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scytheria's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Murder, Animal cruelty, Body horror, and Torture
aileend's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
3.5
First 120 pages - 5 stars
Second half - 2.5 stars
Make sure you've read Borne before you read this! Dead Astronauts is abstract, vague, evasive -so although they both stand alone, Borne will give you an understanding of the world Dead Astronauts is set in and allow you to follow the unconventional style of this one with a little more ease.
The narrative voice and characters shift half way through this book - something I should have been prepared for, having read some of VanderMeer's weirdly structured novels before (like City of Saints and Madmen, which becomes an educational text about squid partway through). But I was so wrapped up in the characters of the astronauts that I was sad to see the POV shift and didn't get on so much with the rest of the book, which reads like a collection of connected short stories set within the same world. But then that's usually what I love about his books, that they always challenge and surprise me.
Be warned; it's dark and unrestrained, angry and grotesque, but stunningly (if confusingly) written, poetic, and holds moments of real beauty among the horrors.
Second half - 2.5 stars
Make sure you've read Borne before you read this! Dead Astronauts is abstract, vague, evasive -so although they both stand alone, Borne will give you an understanding of the world Dead Astronauts is set in and allow you to follow the unconventional style of this one with a little more ease.
The narrative voice and characters shift half way through this book - something I should have been prepared for, having read some of VanderMeer's weirdly structured novels before (like City of Saints and Madmen, which becomes an educational text about squid partway through). But I was so wrapped up in the characters of the astronauts that I was sad to see the POV shift and didn't get on so much with the rest of the book, which reads like a collection of connected short stories set within the same world. But then that's usually what I love about his books, that they always challenge and surprise me.
Be warned; it's dark and unrestrained, angry and grotesque, but stunningly (if confusingly) written, poetic, and holds moments of real beauty among the horrors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
editrixemma's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, Animal death, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Violence, and Torture
ampharos906's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, and Animal death
funcharge's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence, and Animal death
princehal's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
irisirae's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
"Moss had made him fail in a way that allowed him to live, that gave some comfort, that was not really a failure."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
alexhaydon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Animal death, Child death, and Death
johana's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
thedreaminghare's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
If you've picked up any of VanderMeer's work before, you'll already know that he's the king of weird.
While not strictly necessary, I would read his Annihilation Trilogy as well as Borne before diving into Dead Astronauts. This book had the least linear storyline of those named, as well as a very loose interpretation of narrative structure. While the first section of the book follows the 'dead astronauts' Grayson, Chen, and Moss, the rest of the book wavers between many perspectives, most (all?) non-human ones which enhance and embellish the story enough to bring at least a semblance of meaning and understanding to the story.
Did I enjoy this book? Parts of it I absolutely loved. Others, I found challenging to understand and enjoy. However, I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing.
Will you enjoy this book? Hard to say. If you've read and loved Borne, enjoyed Vita Nostra, like reading Kierkegaard and other philosophers of his ilk, or are just in the mood for a challenging and weird non-linear/traditional narrative - you may as well give it a try!
While not strictly necessary, I would read his Annihilation Trilogy as well as Borne before diving into Dead Astronauts. This book had the least linear storyline of those named, as well as a very loose interpretation of narrative structure. While the first section of the book follows the 'dead astronauts' Grayson, Chen, and Moss, the rest of the book wavers between many perspectives, most (all?) non-human ones which enhance and embellish the story enough to bring at least a semblance of meaning and understanding to the story.
Did I enjoy this book? Parts of it I absolutely loved. Others, I found challenging to understand and enjoy. However, I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing.
Will you enjoy this book? Hard to say. If you've read and loved Borne, enjoyed Vita Nostra, like reading Kierkegaard and other philosophers of his ilk, or are just in the mood for a challenging and weird non-linear/traditional narrative - you may as well give it a try!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
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