Most literal Deus ex Machina ending I've read in a while.
Reviews and Comments
David Bremner Locked account
bremner@book.dansmonorage.blue
A rejoint ce serveur il y a 3 années, 4 mois
computer scientist, mathematician, photographer, human. Debian Developer, Notmuch Maintainer, scuba diver
Much of my "reading" these days is actually audiobooks while walking.
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bremner@bookwyrm.social is also me. Trying a smaller instance to see if the delays are less maddening.
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David Bremner finished reading A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge (Zones of Thought, #1)
David Bremner wants to read The Searcher by Tana French
Based on a review from sunny.garden/@booktrail
David Bremner wants to read Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan
David Bremner reviewed City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky (The Tyrant Philosophers, #1)
Cynical but fun
5 étoiles
The setting is reminiscent of the industrialized magic setting of Robert Jackson Bennett's Foundryside. There are quite a few narrative threads but I did not find it overwhelming (as an audiobook, fwiw).
The villains are bureaucratic, venal, and hypocritical. They are also a "foreign occupation", but Tchaikovsky spends as much time poking fun at patriotism and nostalgia as he does explaining the (many) failings of the occupiers.
The would-be heroes are various of combinations pompous, naive, violent, passive, venal (again), opportunistic, and cowardly. It is something of a magic trick of character development that one's sympathies are clear. It isn't even that one identifies with some of the character's cynicism (although there is a bit of that).
As an academic, I endorse books where the main villains are academic organizations. Imagine if not only were University administrators not going to save us, but if they were the ones the whole …
The setting is reminiscent of the industrialized magic setting of Robert Jackson Bennett's Foundryside. There are quite a few narrative threads but I did not find it overwhelming (as an audiobook, fwiw).
The villains are bureaucratic, venal, and hypocritical. They are also a "foreign occupation", but Tchaikovsky spends as much time poking fun at patriotism and nostalgia as he does explaining the (many) failings of the occupiers.
The would-be heroes are various of combinations pompous, naive, violent, passive, venal (again), opportunistic, and cowardly. It is something of a magic trick of character development that one's sympathies are clear. It isn't even that one identifies with some of the character's cynicism (although there is a bit of that).
As an academic, I endorse books where the main villains are academic organizations. Imagine if not only were University administrators not going to save us, but if they were the ones the whole of society needed saving from.
I laughed out loud several times while listening to this. At some points it has an almost Pratchett-like wit (if Pratchett had been doomscrolling for another decade, instead of shuffling off this mortal coil).
David Bremner wants to read Breaking Things at Work by Gavin Mueller
David Bremner commented on A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge (Zones of Thought, #1)
David Bremner commented on City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky (The Tyrant Philosophers, #1)
David Bremner commented on Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden
David Bremner finished reading Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
David Bremner finished reading The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang (The Poppy War, #1)
David Bremner commented on The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey
David Bremner reviewed Space Oddity by Catherynne M. Valente (Space Opera, #2)
For me, better than the first.
4 étoiles
I don't know if it's just my current mood suits it better, or the book is genuinely exploring deeper themes than the first one (while still being silly).
I want to read this after hearing several episodes of 500songs.com using it for source material.