reasonpassion's review
4.0
I wasn't entirely certain what to make of the description, but found it intriguing. I was pleasantly surprised to note that it wasn't fully accurate. This is far more of a philosophical pondering of metaphysics and relationships than either a murder mystery or scifi epic. Whatever may be said about the accuracy of the science explored is beside the point, as it serves as a great medium for an exploration of how we live our lives and how perception works to expand or limit our expression. Add in a good deal of witty dialogue, particularly at the beginning, and you've got a story will certainly start a few conversations.
foggy_rosamund's review
4.0
Living in a far future, Sara travels to Iris, an unexplored alien world, among a team of press, scientists, and military men. Part of her mission is to look after Thora, a woman of a politically important family, who is believed to have had a psychotic breakdown. But Thora is not mentally ill, and Sara needs her help far more than Thora needs hers. This is a short novel, and Gilman does not manage to flesh out her characters to any great extent, so the relationship between Thora and Sara, though pivotal, feels underexplored. However, Gilman more than makes up for that in her exploration of the planet Iris. It is thought to be uninhabited, but Thora and the others discover a blind race of people, who have developed a culture entirely devoid of visual stimuli. By writing about these people, Gilman successfully demonstrates the social model of disability, as well as using them as a vehicle for sci-fi ideas about inter-dimensional travel. This is a short novel, and for the most part that is a strength: it leaves the reader satisfied, but wanting more.
numbuh212's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.25
jerseygrrrl's review
4.0
There's lots to love here! This book reminds me of Hellspark, by Janet Kagen, in its treatment of different cultures. It's science-anthropology-fiction and explores how differences in environment affect social norms, language, and perceptions of the world.
Like many, I was drawn in immediately to Sara's voice. The first narrator, she's wry, smart, and a little anarchist. She's a fun person to have as a companion on the journey through Dark Orbit. I was put off initially by Thora. She's the opposite of Sara of many ways: she's serious, focused on the interior (the life of the self), and a little anti-social. Over time, though, I came to appreciate her, especially as she traveled into an alien world and wrote so thoughtfully about her experiences, questioning her assumptions and interpretations.
The book had some flaws. Everything wrapped up so quickly at the end, jarringly quickly. I would have liked each of the five or so Big Issues to have their own space, not get tied up all together in ten pages. Some of the resolutions were a little too simplistic, especially in comparison to the complexity and thoughtfulness of the rest of the book.
But all, anyone who loved Hellspark will appreciate this book.
Like many, I was drawn in immediately to Sara's voice. The first narrator, she's wry, smart, and a little anarchist. She's a fun person to have as a companion on the journey through Dark Orbit. I was put off initially by Thora. She's the opposite of Sara of many ways: she's serious, focused on the interior (the life of the self), and a little anti-social. Over time, though, I came to appreciate her, especially as she traveled into an alien world and wrote so thoughtfully about her experiences, questioning her assumptions and interpretations.
The book had some flaws. Everything wrapped up so quickly at the end, jarringly quickly. I would have liked each of the five or so Big Issues to have their own space, not get tied up all together in ten pages. Some of the resolutions were a little too simplistic, especially in comparison to the complexity and thoughtfulness of the rest of the book.
But all, anyone who loved Hellspark will appreciate this book.
mikiher's review
3.0
This was a nice read, but unfortunately a little bit too much on the spiritual side for me.
lautir's review
3.0
This book took a turn that I really wasn't expecting both in story and in theme focus. They weren't bad twist but they weren't what I signed up for when I started.
The premise and first few chapters were able to grab me but once the story reached the planet exploration part I did start to lose interest. By the end of the book I was hoping for more character development as well as better reveals of their motives but the ending kind of just faded out in a not so satisfactory way.
The things I did enjoy for a while were some of the characters inner musing about senses and space and all that but it kind of got drawn on, or at least never reached a solid conclusion that made it seem like it was worth spending a whole chapter with just a stream of consciousness.
The premise and first few chapters were able to grab me but once the story reached the planet exploration part I did start to lose interest. By the end of the book I was hoping for more character development as well as better reveals of their motives but the ending kind of just faded out in a not so satisfactory way.
The things I did enjoy for a while were some of the characters inner musing about senses and space and all that but it kind of got drawn on, or at least never reached a solid conclusion that made it seem like it was worth spending a whole chapter with just a stream of consciousness.
erichart's review
5.0
It's been a while since I've enjoyed myself so much reading an SF novel. This one has it all: Space exploration, big cutting-edge scientific mysteries, political intrigue, characters with broken identities, First Contact... And all in a taut narrative. I read it in a single sitting (okay, I was home with the flu, but still). Gilman also pokes fun at the scientific community, with the bureaucratic- minded scientists who often seem more interested in their own status than in actually getting results. Really one of the year's best.
ddxv's review
4.0
Dark Orbit was a refreshing read for the often flat male dominated scifi genre. It reminded me in wonderful ways of a fairy tale, as well as a 70s scifi psychedellic experience. Enjoy!