Reading Terra Ignota by Ada Palmer, which a lot of people recommended
Conversation
This is very good and surprisingly playful and fun for something so self-consciously erudite. Looked her up and not surprised she’s a historian. This feels like a history book more than scifi.
Replying to
Okay initial reaction modified. Turned into a bit of a trudge. Not sure I’ll be able to finish.
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The works building is great but the mannered style is both distracting and confusing with all the characters. And unclear what all the gender bending is for.
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Only at 22%. This is slow going. Fast-paced page-turner it’s is not. The plot seems like an excuse for a leisurely tour of the worldbuilding, with plenty of digressions that serve no real plot purpose. It’s like a rich dessert. Can’t eat too much in one sitting.
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The framing device is the narrator mycroft addressing the far future from the near future. So we’re effectively looking over the shoulder of a history writer. Technically complex and well-executed, but exhausting. Does transform exposition into something else though.
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This is science fiction of manners. Like Edith Wharton with flying cars.
I don’t know if I can push through till the actual plot does something.
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Ok ground to a halt and gave up. Just can’t bring myself to care about this world and its people. Very skillful, but the overwrought worldbuilding kinda overwhelmed the thin plot a bit too much for me. And all the characters seem like stagey performers. Instagram influencer vibes
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Kinda sad. Wanted to like it. The flying cars idea was cool. If the balance of elements had been better I’d have kept going. I think where it lost me was probably the layers of meta-literary conceits.
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