As someone researching and working with the performativity of gender and its connection to social power on a daily basis, this book is a foundational As someone researching and working with the performativity of gender and its connection to social power on a daily basis, this book is a foundational pillar. These days, Judith Butler is the most important theorist on the topic of gender, at least in my personal opinion.
Aside from the unfortunate fact that it is written to be almost incomprehensibly academic, making it atrociously difficult for non-academics to tackle, Gender Trouble is arguably the most remarkable achievement in the field of gender studies, and the most important contribution to feminist thought since Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex....more
Overall a promising book, and definitely the best book in this trilogy, but if your most intriguing character is going to be an obvious reflection of Overall a promising book, and definitely the best book in this trilogy, but if your most intriguing character is going to be an obvious reflection of Grand Admiral Thrawn, why not just make him Grand Admiral Thrawn?
At least, I would recommend this book based on two rather interesting things: first, that the Battle of Jakku, the fall of the Empire and the creation of the First Order from its fragments is brilliantly set up, as opposed to the new movies ignoring any form of coherence. Included in this is an impressive characterisation and backstory for the young General Hux, whose portrayal in the movies makes much more sense now. One might imagine how much less disappointing The Force Awakens would have been if Abrams & co had not been lazy and skipped over all these details.
Second, that the description of the remnants of Imperial leadership is actually just as good as in the old EU (excepting the minor annoyance mentioned above, the removal of which might have earned this book four stars). Rae Sloane is a great protagonist-antagonist, and I understand she is featured in several other new stories. Mas Amedda is stunningly good as the high-ranking Imperial bureaucrat who watched his empire torn to shreds around him. Gallius Rax is the main draw, of course, but I will confess to maintaining the vain hope throughout the trilogy that he would inevitably reveal himself to be Thrawn, despite the guy not being blue. He is an obscure admiral rising as the Empire falls; a mastermind tactician with a brilliant plan, a connoisseur of the arts with a theatrical mind. I am saddened by the wasted potential of not merging the two characters, as this would have been a great way of fully introducing the best post-Endor character to the new canon.
In the end, the Aftermath trilogy was mostly worth reading for more immersion in the new series and its storyline. It has many flaws, but there are also several things Chuck Wendig does much better than the movie script writers....more
Everything Aftermath got right, the sequel gets wrong.
While I am still completely okay with Wendig's style (apparently most people are annoyed by it),Everything Aftermath got right, the sequel gets wrong.
While I am still completely okay with Wendig's style (apparently most people are annoyed by it), there was nothing to enjoy here. An extreme case of second book syndrome at best....more
Paul S. Kemp is a talented Star Wars writer. He's shown it before. He shows it here. Kemp is certainly no Zahn or KarpysThe mediocrity is strong here.
Paul S. Kemp is a talented Star Wars writer. He's shown it before. He shows it here. Kemp is certainly no Zahn or Karpyshyn, but I have enjoyed his stories. This one was not bad either.
However, the story is completely uninteresting with nothing at stake. There are two sets of protagonists: on one hand, Darth Vader and the Emperor. Their characterisation is both interesting and well-done, but they obviously have plot armour. On the other hand, the local factions of the planet Ryloth, including the Free Ryloth Movement and the imperial planetary administration. I would mention the names of these people, but they were unfortunately boring enough that I forgot most details such as names. I couldn't care less what happened to them.
This is not a bad book at all. Actually, it is a well-constructed tie-in novel by an experienced author of Star Wars fiction. For me, however, it was a completely unnecessary detour without any interesting aspects....more
Aftermath is a quite decent addition to the Star Wars universe, which could pretty easily fit into either of the two now divergent timelines.
Most aspAftermath is a quite decent addition to the Star Wars universe, which could pretty easily fit into either of the two now divergent timelines.
Most aspects of the book are, while nothing memorable, quite solid. I do not really see where the hatred for Wendig's writing style comes from; it was certainly not the best I've seen, but not overly distracting either. Some characters were more interesting than others, and the story doesn't really take any chances.
Some interesting thoughts did come out of it: I had never really considered that nobody in the Empire (except Vader) knew who and what the Emperor actually was. So the revelation that all knowledge about him was mere rumour, was quite intriguing. So was the description of the Imperial commanders who try to gather the remnants of their fleet and fully believe in their cause, but simultaneously recognise the freedom-fighter narrative of the Rebellion and the New Republic.
All in all, this book is like the new movies. Builds some interesting stuff, doesn't really mess up the canon too much and even provides a few hours of decent entertainment, but overall it is very unnecessary....more
Still somewhat enjoyable. Still a lot of room for improvement. Certain developments in this book are very welcome transitions, and overall I am still Still somewhat enjoyable. Still a lot of room for improvement. Certain developments in this book are very welcome transitions, and overall I am still happy to read one more book. This was on the same level as the first book, but for some reason it lost a little bit of the spark.
I will admit I did very much enjoy the main historical parallel for one of the characters, although I made the comparison while reading the first book, long before hints were being dropped en masse....more
I would never have thought that a book that in its early stages seemed to lack direction entirely would turn out this good. Certainly not that the tenI would never have thought that a book that in its early stages seemed to lack direction entirely would turn out this good. Certainly not that the tendency of atrocious, bizarre, unnecessary scenes would be replaced by the excellent communication of genuinely moving myths.
There is considerable artistic greatness in this book. Just like in Neverwhere, there is also a scarcely-above-mediocre plot and an extremely bland protagonist, but overall, the sheer writing talent of Neil Gaiman, along with the incorporation of half a world's worth of mythological legends, was enough to tip the scales in his favour in my mind.
I'll give up the rest of my review space to the author himself, who describes and introduces the book perfectly:
If Neverwhere was about the London underneath, this would be about the America between, and on-top-of, and around. It's an America with strange mythic depths. Ones that can hurt you. Or kill you. Or make you mad.
It's about the soul of America, really. What people brought to America; what found them when they came; and the things that lie sleeping beneath it all....more
Finding a shelf of "Any 3 books for £1.99" at Forbidden Planet, I fully expected all options to be completely devoid of quality and only there to be cFinding a shelf of "Any 3 books for £1.99" at Forbidden Planet, I fully expected all options to be completely devoid of quality and only there to be cleared out. Being a book hoarder, I obviously bought three anyway. I was surprised to find that at least on of the offerings, Republic, was actually quite enjoyable.
The front cover advertised the book as suited for Jack Campbell fans, and that comparison is spot on. This book is extremely similar to the Lost Fleet books, not merely by being a decent example of military sci-fi, but by its whole style, presentation, and story themes.
Flaws are unfortunately quite present. Primarily, I was annoyed by the same blatant amerocentrism that pervades much of the subgenre. However, while Campbell's amerocentrism is relatively harmless and even almost justified, Kent displays a form that is so devoid of any realism and consideration that it gives the impression of the book being a journey through the imagination of a redneck who recognises no world outside his home state, let alone the US. Which, to be fair, I am sure Kent is not, and like Campbell, he is an American author writing primarily to an American audience. Overall, however, this was almost enough of an annoyance to make me give up on the book as hopeless.
However, my interest in the story won out in the end. It is quite catchy, includes a lot of mystery, and a couple of actually multi-dimensional characters (another rarity of this subgenre). In the end, this was a slightly-above-mediocre book with some deep flaws, but a very pleasant surprise based on the meagre price I paid for it. And I will happily pay another £1.99 for the next three books in the series.
Finally, I would recommend this to military sci-fi fans and those who have read and enjoyed The Lost Fleet, but probably not anybody else....more
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