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962 reviews by:
speculativebecky
Alien Virus Love Disaster is a debut short story collection by Abbey Mei Otis, which thrilled and confused me. In the first couple stories I was reminded of a couple of my favorite short story collections of the year, Friday Black and Sabrina & Corina. I relished Otis’ creativity in crafting otherworldly stories and was reminded of Adjei-Brenyah in that satirical brilliance that makes you laugh so hard until you’re on the verge of collapsing in anguish. I was reminded of Fajardo-Anstine in the searing humanness of the characters and their resilient depth. I was riding high on this collection but it began to fray around the edges and I found myself unable to keep up as the narratives again and again dissolved into fragmented dream sequences - both literally dream sequences and inexplicable descents into absurdity.
My favorite stories were the titular Alien Virus Love Disaster, which explores the effects of government experiments with alien technology on the surrounding community after exposure begins to cause their bodies to swell with red lumps; Moonkids, about a group of young adults living on Earth after being separated from their Lunarian parents after failing to pass the exams required to continue living on the Moon; and Blood, Blood, about a pair of friends who earn money fighting for the entertainment of aliens, while struggling to adjust to the alien impact on their world.
Even the stories I liked less had such intriguing imaginative premises that I’m still contemplating, I just wish they were less baffling. If you’re intrigued by any of this, I definitely would still recommend you check out this collection and then come unpack it with me!
My favorite stories were the titular Alien Virus Love Disaster, which explores the effects of government experiments with alien technology on the surrounding community after exposure begins to cause their bodies to swell with red lumps; Moonkids, about a group of young adults living on Earth after being separated from their Lunarian parents after failing to pass the exams required to continue living on the Moon; and Blood, Blood, about a pair of friends who earn money fighting for the entertainment of aliens, while struggling to adjust to the alien impact on their world.
Even the stories I liked less had such intriguing imaginative premises that I’m still contemplating, I just wish they were less baffling. If you’re intrigued by any of this, I definitely would still recommend you check out this collection and then come unpack it with me!
About as predictable and yet pleasing as I expected. I tired long ago of the flaws I found in this series, and they weren't improved upon in the third installment. Yet, I found the book perfectly enjoyable, and I was quite taken with a couple especially powerful moments.
Ahhh
Processing forever. I loved reading this book, was impressed with Yanagihara’s craftsmanship in the layering of the two narrative voices, and enjoyed the sci fi elements of grappling with new scientific discovery as well as the problematic colonization of its point of origin. Despite my strongest suspicions of how this book would end I was still bowled over by the weight of it and devastated by the last lines.
Processing forever. I loved reading this book, was impressed with Yanagihara’s craftsmanship in the layering of the two narrative voices, and enjoyed the sci fi elements of grappling with new scientific discovery as well as the problematic colonization of its point of origin. Despite my strongest suspicions of how this book would end I was still bowled over by the weight of it and devastated by the last lines.
This book was not immediately easy to read, but I eventually became sucked into the story and profoundly invested in the protagonist Zhang Yonglin, and his wife, Huang Xiangjiu. I am not the strongest reader of allegorical writing, and I’m sure there’s a ton of symbolism I missed, but I enjoyed this read nonetheless. I also feel like I’m always starting from a deficit when reading books about history or about politics written in the past. Growing up I was never a motivated student of history, but now it’s become more important to me to understand world history, and the major movements that of course still heavily impact the world today. I learned quite a bit while reading this book, as well as exposed a million more gaps in my understanding of China and the Cultural Revolution. I’m excited to channel that lack of knowledge into seeking more learning!
I absolutely loved reading The Tiger Flu, a fast paced sci fi novel following two ultimately intertwined narratives set in a near future after the depletion of oil. Kora Ko lives in the First Quarantine Ring, struggling to survive in a world ravaged by the tiger flu, a disease which predominantly affects men. Kirilow Groudsel is a groom in Grist Village, a commune founded by escaped experiments with the ability to reproduce by basically cloning. Her surgical talents are put to use taking care of their last reproducing doubler by transplanting body parts from their last starfish, her lover Peristrophe Halliana.
Phenomenal worldbuilding and high stakes action combine to make this novel a wild and exciting ride. At the end I felt the various secondary characters’ motivations did not come together as clearly for me as I would have preferred, but I was so invested in the story I almost didn’t mind. The confusing wrapping up of this story ultimately gives way to a breathtaking ending, and I loved the theme of collective storytelling and the way society changes over time. The nearness of the “Time Before” gives the reader a touchpoint in the world we know, while also showing how quickly the world can morph to something much less recognizable. I loved also the way Lai plays with our understanding of gender, creating a whole society of people who are human-adjacent and not women or men. Definitely recommend!
Phenomenal worldbuilding and high stakes action combine to make this novel a wild and exciting ride. At the end I felt the various secondary characters’ motivations did not come together as clearly for me as I would have preferred, but I was so invested in the story I almost didn’t mind. The confusing wrapping up of this story ultimately gives way to a breathtaking ending, and I loved the theme of collective storytelling and the way society changes over time. The nearness of the “Time Before” gives the reader a touchpoint in the world we know, while also showing how quickly the world can morph to something much less recognizable. I loved also the way Lai plays with our understanding of gender, creating a whole society of people who are human-adjacent and not women or men. Definitely recommend!
The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor is one of those books that I was already planning to re-read the minute I started it. This book is a treatise on “Radical Self-Love”, a way to approach yourself and your world that goes beyond self-confidence or body acceptance, towards real healing from the trauma of the way we’re taught to view our bodies. From the powerful beginning where Taylor describes the revelatory idea that we don’t need to apologize for the way our bodies exist in the world, through chapters digging deep into how to practically apply this mindset, this book is a mind-opening treasure.
I was especially struck by her emphasis on our negative ways of viewing not only our own bodies, but the bodies of others. It’s often easy to make ourselves feel better about our bodies by comparing them to others’ we find less desirable, or by feeling superior by putting more effort into our body maintenance, but a positive view of oneself that relies on a negative view of others is ultimately detrimental to the self and the world. The exhortation to become comfortable with others’ differences, and to radically love all bodies is a powerful transformative concept. Another huge takeaway for me is her argument that we are not our thoughts, an impacting encouragement to untangle the shame we feel about having internalized negative body messages and move beyond them.
This book is a level beyond what it might seem from first glance, because Taylor’s ultimate message is not only about transforming the way we see ourselves, but actually transforming the world. This book is constantly intersectional in its approach, discussing race and sexuality and disability and how oppressive systems link together, and I appreciated that so much. I have a ton that I’m thinking about after finishing this read, and I’m excited to continue to chew on these words and revisit these concepts in many future re-reads. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking to think more deeply about how to have a better relationship with yourself and/or a better world.
I was especially struck by her emphasis on our negative ways of viewing not only our own bodies, but the bodies of others. It’s often easy to make ourselves feel better about our bodies by comparing them to others’ we find less desirable, or by feeling superior by putting more effort into our body maintenance, but a positive view of oneself that relies on a negative view of others is ultimately detrimental to the self and the world. The exhortation to become comfortable with others’ differences, and to radically love all bodies is a powerful transformative concept. Another huge takeaway for me is her argument that we are not our thoughts, an impacting encouragement to untangle the shame we feel about having internalized negative body messages and move beyond them.
This book is a level beyond what it might seem from first glance, because Taylor’s ultimate message is not only about transforming the way we see ourselves, but actually transforming the world. This book is constantly intersectional in its approach, discussing race and sexuality and disability and how oppressive systems link together, and I appreciated that so much. I have a ton that I’m thinking about after finishing this read, and I’m excited to continue to chew on these words and revisit these concepts in many future re-reads. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking to think more deeply about how to have a better relationship with yourself and/or a better world.
