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rebeccazh's review
4.0
3.5 stars, with some stories I enjoyed more and others less, as is typical with an anthology. With the recent talk and discussion about AI chatbots like ChatGPT, this book was in some ways an imaginative response to these debates. I especially enjoyed the middle section that collected stories reimagining a futuristic Singapore. Quite funny to see the heavy presence of the state in almost every story, the almost absurd adherence to rules and regulations and the Singapore obsession with collecting points to get a certain grade.
literary_hazelnut's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
negated's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
dreamsinfiction's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
3.0
A mix of Malay fiction stories which is already a refreshing tale to start with. However, some stories felt a little flat and there were a lot of Malay terms used which I’m not sure would be inclusive to non-Malay speaking readers. I only discovered the glossary of terms at the end of the book after finishing the book which was a shame. The foreword could have made a mention of this.
nevenaivanova's review against another edition
This anthology is a beautiful reminder of why I love speculative fiction.
c3rem0nials's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
3.5
Had higher hopes for this book, some stories were definitely stronger than others. I really liked the choice to open and end the book with Nor's stories, it was effective in driving home the distant, but heavy and hovering feeling of what seems to be dystopian and speculative -- yet so familiar all the same. Some stories needed a bit more refining, but the specfic scene, let alone Malay specfic, is so young still, so I can't say much about quality.
chapteriosity's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
2.75
inkedinsummer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0