elliottback's review
4.0
I would give it 5 stars, but for the endless repetition of "DIRG" and "amyloid".
mjfmjfmjf's review
4.0
A coming of age medium hard sf book set in college (not high school or middle school - I can't think of another) at an orbital station in the semi near future. Lots of cool and weird concepts poured on a bit too thickly but I was happy to see a new book by Slonczewski - it has been years - even if it as comparatively fluffy as this.
karak's review
4.0
I did like this book. The language and terms got easier to understand as the book went on. It's not an easy read, but the story is interesting.
My last book for 2011!
My last book for 2011!
weesam_nz's review
2.0
The world Slonczewski has created here is fascinating. A really well done believable near future I wouldn't want to live in.
The story is about Jenny, who has gone away to college. Her college is in orbit. Jenny meets her roommate. Jenny meets a boy. Jenny dates a boy. Jenny has conversations with her parents and relatives. Jenny votes in elections. Jenny plays ball games. Really, that's about all that happens. A year in the life of Jenny. There is no real story, no plot. It's dull, and such a disappointment. Considering how well Slonczewski built her world, it is such a shame she couldn't find a decent story to put into it.
The story is about Jenny, who has gone away to college. Her college is in orbit. Jenny meets her roommate. Jenny meets a boy. Jenny dates a boy. Jenny has conversations with her parents and relatives. Jenny votes in elections. Jenny plays ball games. Really, that's about all that happens. A year in the life of Jenny. There is no real story, no plot. It's dull, and such a disappointment. Considering how well Slonczewski built her world, it is such a shame she couldn't find a decent story to put into it.
lizhenry's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book and think it's hilarious. No one mentions the humor! Well, as far as a book about facing disasters can be funny, it is. I also love that so many of the characters end up revealing different disabilities -- asking for and getting accommodations. There are super clear echoes of Hurricane Katrina here so if you are interested in people's responses to disaster (both long-unfolding climate disasters and short term crisis) you will get a good hard look at disabled university students in space figuring out how to work together.
greeniezona's review
4.0
Okay, let's get this out of the way: Slonczewski is my favorite writer currently writing works of science fiction. I am highly disposed to adore anything that she writes. But there were so many things going on in this novel that at times even I wondered if she was going to be able to pull it all together in the end. (Spoiler alert: she did.)
The very basics of the story: It's one hundred years in the future. Jenny Kennedy is now the only daughter of a powerful and very political family. Reeling from the death of her twin brother, she chooses to go to college in an orbiting space habitat, billed as ultra-secure. Of course, things are never what they seem.
Things I really loved about this story: It's hard science fiction -- specifically in the field of molecular biology/microbiology/evolution. She plays with some really fascinating ideas here: bioengineering HIV for gene therapy - "Did you take your HIV, dear?", bioengineering plants to mimic human systems, can we produce signaling molecules for humor, piety, wisdom? It's feminist science fiction -- not just a "strong female protagonist," but a variety of female and male characters, in positions of power and without, who are strong, flawed, and gentle in turns, and sometimes all at once.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is fed by Slonczewski's experience as a college department chair. Most of the action in this book takes place at Frontera College. It was really interesting to see issues and crises from the viewpoints of students, professors, administrators, parents, funders al at once. Conflicts of interest that had never occurred to me before were suddenly obvious.
The issue that I'm not sure if I loved, hated, or what was race. Which was complicated -- like it is. This is a future where almost all well-off children are genetically engineered. They may or may not share the same genetic race as their parents. A Quaker couple chooses their two favorite indigenous tribes for the racial characteristics of their twins. "Racism" as we currently know it isn't on display here, though it's definitely not post-prejudice. It's just that prejudice has mostly shifted to if you were engineered or not. There are also a lot of stupid assumptions made by characters of a character who was raised Amish. Oh, and while there are definitely prominent gay characters, there is still some orientation weirdness. And don't even get me started on the gender-performance weirdness of the First Lady debates.
Okay, really. I could write and write and write about this. (If you've read this and want to chat, send me a message!) I have some opinions. But I really loved this, and am wondering if Slonczewski is planning any more novels in this universe. (Some signs seemed to indicate yes, some no.)
No, wait! Two more things! I really loved the exchange of religious ideas in this book. And also the Foundation trilogy shout-outs. Okay. Done.
The very basics of the story: It's one hundred years in the future. Jenny Kennedy is now the only daughter of a powerful and very political family. Reeling from the death of her twin brother, she chooses to go to college in an orbiting space habitat, billed as ultra-secure. Of course, things are never what they seem.
Things I really loved about this story: It's hard science fiction -- specifically in the field of molecular biology/microbiology/evolution. She plays with some really fascinating ideas here: bioengineering HIV for gene therapy - "Did you take your HIV, dear?", bioengineering plants to mimic human systems, can we produce signaling molecules for humor, piety, wisdom? It's feminist science fiction -- not just a "strong female protagonist," but a variety of female and male characters, in positions of power and without, who are strong, flawed, and gentle in turns, and sometimes all at once.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is fed by Slonczewski's experience as a college department chair. Most of the action in this book takes place at Frontera College. It was really interesting to see issues and crises from the viewpoints of students, professors, administrators, parents, funders al at once. Conflicts of interest that had never occurred to me before were suddenly obvious.
The issue that I'm not sure if I loved, hated, or what was race. Which was complicated -- like it is. This is a future where almost all well-off children are genetically engineered. They may or may not share the same genetic race as their parents. A Quaker couple chooses their two favorite indigenous tribes for the racial characteristics of their twins. "Racism" as we currently know it isn't on display here, though it's definitely not post-prejudice. It's just that prejudice has mostly shifted to if you were engineered or not. There are also a lot of stupid assumptions made by characters of a character who was raised Amish. Oh, and while there are definitely prominent gay characters, there is still some orientation weirdness. And don't even get me started on the gender-performance weirdness of the First Lady debates.
Okay, really. I could write and write and write about this. (If you've read this and want to chat, send me a message!) I have some opinions. But I really loved this, and am wondering if Slonczewski is planning any more novels in this universe. (Some signs seemed to indicate yes, some no.)
No, wait! Two more things! I really loved the exchange of religious ideas in this book. And also the Foundation trilogy shout-outs. Okay. Done.
cameliarose's review
4.0
A GR friend says nowadays dystopian science fictions read like non-fictions. I agree, and The Highest Frontier is one of them.
The story is set 90 years in the future. At a glance, the future world looks good, technologically and biologically advanced. Humans have built sustainable habitats in the earth's lower orbit; cyborgs are every day existence; HIV has been tamed to fight diseases; genetic engineering everywhere, even in humans; human brains can be connected to virtual network through "brainstream", etc, etc... However, the advance of technology has not solved the environmental problems of our time. Carbon immersion is banned globally but it is already too late. The buried methane is unleashed. The sea rising becomes unstoppable. Cities lose to the sea. The death belt replaces Amazon rain forest. Countries fight over the ice free Antarctica. The ozone depletion makes un-treated humans blind by age of 30 and allows an alien microb-like life form descends onto the earth.
Ok, these are all the usual science fiction stuff. Nothing surprising. What give my goosebumps are the politics and the presidential election that so eerily similar to what we have been going through since 2016. The rise of Christian far-right groups, extreme religious believes hindering social and scientific development, the follies of American democracy, voting fraud and voter repression, voting against one's own interests, lies and misinformations, the blurred line between entertainment and politics, all too gut-wrenching to read.
Joan Slonczewski is a biologist. I always love the life science in her books. The Highest Frontier is no exception.
The story is set 90 years in the future. At a glance, the future world looks good, technologically and biologically advanced. Humans have built sustainable habitats in the earth's lower orbit; cyborgs are every day existence; HIV has been tamed to fight diseases; genetic engineering everywhere, even in humans; human brains can be connected to virtual network through "brainstream", etc, etc... However, the advance of technology has not solved the environmental problems of our time. Carbon immersion is banned globally but it is already too late. The buried methane is unleashed. The sea rising becomes unstoppable. Cities lose to the sea. The death belt replaces Amazon rain forest. Countries fight over the ice free Antarctica. The ozone depletion makes un-treated humans blind by age of 30 and allows an alien microb-like life form descends onto the earth.
Ok, these are all the usual science fiction stuff. Nothing surprising. What give my goosebumps are the politics and the presidential election that so eerily similar to what we have been going through since 2016. The rise of Christian far-right groups, extreme religious believes hindering social and scientific development, the follies of American democracy, voting fraud and voter repression, voting against one's own interests, lies and misinformations, the blurred line between entertainment and politics, all too gut-wrenching to read.
Joan Slonczewski is a biologist. I always love the life science in her books. The Highest Frontier is no exception.
squirrelfish's review
5.0
An alternate future not too far away, tangentially exploring many of the issues we're just beginning to see, this is a coming of age novel that let's us explore what it means to be a person. The plot is all over the place, but the world is fascinating. I would love a full series with the protagonist, or even more books just set in the same world.
amandamarie's review
4.0
I really wanted to love this, and there was a lot to like, but in the end there was something missing for me. Joan Slonczewski has been my favorite author since I was 14, so the thought of a new book from her was thrilling! I've read that this is only the first book in a cycle, so hopefully once I've read the rest of the books the story will really gel. The world building, as is expected, is absolute brilliant, but not so dense that lay people such as myself can't understand what's going on. The writing is good, but I found the characters really grating. I think if there was more time spent on the alien invaders I would have found the story more compelling. Ultra was fascinating! If you could give a book 3.5 stars on this site I would, but I went for the higher rating until I've read the next books.