Don't Forget to Read a Book!

Hello, Stranger. Did you miss me? Let's talk about Neal Stephenson's  The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer. The Short of It Plot: Perhaps an interactive children's textbook is the only tool powerful enough to break the constraints of a feudal cyberpunk dystopia. Page Count: 499 Award:  1996 Hugo, 1996 Locus SF Worth a read : Yes. Primary Driver:  (Plot,  World , or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble:  Hot damn. Review:  Feudal. Fantasy. Cyberpunk. Dystopia. Cool! Compelling characters with convincing drives successfully ground some pretty outlandish SF concepts. Book spends extended swathes in its own fiction as depicted by the Primer - but does so in a way that illuminates real-world issues. Pacing leans a bit too rushed, particularly in the third act. Classic Stephenson: excellent writing, often opaque, totally gripping. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! From start to finish there was no point at which, had I been asked what...

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about James K. Morrow's  Blameless in Abaddon. The Short of It Plot: Who is responsible for the tragedies of existence? God. And he will answer for his crimes... at the Hague.   Page Count:  372 Award:  Sequel to Towing Jehovah Worth a read : No Primary Driver:  (Plot,  World , or Character)  Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble:  Minor. Review:  A brilliant short story which far overstays its welcome. Feels like an introductory theology class by a disaffected tween. Lots of clever and funny moments, including the creation of a theme park around God's comatose body - but not enough to carry a story. Also relentlessly miserable at points. This is not so much a novel as a point to prove: and the point is reiterated to death. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! Déjà vu Deus dampnas libri! Which is, I believe, French and Latin (Fratin, as the kids say) for, "This book about God feels pretty  familiar." Welcome to...