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kayleecake's review against another edition
5.0
Now THIS is Cyberpunk!
T.R. Napper has some amazing concepts and follows through on the penmanship as well. His work is creative and both catches you with sharp turns as well as determined but fascinating stories. Highly recommend it for newcomers and old cyberpunk fans alike.
T.R. Napper has some amazing concepts and follows through on the penmanship as well. His work is creative and both catches you with sharp turns as well as determined but fascinating stories. Highly recommend it for newcomers and old cyberpunk fans alike.
enbyglitch's review
5.0
While a little strange at first, I quickly came to love the format of this book as a collection of short stories all taking place in the same cyberpunk/dystopian world, dealing with different aspects of technology and society with a wide - yet sometimes repeating - cast of characters.
Napper dives deeper than most into unreliable narrators questioning reality. I was (and still am) stunned at the ending of one story, and remain fascinated by his explorations of memory with relation to the imagined self.
The one criticism I was prepared to level at this book was the predominance of cis-male leads, but one important story with a lesbian couple front and center - along with the book's overall themes of conservative societal control - allayed my frustration in that direction. That being said, I think these stories would be a perfect place for explorations of trans experiences.
Despite the futuristic world, these stories are fundamentally human and I think anyone could learn a lot by giving them a read!
Napper dives deeper than most into unreliable narrators questioning reality. I was (and still am) stunned at the ending of one story, and remain fascinated by his explorations of memory with relation to the imagined self.
The one criticism I was prepared to level at this book was the predominance of cis-male leads, but one important story with a lesbian couple front and center - along with the book's overall themes of conservative societal control - allayed my frustration in that direction. That being said, I think these stories would be a perfect place for explorations of trans experiences.
Despite the futuristic world, these stories are fundamentally human and I think anyone could learn a lot by giving them a read!
robinlukasreads's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
trackofwords's review against another edition
4.0
Bringing together twelve bleak, powerful short stories into a single volume, this paints a suitably, at times harrowingly grim picture of a not too distant future. Across a deliberately jumbled, back-and-forth timeline Napper explores tales of desperation, survival, love, loss, corporate greed, oppression and fear, all set in a loosely defined world formed from a warring, conflicted melange of Australia, South and Southeast Asia. As nations, alliances and realities blur, as technology becomes increasingly pervasive and life ever more stratified, Napper asks questions of what’s real, what’s possible and what people will do to survive.
This isn’t escapist fiction, it’s thought-provoking, concern-provoking science fiction at its best and most haunting. Powerfully, worryingly relevant and relatable, these stories are tough to read – very few are anything other than heartbreaking – but at the same time wonderfully written, and utterly compelling. It’s a book that’s best absorbed in small doses, both to appreciate the fabulous writing and avoid becoming overwhelmed by the darkness and the blurred realities, but it feels like an important one too, with a strong voice and a lot to say.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/02/15/neon-leviathan-t-r-napper/
This isn’t escapist fiction, it’s thought-provoking, concern-provoking science fiction at its best and most haunting. Powerfully, worryingly relevant and relatable, these stories are tough to read – very few are anything other than heartbreaking – but at the same time wonderfully written, and utterly compelling. It’s a book that’s best absorbed in small doses, both to appreciate the fabulous writing and avoid becoming overwhelmed by the darkness and the blurred realities, but it feels like an important one too, with a strong voice and a lot to say.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/02/15/neon-leviathan-t-r-napper/
aucencia's review against another edition
Sorry either it's the audio book performance gave me weird feelings, or the author just fetishized the suffering Vietnamese, which killed the experience.
( As a Chinese reader I don't really might the all demonized Chinese villian what not, suprise, suprise.)
Might try later without audio, ideas about memory and bad financal decisions are quite facinating. But now it belongs to the DNF bin.
( As a Chinese reader I don't really might the all demonized Chinese villian what not, suprise, suprise.)
Might try later without audio, ideas about memory and bad financal decisions are quite facinating. But now it belongs to the DNF bin.
branthebard's review against another edition
4.0
Neon Leviathan is true blue cyberpunk. It’s not merely an aesthetic for a story to take place, but an in depth meditation on the horrors of war, unfettered capitalism, and trying to survive in a world that feels increasingly inhospitable.
It IS a pretty bleak read at times, not that that counts against it! But, I for one certainly felt the need to watch some kitten videos in between short stories to cope with each new crushing realization.
And it is a MERCY that some of these are short stories. They’ll rip your heart enough as is.
All in all, a very good, very dark, read.
It IS a pretty bleak read at times, not that that counts against it! But, I for one certainly felt the need to watch some kitten videos in between short stories to cope with each new crushing realization.
And it is a MERCY that some of these are short stories. They’ll rip your heart enough as is.
All in all, a very good, very dark, read.
mreadsbooksnfics's review against another edition
3.0
I was so lucky a friend shared an arc of this with me! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Stories are very unique and creepy! I don’t believe I have read anything like this before. In fact, I don’t read much science fiction and short stories. But I did like these stories, despite how uneasy they left me. I would definitely recommend this for cyberpunk and science fiction fans. I gave it three stars because I thought some of the stories could have been a little bit more in depth, and I felt like some of the endings weren’t that great.
Stories are very unique and creepy! I don’t believe I have read anything like this before. In fact, I don’t read much science fiction and short stories. But I did like these stories, despite how uneasy they left me. I would definitely recommend this for cyberpunk and science fiction fans. I gave it three stars because I thought some of the stories could have been a little bit more in depth, and I felt like some of the endings weren’t that great.
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