A review by myrdschaem
Inside Straight, by George R.R. Martin
2.0
Good world building, but really didn't live up to it. The reality tv show arc was ok. It is diverse, so that gets some brownie points, I liked some of the characters that only got some limelight chapters.
Stuff I disliked is a lot longer as a list. We get several characters that are clearly assholes - Hive and DB on the front of those - but are either expected to like them (Hive) or buy redemption/he's not t h a t big of an asshole (DB). Couldn't buy it with the narrative. When the text explicitly addresses the failings and fuck ups (CNN interview), the heroes can't answer and the whole episode is but aside. Instead of showing the media coverage as bad it only furthers resentment against the character/the way he's written.
I can give some lenience plot wise for the alternative universe that has been build, but it still disappoints. Follows the Americans safe the world plot line, even if these americans are not only white. All muslim characters/entities are build up as at best vaguely threatening, at worst a clear fit into the stereotypes given rise after 9/11. Especially the turn in political course at the end, which could have been fleshed out by the writers if they wanted to, was handled poorly and comes out of nowhere.
World utilizes UN and puts them in the "UN is completely useless" range. At the end they let them form an international intervention comitee that doesn't have to answer to any countries. By these two moves alone the writers show that they have no idea about how the UN works and what their jurisdiction/goals are. Either explicitly give them more power in your world building/change them otherwise or do research about what and what not the UN isn't. If you need to write world politics on a global scale, understand them first.
Then as the last of examples on where that book falls down face first, is that there's a plot point in which "playing the race card" is used unironically. This is a stupid way to plot, it fails to take in account how much backlash PoC get for pointing out use of slurs in the real world and that it is not worth the hassle in the least. Lying about accusation of racism is a frequent arguement used by racists to defame actual black people trying to make their enviroment safer, it happens on a miniscule basis and to portrait this a normal thing to happen and play these fabrications straight is not helping anyone but racists.
There'S more bitter moments, but overall I would say skip this. I certainly won't read the next book, unless a close friend with taste that I trust swears on their firstborn that there's a remarkable jump in quality. And I don't think there will be.
Stuff I disliked is a lot longer as a list. We get several characters that are clearly assholes - Hive and DB on the front of those - but are either expected to like them (Hive) or buy redemption/he's not t h a t big of an asshole (DB). Couldn't buy it with the narrative. When the text explicitly addresses the failings and fuck ups (CNN interview), the heroes can't answer and the whole episode is but aside. Instead of showing the media coverage as bad it only furthers resentment against the character/the way he's written.
I can give some lenience plot wise for the alternative universe that has been build, but it still disappoints. Follows the Americans safe the world plot line, even if these americans are not only white. All muslim characters/entities are build up as at best vaguely threatening, at worst a clear fit into the stereotypes given rise after 9/11. Especially the turn in political course at the end, which could have been fleshed out by the writers if they wanted to, was handled poorly and comes out of nowhere.
World utilizes UN and puts them in the "UN is completely useless" range. At the end they let them form an international intervention comitee that doesn't have to answer to any countries. By these two moves alone the writers show that they have no idea about how the UN works and what their jurisdiction/goals are. Either explicitly give them more power in your world building/change them otherwise or do research about what and what not the UN isn't. If you need to write world politics on a global scale, understand them first.
Then as the last of examples on where that book falls down face first, is that there's a plot point in which "playing the race card" is used unironically. This is a stupid way to plot, it fails to take in account how much backlash PoC get for pointing out use of slurs in the real world and that it is not worth the hassle in the least. Lying about accusation of racism is a frequent arguement used by racists to defame actual black people trying to make their enviroment safer, it happens on a miniscule basis and to portrait this a normal thing to happen and play these fabrications straight is not helping anyone but racists.
There'S more bitter moments, but overall I would say skip this. I certainly won't read the next book, unless a close friend with taste that I trust swears on their firstborn that there's a remarkable jump in quality. And I don't think there will be.