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erinlcrane's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up because I was enjoying this, and then the last 2 stories happened. I left it on a low note, but there were some great ones in here. My favorites were:
1. Buried Treasure - Subtle small town darkness that was effectively creepy.
2. Abby - Did not see where this was going. Unsettling, just two people in a room and things escalate.
3. Passions - Loved the way this looked at obsession/jealousy and the way our attention or lack of it impacts our insight.
Some of these were realism or close to it and some were more speculative. I didn’t know what was “allowed” in any given story because of that which made it more unpredictable. I appreciated the range Bakic showed here. For the most part I enjoyed her straightforward style as well. But some of the stories didn’t do much for me, left me kind of meh. Per usual with short story collections, I suppose.
1. Buried Treasure - Subtle small town darkness that was effectively creepy.
2. Abby - Did not see where this was going. Unsettling, just two people in a room and things escalate.
3. Passions - Loved the way this looked at obsession/jealousy and the way our attention or lack of it impacts our insight.
Some of these were realism or close to it and some were more speculative. I didn’t know what was “allowed” in any given story because of that which made it more unpredictable. I appreciated the range Bakic showed here. For the most part I enjoyed her straightforward style as well. But some of the stories didn’t do much for me, left me kind of meh. Per usual with short story collections, I suppose.
vlad_atheart's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
abbie_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
This short story collection translated from Croatian contains some of the most fascinating sci-fi concepts I’ve read in ages. I’m so grateful to publishers like Feminist Press who take chances on authors in translation from regions we rarely see in western publishing. Bakić explores ideas of what we leave behind when we die, the ethics of harnessing AI, robot autonomy, queer love, immigration. There’s a lot going on in these stories, some weaker than others, but always compelling and also just nice to read in terms of style. It’s also not all sci-fi - one of my faves was two murderous women engaging in some sort of stand-off. Asja 5.0 and Abby were my other favourites, both of which explore scenarios that could arise if humans do turn to AI/technology to fulfil emotional needs usually met by other humans. I will definitely try to squeeze in SweetLust this year, as I’m excited to read more from this author!
lost_library's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I couldn’t put it down. Some stories were much more challenging to read than others, but they were all intriguing so well written, and I found myself excited to start each new story to see what new world it would contain. Will reread!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual content
juli_mod's review against another edition
4.0
Wer das Absurde und Merkwürdige liebt, wird in diesem Kurzgeschichtenband fündig. Science Fiction meets Female Gaze meets Metafiction meets Gesellschaftssatire. Eine wilde Mischung, bei der ich manchmal irritiert, manchmal geflasht, manchmal berührt war. Um die Geschichten zu beschreiben, müsste ich neue Genretitel finden wie sexy Dystopie oder poetische Science Autofiction?! „Mars“ ist eine Empfehlung für alle, die mal etwas anderes lesen wollen und sich dabei aus der eigenen Komfortzone des Eindeutigen und Verständlichen heraus bewegen möchten.
johnwwyatt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
flure's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75