iono's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence, Child death, Death, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide
anonymous_blobfish's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was a thought provoking story that fell somewhere between the work of Arthur C. Clarke and Lord of the Flies. Originally written in 1991, published in 2003, and translated into English in 2019, this is one of the earlier works of Cixin Liu. The premise of The Supernova Era is simple: following a catastrophic space disaster, everyone over the age of 13 dies, leaving only the children behind. Will this new regime fall victim to the same mistakes of it’s parents and grandparents, or will they make their own?
Before diving into my thoughts, I want to acknowledge comments made by other reviewers that the translator for this book is known for being a little overly formal and stuffy which may impact the translated work. I don’t think it’s the only thing responsible for some of my criticisms but I do think it’s important to note. I really wish this had been translated by Ken Liu who is known for his ability to bring heartfelt and authentic translations to life.
I had a really interesting time reading this book. I listened to the audiobook which I do and don’t recommend: the narrator is a bit stodgy (very posh-ish British accent which didn’t feel especially authentic to 95% of the narrative voice) but I do think it made this easier to read. Perhaps the first hurdle with this story was how it was written - no real character or plot focus, rather it felt more like a report or a doco. Again, I don’t think this was a bad thing but it is important to know going in that this will feel more like a history documentary than a Star Wars movie.
The other thing I struggled with consistently was the casual dismissal of common sense with some of the science. A radiation related catastrophe would definitely have impacted children more severely than adults, there would have been radiation side effects from the use on intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, I don’t actually think there are THAT many guns in America. That aside, I also have some doubts over the international cooperative ability of the adults in the final months and of the children’s behaviours and abilities but I’m more willing to suspend that.
I really enjoyed the way this book looked at how children might respond to this type of situation. Do I agree with the portrayal? Yes and no, but I do think that works for this story. I liked challenging myself and me ideas, especially because it made me reflect on my current world and the misconceptions I have based on my personal experiences and environments. I also spent time pondering if certain choices were made in the storytelling to intentionally reflect the participants or if it needed some editing (the scene where the Chinese children spend a solid 40 minutes of the audiobook describing their play world dream had the ring of both a misguided writer and a passionate child - which of the two it was I’ll never know).
One final disappointment was the hyper focus on the USA - I can forgive the focus on China given the author is Chinese but I always find it disappointing when science fiction immediately discounts or ignores Australia, African nations, and places like South America. On top of this, the writing did at times seem a bit…. Propaganda-ish shall we say. Especially in contrast to the horrifically bleak representation of America (even if it had a caricature like authenticity to it).
This definitely isn’t going to become a favourite for me but I had a really fun time reading this one and I think it’s a fabulous discourse starter. Perhaps the next dinner party convo can circulate around “what if all the adults died suddenly - how’d you think the kids would cope?”
Before diving into my thoughts, I want to acknowledge comments made by other reviewers that the translator for this book is known for being a little overly formal and stuffy which may impact the translated work. I don’t think it’s the only thing responsible for some of my criticisms but I do think it’s important to note. I really wish this had been translated by Ken Liu who is known for his ability to bring heartfelt and authentic translations to life.
I had a really interesting time reading this book. I listened to the audiobook which I do and don’t recommend: the narrator is a bit stodgy (very posh-ish British accent which didn’t feel especially authentic to 95% of the narrative voice) but I do think it made this easier to read. Perhaps the first hurdle with this story was how it was written - no real character or plot focus, rather it felt more like a report or a doco. Again, I don’t think this was a bad thing but it is important to know going in that this will feel more like a history documentary than a Star Wars movie.
The other thing I struggled with consistently was the casual dismissal of common sense with some of the science. A radiation related catastrophe would definitely have impacted children more severely than adults, there would have been radiation side effects from the use on intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, I don’t actually think there are THAT many guns in America. That aside, I also have some doubts over the international cooperative ability of the adults in the final months and of the children’s behaviours and abilities but I’m more willing to suspend that.
I really enjoyed the way this book looked at how children might respond to this type of situation. Do I agree with the portrayal? Yes and no, but I do think that works for this story. I liked challenging myself and me ideas, especially because it made me reflect on my current world and the misconceptions I have based on my personal experiences and environments. I also spent time pondering if certain choices were made in the storytelling to intentionally reflect the participants or if it needed some editing (the scene where the Chinese children spend a solid 40 minutes of the audiobook describing their play world dream had the ring of both a misguided writer and a passionate child - which of the two it was I’ll never know).
One final disappointment was the hyper focus on the USA - I can forgive the focus on China given the author is Chinese but I always find it disappointing when science fiction immediately discounts or ignores Australia, African nations, and places like South America. On top of this, the writing did at times seem a bit…. Propaganda-ish shall we say. Especially in contrast to the horrifically bleak representation of America (even if it had a caricature like authenticity to it).
This definitely isn’t going to become a favourite for me but I had a really fun time reading this one and I think it’s a fabulous discourse starter. Perhaps the next dinner party convo can circulate around “what if all the adults died suddenly - how’d you think the kids would cope?”
bazwilkinson85's review against another edition
I really wanted more Liu after finishing the Three Body Problem trilogy. This is obviously aimed at a younger audience but did have high hopes. The opening few chapters with the details of the supernova event and the end of the adults were incredible. From there it just went flat for me. None of the characters I could really relate to (they ARE children I guess) and they all seemed to be written to be purposefully annoying. As the story went on it became more and more stupid with lots of obvious references to current wars and political games. It seemed to be extremely thinly veined satire and whilst the concept was great, I just couldn't finish it. I didn't really care how it ended of what happened to any of the characters sadly.
amina_writes_books's review against another edition
4.0
Not as good as the three body problem series but still the perfect balance between philosophy, science and astrophysics!
ichirofakename's review against another edition
2.0
Too slow, thin, misguided, and too few wild ideas, basically nothing wild enough after setup. All adults die, so 13-year olds and younger take over, leading to instant play war, if "play" applies when hundreds of thousands die. Solution is to swap countries and/or move to Mars. There you go.
Of Liu I can only recommend the Three Body Problem, much more science, less sociology. Readd them in order then thank me.
Of Liu I can only recommend the Three Body Problem, much more science, less sociology. Readd them in order then thank me.
sophie_taylor's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
njtigers's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
pjulich's review against another edition
emotional
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5