OK, bought this because I saw an ad on SBTB, and boy, I won't be doing that again. Poor choices! At a third of the way in, I started turning pages as quickly as I could. At halfway through, I was really wondering why I was continuing, but figured, meh, it'll deliver an HEA. At 3/4s of the way through, I said to myself, Self, this is the first entry in a trilogy, and I haven't read a review I trust of this thing to ensure an HEA or even a satisfying holding point at the end of book one. Let's go look.
Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Goodreads review by someone I don't know a thing about is the only indicator I can find of someone even finishing the book, and that person said "vicious cliffhangar". Yeah. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nopity Nope.
Things wrong with this book.
Main male protagonist / love interest / wtf experiencing stress and tension goes off to vision [ETA: don't know what happened there -- should have been "visit"] a pleasure droid. He comes three times. When he is finally done, he notices he has completely destroyed the droid.
Earth is cold. The scientists who fixed global warming overshot. Core temperature is said to be dropping to a point incompatible with life. This is in universe with multiple species AND the ability to terraform. First, don't know what core temp has to do with anything -- average ocean temp would seem to be the relevant metric. Second, can't you fix this with terraforming? Seriously?
We have some strong female characters. Evil Mom. Evil Mom's genetically modified minions. The heroine, who is daughter to Evil Mom. Someone who gives Evil Agent of Evil mom a blow job and is later shot by him. Another genetically modified woman who can't touch anyone without poisoning them to death. Another woman who seems to be Special, but turns out to be another Evil Agent of Evil Mom.
Some discussion among politicians about the underclasses and their reproduction and or death rates. None of that makes any sense at all.
The word "patent" is used as synonymous with "that's how corporations make tons of money". To be fair, I'm sensitive to this, because this trope has been showing up in romance novels / series in SF skin. But *shudder*. Patents != money. Come on, people.
Why is there no food anywhere?
How can you have space travel, but not be able to keep habitable parts of earth warm?
Why didn't everyone move to the equator? Etc.
I could go on. But why would I? Also, why does Evil Mom think daughter would be willing to be her bodyguard? Why are people focused on getting transit to a single replacement planet for Earth, rather than on getting a decent array of functioning colonies going? Why why why? Also, fix Earth?
So I'm stopping at 3/4s. Because I'm sure as hell not signing up for the next book in this series, and this one is ending on a cliffhanger anyway. Next time, I will NOT buy based on an ad at SBTB, but instead wait for a review.
ETA: I might have been influence by comparisons of this to Rachel Bach. Don't you fall for that crap. Bach is fun. This is Not Fun.
Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Goodreads review by someone I don't know a thing about is the only indicator I can find of someone even finishing the book, and that person said "vicious cliffhangar". Yeah. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nopity Nope.
Things wrong with this book.
Main male protagonist / love interest / wtf experiencing stress and tension goes off to vision [ETA: don't know what happened there -- should have been "visit"] a pleasure droid. He comes three times. When he is finally done, he notices he has completely destroyed the droid.
Earth is cold. The scientists who fixed global warming overshot. Core temperature is said to be dropping to a point incompatible with life. This is in universe with multiple species AND the ability to terraform. First, don't know what core temp has to do with anything -- average ocean temp would seem to be the relevant metric. Second, can't you fix this with terraforming? Seriously?
We have some strong female characters. Evil Mom. Evil Mom's genetically modified minions. The heroine, who is daughter to Evil Mom. Someone who gives Evil Agent of Evil mom a blow job and is later shot by him. Another genetically modified woman who can't touch anyone without poisoning them to death. Another woman who seems to be Special, but turns out to be another Evil Agent of Evil Mom.
Some discussion among politicians about the underclasses and their reproduction and or death rates. None of that makes any sense at all.
The word "patent" is used as synonymous with "that's how corporations make tons of money". To be fair, I'm sensitive to this, because this trope has been showing up in romance novels / series in SF skin. But *shudder*. Patents != money. Come on, people.
Why is there no food anywhere?
How can you have space travel, but not be able to keep habitable parts of earth warm?
Why didn't everyone move to the equator? Etc.
I could go on. But why would I? Also, why does Evil Mom think daughter would be willing to be her bodyguard? Why are people focused on getting transit to a single replacement planet for Earth, rather than on getting a decent array of functioning colonies going? Why why why? Also, fix Earth?
So I'm stopping at 3/4s. Because I'm sure as hell not signing up for the next book in this series, and this one is ending on a cliffhanger anyway. Next time, I will NOT buy based on an ad at SBTB, but instead wait for a review.
ETA: I might have been influence by comparisons of this to Rachel Bach. Don't you fall for that crap. Bach is fun. This is Not Fun.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-16 06:30 pm (UTC)That was an entertaining review.
[Question: Please explain ‘SBTB,’ ‘HEA.’ My Google-fu says “Smart Bitches, Trashy Books” and “Happily Ever After” - yes?]
- So, maybe this guy is known for being rough on the merchandise, and was deliberately given ‘Mabel,’ the superannuated gynoid version of an out-to-pasture streetwalker…?
I'm not going to defend the “Miss WizNot”
sciencehere, but I will point out that possessing space flight does not have prerequisites nor package deals. Look at the Soviet Union. What else could they do? (Besides kill millions, I mean. Omelets and Eggs…)And as to that - !
PLEASE ALLOW ME to share something splendid with you:
Lone Star Stories - Stephenson's Rocket by Jay Lake
Two words: Vacuum Riots. Two others: Mrs Pankhurst.
no evidence pleasure droid was "Mabel"
Date: 2018-01-16 09:16 pm (UTC)Your google-fu has not let you down.
I am glad my Not a Book Review was entertaining. That is one better than the book I wasn't reviewing. (Some people object to reviews of books the reviewer did not complete. I dodge that by explicitly stating that this is not a review.)
(I didn't warn anyone about spoilers because first, they should know I spoiler everything and second, I WANT to spoil that book.)
The tech in the book extends to FTL, multiple colonies supplying food fuel etc. to Earth. And terraforming. Hence my confusion about not applying it to earth.
Re: no evidence pleasure droid was "Mabel"
Date: 2018-01-17 02:40 am (UTC)[That could be amusing, tho': “O gawd, here he comes again. This guy does damage.” “No, wait, listen, I've got a great idea. We can clear out some out-of-date inventory, write it off as a business expense! He's not gonna care!… Mabel! You're up, sweetie!” - Clank-clank, hiss…]
Ideas for SF / erotica / romance / humor genre mashup
Date: 2018-01-17 03:11 am (UTC)Ahem.
I really feel like there are _so so so_ many great ideas for short stories in this space.