Seveneves in Goodjer Recommends

Jun 28, 2015 Taylor rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ugh, what a mess. Both the book itself as well as my feelings toward it. First, the good:

1) Big Huge Ideas: There are a tonne of big ideas floating around in this book.
2) Interesting depiction of far-future humanity: How would people live after an almost-extinction event? There is some good speculation about how a space-based society might evolve and live.
3) Some interesting descriptions of realistically-based technology - no FTL drives here: It seems like Stephenson really went all-in on making Ugh, what a mess. Both the book itself as well as my feelings toward it. First, the good:

1) Big Huge Ideas: There are a tonne of big ideas floating around in this book.
2) Interesting depiction of far-future humanity: How would people live after an almost-extinction event? There is some good speculation about how a space-based society might evolve and live.
3) Some interesting descriptions of realistically-based technology - no FTL drives here: It seems like Stephenson really went all-in on making everything extremely grounded in physics as we currently understand it. And went all-ion making sure you knew it (sorry, this is still the good parts, isn't it).

OK, now my problems with it:

1) Way too long and rambley: I mean why say something in one sentence when you can use 10 pages? Why trust the reader to know anything at all when you can explain everything to death and pad what is essentially a pretty short story? Everything is explained in excruciating detail, which means any sense of moving forward is extinguished by pages and pages of explanation of what is going on.
2) Too many people means very little empathy for any one of them: Seven Eves + cast of thousands (pre-Hard Rain) + a seven + cast of dozens (post-Hard Rain) means I don't really care about any of them at all. Too much technical detail, not enough people detail. I did like Kath Two/Three but I never felt like what the difference were between them were explored at all.
3) Plot: Plot has never been Stephenson's strong point, I get it. But this seems like he had a crazy end point, decided to go backward to fill in the blanks to get there (no matter what the cost), then went forward, because hey that's only 500 pages. And then peter out at the end once things start to actually happen. I am not a writer, I have never plotted a book. The mysteries of doing so are just that, for me: mysteries. When I can picture in my mind the process, it kind of ruins things.

I think there's a good book in here somewhere but it has been smothered almost to death with over-descriptive text and stunted narrative. ...more

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May 29, 2015 Christopher Mclean rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 13, 2015 Katy added it

Shelves: read-2015

As usual with Stephenson, I love the big ideas and their development, but wished things had been organized differently. But if you know Stephenson, you know to expect a sprawling narrative.

In some places I wanted more time with the characters. In other places, I wanted less time with the orbital mechanics.

In other places, I had trouble pushing through because I didn't like where I thought the plot was going -- one reason this took so long to read was I kept putting the book down for days at a ti ...more

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Jul 23, 2015 Coldforged Dupuis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed the journey, but felt the destination was lackluster. There was so much content in the first two parts, but the third part just kind of petered out to my mind.

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