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shottel's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
World Running Down isn’t innovating, but that’s okay. It’s solid fiction, set a couple generations after rich people jump ship to a new planet after deciding that earth is a lost cause. A few large cities remain the last bastions of prosperity, while outside their borders things somewhat resemble Mad Max. In this environment Valentine, a trans guy trying to scrape together enough money to buy a visa to one of the cities, takes a job that sends him down a path that involves a lot of reflection about what it means to be sentient and our duty to others and the environment. Less high-falutin, there’s also a lot of gay emotions and some sex. It’s a genuinely enjoyable novel, especially if you like more reflective fiction or trans or gay main characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Transphobia, Violence, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide
raix's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Any enjoyable read with some interesting world-building! I loved the comparisons between AI, mechanical bodies, and the experience of being transgender. Seeing Osric learn and come to terms with life in a human(ish) body was delightful, as well as seeing the other androids come into their sentience in various ways. I loved Valentine's big heart, too. I feel like there is recently a trend away from stories where trans people have transition as a goal, so it was nice to see this as a major aspect of his character as it's an experience I can relate to. The way that different ways of life were expanded upon, and neither the city or the people living outside it were presented as wholly good or bad, was nice to see. I really found it fascinating the gap of even basic world history between the people of Salt Lake and those living outside of it. Also, in the beginning I worried that Ace would be presented as a one-dimensional antagonist who clashes with Valentine (especially when compared with Osric who is more or less entirely on Valentine's side), and I'm glad that in the end her character had nuance too.
The romance didn't really do it for me, although maybe I was just too asexual to enjoy it. I found myself thinking "You're going to have this conversation NOW?" and "You're going to do that HERE?". I found the flirtations a little unrealistic in situations with more important things going on. For me, one of the selling points of an AI/human romance is the lack of a sexual aspect, so in this case it just wasn't to my tastes (the reasoning for bumping down my rating). Overall I would say that the romance and plot are somewhat balanced, with the romance maybe taking a little more precedence.
The romance didn't really do it for me, although maybe I was just too asexual to enjoy it. I found myself thinking "You're going to have this conversation NOW?" and "You're going to do that HERE?". I found the flirtations a little unrealistic in situations with more important things going on. For me, one of the selling points of an AI/human romance is the lack of a sexual aspect, so in this case it just wasn't to my tastes (the reasoning for bumping down my rating). Overall I would say that the romance and plot are somewhat balanced, with the romance maybe taking a little more precedence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, and Classism