whimsical_wombat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood and Violence
spectraljuice's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts
macliffe's review against another edition
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, and Cursing
wrackspurtt's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Physical abuse
wispy_reviews's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
In contrast, Liu’s background in science and engineering allows him to create a new wave of existential, cosmic dread: fear derived from actually knowing. Understanding how nature and the universe work opens the door for truly cosmic horror.
The writing, though dense with theory, is accessible to the layman and does a great job conveying the immensity of the plot.
This book made me hungry for more, and after I read the next two in the series I’ll be exploring even more contemporary Science Fiction
Graphic: Violence and Police brutality
Minor: Racism
pipn_t's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Moderate: Torture, Gore, and Violence
syinhui's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Violence and Death of parent
Moderate: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide
Minor: Xenophobia and War
gkgkgk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Murder, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and War
mdiffer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
4.5
Might not be everybody's cup of tea.
Expect a little more character development than Asimov or Clark... but not much. Characters are mostly one-dimensional. And that's ok, because this a story about big ideas. It's plot-heavy and a little dry at times with technical details. But I enjoyed the book and finished it quickly. For me, this was a page-turner.
I enjoyed the mystery plot and premise. It was nice to read something from a non-western perspective and history.
Spoiler
Characters navigating life in China during and after the Cultural Revolution were especially fascinating and heartbreaking. The end was abrupt and posed a subtle yet terrifying cosmic horror premise. What if a hostile invader could stunt our scientific progress?Moderate: Murder and Torture
Minor: War, Xenophobia, Genocide, Violence, and Suicide
lesejaguar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Torture, Alcohol, Violence, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Suicide and Pregnancy