A review by jerseygrrrl
Dark Orbit by Carolyn Ives Gilman
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.