A review by leitnerkev
The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz

funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Ultimately this book was a bit of a let-down. It was a generations-spanning epic even though the central storyline could have been told in 1 generation, rather than across centuries and multiple characters. This was a unique way to tell the story so I appreciated that but the downside is you lose out on characters you get attached to as they faded away due to time, rather than them being the ones to move the plot forward. The point though is well made, that the battle for dignity and rights against money and soulless corporate interests is never-ending and must be taken up by future generations. Even victors (the Treaty for Spider-city) was not permanent. 

I did have high hopes but ultimately felt the storyline was manufactured rather than authentic, a not-even-thinly-veiled polemic for human dignity against corporate money and the evilness of corporate ownership of land and people's homes. A message I happen to vibe with so that wasn't my issue it just seemed it was a story of rent control placed in a space setting.

The idea of the Great Bargain - sentience and human rights for all presenting types of lifeforms (including moose, earthworms, naked molerats, etc) was well done, worthy of intelligent sf exploration.