What fun I had listening to Kaliane Bradley’s genre defying story, “The Ministry of Time”. It’s part science fiction, speculative fiction, rom/com, spWhat fun I had listening to Kaliane Bradley’s genre defying story, “The Ministry of Time”. It’s part science fiction, speculative fiction, rom/com, spy thriller, and drama. Time travel, when done right, is intriguing. Bradley’s idea: take unsuspecting historical figures, bring them to current day London to assimilate to modern day. What could go wrong?
The Ministry of Time is a government department, highly secret, that found a way to “gather” (read extract) different historical figures. One such figure is Commander Graham Gore who was an officer on the 1845 Artic expedition led by Sir John Franklin (a real expedition and real historical characters). Others extracted: an army captain from Somme; a plague victim from the 1600s; a soldier from the 1600’s; and a widow from revolutionary France. These historical figures are called “expats” and the Ministry has placed them with “bridges” or liaisons. The bridges are to help the expats adjust to modern times. Author Bradley has some fun with this.
Bradley focuses on Commander Gore and his bridge, our unnamed narrator. The bridge was told she’d be working with refugees of high-interest status. She didn’t realize she’d be working with refugees of time. She was also told that they, the expats, think of themselves as kidnap victims.
Gore died in 1845 during his expedition to the Arctic. He was a military man. Now he must adjust and live with an unmarried woman! Gasp! All the expats are encouraged to socialize with each other for support. Each expat has interesting journeys. Each came from a different time, living in a drastically different culture. Now, they must adapt to more than a change in culture, they need to be updated to the political changes in the world. So, the story begins with quirky “fish out of water” characters trying to make sense of this new reality.
Beyond learning about modern plumbing, Gore learns how to ride a bike. He is flabbergasted at women’s independence. It comes close to mad cap comedy when the different expats explore the new world.
But the reason to read this is Bradley’s keen wit. At one time, the narrator thinks “She looked unwell, but who knows what her plastic surgeon thought she should look like” when talking to her boss. In a different scene, Gore quips “I think this era ascribes too much importance to what people consider themselves in private…ridiculous to make an identity out of habits” when he learns of the sexual revolution (gay, straight, lesbian etc.). When introduced to her boss, the narrator thinks “she had an eye patch and blond hair the same color and texture as hay.” Furthermore, Bradley writes “the Vice Secretary of God knows what, tucked a blond strand behind her ear with an audible crunch. When thinking of her Buddhist mother’s influence on her career: “Regrettably she also drilled the karmic repercussions of gossip and lying into me — the fourth Buddhist precept is unambiguous on this—and thus at the age of eight my political career was over before it began. —and thus at the age of eight my political career was over before it began.” Bradley has beautiful prose as well as clever quips. A couple of examples: ** Language informed experience .. we did not simply describe but create our world ** Forgiveness and hope are the time travelers: they let you change your life
** Past and trauma determine your future
This becomes a spy thriller when it appears someone is messing with the expats. It’s very clever.
Now to the romance. It was a bit too steamy and spicey for me, but it wasn’t distracting. Was it necessary? It added to the differences in sexual norms and morality of the different time periods. But I believe it was Bradley having some fun.
The BBC has commissioned the book for a six-part drama series, which is produced by A24 for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The series will be distributed internationally by A24.
The audio is narrated by Katie Leung and George Weightman. Both did a fine job. It’s 10 hours and 22 minutes long.
I read Sierra Greer’s disturbing “Annie Bot”, a futuristic story about a frightening use of Artificial Intelligence. The main character, Annie, is basI read Sierra Greer’s disturbing “Annie Bot”, a futuristic story about a frightening use of Artificial Intelligence. The main character, Annie, is basically an AI generated sex toy in human form . Greer takes the idea of using AI to create a machine that does what you need. In Greer’s world, there are robots that one can purchase for a price ($220K). There are Stellas (females) that can come in three forms: Abigail is the housewife/cleaning mode. There is a Nanny mode which is self-explanatory. And then there is Cuddle Bunny mode which also is self-explanatory. One can purchase a male version called “Handy”. I’m assuming Greer thought women would only want a handy man…so sex bunny mode was discussed for the “Handys”.
These AI robots are autodidactic, meaning they learn as they go. Annie, our protagonist, started as an “Abigail” for her owner, Doug. Once his apartment was tidy, Doug wanted a more “Cuddle Bunny”. As Annie met Doug’s sexual needs, the state of the apartment fell into disarray. Doug soon learned that he could not change modes from Cuddle Bunny to an Abigail because it would mess with her circuitry. Also, Doug can determine Annie’s sexual desire, telling her to boost her desire to a level he wanted. It’s very creepy. What Greer does with Doug, is show how an entitled power-hungry control freak, can and will abuse AI. In fact, Greer writes Doug convincingly as a man possessed with the love of control and power. Although Annie is a robot and not human, given her autodidactic abilities, the reader assigns humanity to her form. It is difficult to read what Doug does to Annie to control her, punish her, to teach her what he wants. Annie is a robot, but the emotional abuse and cruelty is difficult to read. Annie is an innocent. She has wonderment. She is eager to please and is earnest in all her efforts.
Greer essentially shows how AI can be abused. Doug is “teaching” Annie what he wants. But in those teachings, should they be taught? Is this behavior something that we, as a society, want uploaded to the cloud? Is this enhancing society or creating exploitation?
Greer also uses Annie for the reader to take a hard look at what it means to be human. While Annie is learning to be Doug’s girlfriend, she studies his friends and their interaction with each other. Greer’s take on humanity, through Annie’s POV, Annie muses:
“It occurs to her, eventually, that Doug and all the other humans talk about their lives with a myopic intensity, sharing singular, subjective opinions as if they are each the protagonist of their own novel. They take turns listening to each other without ever yielding their own certainty of their star status, and they treat their fellow humans as guest protagonists visiting from their own respective books. None of the humans are satellites the way she is, in her orbit around Doug.”
This is a cautionary tale of the potential of AI and how it can go very wrong....more
Oh my! “The Test” is a frightening vision of a test that immigrants must pass to gain citizenship in England. At the start, author Sylvain Neuvel showOh my! “The Test” is a frightening vision of a test that immigrants must pass to gain citizenship in England. At the start, author Sylvain Neuvel shows how ridiculous citizenship tests are. For example, how old was Mary Queen of Scots when she died? How can this knowledge prove that this person will be a good citizen? How can memorizing silly historical facts prove a person’s ability to be a good citizen?
Idir Jalil is an Iranian dentist living in London with his wife and two children. Only one person in the family needs to take the British Values Assessment test which will allow the whole family citizenship. If he fails, the whole family will be deported. There is pressure.
Idir narrates, informing the reader of the 25 questions and his personal opinions of the silliness of the questions. It’s all humor until a terrorist storms the office and holds all the occupants, including Idir’s family, at gunpoint. This becomes incredibly disturbing when Idir is forced to choose two hostages who will die. If he doesn’t choose, the terrorist will kill his wife. This is a nightmare situation that no one wants to be a part of.
This is a thought-provoking look at what it takes to be a good citizen, a good human. Is one person’s life more valuable than another? How do you choose who is worthy enough to live? More importantly, what kind of dystopian society makes these tests?
I listened to the audible recording, narrated by Neil Shah. Shah is excellent in voicing Idir. I did many rewinds to understand the goal of the test.
I highly recommend the audible audio. It left me stunned.
“My Murder” by Katie Williams is a cautionary tale of futuristic medical advancements. The premise revolves around the cloning of five women3.5 Stars:
“My Murder” by Katie Williams is a cautionary tale of futuristic medical advancements. The premise revolves around the cloning of five women who were victims of a serial killer. A vocally strong feminist group (similar to the “Me Too” movement) influenced a government agency, the replication commission, to clone these women who were savagely taken providing them with a second chance at life.
Louise was the final victim of Edward Early. She was a young mother with a nine-month-old baby, and she is the novel’s narrator. She refers to her earlier self in the third person. We are privy to her internal dialogue, and we learn she feels like she’s an interloper in her own life. Her memories, feelings, and original personality remain, other than the few days prior to her murder and the murder itself. Louise is uneasy as a clone. She struggles with motherhood and her baby doesn’t seem to like her. Her memories are of her struggles in her marriage and motherhood. She finds a packed duffle bag in her closet that Original Louise (her) packed because she was considering running away from her marriage and life. Now she wants to understand the few days prior to her murder; did she intend to leave her marriage and child?
Cloning isn’t the only futuristic part of the story. There are driverless cars and virtual-reality games to go into alternative universes. Louise’s employment involves her avatar (ensconced in her work skin) providing therapeutic hugs in a virtual space called the Room. Edward Early, the convicted serial killer, is given empathy-enhancing drugs as a form of torture. A virtual reality game was created in which video game players can experience the murders from the perspective of Early, or the perspective of one of his victims. The worse game of all, someone made a game of the six murders. The point of the game is to instill fear in women.
Louise(Lou) is a member of the serial killer survivors’ group, the six cloned women of Early’s rampage. The reader learns of the other victims, their struggles and choices. The women confront their personal issues of returning to their former lives. They confront depression and ambivalence. Louise confronts her complicated feelings around motherhood, marriage, and the domestic life. Of course, they discuss the game involving their murders.
This is a sci-fi, speculative fiction, and domestic fiction book all in one! Through Lou’s internal contemplations we are treated to a brooding mystery that is complicated by our culture’s appetite for technology. It’s an interesting read!
I listened to the audio, narrated by Rebecca Lowman. Her voice added to the noir-feel of the story. This is a thoughtful cautionary tale. ...more
Thank you, GR friend Anissa, for alerting me to John Scalzi’s short story “Slow Time Between the Stars”. If you are a Scalzi fan, this is a must! It hThank you, GR friend Anissa, for alerting me to John Scalzi’s short story “Slow Time Between the Stars”. If you are a Scalzi fan, this is a must! It has some “Project Hail Mary” vibes with last ditch efforts to help humanity.
I listened to the audio, narrated eerily well by Kay Eluvian. ...more
“Ark” is a short story in the Audible Forward collection, written by Veronica Roth. It’s a story of a woman scientist who is cataloging plant samples “Ark” is a short story in the Audible Forward collection, written by Veronica Roth. It’s a story of a woman scientist who is cataloging plant samples from earth. The reason? In two weeks, a massive asteroid, the size of the United States, is pummeling towards earth, expecting to destroy our planet. Most of the population of Earth has been evacuated. She wants to stay behind and watch the world end.
This is a bit over an hour listen, narrated by Evan Rachel Wood. It’s interesting, worthy of a listen, and it’s free to audible folk. Would I pay for this? No. Is it worthy of one hour of your life? Can’t promise it is, but maybe I was crabby when I listened. For horticulturist, it might be. ...more
Thank you, GR friend Margaret who is a passionate advocate of fantasy! She encourages us all to try the genre. The one I chose, to dip my toe into theThank you, GR friend Margaret who is a passionate advocate of fantasy! She encourages us all to try the genre. The one I chose, to dip my toe into the genre, is the Audible Original, “Impact Winter”. It’s tagged as being in the genres of paranormal, dystopian, post-apocalyptic. Yes, there are vampires…..I never ever thought I’d be interested in a vampire story, other than Anne Rice’s “Interview With a Vampire”. This was a sensational performance with a renown British cast. The sound effects were remarkable. The acting amazing. I found it to be an outstanding listen.
After a comet hits the earth and caused the earth to go dark, survivors find shelter in a castle. They fear leaving the castle, as there are evil vampires who are trying to take over the world. The only way to beat the evil vampires is to find an anointed one, a rare individual who can help in the battle of good versus evil. Only the anointed one can save humanity.
This is a “3D” audio, with full surround sound. I recommend using your ear buds to get the total experience. The surround sound is amazing. The acting is amazing. If I read this, I’m not sure I’d have gotten the enjoyment that I had listening to this short story. It’s just short of 5 hours in listening pleasure.
Thank you Margaret! I am now encouraged to try another fantasy audio, although I’m not sure if it will me a vampire one. I did like the fight of good versus evil. I also enjoyed the audio format. These stories are good ones to listen to. I highly recommend this Audible Original!! ...more
This is the second dystopian novel I’ve read this year that is alarmingly close to reality. Celeste Ng’s “Our Missing Hearts” is a story centered arouThis is the second dystopian novel I’ve read this year that is alarmingly close to reality. Celeste Ng’s “Our Missing Hearts” is a story centered around children who have been separated from their parent for political reasons. In Ng’s world, the government can seize children from parents if alleged “subversive” behavior is exposed to children in the home. Ng also adds a xenophobic element of anti-Asian sentiments, especially regarding China. We all know how real that became during the pandemic.
In Ng’s world, “The Crisis” occurred from a worldwide economic breakdown caused by the Chinese, as opposed to the pandemic. Bird Gardner is a twelve-year-old boy, being raised by his father. His mother disappeared after her poetry was deemed provocative against the State. Bird has a best friend, Sadie, who also was removed from her family. Bird’s father does not permit Bird to even mention his mother. All Bird remembers is that his mother loved cats.
PACT (The Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act) is a code of conduct aimed at protecting America. What happens is censorship. Ng shows the slippery slope of government over-reach. She shows how when racism is allowed unchecked, our lives ultimately end in fear for all.
Earlier this year, 2022, Jessamine Chan wrote “The School for Good Mothers” which had a similar theme of government over-reach. Chan’s novel focused on the mothers, how the mothers coped once their children were taken away. In Ng’s story, the focus is on the children, how confusing the world is to children who have their family stability ripped away in the name of politics.
At the end of the novel, Ng wrote that children have been removed from parents throughout history in the name of politics. We are separating children from their parents at our boarders. Social Services can take children away. Indigenous children across the world were taken away and placed in state-run boarding schools. During war, children are separated from their parents.
While there is good reason in many cases when children need protection, especially from physical violence, we as a society must remain vigilant. Ng’s story also shows the impact of racism and bigotry and the danger in allowing those ideals to settle in politics.
A very clever ending involving performance art provided a powerful statement in nonviolent protests. I love Ng’s prose. She uses her voice/pen to improve humanity.
I listened to the audio narrated by Lucy Liu. She did a fabulous job. ...more
“The Anomaly” by Herve’ Le Tellier, translated by Adriana Hunter, is a international bestseller and the winner of the 2020 Prix Goncourt award. This n“The Anomaly” by Herve’ Le Tellier, translated by Adriana Hunter, is a international bestseller and the winner of the 2020 Prix Goncourt award. This novel defies genre specification. It’s a literary thriller with speculative fiction that encompasses philosophical and metaphysical elements. Or is it a high-concept mystery thriller? While the novel explores reality, fate, and free will, the bones of the novel structures around a mystery of a transatlantic flight that has the US Federal intelligence agencies scrambling to determine what happened.
The Le Tellier begins this complex story by introducing the reader to various characters. I wished I would have taken notes on each character, or at least book-marked each character. We learn that each of these characters are on a turbulent international flight. Something happened on the flight that caused the full onslaught of the United States government which turns into an international event.
The story begins with character development, and then quickly transitions into something akin to a “Twilight Zone” story. In the “Twilight Zone” portion of the story, Le Tellier explores the meaning of life and existence. This is so heady that the Bostrom hypothesis is involved.
I loved this story, but it might be too “theoretical” for some readers. It’s out there. Special shout-out to the translator, Adriana Hunter, because this reads as if it was written in English from the start.
5 glowing stars for a literary speculative fiction whopper of a tale. ...more
“How High We Go In the Dark” is a collection of stories exploring humanity’s response to catastrophic climate change resulting in the unleashing of ca“How High We Go In the Dark” is a collection of stories exploring humanity’s response to catastrophic climate change resulting in the unleashing of cataclysmic contagion devastating human existence. These are dark and fascinating stories in which author Sequoia Nagamatsu creates a future earth that gives the reader pause.
Climate change is a popular subject amongst authors of late. Audible created a short story collection: “Warmer Collection” in which Audible asked today’s most thought-provoking authors to envision a conceivable tomorrow from out-of-control climate change. Nagamatsu added a deadly virus to add to humanity’s problem of the earth’s degradation due to man’s earthly lack of respect.
The first story sets the stage with the Batagaika crater in Russia’s Siberia. I needed to research this crater and found that scientist believe that the sediment layers of the crater could reveal up to 200,000 years of earth history and therefore it is believed that it offers many clues about climate change. It started off as a small gully in the 1960s, and remote sensing observations have found that it’s growing approximately 20-30 meters per year because of ongoing thawing: read climate change. I read to learn, and I have never heard of this crater and all that it implies.
I digress. In the first story, a young female Neanderthal corpse is found at the crater site. How she got there, with Mediterranean shells sprinkled around her is a scientific mystery. The corpse unfortunately possessed an unknown deadly virus. Nagamatsu started writing these stories in 2011, long before the Covid pandemic. His fictional virus is one that causes cells in the body to change form. For example, your brain cells could become a mass of liver cells, or your heart cells could change into a gall bladder. It’s a creepy thought.
From there, his stories are about mankind and the response to the virus and to climate change. Southern Florida disappears below the Atlantic Ocean. Most of NYC is underwater. Japan becomes a floating city.
Because of the virus, commerce changes to support the dead and dying. A euthanasia amusement park is built helping young virus victims end their lives happily. Because the body organs are shape-changing, the scientific community works on creating artificial organs that can be transplanted. Of course, pigs are used as host organs. There is a creepy story which resulted in a pig like Wilber in “Charlotte’s Web”.
Humanity must deal with all the infected corpses. Funerary Skyscrapers are built to house the dead. Some want to be ecological and have chosen to be part of a group urn upon cremation.
For those Scifi fans, he includes chapters of those brave souls who go into space in the attempt to find a hospitable planet for mankind. His novel is ambitious, covering decades and millenniums.
In each story you feel the isolation, the helplessness. Covid was a drop in the ocean compared to Nagamatsu’s virus. He explores many different ways in which survivors deal with the grief…most really disturbing. One story was about robotic pets that speak in the voice of the dead. Would you want a dog robot who had your loved-one’s voice and talked to you? His ideas of how commerce would change and how we would change when faced with devastation is very thought-provoking.
This was a difficult read for me. I was mesmerized and grossed-out (in equal measure) by his creativity. Although it’s a less than 300 page novel, it took me a long time to read. There’s much to contemplate. Plus, it’s a bit of a downer. Yet, I recommend it. This has staying power. This leaves you troubled in the most provocative way. If this doesn’t motivate you to treat our earth better, nothing will.
I really enjoyed “Girl in Ice” by Erica Ferencik. this is the first book I've read by that author, and I doubt it will be my last.
Set in the future, wI really enjoyed “Girl in Ice” by Erica Ferencik. this is the first book I've read by that author, and I doubt it will be my last.
Set in the future, with a bit of science fiction, a young girl found frozen by researchers in the Artic ice, defrosts alive. If you can get past that tidbit of SciFi, you will enjoy this story. This is an atmospheric tale in the freezing tundra with climate change undertones running through the story.
The head researcher, Wyatt finds the girl and contacts a fellow researcher, Val, who is a linguistics specialist of dead Nordic languages. The girl speaks a language that Wyatt does not understand. He wants Val there to help him figure out what happened to her, how she became flash frozen. To add more tension, Val’s twin brother inexplicably died at that expedition months prior. Val also has anxiety and travel phobias.
Once Val overcomes her travel phobia, she develops a close relationship with the girl. But her fears are staggering. Furthermore, Wyatt doesn’t seem to be forthcoming in his research creating strain.
Author Ferencik shines writing this frigid Nordic tale. Her descriptions of the bitter terrain along with the linguistic elements create an interesting story. ...more
Thank you GR friend Tania for her stellar review of “The Prynne Viper”, a freebee from audible and only from audible. It’s a little over a two hour liThank you GR friend Tania for her stellar review of “The Prynne Viper”, a freebee from audible and only from audible. It’s a little over a two hour listen, and it’s one of the better Audible Original Stories, in my opinion.
Naomi Prynne is on trial for her pregnancy. Thirteen jurors will determine whether Naomi can keep her pregnancy, which is referred to as a “viper”, which is an acronym for viable person. This is in the future, and there is a computer program that analyzes everything about the developing embryo and can predict what the embryo will become as a person. This embryo will affect the lives of the thirteen jurors in differing ways. Once they hear how the viper will impact their own lives, they vote not guilty (she can keep the baby) or guilty (she must abort the fetus).
This is at a time in the future where we have a population issue because we have eradicated all those diseases that cull the herd. The government now imposes their own ways of culling the herd.
The story involves the inner musings of the jurors. It’s very creative and sadly foreseeable. This takes place in 2076; author Bianca Marais begs the listener to consider whether humans have free will. Can a computer accurately predict what a person will do in first grade?
Interesting and very clever….definitely worth the 2 hours! ...more
The Warmer Collection, only from audible, is a collection of seven visions of a conceivable tomorrow by some thought-provoking authors. “There’s No PlThe Warmer Collection, only from audible, is a collection of seven visions of a conceivable tomorrow by some thought-provoking authors. “There’s No Place Like Home” is written by Edan Lepucki, who has penned “California”; “People in Hell Want Ice Water”; and “Woman No 17”.
This is the third piece I’ve read/listened to about a future in which the author sees nothing but bleakness and a dystopian outcome. (Most recently “Anthem” by Noah Hawley comes to mind.) This little gem is 1 hour and 16 minutes. It’s genre categories include fantasy. I used to think of these dystopian stories as a bit farcical and a bit fantasy. Yet, it seems to plague the minds of some our more interesting authors. So, are these stories fantasy? Could it be our future? There are authors out there that are trying to wake-up the masses to the fact that if we don’t do something about our environment soon, and really soon, our planet will become uninhabitable for humans.
Saying that, this is NOT a diatribe on our current culture. It’s an idea. Author Lepucki uses a young girls voice to tell her story. Narrator Lauren Ezzo is the perfect sweet voice for this quick story. It’s also a coming-of-age story in that Vic, the protagonist, learns some shocking news about her father; he was not the man she thought he was.
I enjoyed this freebee. I would not have listened to it if it wasn’t free, which is a shame. This is a worthy listen, free or otherwise. Thank you GR friends Elyse and Tania for making me aware of this gem. ...more
Noah Hawley’s “Anthem” defies genres. This is a cautionary tale, a dystopian tale, a thriller of a tale, and a fantasy tale. Hawley created a world baNoah Hawley’s “Anthem” defies genres. This is a cautionary tale, a dystopian tale, a thriller of a tale, and a fantasy tale. Hawley created a world based on some historical facts to add some fright...could this happen? Hawley includes an opioid epidemic, a God King President, and Jeffrey Epstein-like character, climate change problems, the insurrection, political polarization, children committing group suicides, and a woman being confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice. Hawley shows how our country is broken. He wants us to examine our lives, our country, and our future.
There is so much of Hawley’s world that is like our current world, that I felt the bleakness he intended the reader to possess. The first half of the story is a true cautionary tale; if we don’t make some serious changes, future generations will fail. The second half became so over-the-top that it was akin to a Mad Max movie in a dystopian future.
As the story opens, children are killing themselves out of hopelessness of the state of our world. In addition, there is an opioid crisis, disappearing animal species, wildfires and fear. This world isn’t as far off as our current condition. We meet a group of kids in a mental health facility who decide to unite and save the world. This is when Mad Max comes in.
I see why Hawley did the silly Mad Max bit. This book is an indictment on the intended readers(adults): wake up and do something about our world. The humor is needed for the reader to keep reading; otherwise it’s one big ugly pontification. But the thing with Mad Max is that it is entirely possible outcome, and we know it.
“The School for Good Mothers” is a dystopian look at the government’s far reach into child welfare and social services. This story kept me enraged; it“The School for Good Mothers” is a dystopian look at the government’s far reach into child welfare and social services. This story kept me enraged; it’s a cautionary tale in allowing over-zealous government control.
Frida Liu is an exhausted 39-year-old single mother of an 18-month-old daughter at the start of the novel. Her husband left her while she was pregnant; he took up with an independently wealthy 28-year-old Pilates instructor. Frida had a very bad day. After many nights of insomnia and no support, Frida left her young daughter alone in her apartment for two hours when she went to get a coffee and pick up work papers. She lost track of time, expecting to be gone 30 minutes or less. A do-gooder neighbor reports her, correctly, and she becomes a part of a new governmental system where parents who had parenting infractions are sent to a newly minted rehab school for the training of good parents.
Frida was wrong to leave her daughter alone. Author Molly Young examines the penalty befitting of the crime. Frida was one of the worst offenders who are sent to the facility. Some of the other “crimes” evoked anger in me. One mother allowed her child to play alone outside in her gated backyard. One father looked at his phone the second his son fell from a tree. A mother got sent because she allowed her 8-year-old son to walk 4 blocks alone from school. These violations sent parents to a year-long rehab school.
At the school the parents are provided dolls that realistically look like their child. They smell of plastic and require a blue goo to function. The parents are to practice parenting with their dolls. The program is set with unrealistic goals, supervised by women who most likely have never parented a human. One has dogs and thinks parenting animals is comparable to parenting children. Basically, the program is set up for failure. For example, Frida is disciplined for her “hostile grip” of a knife as she was cutting up grapes. When Frida is allowed to facetime her daughter, she must stick to a script, only saying “I love you” once; otherwise it’s excessive mothering and manipulation. In fact, there is no way to successfully accomplish the program.
The injustice of the system brings to light society’s judgements on parenting. I found the story to be terrifying in that I could see how it could happen. Everyone has an opinion, and if this virus has taught us anything, it’s that we have allowed “do-gooders” to be self-appointed sheriffs and tell you how they feel you should be behaving (maskers versus anti-maskers; social distance police versus joyful family reunions….etc).
Yes, we need social services because children are being neglected and abused. But one’s definition of neglect differs. This is a true cautionary tale in humanity.
This novel will stay with me for a very long time. Chan exposes our society’s irrational judgements on parenting....more
3.5 stars: “Dare To Know” is a fun sci-fi thriller that has a narrator who I found similar to “Up in the Air” Ryan Bingham. It is silly and quirky. Th3.5 stars: “Dare To Know” is a fun sci-fi thriller that has a narrator who I found similar to “Up in the Air” Ryan Bingham. It is silly and quirky. This is a goofy story about a businessman who represents the company, Dare To Know. This company has an algorithm that can accurately pinpoint the moment of your death…to the very second.
We get to know the narrator as he reflects upon his life. He’s a science nerd, majoring in Physics and Philosophy. As a boy, he went to physics camp where he and his BFF, Renard, enjoyed many hijinks. Although Renard was not a main character in the narrator’s life, he became a significant character. Renard’s friendship significantly affects the narrator’s perceptions through life.
The story gets very interesting when the narrator has a snowy car wreck. As he’s waiting for the tow truck, he decides to calculate his own death. Oddly, his calculations show that he died twenty-three minutes ago. Shocked, he determines to find his old girlfriend who calculated his death date as well decades ago. In his journey to find her, he reminisces on his relationship with her and other relationships he’s had.
This is a fun premise. Who would want to know the exact time of their death? Certainly, insurance companies would, but the cost is prohibitive. In fact, our narrator finds many ethical issues on demanding payment for information that can be absolutely horrible (think mother finding out her baby will die of cancer in 2 years).
I listened to the audio, performed by Bradford Hastings. I LOVE his voice for this. He has the right amount of sarcasm that makes this a fun listen. I’m not sure if I’d enjoy it as much if I read it. Hastings’s performance definitely made this a romp of a listen....more
GR friend Elyse asked if I had read Lionel Shriver’s new novel, “Should We Stay or Should We Go”. This was after I confessed to Elyse that my husband GR friend Elyse asked if I had read Lionel Shriver’s new novel, “Should We Stay or Should We Go”. This was after I confessed to Elyse that my husband and I promised each other that if one of us suffered from severe dementia, we would find a way to allow that person to off themselves….like an overdose or something. We don’t want our loved ones remembering us as demented and not “ourselves”. Of course, my husband and I are in our 60’s, so it’s a ways off….or so we think.
Author Lionel Shriver explores this idea in her novel. In this novel, the couple are in their 50’s, and the wife, Kay, is dealing with her father’s decline. She sees the indignities that he is suffering and knows that her father would be mortified if he understood what was happening to him. Kay’s husband, Cyril, is a physician working in Britain’s National Health Service. Cyril is a strident socialist. He sees that after the age of 80, all members are a drag on the health care system. These elderly folks are responsible for large charges just to keep their frail bodies alive with poor quality of life. Cyril believes it’s his duty as a respectable socialist to not cost an unfair amount for the collective good of society. So, Cyril proposes that when Kay turns 80 (she’s younger than Cyril), they will take some sleeping pills and go peacefully.
It is here that Shriver has some fun. This reminded me of Paul Auster’s “4 3 2 1”. Shriver provides different scenarios of what could possibly happened to Kay and Cyril when that birthday occurs. Shriver includes real historical events in each scenario, like Auster. When Kay turns 80, it’s right after the Brexit vote and right when the COVID 19 pandemic occurs. Cyril has strong political opinions and is not a fan of Boris Johnson. Oh, and their three children, a daughter and two sons come in to play in each scenario. Hence, the “end date” occurs right when the pandemic begins, and quarantine begins.
What’s funny is how Kay and Cyril remain (or not) committed to the idea. In one instance, Cyril is frustrated with Kay because he’s living life with abandon…. he’s eating that extra piece of pie…he’s spending that money. Meanwhile, Kay maintains her self-control. “But you know how people worry about having a car accident in dirty knickers? I don’t want to be found on my death bed FAT.” Too funny. Shriver even gets in a plug in for her novel “The Mandibles” in a fun way.
The different scenarios are interesting and thought provoking. What I did enjoy was the character’s hesitancy when the time came. I realize that wanting to leave this life is easier than actually doing it. Shriver is honest with the characters changes of heart and commitment. In some plot lines, both Kay and Cyril were healthy and thriving at 80; who wouldn’t have second thoughts? In once situation, they chose cryonics and awake far into the future with strange ramifications.
There are twelve parallel universes in which twelve inventive futures play out. I enjoyed Shriver’s ideas of compromises, challenges, and quality of life. No one wants to endure a life ending in which you become a menace to your family or an unrecognizable version of yourself. Yet, committing to and executing an ending….well, that takes remarkable courage....more
3.5 stars: “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro is an interesting story told by Klara, who is basically a robot. Ishiguro provides his writing the fr3.5 stars: “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro is an interesting story told by Klara, who is basically a robot. Ishiguro provides his writing the freedom of telling his story through innocent, non-emotional insights by using Klara. Klara is an AF, and Artificial Friend. Think of Rosie in the Jetsons. Klara is a humanoid machine, built for the sole purpose of companionship. The story begins with Klara in a toy store. Klara’s favorite spot is being in the window of the store. This position allows Klara to see humans and watch their behaviors. With Klara’s observations, she intends to use these bites of information to be the best possible AF.
A sickly girl, Josie, comes into the store and falls in love with Klara. Time doesn’t allow for her to purchase Klara, and Josie promises to come back to get her. Josie’s illness is a mystery until later in the story. The reader knows that some children have been “lifted” and are in a better position to go to college, gain employment, and be successful. What is involved in being lifted is only alluded to, by Josie’s mother.
Josie does come back and purchases Klara, but only after Josie’s mother makes Klara pass a test. The mother’s interest in Klara’s find tuned observations is what allows Josie to get Klara. Once at home with Josie, Klara makes many interesting observations of Josie’s homelife and social life. Some observations are perplexing to Klara and allows Ishiguro to provide some subtle humor. Josie begins to experience more sick days.
Klara is solar powered, and because of this, she adores the sun. In fact, she comes up with the idea of providing gifts to the sun to help Josie. In Klara’s view, the sun is all powerful, and provides the source of life.
Ishiguro writes a futuristic story about artificial intelligence taking over the workplace and going as far as “buying” friends for your child. This story is about how far our society could go in creating robots to replace humans. Yet, there is a question of the basic human emotion: love. Can an artificial intelligent being provide and receive love?
I enjoyed this story. It does provide some fodder with regard to how far humans should be replaced. This is borderline sci-fi, similar to “Never Let Me Go.” There were no robots in that story, but he questioned how far we could go in procuring future health.
I listened to audio production, narrated by Sura Siu....more
I enjoyed John Scalzi’s last audible original called “The Dispatch”. “Murder By Other Means” is his second novella in the Dispatcher series. I don’t tI enjoyed John Scalzi’s last audible original called “The Dispatch”. “Murder By Other Means” is his second novella in the Dispatcher series. I don’t think it’s a standalone. I think one should listen to the first one in the series to fully enjoy this delightful 3 hours of futuristic/science fiction tale. I am NOT a science fiction lover. I like only a few of the futuristic ones. But Scalzi writes novellas which is the perfect amount for me.
Narrator Zachary Quinto is the perfect voice of Tony Valdez, the licensed killer who is a dispatcher. In this series, Tony gets caught up in a run of suspicious suicides. It appears that someone or an organization is trying to set him up in and ultimately kill him. If you loved the first one in the series, you’ll enjoy this one. It’s clever, fast paced, and enjoyable. ...more
What I found amazing about “The Dreamers” by Karen Thompson Walker is that she speculated what would occur if an air-born virus popped up out of nowheWhat I found amazing about “The Dreamers” by Karen Thompson Walker is that she speculated what would occur if an air-born virus popped up out of nowhere. In her imagination this air-born virus caused sleep. Her virus affected the population almost in the exact way that our current air-born virus, Covid-19, is doing now. Plus, how her fictitious government reacted is similar to what’s going on now. It’s like she had a crystal ball and foresaw our virus future. The big difference is her virus was contained to a town, after the government of her imagination fully quarantined the town and the town-folk.
In “The Dreamers”, this mysterious virus begins in a small university in Southern California. It begins in a woman’s dorm, but swiftly grows outside the university. At the beginning, a psychiatrist is involved, in that there are no physical symptoms that would indicate a physical problem causing continuous sleep. It is discovered that this young lady has very active brain waves, indicating heightened dreams. After it is decided that it’s viral, and airborne, mayhem ensues. Grocery stores are flocked; people lose all sense of civility. Helicopters, roadblocks, and police become mainstays.
But this isn’t a cautionary tale about a highly contagious virus. Walker writes of deep dreams. In her imagination, those sleeping enjoy very involved dreams. Some are of the future. Some dream of the past. She examines what emotions we entertain during dreams, and how dreams seem so real. To add dimension, some dreamers are sleepwalkers.
Walker writes her story in an almost dream-like way. It’s a “quiet” story, explaining what is transpiring in different places. There are the college kids from the dorm who have the virus. A janitor from the university is a single parent to two young girls gets infected. After he succumbs to the virus, the girls pillage on their own. There is a young professor who has an infant daughter, and his wife falls ill. There’s an immigrant family who fled Egypt under horrific conditions, and now they are dealing with their new reality in their new country. There is the Psychiatrist, who is no doing all medical things outside her specialty because most the doctors and nurses have fallen ill. There are salespeople, in town for a conference and kicked out of their hotel with nowhere to go. And the list goes on. In Walker’s imagination, her virus sweeps through the small town and affects everyone in different ways. Furthermore, she provides the reader with thought-provoking ideas of dreams and reality. She ponders whether there are people who prognosticates the future. But what she does, in hindsight, is prognosticate Covid-19 and the human reactions to the virus and the government’s attempts to contain it.
I listened to the audible production, narrated by the amazing Cassandra Campbell. Campbell reads the story perfectly. Her voice is melodic, almost dreamy. Her voice adds to the spirit of the story. ...more
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