thegundammkii's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
This book is an intense, florid ride from start to finish.
The prose is rich without being too heavy, and Michael weaves a great neo noir sci fi story from first person perspective with incredible aptitude.
It has flavors of Blade Runner, The Fifth Element, and Metropolis. It's intense and visceral in spots and has a very bittersweet ending.
If your lgbtq and looking for a great sci fi read, this is your book.
The prose is rich without being too heavy, and Michael weaves a great neo noir sci fi story from first person perspective with incredible aptitude.
It has flavors of Blade Runner, The Fifth Element, and Metropolis. It's intense and visceral in spots and has a very bittersweet ending.
If your lgbtq and looking for a great sci fi read, this is your book.
flowerparrish's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
michaeljpdx's review against another edition
4.0
You can find my review of “A Fall in Autmn” at my web site.
sthenic's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
4.5
littlesmaug's review
challenging
dark
funny
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? Yes
4.5
Full review here: https://littlesmaug.wordpress.com/2022/06/23/review-a-fall-in-autumn-by-michael-g-williams/
Snippet:
Snippet:
It was admittedly a bit dense and I think I missed a bit of it on the first read. I want to go back to my ebook version to read again so I can highlight all of the little details that add up to the big reveal. Much like Lord of the Rings or Dune, it was harder to absorb it as an audiobook because there’s just a lot to keep track of. I made the mistake (?) of listening when I was tired, which led me to missing bits and pieces that became important later.
What I absolutely loved about the book was its protagonist, our narrator. Valerius talks to us like we have any clue what is going on in this science fiction world from page one. He’s a private eye, so it is very much narrated like a noir fiction novel, with our suave detective. But Valerius is not suave. He’s not misogynistic. He’s a poor gay man just trying to get by in a future society. The book starts off with him tracking a target and finding himself involved in a very unexpected adventure involving golems, ghosts, and avenging angels.
zoes_human's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
2022 REREAD
I enjoyed this every bit as much as the first time. Even better, on the reread, I was able to catch some of the true beauty of the story since I wasn't so frantically racing to find out what was going on. Though set some 10,000 years in the future, this does what the best of scifi does and says so much about who we are right now and what is the essence of humanity. That is done in part through a fully developed and complicated protagonist who is on par with even the best of Stephen King's character writing.
ORIGINAL REVIEW
What happens if you take a hardboiled detective story, locate it 10,000 years in the future, remove the toxic masculinity, and add wry humor with a hint of transhumanism? A Fall in Autumn is what you get.
Fleeing from a past he never chose, down-and-out Detective Valerius Bakhoum finds himself on the trail of a secret larger than he anticipated. Determined to solve the mystery, or at least get his landlady off his ass, he leads us through the last of the flying cities, from the squalid and dangerous markets of the criminal lower class to the pretentious elite neighborhoods of the criminal upper class.
While replete with the action and seediness of the genre, the authenticity of the characters and well-developed society keep it from being clichéd. The author also did some great things with linguistic drift, and I am a sucker for good drift. I loved every minute of it and was already longing for the next book at the halfway point. If all detective stories were like this, my shelves would be covered with them.
I enjoyed this every bit as much as the first time. Even better, on the reread, I was able to catch some of the true beauty of the story since I wasn't so frantically racing to find out what was going on. Though set some 10,000 years in the future, this does what the best of scifi does and says so much about who we are right now and what is the essence of humanity. That is done in part through a fully developed and complicated protagonist who is on par with even the best of Stephen King's character writing.
ORIGINAL REVIEW
What happens if you take a hardboiled detective story, locate it 10,000 years in the future, remove the toxic masculinity, and add wry humor with a hint of transhumanism? A Fall in Autumn is what you get.
Fleeing from a past he never chose, down-and-out Detective Valerius Bakhoum finds himself on the trail of a secret larger than he anticipated. Determined to solve the mystery, or at least get his landlady off his ass, he leads us through the last of the flying cities, from the squalid and dangerous markets of the criminal lower class to the pretentious elite neighborhoods of the criminal upper class.
While replete with the action and seediness of the genre, the authenticity of the characters and well-developed society keep it from being clichéd. The author also did some great things with linguistic drift, and I am a sucker for good drift. I loved every minute of it and was already longing for the next book at the halfway point. If all detective stories were like this, my shelves would be covered with them.
samanthabryant's review against another edition
5.0
Far-future, trans-human noir? Hells yeah! Sign me up. I was intrigued before I even started reading this book, just by the concept, and the telling did not disappoint.
Valerius Bakhoum is a great narrator, and I loved the wordplay of traditional tough-as-nails noir observation couched in far-future scenarios and situations.
The worldbuilding was seamless in the best possible way, with details explained sufficiently, but never going over into diatribes or lectures. The social mores aspect rode the line between commentary on our current situations and imaginings of what new issues will arise in the future.
The book was thoughtful and though provoking without becoming academic or dry. The plot offered action without losing heart. And the ending was perfect. I don't know whether to hope there will be more or not because it was such a beautiful place to stop. Probably the best thing I've read so far this year.
Valerius Bakhoum is a great narrator, and I loved the wordplay of traditional tough-as-nails noir observation couched in far-future scenarios and situations.
The worldbuilding was seamless in the best possible way, with details explained sufficiently, but never going over into diatribes or lectures. The social mores aspect rode the line between commentary on our current situations and imaginings of what new issues will arise in the future.
The book was thoughtful and though provoking without becoming academic or dry. The plot offered action without losing heart. And the ending was perfect. I don't know whether to hope there will be more or not because it was such a beautiful place to stop. Probably the best thing I've read so far this year.
adrianmcc's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
biegilfilen's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
More...