doesn't matter at all relative to how much money any given crawler can make for the corporation producing the show. To that end, the crawlers want to have as many viewers watching, following, and favoriting them in order to attract sponsors who can help them survive. After their activity stats are activated, the beginning of each chapter shows their current views, follows, and favorites. It's one of many numbers that go up and down. Crawlers also need to develop their own catchphrases, forced memes, and whatever else that helps them go viral. They may also have to do interviews on talk shows and participate in game shows as required. Even the fetishes of the sentient algorithm must be indulged. Those who are dependent on patrons for survival may have to make a lot of compromises, or even let them assume direct control.

Rating: 4.5/5

>>22169525
Dungeon Crawler Carl, Dungeon Crawler Carl #1 - Matt Dinniman (2020)

When I first tried reading this I didn't get past the introduction. The initial set up and premise simply have to be accepted and moved on from, which requires significant suspension of disbelief. After I settled in I found it to be greatly enjoyable. This isn't Dinniman's debut novel - that was twenty years ago. He's been traditionally published and has self-published. At nearly fifty years old he's probably at the older end of those writing in this space. With that age and experience he's demonstrated a surprisingly considerate take on gaming, reality tv, social media, and content creation.

Dinniman's depth of knowledge is readily made apparent through his understanding and proper usage of the conventions from the sources that he references. I wouldn't surprised if there was barely anything original here. Quite possibly almost everything could be traced back to something else. He excels in the execution of bringing these disparate elements together. If this were a literary novel it could be called densely intertextual. The downside to this is that it assumes the reader is familiar with what's being referenced. Those without a background in the relevant subjects may struggle to understand how and why anything happens for the reasons it does. There are a lot of general pop culture references as well. The references are mostly presented as they are, with a few notable exceptions. The contemporary Japanese interpretation of orcs is used rather than the Tolkien or later Western revisions. What I assume to be the Kuo-Tuo are called Kua-Tin due to Wizards of the Coast's active enforcement. Despite Nintendo's litigious nature their references are unchanged.

After decades of preparation an alien corporation is ready for the newest season of Dungeon Crawler World, a death game broadcasted throughout the known universe that's extremely profitable. It begins by instantly destroying all of Earth's infrastructure and putting up entrances to the dungeon everywhere. The goal for the crawlers is to reach the 18th floor within the time limit to win back their planet. Unfortunately for them that's never happened before. There's also a bit about what's happening outside of the dungeon.

The two primary characters are Carl, the first person viewpoint character, and Princess Donut, a talking cat. There are around 13 million concurrent cralwers to start, which is a considerable amount for a massive multiplayer dungeon crawler. In this first book though they don't come across all that many other crawlers. However, since the monsters are real Carl engages in conversation with those that can, when not gruesomely murdering them. He'd rather not massacre sapients when possible. There are also player killers, which are shown by how many skulls they have when examining them.

>>22156535
Reading this series has been a worthwhile experience though it's hard to say how much my enjoyment has been from it being different and due to a lack of easy comparison to what else I've read. My rating system doesn't categorize it well. I liked it more than my rating would indicate but I can't rate it any higher than I have. Saying this makes me feel like those who would say the same of any genre fiction, which is an attitude that I dislike, but it's how I feel. I understand how wonderful this must be for its most appropriate audience, which I would've been a part of in my teenage years. I can still appreciate some similar works more, but that's only because of my long-standing relationship with them. From what I've looked at of Wight's other works I'm not interested, though I'm open to what else he does in the future.

I still don't think I could enjoy translated xianxia from what I've looked at, though that may be more about the webnovel format than anything else. I'm appreciative that this series wasn't written that way as it's become ever more apparent that I have fundamental disagreements with it. That doesn't mean serialized works in general because there's plenty of short fiction that I've read over time in magazines that I've enjoyed greatly. Regardless, that doesn't mean that I'll stop trying to do so though. Now that I've finished this series it's a suitable time to give a sincere try to what else is out there. Will I regret it? If so, I won't mind because regretting in moderation isn't all that bad.

I don't know if I would've come across this series if it weren't for /sffg/, or self-published works more widely for that matter. Whether that's a good thing overall is debatable, especially when considering how overzealous some become with what they're pushing for whatever reasons they have to do so in every thread. That's unfortunately understandable because even if something is in every thread that doesn't mean that it will be noticed. The vast majority of lurkers likely aren't regulars so for them if it isn't always it's never. That doesn't mean it ought to be allowed.

Apologies for being longer.
Gratitude for having read.

Rating: 3/5

Waybound, Cradle #12 - Will Wight (2023)

This is the twelfth and final book in the series, though it's only the one I've written about other than the first book. That's because I didn't see any reason to do so after summarizing the series with what I wrote about the first book and later added onto it. I don't know what else I would've written. Now that I've finished the series I ought to rewrite what I initially thought, but that's unlikely. I've written almost twice my usual length because it covers my thoughts on the series as a whole and other related thoughts.

The final book isn't exempt from the usual formula of training and fighting to the exclusion of almost all else. If you've read this far you ought to know how it goes. That doesn't seem the case for those who have built up unrealistic expectations over time and thought it would turn out some other way. These aren't serious books and those who who begin to examine the specifics or try to enjoy them in a cerebral way are going to be in for a bad time. I wouldn't go as far as those who I've seen say that they half-listen to them as background noise and are unable to understand why anyone would give their full attention. The vast majority use audiobooks for this series, which I have strong preference against, and I give my undivided attention to whatever I'm reading.

There's certainly a lot that happens in this book and its progression may feel rushed compared to the previous books that took their time and gave a greater sense of substance to their advancements. This is the last book and several of the characters needed to be much more powerful than they were, so it's powerleveling time. I understand how this could bother those who take the books very seriously and feel that it cheapens everything. Just because something is a common practice in the relevant videogames and shonen battle manga doesn't mean it's acceptable. Sometimes there are narrative trade-offs that aren't going to satisfy everyone and that's how it is. The most that can be done is to minimize dissatisfaction. Maybe I simply never saw it, but the Dragon Ball series does this ever more greatly, though I suppose that isn't what it's being read for. Perhaps those same people would have the same complaints, which to me is a problem with having a very narrow set of interests and expectations.

The Abidan parts are fine by me and I think the complaints that they trivialize anything that happens on Cradle because of power level differences are very silly. However, I agree that they weren't integrated all that well and Wight may have initially included them because it showed what it could eventually become. Considering the relatively few pages devoted to that though, having the characters and readers be completely amazed by it all being introduced for the first time in this book probably wouldn't have worked out. There are definitely a lot of structural issues that could be considered.

>>22139374
Lessons in Birdwatching - Honey Watson (2023)

Lessons in Birdwatching is a fascinating book that takes an unusual approach to its characters and narrative. It could become a standard response for those asking for a book in its specific niche. I haven't read much else like it.

The ostensible protagonist, Wilhelmina Ming, is evil. She's not an anti-hero. The usual arguments of "greater good", "good intentions", "misguided", "following orders", "indoctrinated" or anything else in an attempt to justify actions don't apply. All she wants is power and the freedom to do whatever she wants to whomever she wants. This is evident from the beginning. It's not some later twist or reveal. If this were Star Wars, she'd be a Sith apprentice, and by that analogy she finds her Sith Master. This isn't a bad thing. There are secondary viewpoint characters, but I found them to be far less salient and mostly only existing to show what was going on elsewhere.

I'm also conflicted and I hope what I've written reflects that, though it may come off as far more critical than intended. I like the book. It's more so that there are limiting factors to my enjoyment. If this is the first book of a series, then it could go in all sorts of ways and retroactively improve my rating. I'd read more. If it's standalone, then well, huh. The greatest limitation to my enjoyment is that when I finished it, it felt entirely incomplete, not in terms of its narrative, which has a fully contained story, but rather of meaning. It felt like a body without an animating force, or to use an in-universe term, the book itself was a tama. It frustrates me that I feel like I don't have any idea how far away I was from its intended perspective.

The description provided by the publisher was the primary draw for to me read this. It states that the book is a "...a darkly comic, politically charged novel set in a post-earth future, where beings—human and otherwise—careen towards annihilation in service of zealotry and nihilism alike." I thought that would be an exaggeration, but maybe its nihilism is the entire point. There's a scene where the book's title could be literally meant, probably as a morbid joke, though I don't agree with it being called darkly comic. If the title is metaphorical then I can only guess wildly. Another part reads "...ravaged by a time distorting illness" which is true, though the mind and body horror aspects of the illness are more of a focus. The time distortion does have a major role, but it's not that relevant to where the story's focus lies. I admit I was a bit disappointed when the "psychedelic antidepressant and group sex" turned out to be not much more than a k-hole cuddle puddle, at least by how the scene was briefly described. The erotic grotesque scene made much more of an impression, not in a bad way, though that's not really my thing.

Rating: 3/5

I received this DRC from Angry Robot through NetGalley.

>>22128545
The Light Brigade - Kameron Hurley (2019)

The Light Brigade was intentionally written by Hurley, she states as much, to be in conversation with other military science fiction novels, the history of war, and as an extrapolation of current trends. Three that I saw prominently referenced were Starship Troopers, The Forever War, and Slaughterhouse-Five. There were doubtlessly several more that were referenced in many ways. The title itself is a reference.

The story is experienced nonlinearly by both the reader and the protagonist. The structure of the narrative and its presentation is what I most enjoyed most about the book by far. It allowed for me to overlook the concerns I had about the book's other elements. Hurley has provided an explanation of how it all works and her writing process, though it does contain full spoilers, so if you intend to read the book you may want to hold off until you've finished. It's probably better not to know the specifics as that aligns the reader more with the protagonist's experience and allows for greater emotional resonance. The characters travel as light, there's time disorientation, interplanetary war, and corporations rule everything, but all that seemed secondary to me compared to the protagonist's personal journey.
https://www.kameronhurley.com/the-logic-of-time-travel-with-graphs/

As with Starship Troopers, The Light Brigade is a deeply ideological novel, increasingly so as the narrative progresses. There are a series of interviews that are basically infodumps of political messaging which are heavyhanded even if the reader agrees with them. I'm sympathetic to the expressed ideals though I found them bordering on melodramatic sentimentality, especially near the ending. If you're someone who can't abide explicit political messaging, especially if it's contrary to your own preferences, then this may not be a book for you.

It isn't all talk without action though. Soldiers are messily blown apart, body horror is common, minds are regularly broken, and murdering civilians and children is routine. All sorts of atrocities are constantly occurring because that's how all out war goes, especially when there's seemingly minimal rules of engagement. The protagonist also has sex with both men and women, though that's more about release and wanting to feel anything at all with whomever it may be rather than anything emotionally meaningful.

I had been avoiding Hurley's works due to what I perceived as a reputation for a kind of nastiness that I didn't prefer. This one didn't have that and it's possible that her other novels may have less than I believed. The author-provided content warnings weren't anywhere as severe as I thought they would be. I read this one as a suggested group read and I'm glad that I did, as once again my prejudgment was wrong. It's still unlikely that I'll read her other novels, but it's much more likely now than it was before.

Rating: 3.5/5

>>22095341
Generation Ship - Michael Mammay (2023)

Generation Ship is among the best political drama SF I've ever read. Mammay has also excelled in providing a depiction of the crew members daily lives, how and why their government functions, and the technology required to maintain their society. I believe the limitations inherent to the setting provide for some rather intriguing dynamics.

The Voyager is a first-of-its-kind colony ship with 18,000 people, a number that is strictly adhered to, that is only months away from completing its 250 year journey to Promissa, a planet in Zeta Tucanae, thought to be habitable with 97% confidence. The expectation that everything is soon to change disrupts the routines that have lasted for centuries and many start to question the value of the traditions and laws that have brought them this far. Each chapter opens with how many days remain. It's at least somewhat allegorical about the contemporary United States.

There are five viewpoint characters and each provides a distinct societal perspective. I don't know if they were literally meant to represent these concepts, but I saw them as Science, Outsider, Populism, Enforcement, and Authority. This allowed for a nuanced and panoramic view of how these forces interact and present their side of the story to each other. This is a character drama and each one felt appropriately written. I enjoyed them all.

In other terms of representation there's a lesbian, a gay guy, two nonbinary characters, and an aromantic woman. There's various context clues that at least a few characters are neurodivergent. None of that is a focus, though doesn't it feel like a checklist either. It's simply who they are and it's only relevant when the situation involved something related to it, which isn't often. There may have been more, but that's what I noticed. All of is this is presented as a normal way of being.

The lead up to the ending and the ending itself were the only parts I didn't like as much as it introduced an idea that I'm as biased against as I'm biased for generation ships. I've never liked it in any media that I've come across and this wasn't an exception. It's not so much that it detracts from my enjoyment as it that I have a preference against its inclusion because it bothers me on both a practical and metaphorical level. That and other late introduced ideas that I felt were out of place did lessen my enthusiasm, but the momentum leading up to it and that this is a book much more about the journey than the destination, let me put aside my misgivings.

Although Ursula K. Le Guin's Paradises Lost, a superb novella, focuses on religion while this doesn't at all, I was often reminded of it while reading this, especially about its ecological concerns. I'll definitely be reading Mammay's prior works, as though they are different from this, it's also the sort that I'm able to enjoy.

I received this DRC from Harper Voyager through NetGalley.

Rating: 4.5/5

>>22084187
A Harvest of Ash and Blood - D. J. Molles (2023)

A Harvest of Ash and Blood is a white-knuckle ride that gets your heart pounding and your pulse racing as it rampages through the hell that is the battlefield. D. J. Molles has written around twenty novels prior to this, almost all of which seem to be some flavor of military thriller. Maybe it's because I haven't read much like this, but I'm thoroughly impressed by the book's continuous intense action from start to end except for a few breaks for the characters to rest for a bit. The fantasy elements are well-integrated, though those looking for a typical epic fantasy adventure may find themselves with a rather different narrative. This is almost entirely a series of brutal military engagements that reminded me of a mix between twentieth century and medieval wars.

Depending how caught up the reader is by the action there may be little time to think about what is happening, why it is, or what it means. Although many details are stated directly, the implications are left for the reader to determine and the real-world similarities may not be immediately obvious. The narrative walks a fine line between being morally repugnant and awesome, though depending on your sensibilities it may only be the former. I chose to see it as more the latter, if only because the characters reacted what they had done and had great interactions between them. This is as much about the characters as it is about what they do.

The fantasy elements serve both practical and metaphorical functions. The former is how technology is powered by magic, which is a properly deceptive term on multiple levels. A select few individuals have specific magical abilities. Magic is mostly used by the enemy forces, though the allied forces have a few that can. As for the latter I found that there's surprisingly a lot to consider when making real world connections that go deeper than the surface level statements. There's a lot of social commentary, though it's often presented in ways that could be easy to overlook. For those who want it, it's there, and for those who only want the action, it's not difficult to let it all pass by.

This is listed as a standalone on the author's site and it works as a self-contained story, as long as you can be satisfied with many of the worldbuilding specifics being left unexplained. The opening map depicts a tidally locked planet and it's implied as such in the text, though that may not be evident if you didn't already know what that was. There's more than enough left for it to become a series, though that's probably dependent on how well this one does. If there are more, I'll definitely be reading them. If nothing else, this may get the author a few new readers for his primary series who otherwise wouldn't have known about them or gave them a try. I'll certainly try reading what else he's written.

Rating: 4.5/5

I received this DRC from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley.

>>22064272
Back to Myan - Regina Kanyu Wang, translated by Shaoyan Hu
Kaya is a refugee saved by the Union. She returns to her desolate homeworld where her merfolk people once lived and discovers the truth, which dispels all the false narratives that were put upon her.
Meh

Meridian - Karin Lowachee
A four year old boy watches his family be killed by space pirates and his station be wrecked. He's picked up by scavengers, but they don't know how to raise such a traumatized child. The years pass by, but the memories don't fade.
Ok

Joseon Fringe - Pamela Q. Fernandes
A historical fantasy about how hangul and much else was developed by King Sejong and Jang Young Sil. It's also about hoping changing the past will fix the present.
Meh

Wintry Hearts of Those Who Rise - Minsoo Kang
The heir to a grand estate seeks an inheritance denied to him by father's second wife through legal maneuvering and deceit. His scholar friend decides to beat her at her own game.
Ok

Udātta Śloka? - Deepak Bharathan
A mythological origin story for a major Hindu deity.
Meh

Crash - Melissa Yuan-Innes
The colonists of the lunar colony escaped Earth and want nothing to do with it. A crashed space vessel threatens to upend their established balance.
Ok

Memoriam - Priya Sridhar
A robotictist has created a replica of his deceased father and everyone is worried for him, scared of what he's done, or both.
Ok

The Observer Effect - E. C. Myers
After a school shooting in California, a disabled Chinese woman wants to know why her co-worker, who is a superhero, didn't do anything about it. Superheroes are common in this world, as are supervillians. Thus ensues a conversation about racism against Asians, the importance of representation, and what it truly means to be a superhero.
Ok

Decision - Joyce Chng
A young woman from a race of mythical spider people who eat humans decides it's time to leave the family nest.
Meh

Moon Halves - Anne Carly Abad
The forests of Barangay Mangangasu are filled with spirits. It's time for the hunting rite to determine a new chieftan.
Ok

The Bridge of Dangerous Longings - Rati Mehrotra
A young girl wants to wants to cross the bridge that no one has survived crossing since it was built. All is shrouded in mist, but the gruesome death that befalls crossers is in full view. Life isn't going so well for her though.
Ok

Old Souls - Fonda Lee
A woman who remembers all of her past lives, seven currently, meets an immortal woman who asks of her a favor.
Ok

The Orphans of Nilaveli - Naru Dames Sundar
Nearly seventy years have passed since the end of the Sri Lankan civil war. Tamils remain discriminated against by the Sinhalese who literally aren't able to see them any longer due to their implants erasing them from sight. Even so, following a catastrophic earthquake two Tamil orphans are adopted by a Sinhalese family. Their lives take drastically different paths.
Ok

>>22062118
Where The Stars Rise: Asian Science Fiction & Fantasy (2017)
Edited by Lucas K. Law & Derwin Mak

The subtitle is somewhat misleading. Maybe half of these twenty-three stories could reasonably be called SFF. Speculative fiction would be more accurate. All of the stories are Asian influenced. The influences are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Filipino, Sri Lankan, Indian, and Turkish. Social justice was the focus for several of the stories. Several of the Ok stories were close to being Enjoyable, but I had problems with each of them that were a bit too much.

Spirit of Wine - Tony Pi
A spirit of Wine possess two sworn brothers and causes mischief. Ideogram-play follows.
Meh

The dataSultan of Streets and Stars - Jeremy Szal
A dataSultan (programmer) is hired to steal the newest djinn (AI). Naturally it doesn't go planned.
Meh

Weaving Silk - Amanda Sun
Two children in Tokyo struggle to survive following a catastrophic earthquake.
Meh

Vanilla Rice - Angela Yuriko Smith
A pregnant woman of asian descent in a western country has fully internalized white beauty standards and purchases a chip that will change the phenotype of her daughter so that she will not have to suffer the indignity of not being white.
Blah

Looking Up - S. B. Divya
A woman with a physical disability who has a traumatic past and is estranged from her family has been selected for a one-way mission to Mars. All that's left is telling everyone goodbye then going on her way.
Ok

A Star Is Born - Miki Dare
This is about the interment of Japanese-Canadians. It's about the racism and oppression that non-whites have endured in Canada, whose evils are similar to those of the United States, though overshadowed by the severity of the latter due to population size and factors. I'm not sure what to make of the narrative, mostly as to whether it is what it says it is or not.
Blah

My Left Hand - Ruhan Zhao
A scientist visits a palmreader who warns him of disaster, but what does l matter when there's science to do, and who believes that nonsense anyway, ha ha.
I didn't enjoy this as much as I otherwise would because I don't have sufficient Chinese cultural knowledge to turn what seem to be the implications into definite conclusions.
Meh

DNR - Gabriela Lee
A doctor living in the Philippine Protectorate on Mars spends most of her time on autopsies and extracting the final memories of the deceased from their visual cortex to present to the bereaved.
Ok

A Visitation for the Spirit Festival - Diana Xin
A mother who thought she'd never return to China does so to convince her daughter that her activism is too dangerous. The mother carries with her the ghosts of her past.
Meh

Rose's Arm - D. Jim
In racist steampunk Canada, a teenage girl's mother has died and her father is no longer able to provide due to anti-Japanese sentiment. A white doctor has offered to solve her problems, though his help would come at a great personal cost to her.
Meh

>>22052164
Terms of Enlistment, Frontlines #1 - Marko Kloos (2013)

This was the debut novel of German author Marko Kloos, who after serving his mandatory military service came to the United States. Ten years later he self-published this military science fiction novel on Amazon and it sold well, so it was acquired by Amazon.

The protagonist, Andrew Grayson, 21, lives in a welfare housing district and will do anything to escape the shame of poverty. For him and most others, the military is their only chance, but with a 10% application acceptance rate and 50% washing-out before finishing basic training, it's not that easy. Homesteading a colonial planet is the dream, or really, anywhere other than being stuck with those he describes as the welfare rats who are content to subsist on recycled bodily waste and mutual violation. The narrative is told through a first person perspective that provides his personal thoughts, though they didn't add much for me.

Some books offer more of an opportunity for contemplation and others offer the opposite. This was one of the latter. You can think about it, though that may only detract from the enjoyment. That's not to say that it's entirely action filled, because it isn't. Much of the book's duration is spent outside out of duty, which also isn't to say that this is a book heavy on character development, because it isn't. The plot is mostly going through basic training and a few months afterwards. The ending sets up the series, which is currently at eight books. Saying what the series is about awkward because looking at anything else about it makes it obvious, but since it isn't revealed until the end, just saying what it is would be a spoiler, though it's nothing surprising. It's First contact and immediate war against huge aliens. Functionally that makes this first book an introduction to the protagonist and the processes of their military and little else.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that one of the major scenes of the novel could be a dealbreaker. The military is sent in to deal with unrest in the Detroit slums which leads to the protagonist slaughtering those involved and then some uninvolved civilians during the ensuring chaos. It doesn't go well for them either. This is mostly brushed off later and treated as just something that happened by all involved. Apparently it's covered more in Measures of Absolution.

I read this with others, as I probably wouldn't have read it by myself. I've now read the first books of Kloos's two series, the other being The Palladium Wars. I found the other to be significantly better. Unfortunately, what bothered me the most about it was present here as well. The series is sliced too thinly. That's been commercially successful for Kloos. It's common for TV series to have most of the plot in the premiere and finale, but I don't like how it came across here. This may be the last work by him that I read.

Rating: 2.5/5

>>22041968
By Those Hands - Congyun "Mu Ming" Gu, Judith Huang (2018)
I'm astounded by the masterful craft that created this beautiful work. Its emotionality is admirable and its science praiseworthy. A master bamboo weaver is distraught that he will not be able to pass on his craft and that all the traditional ways are being replaced by low-quality automation. A neuroscientist with a specialty in hands is distressed about the kinesthetic knowledge that is lost upon death. Perhaps by using the newest technologies traditional ways may yet be preserved.
Highly Enjoyable

The Kite of Jinan - Liang Qingsan, Emily Jin (2017)
In the introduction to this book this story is called "fictional nonfiction", which is apt. This story is simply a guy who saw something he thought was interesting and unsolved in the historical record. In this case the truth behind why a series of gunpowder workshops exploded and whether the primary suspect was indeed responsible. So, he took it upon himself to deeply research the matter for no other reason than personal curiosity. This is probably somewhat similar to the research that goes into making edutainment videos on Youtube. One example would be some of the videos CGP Grey has made. This was more interesting and enjoyable than may be expected.
Enjoyable

Pixiu - Shi Heiyao, Andy Dudak (2018)
A biologist is hired by a mining company to create a new bacteria that can bioleach low quality ore effectively and as cheaply. He relates its development to his relationship with his grandmother from his birth to her death. There's a considerable amount of philosophizing about the purpose of life and the nature of interpersonal relationships, including for bacteria.
Enjoyable

The Postman - Liao Shubo, Rebecca Huang (2016)
An interstellar postman keeps receiving messages from a little girl asking if he has any mail for her. He doesn't and he takes a memory-erasing pill after he finishes delivering the mail, but then one day...
Meh

>>22040654
New Voices in Chinese Science Fiction (2022)
Edited by Neil Clarke, Xia Jia, and Regina Kanyu Wang

Introduction - Xia Jia (2022)
I was surprised by the quality of the works in this anthology. Then I saw that they almost all won a prestigious award for the best SF of the year in China. That seems appropriate to me. In the introduction Xia Jia writes that we're in the Post-Liu Cixin era. That seems like a good thing to me, especially going by the stories included, and because I'm not a fan of his work. As to whether it's true, I wouldn't know. She also notes that this anthology was a stretch goal for her Kickstarter campaign to have her first English science fiction collection published. I'm not much a fan of her writing either, so I may or may not read A Summer Beyond Your Reach later.

My Family and Other Evolving Animals - Shuang Chimu, Carmen Yiling Yan (2019)
The year is 2119. In four years a new space megastation, one of almost a hundred already in space, will set off to begin its deep space ecological experiments. This story is almost entirely speculation about how ecosystems may change in space, with a focus on fruit flies. Its scientific narrative is presented through the lives of a particular family, especially the youngest daughter. This was a pleasing speculative slice-of-life story.
Enjoyable

The Bridge - Liu Xiao, Andy Dudak (2019)
I think I would like this story if I knew the specific context for its allegories rather than only vaguely being about the changes that modernity has brought to isolated areas. I assume it's an allegory about Atulie'er and other cliff villages in China, though that may only be at face value.
Ok

Tombstone - Yang Wanqing, Andy Dudak (2017)
Catastrophic climate disasters brought forth the Great Scattering of humanity. New Anchorage, population twenty million, is one of the last bastions of civilization that remain. Everything is devoted to Osiris Tower, which promises an afterlife through the creation of a soul. This is told through the life of a Charon, a ferryman of the dead, and his relationship with the love of his life. I wasn't liking this for almost half its duration, but by the end I was won over by its allegories.
Enjoyable

PTSD - Hui Hu, Rebecca Kuang (2016)
A VR journalist seeking clout radicalizes a young boy online hoping to goad him into becoming viral content. Four years later working at NetLord (NetEase) the consequences of his actions have caught up to him in a way that he never could've seen coming. This was a fun SF thriller about being unable to tell the difference between fantasy and reality. It also considers some problems that may arise from 3D printing and virtual reality.
Enjoyable

>>21986571
Eleanor R. Wood - Her Glimmering Façade (2016)
There's just something about someone waking up alone in a mysterious location with no idea of their situation that appeals to me. That allows me to entirely overlook that it's entirely conceptual and nothing else. Saying what the concept is would spoil the story.
Enjoyable

Han Song - Answerless Journey (1995)
Creature wakes up in a location with no memories and meets Same Kind, who has the same condition. It's an allegorical existential comedy horror, but I'd only be guessing about what. The title is overly apt. This is the seventh story I've read by Han Song, though it's only the second that I haven't assigned my worst rating to. He writes in a way that I strongly dislike.
Meh

Ronald D. Ferguson - Cylinders (2017)
Jerry is a robot guardian for Rachael, a teenage girl, and is modeled on her deceased father. They live in a cylindrical space station that is developing a technology that will revolutionize humanity and exploration. Saboteurs on board try to stop them. Mostly the story is Jerry watching Rachael's day to day life as his upgrades have him becoming increasingly similar to her father.
Enjoyable

He Xi - Life Does Not Allow Us to Meet (2010)
Humanity desires to settle many planets to avoid extinction, but many of them have conditions unsuitable for standard humans. Many different pioneer species were designed to settle these planets. They only have provisional status as humans. A team has been sent to judge whether the settlers qualify as human or not.
Ok

Allen Stroud - The First (2023)
Two astronauts arrive on Mars believing that no humans had come before them, but they were wrong. Those before them were the earliest humans, though they weren't The First on Mars.
Meh

Zhao Haihong - The Darkness of Mirror Planet (2003)
An allegorical story that I didn't like at all for what it was saying or how it was said. Mirror, the protagonist, wants to join the mission to Planet Dark, which requires leaving her husband Lack and passing a psychological test.
Blah

Amdi Silvestri - A Minuet of Corpses (2018)
This was meant to be a creepy horror story, but it didn't do anything at all for me. A spaceship comes across what me be a rouge planetary graveyard or something more sinister and spooky stuff happens. Not my kind of horror at all.
Blah

Bao Shu - Doomsday Tour (2013)
A 2012 end of the world story. Alien disaster tourists want to make sure their money was well spent. A galactic travel agency want to ensure their profits continue unimpeded. Corruption is an universal ideal.
Ok

Russell James - The Emissary (2023)
Shane always wanted to be an astronaut. After the Apollo missions ended in 1972 he thought that chance had passed. In 1976, he's kidnapped by the CIA at the behest of NASA. They tell him that he's their last chance. The truth of Apollo 17 is revealed.
Meh

I received this eARC from Flame Tree Press through NetGalley.

>>21983306
Adventures in Space (2023)
Edited by Patrick Parrinder and Yao Haijun

As you'd expect from the title all of these stories involve being in space, or having space come to them. Seven were written in English and six were translated from Chinese by Alex Woodend. Five of the English-language stories are reprints and two are new. The six Chinese-language stories appear here translated for the first time.

Alex Shvartsman - The Race for Arcadia (2015)
This is a mildly amusing and severely critical story of a deeply embarrassed Russian government that is desperate to prove that they still matter. I don't believe it to be satire because this story seems entirely plausible within the context presented. The protagonist, whose death is imminent from a terminal illness, is blatantly told that he's being sent on a suicide space mission for the purpose of propaganda. If they're willing to admit that much, what aren't they admitting?
Meh

Chin Zijun - Shine (2016)
Qi Fengyang is in despair of never being able to achieve his dream when the extremely wealthy Huo Changao offers to fulfill it for him. All he has to do is accept what may a suicide mission to rescue Sun Shi'ning from a failed Europa expedition. She's the former's ex-lover and the latter's wife. The rescue will take the cooperation of the world and much science, though that's nothing compared to their passion and determination. However, neither one is being honest about their motives, so what's this really all about?
This reminded me superficially of a mix between 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Martian, the former of which is explicitly referenced in the text, and the latter if it was told from an Earth-side perspective. I continue be amazed how often Elon Musk is included in such stories, as he's mentioned here in passing as Alan Musk.
Meh

Leah Cypess - On The Ship (2017)
This is the sixth story by Cypess that I've read and I've enjoyed them all. I believe this is the first science fiction story I've read by her. Generation ships are a setting I tend to like and this one more so than usual because it reminded me of Philip K. Dick. That's both all I want to say about it and all I think needs to be said.
Enjoyable

Wang Jinkang - Seeds of Mercury (2002)
What an astounding story. It started out enjoyably and by the end it became one of the best translated works of short fiction I've read and possibly one of the better ones I've ever read.
Chen Yizhe has a blessed life of comfort, wealth, and familial bliss. One day He Jun, a lawyer, informs him that his aunt Sha Wu has died and she wants him to carry on her legacy. She's created a new life that can only prosper on Mercury, hence the title, which would be the seeds of a new civilization. The parts of the story that take place in that civilization are an utterly delightful exploration of Mercurian society, science, and religion.
Highly Enjoyable

>>21950333
A Debt to the Stars - Kevin Hincker (2023)

A Debt to the Stars is a self-published novel that is competently written. However, I believe it could've greatly benefitted from someone reining in the author's excesses and reminding them to focus on their strengths. As for its genre, it's a science fiction comedy thriller. There's aliens, fantastical technology, mysterious happenings, a foulmouthed comedic relief companion, villainous caricatures, blockchain explanations, financial dealings, lip service romance, and much that may be allegorical and/or ideological. Several have compared it to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which is a decent comparison. That's not all it is though, and its lack of focus may have been to its detriment. Aside from the occasional infodumps about cryptocurrency, blockchain, financial dealings and similar, which were mildly reminiscent of the sort in Snow Crash, though not nearly done as well, this is mostly an action adventure thriller. As for the characters, well, they exist. The comedic companion carries a heavy load in that regard. The protagonist is mostly to drive the narrative forward.

The book also has some social science fiction aspects, mostly resulting from which the aliens provided to humanity. Augmentation and the obelisks alleviate the need for much, as humans no longer become senescent, gain regenerative capabilities, and have all their basic needs provided for. From a human perspective, it's a very robust welfare state, or even Luxury Communism. This is depicted as having been disastrous for humanity, which perhaps it could be, but I find the specifics presented here to be implausible. It reminded me in some ways of Brave New World or Childhood's End. Unfortunately, this is mostly reduced to that those born before Augmentation become obsessives and those afterwards are fearless, ignorant, and unproductive unless raised properly from birth. The antagonists are the capitalists, both of the human and alien variety. The human antagonist organization is very much a caricature, or satire, of market fundamentalist beliefs. Their goal is world domination to restore the capitalist regime and bring scarcity back to the world. The alien capitalists are more predatory, financially speaking.

This is the first book in an intended series. It's not my sort of comedy, the social aspects were disagreeable and implausible within their context, the economics were often nonsensical, and the ending was unacceptable in its plot convenience. Those who can ignore the details will probably enjoy this more than me. I can easily imagine a version of this book that I would've enjoyed much more. I hope the author heeds what seems to be the consensus opinion about what works and doesn't. The second may be far more pleasing to a wider audience by doing so.

I received this book from the author through NetGalley.

Rating: 2.5/5

>>21941208
The Sword Defiant, Lands of the Firstborn #1 - Gareth Hanrahan (2023)

The Sword Defiant is, as the author says, a deconstruction of traditional fantasy. What that means for this book is that it does away with romanticized ideals and keeps most everything else. At various times throughout the book it's explicitly stated that this isn't how the story is supposed to go. How you feel about that may be the most important determinant for your enjoyment. To be clear, this isn't parody or satire, though it does have comedic moments. It's a serious and sincere attempt at providing a traditional fantasy story minus the feel-good assurances. By traditional fantasy I mean there are humans, elves, dwarves, and a host of fantastical creatures. There's an adventuring party, a dark lord, a talking sword, healing potions, magic, and a farm boy who has become a hero. It even starts in a tavern. Much of what can be expected from traditional fantasy is here, though its presentation differs.

Fifteen years ago a band of nine adventurers defeated the Dark Lord and took control of Necrad, the city that was his base of operations. That's where most stories would end, even though their lives and the world continue on. Alf is a human swordsman on the wrong side of forty-five and hasn't quite known what to do with himself ever since their victory. He's the keeper of Spellbreaker, a sentient sword that nullifies magic and was forged by one of the greatest elven smiths then empowered by the Dark Lord. It implores him to slaughter, provides comedic relief, and tells everyone what they don't want to hear. Spellbreaker is my favorite character in the book and one of the best talking weapons I've ever come across. There are also dream visions, which Alf dislikes, that have him seek out the one who gives him a prophecy, which he distrusts, of a rising evil. Thus he sets out on a new adventure to discover and defeat whatever it is that imperils the world, because at least he has a purpose again for his life. The other viewpoint character is his sister, Olva, who doesn't want to be involved, let alone have Derwyn, her son, be involved, in anything other than their life on the farm. Unfortunately for her, events transpire that force her to adventure as well, where she becomes far more involved than she could have ever imagined.

The eight other adventurers aren't faring much better, because this is their lives as they are now, and really always were, because life isn't how it goes in the songs and the stories. It's only in retrospect that can one can see the greater context of their life, and even then much remains unknown for why and how events came to pass. However, the understanding of that context may yet entirely change depending on what has yet to occur. The same can be said of this book's twists and turns that by the end seem to set the course for the trilogy, but I wouldn't be surprised if some later reveal provides an entirely different direction.

Rating: 3/5

>>21926578
Beasts - John Crowley (1976)

This was a peculiar book, which seems to be the norm for Crowley, at least of what I've read anyway. As with his Engine Summer, what I enjoyed most was reading it for how it's written. Reading what others had written about this book was also a strange experience, because many seemed to have a significantly different experience.

About fifty years ago in 1972 major breakthroughs were made in genetic engineering which allowed for creating hybrids of all sorts, including of humans. Ten years prior to the start of the story the second American Civil War had ended and the United States was splintered into ten large autonomies, several smaller ones, and various city-states. The federal government still existed and was trying to claw back its supremacy. Those two concepts are a backdrop rather than the focal points. Most of what this book may be about is presented similarly. Its themes are passively persistent in their presentation so it may be easy for them to remain unnoticed or be misconstrued. They aren't obscured, but it may be a case of being hidden in plain sight.

Although this is a short novel, there are a number of viewpoints and it isn't strictly linear. The chapters overlap to greater purpose, though what that may be, may not be immediately evident. There's the ethologist who doesn't care much for people, but loves animals and wants more than anything to repopulate various species. Another is a teenage girl in indentured servitude, who doesn't care much for people, and is sold to a lion-human hybrid, a leo, and yes, they have sex. He's the greatest among his people. Unfortunately for him, it has been has declared that all hybrid humans were a mistake and must be eradicated. The other hybrid is a fox-human who excels at intrigue and manipulation because he enjoys doing so. There are also two bourgeoise children who must adapt to their changing status. One chapter is from the perspective of a genetically modified dog, mostly to complete the spectrum of emphatic experience.

One of the communities depicted has 100,000 people and are isolationist, conservationist, vegan, smug, and assured of their self-righteousness. They believe themselves to be attuned with nature, though they don't shun technology. One member of the community chooses to embrace what he sees as natural even further. This may seem like the idea of the noble savage, and that character certainly seems to think that, but he's misunderstanding and a reader would who takes him at his word would be as well. The leos are neither noble, nor savage, they're just an unwanted and persecuted people trying to survive.

The ending was consistent with what came prior. If it seemed abrupt and/or inconclusive, you may want to consider again what the fox-human had said, especially what he believed it meant to be a fox. I'm being generous with this rating relative to how I believe it would be for many others.

Rating: 3.5/5

>>21917688
Infinity Gate, Pandominion #1 - M.R. Carey (2023)

Infinity Gate sets up for the books that will come afterwards. It's not a self-contained story at all. The story opens with an unknown narrator who announces that the events of this story have already happened and now they're presenting it to the reader. The book ends with the team, who are introduced in the opening, having all came together to do whatever they will.

Those who go into this book blind may have a different reading experience than those who have looked a synopsis or other material provided by the publisher. The story and characters didn't go where they initially seemed they would be going, at least they didn't for me. I was initially disappointed because I only saw what the premise was, infinite variations of Earth have become available, and that's true, but also misleading in that it's mostly background rather than the focus. I wanted to this to be about a civilization that begins exploring alternate Earths and interacting with them in various ways. Instead the series will probably be about The Pandominion, a federation of a million Earths, versus The Machine Hegemony, who have at least a similar number of Earths.

The three primary POVs almost exclusively proceed in linear fashion rather than alternating between them, with the third being more than half the book. The first is a middle aged Nigerian woman who builds the gateway to other Earths. This part tries to explain how it could theoretically occur, and it seemed reasonable enough, but only because I wouldn't know. The second is a young Nigerian man who in his attempts to escape destitution ends up with a life beyond his imagining. I thought the drama of his life in Lagos was more interesting than the military SF it becomes. The third is a teenage lagomorph girl, who is decidedly more of the anthro variety rather than the sort that have a few animal features. Many different sorts of humanoids are presented as characters, though almost all are mammals.

The central theme is about empathy. The organics refuse to believe that the synthetics can be sentient while the synthetics refuse to believe that organics can be anything more than instinct. Neither believes the other has an inner life. The Pandominion also excludes all non-Pandominion Earths from being real and thus anything can be done to them. Sometimes the allegories became a bit heavy-handed for my preference, though I think my tolerance for extremely inclusive AI rights has waned. I also didn't think the ones about colonial superpowers were handled that well.

Maybe it will be different in the next book(s) but I would've liked to have more of an exploration of how the many societies differ, even when accounting for the homogenizing force of interglobalization, than about a war between individualist and collectivist civilizations with the viewpoint party doing their own independent stuff. Even so, I'll read the next book.

Rating: 3.5/5

>>21897802
The Captain, The Last Horizon #1 - Will Wight (2023)

I dropped this at 15% and skimmed the rest. Usually I don't write about what I drop, though exceptions are made now and again. Based on my previous reading of Wight's works and how I felt about them I knew that it was unlikely that I would enjoy reading this. It's definitely a situation of where it's me, not you. If this had been released in my early teen years it's likely that I would've ignored its myriad problems and have been enraptured by its kaleidoscopic and frenetic action.

Unfortunately, it wasn't possible for me to feel engaged in the slightest with this space fantasy pop-culture slurry that doesn't seem to ever cohere into something more than a jumbled assortment of tropes. If you can allow yourself to be wow'ed by the over-the-top antics and need nothing more than that, then you may well greatly enjoy reading this. There isn't meaningful characterization, plot, ideas, progression, worldbuilding, or much of anything else, and for some that is likely irrelevant. Everything happens because it was written to happen and that's all that matters.

Almost immediately after the story begins the protagonist has become one of the most powerful beings in the universe, which is not uncommon for superhero comics or isekai light novels. I feel this sort of presentation usually precludes any sort of narrative tension and deeper involvement, for me personally anyway. One way to sidestep that is for the overpowered protagonist to be relegated to the periphery and an essemble of side characters become the majority of the narrative. One Punch Man is the only work that I've seen do that well though. Varic is an embarrassment to the similarly named Varric of Dragon Age.

I won't be reading more from this series and it's rather doubtful that I will read anything else from Wight other than the final Cradle book. His self-publishe works have a substantial audience, though for the most part that doesn't include me. I didn't like this at all, but I'm not recommending against reading it. If it seems like something you'd like it, then it may well be. You'll have to try for yourself. If you don't think you would, then you almost certainly won't.