Reading Update

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

The third long, long Chernow biography. Was a good read, would recommend, and left me with two major thoughts 1. Chernow is a fantastic biographer, as always 2. Fuck Washington, the hell.

( Read more... )

The Forbidden Stars by Tim Pratt

The last book in the Axiom series. I said the previous book was a little light on plot; this one is packed to the brim with it. The stakes were higher, we see the terrifying consequences the humans and Liars face in a subjugated system. I swear Callie almost dies five times. It's always a good thrill reading her outsmart, outfight and outbullshit her opponents, as well as those moments of terror and acceptance. A great protagonist. I might start requesting these books in exchanges, there are so many characters I wanted more of, and I do want more Callie/Elena. And more Lantern! Who continued to be the best alien <3

I need more people to read this series already.

My only complaint about this last book is rather spoilery, so under the cut it goes...

( spoilers for the end of the book )

I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter by Isabel Fall

I saw...a lot of discussion about this short story, and so I gave it a read. (Before it got pulled down.) It's interesting - nothing about it strikes me as written in bad-faith, or a false flag operation. It's gender and sci-fi and a military complex all bundled together, co-opting a person's very real needs and wants into something useful, about the eternal human urge to be more, to fit right. It wouldn't have been out of place of the short stories of the Queers Destroy Science Fiction issue of Lightspeed I read a few years ago. It wouldn't have been my favourite story of the bunch. It certainly wouldn't be my least favourite.

( musing on the critiques I've seen )

I think what I'm fundamentally frustrated by, though, is the idea that the appropriate solution to a messy piece of work that works in ambiguity, that sparks very different feelings in different people is: Redact it entirely. It shouldn't be accessible. (This is not a criticism of the author, who I'm sure has been dealing with a whole lot and should do whatever the author's gotta, but of the people applauding this redaction.)

It'd take a lot for me to agree with that reaction about a piece of fiction, and this work definitely isn't it.