dajna's review
2.0
Mmm... no.
I liked the idea of a dystopian Gabriele D'Annunzio and I wanted to like this book so bad, but I didn't get it at all. It could work as the introduction for a novel, since it's look like a list of characters and explanation of their skills and roles, but where's the climax? Where's the plot, actually?
Usually dystopias or alternative history's stories are set in an american background. I was happy to see something focusing on a less-know episode of the italian history, but I feel like it's a wasted opportunity.
I liked the idea of a dystopian Gabriele D'Annunzio and I wanted to like this book so bad, but I didn't get it at all. It could work as the introduction for a novel, since it's look like a list of characters and explanation of their skills and roles, but where's the climax? Where's the plot, actually?
Usually dystopias or alternative history's stories are set in an american background. I was happy to see something focusing on a less-know episode of the italian history, but I feel like it's a wasted opportunity.
blevins's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite sure what to make of this odd, short novel from Sterling. Set in an alternate 1920s in the little known location of Fiume, Sterling combines Futurists, Communists, Houdini, Dadaists, revolutionary women who work in a torpedo factory, ex-WW1 aviation heroes, and others in an energetic, non-stop riff on industrialism and what? Modernity? At least that's my guess. I loved the constructivist illustrations throughout the book that add to the tone of the book tremendously. I mean, check that cover out!
roxanamalinachirila's review against another edition
1.0
When I worked for a TV show, the producer would come into the editing room and have a look at the episode for that week. The show was crap and no mistake, but even so, there were standards.
"So what's going on here?" the producer would ask.
"This guy over here goes to work and-"
"What the hell are you telling me for?!"
"Well, boss, you asked and-"
"And are you going to go to each and every member of the audience and explain what the hell's going on? No? Well, then, redo this shit so it's comprehensible."
It was a memorable thing - you can't edit video and add footnotes. The movie, the show, the whatever needs to stand on its own, without you whispering in the ears of each member of the audience what's going on.
"Pirate Utopia" has an intro explaining what's going on and an interview at the end explaining even *more* what's going on, which is great if you plan on reading those, because it's pretty hard to figure out what's up without them. Some people might enjoy that, but I consider it sloppy.
This is an alternate history novel set in Fiume in 1920, a city between Italy and Yugoslavia which becomes its own little country. It has all sorts of political factions in it, such as communists and futurists. They took over the means of production and are doing something with them. That something seems to be making torpedoes, to prove the world that they... can?
I'm not sure why this is a pirate utopia. The author assures us in the interview at the end that they steal everything, but aside from stealing their way into a cinema where a probably pirated movie is projected, I can't see anything else getting stolen. There are just a number of people presented and vaguely discussed. Mussolini is mentioned, Houdini shows up and it's implied Hitler is killed defending a friend, but this makes no difference to the plot, because there is none. Also, it's hard to care about the big names that are getting dropped because they could be any names at all, there's nothing invested in the characters to make them resemble the real people (except Houdini, who shows up to do a magic show).
There didn't seem to be much point to this. It's a soulless alternate history regarding a bit of history which could be interesting, but which isn't known by nearly anyone, really.
"So what's going on here?" the producer would ask.
"This guy over here goes to work and-"
"What the hell are you telling me for?!"
"Well, boss, you asked and-"
"And are you going to go to each and every member of the audience and explain what the hell's going on? No? Well, then, redo this shit so it's comprehensible."
It was a memorable thing - you can't edit video and add footnotes. The movie, the show, the whatever needs to stand on its own, without you whispering in the ears of each member of the audience what's going on.
"Pirate Utopia" has an intro explaining what's going on and an interview at the end explaining even *more* what's going on, which is great if you plan on reading those, because it's pretty hard to figure out what's up without them. Some people might enjoy that, but I consider it sloppy.
This is an alternate history novel set in Fiume in 1920, a city between Italy and Yugoslavia which becomes its own little country. It has all sorts of political factions in it, such as communists and futurists. They took over the means of production and are doing something with them. That something seems to be making torpedoes, to prove the world that they... can?
I'm not sure why this is a pirate utopia. The author assures us in the interview at the end that they steal everything, but aside from stealing their way into a cinema where a probably pirated movie is projected, I can't see anything else getting stolen. There are just a number of people presented and vaguely discussed. Mussolini is mentioned, Houdini shows up and it's implied Hitler is killed defending a friend, but this makes no difference to the plot, because there is none. Also, it's hard to care about the big names that are getting dropped because they could be any names at all, there's nothing invested in the characters to make them resemble the real people (except Houdini, who shows up to do a magic show).
There didn't seem to be much point to this. It's a soulless alternate history regarding a bit of history which could be interesting, but which isn't known by nearly anyone, really.
jonmhansen's review against another edition
4.0
"Is your President sick?" said Secondari. "Is Wilson dying?"
"That is a scurrilous rumor," Lovecraft lied.
"That is a scurrilous rumor," Lovecraft lied.
acrisalves's review against another edition
4.0
https://osrascunhos.com/2017/09/29/pirate-utopia-bruce-sterling/
Aspecto gráfico brutal e premissa fantástica – o que podia falhar? A concretização. Pirate Utopia apresenta uma realidade alternativa dentro do género Dieselpunk, onde piratas, guerreiros anarquistas, constroem o seu próprio mundo odiando fascistas e comunistas por igual.
O ambiente original é delicioso, com hordas de homens brutos a assistir a um filme delicado, em que se encontram relacionamentos pouco prováveis (e bastante mais platónicos do que prevemos).
Entre as várias fracções que possuem interesse na área contornam-se intenções e actos e tenta-se perpetuar este reino que, na nossa realidade, teve uma existência muito fugaz.
Cumprindo o papel de diversão, Pirate Utopia é uma história curta, mais intrincada do que por vezes seria necessário, que nos deixa, no final, a sensação de que não se chegou a lado algum. Ficam alguns bons episódios, divertidos e com tacadinhas históricas.
Aspecto gráfico brutal e premissa fantástica – o que podia falhar? A concretização. Pirate Utopia apresenta uma realidade alternativa dentro do género Dieselpunk, onde piratas, guerreiros anarquistas, constroem o seu próprio mundo odiando fascistas e comunistas por igual.
O ambiente original é delicioso, com hordas de homens brutos a assistir a um filme delicado, em que se encontram relacionamentos pouco prováveis (e bastante mais platónicos do que prevemos).
Entre as várias fracções que possuem interesse na área contornam-se intenções e actos e tenta-se perpetuar este reino que, na nossa realidade, teve uma existência muito fugaz.
Cumprindo o papel de diversão, Pirate Utopia é uma história curta, mais intrincada do que por vezes seria necessário, que nos deixa, no final, a sensação de que não se chegou a lado algum. Ficam alguns bons episódios, divertidos e com tacadinhas históricas.
cjelli's review against another edition
4.0
Comfortably in the uncanny valley of novellas that feels like they should be novels; what's there is excellent, but just as things are shaping up -- The End arrives. Stuffed so full of interesting ideas and characters that there's no room left for a plot, I really want to recommend this based solely on the strength of how it pulls together different trains of thought, and for basing on alternate history in a fascinating and underused setting, but a novella without a story is a hard sell.
The retro-futurist illustrations were, separately, an unexpected joy.
The retro-futurist illustrations were, separately, an unexpected joy.
old_tim's review against another edition
4.0
There's more of a mid-century literary feel (think Burroughs or Pynchon) than I was perhaps expecting. The subject matter itself is a history that never was. Interesting, but not for everyone.
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2017/02/mr-pynchon-to-courtesy-phone-please.html
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2017/02/mr-pynchon-to-courtesy-phone-please.html
bookaneer's review
DNF at 30%. While the idea (and the cover) is interesting and the setting magnificent, I could not connect with either the story or the characters.
purelytheoretical's review
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
onceandfuturelaura's review against another edition
3.0
A jewel box depiction of a tiny nation, Fiume, that apparently really existed for a year or four starting in 1920. Most of the characters are historical, and most I had not heard of. Including this guy: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-sex-obsessed-poet-who-invented-fascism. The country is trying to decide who to be. Per the internet, it didn't get to decide that.
I can't say that I liked this little book. I think it depended too much on me knowing who people like Gabriele d’Annunzio -- who may have created racism as an art project -- and the history of 1920s coastal cities near Italy and Yugoslavia. I vaguely know of the clashes between the ideologies of fascism, anarcho-syndacalism and communism, but not enough to really feel the drama unaided.
I was delighted that both H.P. Lovecraft and BOB HOWARD were characters in this, but they didn't do enough. Though there's something vaguely eldritch about HPL and Howard be there, possibly, to recruit someone for what will become the Manhattan Project.
I can't say that I liked this little book. I think it depended too much on me knowing who people like Gabriele d’Annunzio -- who may have created racism as an art project -- and the history of 1920s coastal cities near Italy and Yugoslavia. I vaguely know of the clashes between the ideologies of fascism, anarcho-syndacalism and communism, but not enough to really feel the drama unaided.
I was delighted that both H.P. Lovecraft and BOB HOWARD were characters in this, but they didn't do enough. Though there's something vaguely eldritch about HPL and Howard be there, possibly, to recruit someone for what will become the Manhattan Project.