Reviews and Comments

Alastair Reynolds is better known for writing galaxy-spanning space operas. So what's he doing writing a time-travelling, climate-change novel? As it turns out, he's done rather well. One of Reynold's consistencies is that he makes the science in his novels believable; even when he's invented parts of it. We follow the desperate attempts of a group of scientists, engineers and physicians to send people back in time so that a disastrous future might be avoided. The technology is, of course, untested and has already claimed the mind of at least one of the travellers. While this may sound like a stock-standard scenario for a science fiction story, and it does, Reynold's skill as a storyteller elevates it from the mundane. Reynold's narrative jumps between different time periods. He makes use of this to dispense breadcrumbs of information which begin making sense the further the novel progresses. As mentioned earlier, Reynolds makes the science believable. His ideas regarding time travel and the possible outcomes are no exception. Reynolds keeps the story's pace up by telling it through the eyes of his protagonist, Valentina Lidova. As events begin changing in across time periods, Valentina begins to ask questions. My only complaint is that I wish the book had been longer but, only because I was enjoying the ride and did not want it to finish. If you're a fan of Alastair Reynolds, I'm sure you'll like this one. And if you've not read any Reynolds, Permafrost isn't a bad place to start.

I will admit that I'm generally not one to read espionage novels. I chose this book because I am a fan of both science fiction and the author's other works. This is an alternate history where elements of Valvepunk are the basis for a spy story set just after the first world war. Just to keep the reader on their toes, Rajaniemi has created a world where the afterlife is real and the departed are in regular contact, via various devices and methods, with the living. Furthermore, the British empire extends into the afterlife; enter Summerland. The Soviets also have a firm presence in the afterlife and British agent Rachel White believes she has a lead on a Soviet mole. I found this novel entertaining, mostly original and interesting enough to get me to the last page. My main criticism is that there were occasions when I thought the characters, their reactions to events and to each other were slightly stereotypical of a 1920's London and, oh so very British. That being said and having read other works by this author, I would consider this the most accessible of his works and a fun read.

This book was a quick and fun read. It is comprised of three sections that interlink with each other. For me this made the book feel like it was a collection of three short novellas with some shared history that eventually loops back on itself. This is not a complaint as I thought this worked in the author's favour. While all the main characters have physical descriptions, it's the actions and interactions of the characters that reveal their nature to the reader. The Bamboo (vampires) are not the Transylvanian monsters of popular Hollywood movies. This removal of stereotype adds a broadness to their characters which makes their interactions with humans interesting and in some instances quite beautiful. Nonetheless, they are monsters. Not being steeped in Japanese culture and history, I'm sure that there were references that I missed. Because of this, I could only read this book as a novel for young adults. And the more I read, the more my mind kept visualising everything as an anime. That being said, I liked this book and found it to be a pleasing piece of escapism.

I'm not sure how I came across this book but I'm glad I did. Sinisalo invents a uchronic Finland where a human female sub-species has been bred. Known as Eloi, they are submissive, receptive and bred for sex and procreation. Intelligent, independent women, Morlocks, are not permitted to reproduce and are doomed to a life of menial labour. The Eusistocratic Republic of Finland benefits and strengthens the patriarchy.

Vana looks like an Eloi but isn't. She wants to rescue her Eloi sister Manna. To do it she needs the money and teams up with a male friend, Jare, to sell chilli. Chilli is considered to be an extremely dangerous stimulant by the Finnish Health authority and the growing or possession of it is illegal. To complicate matters, Vana is an addict and her addiction is getting worse.

Sinisalo tells a truly twisted tale through multiple viewpoints (Vana's and Jare's), letters that Vana writes to Manna that provide the backstory for their current predicament, snatches of government publications, education publications, and excerpts from magazines. The result is an unapologetic social commentary. Sinisalo's satire kicks the patriarchy, and the mechanisms that support it, where it's needed. A highly recommended read from the queen of 'Finnish Weird'.