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What Members Thought
While this book wears its influences unapologetically on its sleeve, the result is a fabulously engaging sci-fi romp with amazing characters. But beyond entertainment, Chambers weaves into the story fantastically thoughtful insights into human nature and how we can all live together in a better way. The best science fiction holds a mirror up to who we are now, and this story and these characters does that while also showing us a way forward. I wish I had stories like this when I was growing up,
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Looking at all the reviews, I thought this was going to be exactly my cup of tea!
A lot of the complaints are about how meandering it is, the lack of real action. That was actually what I liked most about it! It's less like a film and more like a tv series, with character arcs that span several episodes.
Another common complaint - that Chambers was moralizing too much. But I think the biggest advantage of sci fi / fantasy is how it lets you examine social and ethical questions, pull them apart an ...more
A lot of the complaints are about how meandering it is, the lack of real action. That was actually what I liked most about it! It's less like a film and more like a tv series, with character arcs that span several episodes.
Another common complaint - that Chambers was moralizing too much. But I think the biggest advantage of sci fi / fantasy is how it lets you examine social and ethical questions, pull them apart an ...more
I loved this. I want more of this out of sci-fi! Just people doing their jobs! Maybe some politics! Not everything has to be about the world ending. I liked it so much I'm still giving it five stars despite the fact that it falls apart at the end because (view spoiler)
The world building was pretty great and didn't force m ...more
The world building was pretty great and didn't force m ...more
2918 Read harder challenge - A SCI-FI NOVEL WITH A FEMALE PROTAGONIST BY A FEMALE AUTHOR
I'm so glad Matt suggested I read this book. Super engrossing, super endearing, surprisingly thoughtful, loved that humans are only a peripheral force and not one of the "big three" species, and I love that it makes the human characters in this book more humble and less blustery. I wish we could attain that in real life. If you want a thoughtful take on sci-fi with great character and relationship development, this is the book/series for you.
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I had fun hanging with this crew. People I would love to work with, and would drive me crazy at the same time. Couldn't help comparisons to Firefly. The same humor and joviality made that show great, had similar success in this story.
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This was a lot of fun. Extra points for a hopeful vision of the far off future, always.
Dec 18, 2016
Ian
marked it as to-read
Feb 13, 2017
Halsted Bernard
marked it as to-read
Jan 12, 2019
Kate McCartney
marked it as to-read
Sep 19, 2021
Alison
marked it as to-read
Dec 19, 2022
Jenny
marked it as to-read
Sep 20, 2023
Jessica
marked it as to-read
