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jonbrammer's review
2.0
Science fiction is not my favorite genre, mainly because you have to wade through a lot of mediocre writing that is in service to some imaginative concept. In other words, the writing comes second to the ideas. This is the main issue I have with Stross's stories: his ideas are often ingenious, but the way that he unspools his narrative leaves the reader confused and detached. The twisty time travel novella "Palimpsest" is a good example of this - while I liked the idea of an organization of time travellers whose job it is to preserve humanity until the death of the universe, the implications of this mission, while obviously well-thought out by Stross, is not explained very well to the reader.
inthelunaseas's review against another edition
2.0
Ehhh.
It just didn't do it for me. There were parts of the stories I liked, but none that really grabbed me and said, 'look! I saved this collection for you! Isn't that great?'
I'd say Palimpsest was my favourite. It seemed to be a twist on The Time Machine and perhaps The Time Traveler's Wife. But everything else? Eh, I'm not too sure.
That's not to say it's bad. But I just didn't find myself jizzing over it. Your miles may vary.
It just didn't do it for me. There were parts of the stories I liked, but none that really grabbed me and said, 'look! I saved this collection for you! Isn't that great?'
I'd say Palimpsest was my favourite. It seemed to be a twist on The Time Machine and perhaps The Time Traveler's Wife. But everything else? Eh, I'm not too sure.
That's not to say it's bad. But I just didn't find myself jizzing over it. Your miles may vary.
titusfortner's review
3.0
Stross mentions that he likes writing short stories as a way to experiment with style and format to see what works. That being said, I think the raw density of Stross' ideas make it difficult for me to get a handle on the story he is telling before it is over.
There are only two stories in this collection that I especially enjoyed.
The first is "A Colder War," which is the only duplicate with Stross' [b:Toast|17862|Toast|Charles Stross|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166854363s/17862.jpg|930586], which I haven't read, and am not sure if it is a priority for me any longer.
The second story I enjoyed was "Down on the Farm," which is set in the Laundry Universe. I'm sure that a main reason I enjoyed the story is because of the background and history I already have with the characters and setting.
Another story worth discussing is Palimpsest, which won the Hugo Award for best novella in 2010. It is one of those time-heavy books that reminds me of the move Primer. I should have liked it more than I did, and I think I would have if I hadn't just read [b:The End of Eternity|509784|The End of Eternity|Isaac Asimov|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256524261s/509784.jpg|1407851]. The overall story is sufficiently similar in broad strokes that I can't help but make an unfortunate comparison.
Stross' story progresses by throwing out all kinds of scientific pseudo-explanations and descriptions and tossing about complicated rewrites of rewrites of events. Stross' books focus more on ideas than real explanations, and there seem to be many unnecessary elements included just because they are interesting. The character development is shallow, mostly due to the confusion that the characters seem to be in most of the time (and the reader for that matter).
Asimov's story on the other hand is a masterpiece of elegance and beauty. There are still plot twists, but Asimov intentionally avoids complicated time paradoxes. His story is much simpler, and he lets the characters move the story forward more organically.
It feels like Stross took Asimov's story and tried to make it more realistic with more in-depth (and potentially more 'realistic') ideas about how things would actually go. It obviously appealed to many (like the Hugo voters), but to me it merely underscores the brilliance of Isaac Asimov.
There are only two stories in this collection that I especially enjoyed.
The first is "A Colder War," which is the only duplicate with Stross' [b:Toast|17862|Toast|Charles Stross|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166854363s/17862.jpg|930586], which I haven't read, and am not sure if it is a priority for me any longer.
The second story I enjoyed was "Down on the Farm," which is set in the Laundry Universe. I'm sure that a main reason I enjoyed the story is because of the background and history I already have with the characters and setting.
Another story worth discussing is Palimpsest, which won the Hugo Award for best novella in 2010. It is one of those time-heavy books that reminds me of the move Primer. I should have liked it more than I did, and I think I would have if I hadn't just read [b:The End of Eternity|509784|The End of Eternity|Isaac Asimov|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256524261s/509784.jpg|1407851]. The overall story is sufficiently similar in broad strokes that I can't help but make an unfortunate comparison.
Stross' story progresses by throwing out all kinds of scientific pseudo-explanations and descriptions and tossing about complicated rewrites of rewrites of events. Stross' books focus more on ideas than real explanations, and there seem to be many unnecessary elements included just because they are interesting. The character development is shallow, mostly due to the confusion that the characters seem to be in most of the time (and the reader for that matter).
Asimov's story on the other hand is a masterpiece of elegance and beauty. There are still plot twists, but Asimov intentionally avoids complicated time paradoxes. His story is much simpler, and he lets the characters move the story forward more organically.
It feels like Stross took Asimov's story and tried to make it more realistic with more in-depth (and potentially more 'realistic') ideas about how things would actually go. It obviously appealed to many (like the Hugo voters), but to me it merely underscores the brilliance of Isaac Asimov.
sandeestarlite's review
4.0
Mixed bag of sf short stories. The ones that were good were excellent. A couple I didn’t finish.
bick_mcswiney's review
4.0
Short stories may just be the way to read Charles Stross. Interesting ideas, not too much character development. His story "Palimpest" is a mindbender. I enjoyed it very much.
onceandfuturelaura's review
4.0
Wonderfully dense introduction to some of Stross's flavors. Loved Trunk and Disorderly (a Jeeves and Woosteresque romp through future from the point of view of a truly dense high society boy who does not understand just why he was sent that butler that day). Quite enjoyed the Lovecraftian fan fiction. Was disturbed by the hard core science fiction.
A recent episode of Geeks Guide to the Galaxy, http://www.wired.com/2014/08/geeks-guide-nick-harkaway/ made the point that much of "realistic" fiction isn't realistic at all because it's written as if we're not orbiting one of billions and billions of stars among billions of galaxies. Nothing in these stories suggest that Stross doesn't know that, all the way down.
Well worth the time.
A recent episode of Geeks Guide to the Galaxy, http://www.wired.com/2014/08/geeks-guide-nick-harkaway/ made the point that much of "realistic" fiction isn't realistic at all because it's written as if we're not orbiting one of billions and billions of stars among billions of galaxies. Nothing in these stories suggest that Stross doesn't know that, all the way down.
Well worth the time.
inthelunaseas's review against another edition
2.0
Ehhh.
It just didn't do it for me. There were parts of the stories I liked, but none that really grabbed me and said, 'look! I saved this collection for you! Isn't that great?'
I'd say Palimpsest was my favourite. It seemed to be a twist on The Time Machine and perhaps The Time Traveler's Wife. But everything else? Eh, I'm not too sure.
That's not to say it's bad. But I just didn't find myself jizzing over it. Your miles may vary.
It just didn't do it for me. There were parts of the stories I liked, but none that really grabbed me and said, 'look! I saved this collection for you! Isn't that great?'
I'd say Palimpsest was my favourite. It seemed to be a twist on The Time Machine and perhaps The Time Traveler's Wife. But everything else? Eh, I'm not too sure.
That's not to say it's bad. But I just didn't find myself jizzing over it. Your miles may vary.