A mix of Andy Weir's "Martian" and Arthur Hailey's "Airport", more leaning to the second. Plus a sprinkle of woke-ness. It was a pretty enjoyable readA mix of Andy Weir's "Martian" and Arthur Hailey's "Airport", more leaning to the second. Plus a sprinkle of woke-ness. It was a pretty enjoyable read....more
Cannot say I really liked the book. It felt too much like amateur writing. A big part of the book is a greeting from geek to geek. If you share the auCannot say I really liked the book. It felt too much like amateur writing. A big part of the book is a greeting from geek to geek. If you share the author's nerdiness (Star Trek, for starters), you'll enjoy all those winks sprinkled generously over the pages. If not, the book's shortcomings may become too noticeable.
My main impression of the author - a tabletop player who tries to double as a gamemaster. As a gamemaster, he needs to drag the character through trials, but as a player, he rushes too quickly to solve every problem and wants too much for his plans to succeed. He can up the stakes to "not even bacteria will survive it" and still resolve the situation in the next seven lines. And the plans are carried out without any lasting "buts". The author plays along with the character too obviously.
The characters (huh) are underdeveloped. There are many missed opportunities to explore identity crisis. Or, for example, there are two characters that are so at each other's throats that even those who have never met them know about it. We see them interact, and it's never shown. No conflicts, no quarrels, they work amicably with each other and only sometimes roll their eyes at some cringy jokes. They make peace before we have a chance to doubt it.
Sci-fi elements? The book is not on a hard side and doesn't explore the implications of certain technologies. The subspace cheat specifically discards the inconvenience of the space travel.
Overall I found the book to be weak and best suited for those who catch the references and enjoy being recognized as a part of the tribe....more
THERE MAY BE A BIT OF SPOILERS BELOW - BUT QUITE MINOR
Not my thing. I was at first decieved by the title. I was waiting for some a bit tired, a bit worTHERE MAY BE A BIT OF SPOILERS BELOW - BUT QUITE MINOR
Not my thing. I was at first decieved by the title. I was waiting for some a bit tired, a bit worn-out man to take his faithful rifle once more and keep on with his war. I did not expect it to be "Wow! I'm new young! I'm brawny and cool and I can (and will right off) have sex four times in a row!!!" There is smth so wrong with the title.
I didn't see the 75-year-old man. I saw ingenious, well-natured boastfulness in the manner of Heinlein (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress for some reason) and Harrison (The Stainless Steel Rat). "I'm so awesome, I can outsmart everyone around, I'm the only one to come up with ideas worth anything, others are just a background for Me!" And the instructor snaps (literally): "Do you hope that I'll move from humiliation-for-effect to a solitary masculine tear of respect and proudness, like in all those Hollywood movies?!" Man, I believed him! Guess what he did next?
Totally not my thing. But if you love Harrison and Heinlein and Starship Troopers in particular (I never read but I watched, so I make a good prediction) - that's what you have to read.
And, well, I cannot take seriously a book where a 75-year-old man (and very smart, you know) crushes enemies with his feet and asks only once and not for long - is it right to do that to sapients? Maybe that will change in others books, but I don't feel like reading them....more
I do love this thing. I actually do love many Strugatskys' books, and in this particular one I love the dry and a bit official style of reports and meI do love this thing. I actually do love many Strugatskys' books, and in this particular one I love the dry and a bit official style of reports and memorandums, which may remind of Ted Chiang (speaking of Chiang: blimey, if "The Evolution of Human Science" is not inspired by this book!).
I actually find it difficult to explain, why, and I mostly write this review because I wonder: here, in post-Soviet, Strugatskys are cult writers, luminous sci-fi kings, but are they known - read - beloved and admired - understood at least - outside?...more
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