It's Harry Potter meets Hitchhiker's Guide with a murder mystery fuse - and set in Cincinnati. Although the publication is riddled with typos, the story's humor and pacing kept me reading. As a Cincinnati native, this was a really fun read.
I liken this much closer to fantasy with science fiction elements. And I mean that in the best way possible. If you read and liked Borne by Jeff Vandermeer, you probably enjoy this one too.
... Also, read Borne. It's awesome.
Meh. There are some valuable philosophical points in here for sure. But the delivery feels haphazard and disjointed. Doesn't do a very good job of wrapping the themes together into a cogent set of ideas. Feels more like a set of shower thoughts with further exploration. ... That's said, it was a quick and funny and meaningful read. Need more depth though.
A mindf@#k joyride through an unexpected metaphysical thrillscape. Part Hitchiker's Guide; part horror novel; part classic hero's journey; with a bit of Narnia and old world fairy tale mixed in. This story is a collage of settings and characters that weave together into something that is at times simultaneously terrifying and hilarious. Loved it!
If you've ever struggled with the idea of meaning and purpose in your own existence, this story might be for you. The setting and characters are somehow very foreign, and immediately relatable. Best of all, this story pulsates with depth and heart. I will absolutely be reading much more Becky Chambers.
Meh. Like most self help books, this is a compendium of other people's ideas, and James Clear gives credit where credit is due. Over all, this was just "consistency over perfection" with some statistical evidence cited. Not a mind blowing concept. I was hoping to read more about techniques and paths to success. Instead the text focuses mostly on why the concept works rather than how to really succeed with it.
The writing is so-so, but the story itself is a blast. I'd recommend it to anyone that grew up in the 80s and early 90s.
Definitely a fun read. If you're into cyberpunk and neo noir sci fi, this is probably up your alley. I've heard rumors that this was a key source of inspiration for both The Matrix and Johnny Mnemonic, and the correlation is obvious from the first chapter. It's a little hard to follow in places, but the fog feels intentional and it leaves a lot of room for the reader to fill in the gaps and make the world more personally immersive. It's certainly not a mind blowing experience but it scratches the techno futurist itch really nicely.
Not a bad story. But I found myself just blasting through it because it was easy to read, rather than really engaging. After reading Recursion and Dark Matter I was hoping for a lot more, but this one fell flat for me.
I mean... meh?
Not a bad read. Definitely good ideas and such. Felt like its greatest selling point was that it was easy to read.
It's an ok read, but not great. I definitely won't be reading it again for any reason. Extremely disturbing in parts. And the pay off wasn't super satisfying in the end. Felt like Banks just woke up one morning and said, “F*** it, I'm tired of writing this one.” Then slapped the last few hundred words on and shipped it. I suppose this might be one of those deeply symbolic reads. Maybe it was all over my head.
This was an interesting run through the beginnings on contemporary sci-fi. Not to mention the experience of being a spectator to Asimov's thought experiment on the evolution of society and powers of state - especially considering he was 21 years old when he wrote it. My only real criticism is for the writing style. It might have been better used as a narrative for a screenplay considering it was mostly dialogue, and the text in between conversational bits simply set the scene rather than providing any real context for the plot.
Overall, it was a good read. I can certainly see why it pops up on sci-fi reading lists as a sort of “godfather” text.
A total fever dream. Equal parts Stranger Things, The OA, and Requiem for a Dream, adapted to novelization. But unlike any of those things at all. Not for the squeamish.
Definitely a good read. But it felt guilty of a lot of the pretentiousness it tried to occasionally put down. Equal parts creepy, horrifying, and funny, but a little too existential for my tastes. A cosmic, body horror that felt a little like a therapy session.
Really enjoyable middle-grade redemption arc story. Like Regarding Henry (movie) meets The Breakfast Club (movie) but in multi-perspective novel format.