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bahaddo's review against another edition
5.0
An amazing epic. A man-made singularity falls into the earth. The search for it unfolds into a fascinating story. The science is hard to follow (I couldn't follow it all) but you can still enjoy a wild ride. If you can get through a very long book!
laura_de_leon's review against another edition
5.0
I liked the plot a lot, but I love the worldbuilding, more of which seems to be coming true by the year.
captainlala_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
jbrito's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
davehershey's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I got this book because my daughter wanted to read stories about climate change and the guy at the used bookstore suggested this one (and Becky Chambers’ Monk and Robot series).
The most striking thing about this book is that thought it was written over 30 years ago, the ideas in it do not seem too far-fetched. Brinn’s picture of the world of 2038 does not seem too far off, though of course it is not exact. The best part of the book is the world-building. This includes not just the story, but the little vignettes throughout in the form of news clippings or studies that paint a picture of the world.
The weakest part of the book is the story. There are a lot of characters and few of them are given enough depth to be memorable. It was sometimes difficult to remember who was who, especially when a character showed up in a new setting (who was she with before? What were they doing?). The weakness of the story is partly because of the reliance on the aforementioned vignettes as they break up the story. A lot of authors will include such breaks in the story, perhaps at the beginning of each chapter. Brinn sprinkles them at the beginning, middle and end of each chapter.
Overall though, it is a good book. And I am happy to discover Environmental Fiction as a subgenre!
The most striking thing about this book is that thought it was written over 30 years ago, the ideas in it do not seem too far-fetched. Brinn’s picture of the world of 2038 does not seem too far off, though of course it is not exact. The best part of the book is the world-building. This includes not just the story, but the little vignettes throughout in the form of news clippings or studies that paint a picture of the world.
The weakest part of the book is the story. There are a lot of characters and few of them are given enough depth to be memorable. It was sometimes difficult to remember who was who, especially when a character showed up in a new setting (who was she with before? What were they doing?). The weakness of the story is partly because of the reliance on the aforementioned vignettes as they break up the story. A lot of authors will include such breaks in the story, perhaps at the beginning of each chapter. Brinn sprinkles them at the beginning, middle and end of each chapter.
Overall though, it is a good book. And I am happy to discover Environmental Fiction as a subgenre!
caitiesorbs's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing possible view of our not so distant future. One of my favorite science fiction books ever. Yes it is super super long but oh so worth it.
lhaack's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
manzabar's review against another edition
2.0
It started off with an incredible premise and contains some truly excellent writing. Unfortunately it suffers from the author trying to do too much. There is considerable extraneous material that was likely intended to give additional points of view, but in the end only annoys the reader with the break in the flow of the primary story.
andreashappe's review against another edition
4.0
The book was written in the late 80s/early 90s and tries to predict the world around 2050. We're halfway there, and that not only in a good way. It's uncanny how brilliant Brin's estimates partially are. Sometimes the future seems a bit off (but then, we still have 9 years to totally fuck up stuff), sometimes the future has already happened.
The book contains a lot. From ecology, society, physics to dark forest theory. So why did I "only" give three stars? First, i think the content might have better fitted two different books, having it in one feels a bit overcrowded. Secondly, while Brin's pure brilliancy shines through, subsequent books might have done the different story lines better (I have just updated the ranking to four stares, because I would have compared this book with some of the greats and only three stars feel wrong for that).
I did not like Daisy, her character seemed a bit too one-sided.
Enjoy the Afterword. I really love Brin's non-fiction comments, they always touch something within me. I can remember reading about "The Commonwealth of Knowledge" in Otherness. In Earth, the afterword gave me solace in today's hectic world.
The book contains a lot. From ecology, society, physics to dark forest theory. So why did I "only" give three stars? First, i think the content might have better fitted two different books, having it in one feels a bit overcrowded. Secondly, while Brin's pure brilliancy shines through, subsequent books might have done the different story lines better (I have just updated the ranking to four stares, because I would have compared this book with some of the greats and only three stars feel wrong for that).
I did not like Daisy, her character seemed a bit too one-sided.
Enjoy the Afterword. I really love Brin's non-fiction comments, they always touch something within me. I can remember reading about "The Commonwealth of Knowledge" in Otherness. In Earth, the afterword gave me solace in today's hectic world.
mordiscasrios's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0