shogins's review against another edition
2.0
I'm all about encouraging diversity in fiction and YA fiction and speculative fiction, but the only story in this book I found particularly interesting or memorable was the Le Guin one, which I had read before anyway. Having multicultural characters isn't enough to make a story - and to me, most of the stories in this book were just vehicles to trot out the characters, not actual STORIES. This may not make much sense, but suffice it to say most of the stories in this book were dull.
thestarman's review against another edition
3.0
Passing grade for a YA SF collection. It's hard to assign a discrete rating, but this was a better book than I expected.
At least 3 memorable stories, and no complete stinkers. The last story is by Ursula K. Le Guin.
At least 3 memorable stories, and no complete stinkers. The last story is by Ursula K. Le Guin.
nematome's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 stars
I like the idea of this anthology way more that I liked the anthology itself. This world is by no means populated by a white majority, so I think it’s ridiculous that so much of young adult literature is. One of the main things that can make me interested in reading a YA fantasy these days is a non-western setting - perhaps because I’ve read so much western-centric YA. I was really looking forward to reading this anthology, but after finishing it I found it to be mostly forgettable. However, there were a few really bright spots. Here's the run-down (listed from lowest rating to highest):
“Freshee’s Frogurt” by Daniel H. Wilson (1.5 stars): What the heck is this even doing in the collection? All of the main action and story is told by a white guy! I feel like this snuck in on a technicality (whether that technicality is the Native American character or the fact that Daniel H. Wilson’s Robopocalypse is being made by Steven Spielberg, I am not sure). This story is all mindless action with no substance.
“The Last Day” by Ellen Oh (3.5 stars), “Blue Skies” by Cindy Pon (3 stars), and “Gods of Dimming Light” by Greg Van Eekhout (3 stars) were all sorta interesting but ultimately very forgettable. I am having a hard time remembering anything but the vaguest of details right now.
“Uncertainty Principle” by K. Tempest Bradford (3 stars): The beginning of this really caught my interest, but then it just unraveled. It felt like she had a great idea for a full length novel, but then decided to cram it all into a short story. The second half felt completely rushed and as a result, most of the tension built during the first half was lost.
“Next Door” by Rahul Kanakia (3.5 stars): This one stuck out to me because I thought the world was a really interesting idea – a place where everyone is so plugged in and oblivious that they don’t even “see” the hundreds of their fellow humans squatting in their own homes/garages. It’s like human apathy to an extreme degree. However, the story itself did almost nothing for me.
“What Arms to Hold” by Rajan Khanna (3.5 stars): This is another one that I mostly liked. It also has a very interesting premise – very reminiscent of Ender’s Game. I also really liked the ending – it was pretty dark stuff. I’d like to read more from this author.
“A Pocket Full of Dharma” by Paolo Bacigalupi (3.5 stars): This was the second time I’ve read this one and I liked it less the second time. A very well developed world that is very authentically non-western with a sympathetic main character, but it didn’t really wow me. It’s a stand-out in this collection, though.
“Pattern Recognition” by Ken Liu (4 stars): This was one of my favorites. I loved Liu’s tie-in of real world child labor, and it was a nicely contained story that felt complete and very well executed.
“Good Girl” by Malinda Lo (4 stars): Dear girls of YA, please stop falling for the first jerk who treats you like crap. Even if she’s a girl, it’s still not sexy. That being said this was actually one of my favorites of the collection. It felt like an intense snapshot of the life of a girl I could completely relate to, and I thought it had a great ending. Maybe I didn’t quite like that Lo’s “good girl” main character would fall for the bad girl jerk, but it did feel authentic to the character that she would want to rebel a bit, and the relationship was painted realistically without any rosy, romantic artificiality. This was one where I wished for more.
“Solitude” by Ursula K. Le Guin (4.5 stars): Probably my favorite in the collection, although it’s a re-print. Ursula Le Guin isn’t afraid to dive headlong into a completely foreign culture and fully commit herself to its point of view. Here, we follow a young girl who’s relocated to a very tribal planet by her anthropologist mother and raised within its customs as a sort of experiment. However, when the time comes for her family to relocate back to their homeland, she finds that she can’t bear to part with her childhood home. A very interesting look at cultural perceptions and the things that shape us.
Also seen at The Readventurer.
I like the idea of this anthology way more that I liked the anthology itself. This world is by no means populated by a white majority, so I think it’s ridiculous that so much of young adult literature is. One of the main things that can make me interested in reading a YA fantasy these days is a non-western setting - perhaps because I’ve read so much western-centric YA. I was really looking forward to reading this anthology, but after finishing it I found it to be mostly forgettable. However, there were a few really bright spots. Here's the run-down (listed from lowest rating to highest):
“Freshee’s Frogurt” by Daniel H. Wilson (1.5 stars): What the heck is this even doing in the collection? All of the main action and story is told by a white guy! I feel like this snuck in on a technicality (whether that technicality is the Native American character or the fact that Daniel H. Wilson’s Robopocalypse is being made by Steven Spielberg, I am not sure). This story is all mindless action with no substance.
“The Last Day” by Ellen Oh (3.5 stars), “Blue Skies” by Cindy Pon (3 stars), and “Gods of Dimming Light” by Greg Van Eekhout (3 stars) were all sorta interesting but ultimately very forgettable. I am having a hard time remembering anything but the vaguest of details right now.
“Uncertainty Principle” by K. Tempest Bradford (3 stars): The beginning of this really caught my interest, but then it just unraveled. It felt like she had a great idea for a full length novel, but then decided to cram it all into a short story. The second half felt completely rushed and as a result, most of the tension built during the first half was lost.
“Next Door” by Rahul Kanakia (3.5 stars): This one stuck out to me because I thought the world was a really interesting idea – a place where everyone is so plugged in and oblivious that they don’t even “see” the hundreds of their fellow humans squatting in their own homes/garages. It’s like human apathy to an extreme degree. However, the story itself did almost nothing for me.
“What Arms to Hold” by Rajan Khanna (3.5 stars): This is another one that I mostly liked. It also has a very interesting premise – very reminiscent of Ender’s Game. I also really liked the ending – it was pretty dark stuff. I’d like to read more from this author.
“A Pocket Full of Dharma” by Paolo Bacigalupi (3.5 stars): This was the second time I’ve read this one and I liked it less the second time. A very well developed world that is very authentically non-western with a sympathetic main character, but it didn’t really wow me. It’s a stand-out in this collection, though.
“Pattern Recognition” by Ken Liu (4 stars): This was one of my favorites. I loved Liu’s tie-in of real world child labor, and it was a nicely contained story that felt complete and very well executed.
“Good Girl” by Malinda Lo (4 stars): Dear girls of YA, please stop falling for the first jerk who treats you like crap. Even if she’s a girl, it’s still not sexy. That being said this was actually one of my favorites of the collection. It felt like an intense snapshot of the life of a girl I could completely relate to, and I thought it had a great ending. Maybe I didn’t quite like that Lo’s “good girl” main character would fall for the bad girl jerk, but it did feel authentic to the character that she would want to rebel a bit, and the relationship was painted realistically without any rosy, romantic artificiality. This was one where I wished for more.
“Solitude” by Ursula K. Le Guin (4.5 stars): Probably my favorite in the collection, although it’s a re-print. Ursula Le Guin isn’t afraid to dive headlong into a completely foreign culture and fully commit herself to its point of view. Here, we follow a young girl who’s relocated to a very tribal planet by her anthropologist mother and raised within its customs as a sort of experiment. However, when the time comes for her family to relocate back to their homeland, she finds that she can’t bear to part with her childhood home. A very interesting look at cultural perceptions and the things that shape us.
Also seen at The Readventurer.
amyjoy's review against another edition
Goodreads just recommended this to me, except I've already read it! Except I can't remember if it was from 2013 or 2014 (13 probably). I liked it; there were some good stories here.
nicolet2018's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up on a spur not knowing how diverse this anthology would be. I was surprised that it featured young adults of different ethnicities. It felt very refreshing. I think the reason why I was interested was because the anthology centred on Dystopia. I loved the preface and the afterword. Honestly I have never heard of any of these authors before but am interested to be introduced to them.
The Last Day by Ellen Oh
4/5 stars
As this is the first story I do not really have a benchmark to compare this to. I could not quite get the world. I thought it was WW2 because it was set in Japan and children were supposed to fight as soldiers. Silly right?
It felt tense and I was glued to the part where Ms Ueda came to take Kenji's neighbour's daughter. I like the writing. The end was so sad and quick. I could not believe it ended that way. I felt the injustice wrought on the people because of the Emperor's wishes to have more. Despite this being the first it was one of the stories I enjoyed the most because it felt so human.
Freshee's Frogurt by Daniel H. Wilson
3/5 stars
I felt that the title was odd. I did not like the way the story was told. In a magazine interview style. It was about robots rising up to try and over throw humans. No doubt the story was short and centred on one small incident. The details were vivid and startling. Such as the violence. It goes to show how people exhibit scepticism in things that are out of the ordinary and what this ignorance can cost. It plays up artificial intelligience and asks if robots could truly feel anger, happiness and sadness. As well as the will to act against orders.
Uncertainty Principle by K. Tempest Bedford.
2.5/5 stars
This started out good. But it became confusing. The story's time travelling was poorly written, tough to understand. The plot lost steam towards the end. I was bored.
Pattern Recognition by Ken Liu
3/5 stars
The story began nicely. Children are taken and brought to a facility where they are taught in a certain way, fed and trained for a particular skill: pattern recognition. The main character hardly made an impact other than the fact that he was sneaking off to meet a girl. What was interesting was that the director of the school was considered an abuser when the world knew of this school. He was condemned but he argues that he provides the children a safe place.
Who is right? I think that it was noble to bring in many children, feed them and educate them in certain skills but not to lie to them about the world outside. However cruel it may be.
Gods of the Dimming Light by Greg Van Eekhout
3/5 stars
I sat up and paid attention when I read that norse gods like Odin were mentioned. I love how the story tied mythology with dystopian. A risk but well done. I love the setting. Very typical dystopian of despair, poverty and hope. I think the point of Norsecode Genomics was silly. The main character's decision surprised me but now thinking about it. He made the right decision. It all sounds too far fetched.
Next Door by Rahul Kanakia
3.5/5 stars
I liked the idea of the Strangers. It reminds me of the movie, Surrogates. I was surprised to see a mixed gay couple. The ending was not that bad.
Good Girl by Malinda Lo
3/5 stars
Another dystopian world I liked. Again I was surprised to read about a girl expressing attraction to another girl. I do not read about lgbt much in novels. It is more a choice. I am okay with it but some part of me is also not entirely comfortable with the idea still. The rest of the story was good.
A Pocket Full Of Dharma by Paolo Bacigalupi
3/5 stars
I was intrigued by such a dark world. The story flowed well and I was dying to know what would happen to Wang Jun and what was inside the cube. It ended most unexpectedly.
Blue Skies by Cindy Pon
2.5/5 stars
I think Cindy Pon is the only writer I did recognize but I have not read any of her books. I love the idea of a bad boy and the world where the rich wear fish bowls and air conditioned suits because the air has become so polluted.
I wished the story had more time to develop so I could find out more about what the MC wanted. His mannerisms and characteristics were very typical of a young teenage guy. Like admiring a girl's breasts. I will admit I had a fear that Stockholm Sydrome would develop between captive and kidnapper. It honestly seemed to be happening but in the end, it did not.
What Arms to Hold Us by Rajan Khanna
3/5 stars
I liked the world building but the plot felt too straight forward. Death and lies is not but the flow and characters just felt that way.
Solitude by Ursula K. Le Guin
2/5 stars
This had a sci-fi feel. It seemed interesting. But the MC was odd. The world and the people of Eleven Soro were strange. The idea that technology is considered magic is simple minded. I agreed with some of the MC's musings and the people of Eleven Soro do have good morels. But I do not agree with all of it. The blatant mentions of sex further enhance this wild culture and world. I am glad that the people are not animals but they live lives not everyone can understand.
Overall I was happy to see so many characters of mixed or different enthnicities. Many stories were based in china or off it. That was different. The same sex relationships and romance further enhance the diversity. I liked that romance is not a fore front of these stories like most YA. The worlds and lessons of the stories are what is focused upon. I love why the editors did this anthology. It introduced many authors but was not the best writing. There was a great idea behind it but not everyone will like this.
The Last Day by Ellen Oh
4/5 stars
As this is the first story I do not really have a benchmark to compare this to. I could not quite get the world. I thought it was WW2 because it was set in Japan and children were supposed to fight as soldiers. Silly right?
It felt tense and I was glued to the part where Ms Ueda came to take Kenji's neighbour's daughter. I like the writing. The end was so sad and quick. I could not believe it ended that way. I felt the injustice wrought on the people because of the Emperor's wishes to have more. Despite this being the first it was one of the stories I enjoyed the most because it felt so human.
Freshee's Frogurt by Daniel H. Wilson
3/5 stars
I felt that the title was odd. I did not like the way the story was told. In a magazine interview style. It was about robots rising up to try and over throw humans. No doubt the story was short and centred on one small incident. The details were vivid and startling. Such as the violence. It goes to show how people exhibit scepticism in things that are out of the ordinary and what this ignorance can cost. It plays up artificial intelligience and asks if robots could truly feel anger, happiness and sadness. As well as the will to act against orders.
Uncertainty Principle by K. Tempest Bedford.
2.5/5 stars
This started out good. But it became confusing. The story's time travelling was poorly written, tough to understand. The plot lost steam towards the end. I was bored.
Pattern Recognition by Ken Liu
3/5 stars
The story began nicely. Children are taken and brought to a facility where they are taught in a certain way, fed and trained for a particular skill: pattern recognition. The main character hardly made an impact other than the fact that he was sneaking off to meet a girl. What was interesting was that the director of the school was considered an abuser when the world knew of this school. He was condemned but he argues that he provides the children a safe place.
Who is right? I think that it was noble to bring in many children, feed them and educate them in certain skills but not to lie to them about the world outside. However cruel it may be.
Gods of the Dimming Light by Greg Van Eekhout
3/5 stars
I sat up and paid attention when I read that norse gods like Odin were mentioned. I love how the story tied mythology with dystopian. A risk but well done. I love the setting. Very typical dystopian of despair, poverty and hope. I think the point of Norsecode Genomics was silly. The main character's decision surprised me but now thinking about it. He made the right decision. It all sounds too far fetched.
Next Door by Rahul Kanakia
3.5/5 stars
I liked the idea of the Strangers. It reminds me of the movie, Surrogates. I was surprised to see a mixed gay couple. The ending was not that bad.
Good Girl by Malinda Lo
3/5 stars
Another dystopian world I liked. Again I was surprised to read about a girl expressing attraction to another girl. I do not read about lgbt much in novels. It is more a choice. I am okay with it but some part of me is also not entirely comfortable with the idea still. The rest of the story was good.
A Pocket Full Of Dharma by Paolo Bacigalupi
3/5 stars
I was intrigued by such a dark world. The story flowed well and I was dying to know what would happen to Wang Jun and what was inside the cube. It ended most unexpectedly.
Blue Skies by Cindy Pon
2.5/5 stars
I think Cindy Pon is the only writer I did recognize but I have not read any of her books. I love the idea of a bad boy and the world where the rich wear fish bowls and air conditioned suits because the air has become so polluted.
I wished the story had more time to develop so I could find out more about what the MC wanted. His mannerisms and characteristics were very typical of a young teenage guy. Like admiring a girl's breasts. I will admit I had a fear that Stockholm Sydrome would develop between captive and kidnapper. It honestly seemed to be happening but in the end, it did not.
What Arms to Hold Us by Rajan Khanna
3/5 stars
I liked the world building but the plot felt too straight forward. Death and lies is not but the flow and characters just felt that way.
Solitude by Ursula K. Le Guin
2/5 stars
This had a sci-fi feel. It seemed interesting. But the MC was odd. The world and the people of Eleven Soro were strange. The idea that technology is considered magic is simple minded. I agreed with some of the MC's musings and the people of Eleven Soro do have good morels. But I do not agree with all of it. The blatant mentions of sex further enhance this wild culture and world. I am glad that the people are not animals but they live lives not everyone can understand.
Overall I was happy to see so many characters of mixed or different enthnicities. Many stories were based in china or off it. That was different. The same sex relationships and romance further enhance the diversity. I liked that romance is not a fore front of these stories like most YA. The worlds and lessons of the stories are what is focused upon. I love why the editors did this anthology. It introduced many authors but was not the best writing. There was a great idea behind it but not everyone will like this.
aprilbooksandwine's review against another edition
4.0
Diverse Energies edited by Tobias S. Buckell and Joe Monti is a superb anthology. This book provides a good sample of various authors which is perfect if you're looking to read more #ownvoices and are not quite sure where to begin. Read my full review here
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Mandy W.
Cover Story: The Future Is Bleak
The Best: "Pattern Recognition" by Ken Liu, "Next Door" by Rahul Kanakia, "Blue Skies" by Cindy Pon
The Worst: "What Arms to Hold Us" by Raja Khanna
The Weird: "Uncertainty Principle" by K. Tempest Bradford, "A Pocket Full of Dharma" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Bonus Factors: Diversity, LGBTQ, Skynet, Time Travel, Vikings
Break Glass In Case Of: Dystopia Fatigue
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: The Future Is Bleak
The Best: "Pattern Recognition" by Ken Liu, "Next Door" by Rahul Kanakia, "Blue Skies" by Cindy Pon
The Worst: "What Arms to Hold Us" by Raja Khanna
The Weird: "Uncertainty Principle" by K. Tempest Bradford, "A Pocket Full of Dharma" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Bonus Factors: Diversity, LGBTQ, Skynet, Time Travel, Vikings
Break Glass In Case Of: Dystopia Fatigue
Read the full book report here.
alexctelander's review against another edition
4.0
There have been a number of science fiction anthologies released over the last few years, and a good portion of them were on the subject of dystopian worlds. A future time where things don’t look so great, but the characters in the stories have hope for something better. But none of them are anything like Diverse Energies edited by Tobias Bucknell of British and Caribbean heritage. In the introduction, Bucknell talks about growing up and loving science fiction, but was always disappointed how the covers featured tough white guys with chiseled chins; that none of them ever looked like him. So when he set out to put Diverse Energies together, he was looking for diversity in every story.
“The Last Day” by Ellen Oh is set in a dystopian Japan where the world is at war and the children fear the next explosion will wipe out everything. “Next Door” by Rahul Kanakia is a world where the rich and well off are hooked into their virtual worlds, while the poor squat in their homes trying to eke out a living; in this story two boyfriends search for the ultimate place to live. “Good Girl” by Malinda Lo is about a relationship between two girls set in a world where races need to be pure otherwise people will become infected with a lethal illness; at least that’s what the government is telling them. The high point of the anthology is “Uncertainty Principle” by K. Tempest Bradford about a girl whose world keeps changing and she’s the only one who knows it’s happening. The collection also features stories from Paolo Baciagalupi and Ursula LeGuin.
Diverse Energies features no stories with tough white dudes and their chiseled chins. It features real people, from all walks of life, from all classes, from a number of different races, nations and cultures. The plots are unique and interesting encompassing many different worlds, and while all of them are of a dystopian nature, some have a little more hope and possibility than others. Diverse Energies is an anthology like no other, which is exactly why you need to read it.
For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.
“The Last Day” by Ellen Oh is set in a dystopian Japan where the world is at war and the children fear the next explosion will wipe out everything. “Next Door” by Rahul Kanakia is a world where the rich and well off are hooked into their virtual worlds, while the poor squat in their homes trying to eke out a living; in this story two boyfriends search for the ultimate place to live. “Good Girl” by Malinda Lo is about a relationship between two girls set in a world where races need to be pure otherwise people will become infected with a lethal illness; at least that’s what the government is telling them. The high point of the anthology is “Uncertainty Principle” by K. Tempest Bradford about a girl whose world keeps changing and she’s the only one who knows it’s happening. The collection also features stories from Paolo Baciagalupi and Ursula LeGuin.
Diverse Energies features no stories with tough white dudes and their chiseled chins. It features real people, from all walks of life, from all classes, from a number of different races, nations and cultures. The plots are unique and interesting encompassing many different worlds, and while all of them are of a dystopian nature, some have a little more hope and possibility than others. Diverse Energies is an anthology like no other, which is exactly why you need to read it.
For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.