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julieuh's reviews
381 reviews
Exordia by Seth Dickinson
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hard science fiction must be the silliest and most fucked up genre. why did I spend so many hours trying to comprehend explanations of math theory of fictional physics? why was every dramatic end-of-the-world scene interrupted by explanations of the mechanics of alien spacecraft? why was it all so compelling??? if I had any idea of what I was getting into with this, I would never have picked it up - in particular, I thought this had been marketed as a standalone, but it is very clearly not! and now I have to wait for a sequel?? what the fuck, man!
also, Greg Bear's Eon is mentioned in the acknowledgements, which is a book that I have a lot of sentimental value attached to - it was my first hard sf and possibly my first adult sf and it definitely has had a major influence on my tastes in fiction - and the influence of Eon is apparent in Exordia, which feels like a nice callback in my own personal narrative (this is a joke about the influence of narratives within the universe of Exordia, which is a major motif of the novel. okay thanks bye!)
also, Greg Bear's Eon is mentioned in the acknowledgements, which is a book that I have a lot of sentimental value attached to - it was my first hard sf and possibly my first adult sf and it definitely has had a major influence on my tastes in fiction - and the influence of Eon is apparent in Exordia, which feels like a nice callback in my own personal narrative (this is a joke about the influence of narratives within the universe of Exordia, which is a major motif of the novel. okay thanks bye!)
Out There Screaming by Jordan Peele, John Joseph Adams
5.0
This is an incredibly strong anthology and would be a great introduction for anyone who's interested in picking up horror novels but doesn't know authors besides King or sub-genres besides slashers.
My personal favorites in order of appearance:
Eye & Tooth - Rebecca Roanhorse
Wandering Devil - Cadwell Turnbull
Invasion of the Baby Snatchers - Lesley Nneka Arimah
Lasiren - Erin E. Adams
Flicker - L. D. Lewis
A Grief of the Dead - Rion Amilcar Scott
Hide & Seek - P. Djèlí Clark
Origin Story - Tochi Onyebuchi
My personal favorites in order of appearance:
Eye & Tooth - Rebecca Roanhorse
Wandering Devil - Cadwell Turnbull
Invasion of the Baby Snatchers - Lesley Nneka Arimah
Lasiren - Erin E. Adams
Flicker - L. D. Lewis
A Grief of the Dead - Rion Amilcar Scott
Hide & Seek - P. Djèlí Clark
Origin Story - Tochi Onyebuchi
Come & Get It by Kiley Reid
5.0
this is an ethnographic novel about the most obnoxious people (said with love) you've ever met. Kiley Reid's ability to write in up speak? is like a next level talent? and I am so thankful that she is the author reflecting my undergrad experience back to me. they (we) were really like that in 2017!!
This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer
Did not finish book. Stopped at 74%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 74%.
this one hurts but I just don't care. nothing in this works for me - the writing, the imagery, the characters are so bland that I don't even care to see what happens. wanted this to be the next The Ruins, but it doesn't hold a candle to it.
Edenville by Sam Rebelein
adventurous
mysterious
tense
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
without hyperbole, this book reminded me why I even pick up horror novels. this is a near-perfect match for my tastes. which is not to say that it's without it's flaws! but pretty much anything I didn't like or rolled my eyes at is overshadowed by how much it just delivered on everything I wanted from a horror novel. that said, I don't recommend this to anyone and in fact I am clutching it to my chest like a kid with a toy that needs to be protected from all the sticky fingers trying to grab it. this one's mine, it was made for me!!!