Review: All Systems Red, Martha Wells, 2017

All Systems Red by Martha Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

All Systems Red, Martha Wells, 2017

The first novella in the science fiction Murderbot series and written in the first tense from the perspective of a security android named "Murderbot." It is the winner of the 2018 Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novella.

The story itself is simple and tidy. A group of scientists plus Murderbot is on one side of an alien planet, and on the other side, a set of different scientists. Something goes wrong for the second group, and it is up to the first to figure out what happened before the same thing happens to them, too. 

It's not all robot fights and space murder. We get a story of a partly-organic, mostly-robotic security guard's (SecUnit) self-discovery journey. Sulky, cynically sarcastic, yet comically witty dry humor are some words that can describe the writing.

I would probably read the next installment in the series.

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Review: Holding by Graham Norton, 2016

Holding by Graham Norton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Holding by Graham Norton, 2016

A bumbling heavy-set investigator is assigned to solve a crime when a body turns up at a farm in the idyllic Irish village Duneen. Sergeant PJ Collins contends with Brid and Evelyn, former lovers of victim Tommy Burke, digging up long-buried secrets of the past.

A brisk read with a quick pace, the novel won't demand too much attention and focus and is well suited for an audiobook format. The audiobook is narrated brilliantly by Graham Norton himself, and the darkly comic whit in which the book is written screams "Graham Norton" if nothing else. Provincial but charming, Graham Norton's debut novel was fun.

Filming of the TV series adaptation began late 2021, directed by Kathy Burke.

I rate it 3 of 5 stars.

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Review: "Milkman" written by Anna Burns, 2018

Milkman by Anna Burns
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

All the lengthiness of Jane Austen, but without any persuasion (or Mr. Darcy)...

"Milkman" written by Anna Burns, 2018

Controversial winner of 2018's Booker Prize, Anna Burn's Milkman is lengthy, tedious, and almost impenetrable. Most characters remain nameless to help build a sense of anonymity that the theme centers around--  the narrator's desire to stay uninteresting because being interesting is dangerous in the town and times the novel takes place (Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1970s)

The story is narrated from the first-person perspective of Middle-Sister. Middle-Sister is Milkman's main character and is eighteen (18) years old. Middle-Sister's troubles begin when a paramilitary figure called the Milkman (he's not really a milkman) starts offering her rides home. She says no, but he begins trailing her, insinuating himself, making oblique threats. As things escalate, she is followed, spied upon (by Milkman and neighbors alike), photographed, misconstrued, and cornered. 

Middle-sister's perspective makes the Milkman's "encroachment" seem terrifying, implacable, but frustratingly foggy. Yet I'm not convinced what the author would have me believe, as I suspect most of what happens is "all in her head." Or at the very least, through her "mental distortion filters." She needs to get a life.

Most readers either love it or hate it, and I fall mainly on the "hate it" camp and will file this book under #HateRead (as opposed to #DidNotFinish). I liked enough things that I was able to endure the musings and tangential locutions. And yes, I was rooting for Tablets-Girl to successfully poison her and Maybe-Boyfriend so the story would end sooner.

I rate this book 1 out of 5 stars.  

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CH FIRST NAME LAST NAME DESCRIPTION 1 Somebody McSomebody Middle Sister's stalker.   First Brother-in-Law Eldest Sister's husband. Started rumor of Middle Sister & Milkman's relationship.   Milkman   A high ranking paramilitary. 41-year-old married man who harassed Middle Sister.   Eldest Sister Middle Sister's sister. First Brother-in-Law's wife.   Barbra Streisland An American singer-songwriter.   Freddie Mercury Lead vocalist of The Queen Band.   Sigourney Weaver An American actress. 2 Third Brother-in-Law Third Sister's husband. A sporty guy and Middle Sister's childhood friend.   Third Sister Middle Sister's sister. Third Brother-in-Law's wife.   Maybe Boyfriend Middle Sister's secret boyfriend. A car mechanic.   Marilyn Monroe An American actress.   Chef   Maybe-Boyfriend's longest friend.   Maybe-BF's Neighbor Maybe-Boyfriend's troublesome neighbor.   Wee Sister Middle Sister's youngest sister.   The Eldest Maybe-Boyfriend's eldest brother.   Second Youngest Maybe-Boyfriend's second youngest brother.   Oldest Brother Middle Sister's oldest brother.   The Neighbors Middle Sister's gossip neighbor.   Jason   One of Ma's pious friend. The guardian of the banned names.   Da   Middle Sister's father. Deceased.   Lassie   Middle Sister's dog.   Second Sister Middle Sister's sister.   Ivor   A guy from "over-the-road". Maybe-Boyfriend's co-worker.   First Sister's ex   First Sister's murdered ex-boyfriend.   Oliver Cromwell An English political leader in England.   Elizabeth I   The Queen of England and Ireland.   Virginia Mayo An American actress.   Kim Novak An American film actress.   Second Oldest Male Somebody McSomebody's brother - died crossing the road.   Beyond-the- Pale Ma's close friend. Man who didn't love Somebody. Aka: The Real Milkman.   Nuclear Boy Somebody McSomebody's brother.   Nuclear Boy's ma. Somebody McSomebody's mother.   Tablets-Girl   A local poisoner.   Wee Tot Somebody McSomebody's youngest sibling.   First Housewife Middle Sister's colleague in sub-branch women.   Millicent Fawcett A British writer.   Emily Davison A suffragette who fought for vote for women in Britain.   Ida Bell Wells An American journalist.   Florence Nightingale The founder of modern nursing.   Eleanor Roosevelt Former first lady of the U.S. A diplomat and activist.   Harriet Tubman An American abolitionist.   Marianna Pineda A Spanish liberalist heroine.   Marie Curie The girl who discovered Radium.   Lucy Stone A prominent U.S. orator.   Dolly Parton An American singer.   Mata Hari A Dutch exotic dancer.   Nigel   The guardian of the banned names. 4 Longest Friend Middle Sister's longest friend.   Teresa of Avila A Roman Catholic Saint.   Sister Mary Pius The Big Nun.   Francis Bacon A former Lord Chancellor of England.   William Shakespeare An English poet.   Guy Fawkes A member of the group of provincial catholic english.   The Groom Longest Friend's husband. 5 Peggy   Real Milkman's ex-lover.   Tablets-Girl's Sister Sister of Tablets-Girl. Ex-boy Lover's ex-girlfriend.   Brother   Tablets-Girl sister's twin brother.   Ex-Boy Lover Ex-Boyfriend of Tablets-Girl's sister.   Second Brother Middle Sister's brother who joined the renouncers. Deceased.   Fourth Brother Middle Sister's fourth brother.   First Brother Middle Sister's eldest brother.   Third Brother Middle Sister's brother who in love with Tablets-Girl's sister. 7 Mr. Postman A librarian.

Review: "Nobody's Magic", by Destiny O. Birdsong, 2022

Nobody's Magic by Destiny O. Birdsong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nobody owns you. Not even yourself sometimes.

"Nobody's Magic" by Destiny O. Birdsong, 2022

The book is a triptych of novellas loosely bound together by what the three women protagonists have in common and their different ways of approaching grief, joy, and violence. Each story centers around each woman— Suzette, Maple, and Agnes, all black women who have albinism and come from their own particular walks of life.

Suzette is a sheltered 20-year-old just trying to find her own way in life, despite her "older" parents' disapprobation. Maple is trying to make sense of her mother's unsolved murder. Agnes, highly educated and seemingly upwardly mobile, struggles and barely "make ends meet."

A common thread in each of the three women's stories is relationships with men. The circumstances of and how each is handled diverge differently and are probably beholden by their experience from family and childhood upbringing.

While I find the stories interesting, I can't say it was totally relatable to me— black womanhood, albinism, and the Deep South are as far from me as any life experience goes. I appreciated Suzette's story and found myself rooting for her in her strive for independence. I also learned a few things about albinism as it relates to optometry, which I think is cool. Maple's story was my least favorite, and I found myself speeding through to complete. At this point, I was considering abandoning the book because I did not want to start another story. I stuck it through and discovered Agnes's story, which I found very interesting and probably enjoyed the most. Agnes's approach to men as a way of her independence and coupled with her sibling rivalry was very interesting. I was glued to the explosive ending. The sheer ridiculousness of the situation she finds herself in, by her own making, wouldn't be so if not for her intelligence and education in the backdrop of her familial relationships.

None of the stories had definitive endings or deep connective tissues. Perhaps that was purposeful as it leaves the narratives open with enough story for us to imagine what may happen next for each of the women.

I rate this book 2.5 out of 5 stars.

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Review: "The Membranes" by Chi Ta-Wei, 1995

The Membranes by Chi Ta-wei
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's queerer than you might think— and that's good.

Written in 1995 and set in the 2100s, The Membranes takes place at the bottom of the ocean, where humanity retreated because of climate change, depleted ozone, and environmental collapse. The main protagonist is Momo, who is a famous dermal skin technician. The story opens into Momo's life just before she turns 30 and then slowly moves backward through her memories as a journey of self-discovery.

This slim, intelligent novella reads quickly and easily, yet there's a surprising density of information. As short as it is, the author manages to masterfully build this futuristic world envisioning global formations that are militarized and corporate. There isn't much of a plot so much as there are twists and reveals akin to The Matrix and Inception with a gender-bending queer flare.

It's tough to talk about this book without getting into spoiler territory. But I can say that I was surprised several times with how my understanding of what is happening is up-ended-- nothing is what it seems.

The Membranes is an exceptionally well-conceived science-fiction story. It's deceptively simple-looking on the surface, but it is truly an impressive piece of work and a must-read for anyone LGBTQIA+.

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

#LGBTQIA #GenderPerformativity #GenderIdentity #IdentityFabrication #Feminism #Transhumanism #NeoColonialism #SelfHood #QueerSFF #ScienceFiction

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Review: Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir, 2021

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Definitely not as good as The Martian but not as bad as Artemis.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, 2021

Project Hail Mary is set in our near future about a high school teacher, Ryland Grace, turned interstellar traveler. He wakes up from space-hibernation and slowly recalls the events that led him to where he is and what he is supposed to be doing. It's partly a first contact story and partly space adventure. A lot of real science is peppered throughout the novel. Told with humor, the science explanations snuck in between aren't jarring to the dialogue, and delivery remains entertaining.

The story started out very strong for me. There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments in the first few chapters, but less so as the book wore on. The jokes were still there, but it was just kind of repetitive. I also think the story could've been shorter. I feel the problems the main character faced were pretty repetitive in type, just dressed a little differently each time. I found myself towards the end, looking forward to completing the audiobook faster. It just got a little bit too tedious for me.

If you are new to Andy Weir, I suggest starting with The Martian. It's by far a stronger narrative. If you are not a stranger to Andy Weir, then skip Artemis and go straight to Project Hail Mary.

I rate this 3.5 out of 5 stars.

#Taumeba #Taumoeba #AstroPhage #RockyandAdrian

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Review: "Work Like Any Other" by Virginia Reeves, 2016

Work Like Any Other by Virginia Reeves
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Watch out! It packs a one-two punch at the end.

"Work Like Any Other" by Virginia Reeves, 2016

The story takes place in the 1920s about when electricity is just spreading throughout the country. The main character is Roscoe, who we see an electrician by trade, turn farmer, then convict.   Roscoe gave up his job with the power company in the city to live with his wife and son on the family farm she inherited from her father. The farm is failing, unproductive, and in disrepair but could be saved if electricity was brought onto the land. Roscoe decides to skim/steal power and wire it to his land. A utility worker from the power company is electrocuted by Roscoe's handiwork. The resulting death of the worker sent Roscoe to prison for 20 years.

Ultimately the story is about guilt and resentment tearing a family apart and the resilience of the human spirit. With the narrative taking place in the Deep South during the 1920s, the story wouldn't be complete if it was not repletely painted with racism and the violence that comes with it.

Here we find shattered dreams, moral failure, empathy, and compassion tied to a well-grounded story, with dialogue that seems reminiscent of the time and place.

"Work Like Any Other" is Virginia Reeves 2016 debut novel and Booker Prize Nominee for Longlist (2016).

I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

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