im really not sure whats going on here, he's normally the ted chiang of novels, you only get one when the stars happen to align, but they're amazing
quantum thief had me (and many others) hooked on the first paragraph, i loved summerland when i just heard the concept, but kindle is telling me im 20% of the way through of darkome (even up to part 2), and as much as i hate the phrase, "nothing happens"
so, to anyone who has read it, is eventually some plot point going to come up that is... interesting? i legit dont know if maybe this is an 'experimental' novel and thats why it was impossible to find despite it being published two years ago in the uk? trying to stay spoiler free so cant just blindly google
also, i know people love to flood into these kinds of posts to offer the op "permission" to stop reading. i assure you, all i want to know is if i can expect a plot to start soon - not anyone's validation
The Fist of Memory is an action-thriller that emphasizes the complementary nature of science and spirituality. As with most of Talabi's work this is set in Nigeria, distinctively so through his word choice and references. This had me looking up a lot of nouns to see what their cultural context and significance was. Doing so isn't necessary, though I find it interesting to know more. The year is 2050 and Nigeria is far more developed but its political crises remain. Many of the characters have an augmented intelligence implant that is trained on their neural output to provide personalized assistance. There are several other technological advances that I found to be both reasonable and integrated well into daily life. The spiritual matters aren't about organized religion so much as accepting that there's more to existence than material reality and more to knowledge than science.
There are five perspectives. Two women, two men, and the alien entity. Two are killers, one is a scientist, one is a personal assistant, and again an alien entity. Three are Nigerians, one is South African, and the other is most recently from over 200 light years away. Four are in 3rd person and one is in 1st person perspective.
This book is primarily action-oriented. Gun fights, fist fights, car chases, and explosions. There's a lot of violence and drama between the four human viewpoints. In the last quarter melodrama and metaphysics take over. The entity only has a brief role at the end, but that's all it needs, and it's the culmination of the book's theme.
If it weren't for how the ending entirely changes the context of everything that came before I would've enjoyed this far more. I can deal with the narrative telling me that all the parts that I thought were cool, fun, and stylish were actually pitiable, wretched, and self-destructive. I can respect, or at least tolerate, perspectives that go against mine. However, there are a few ideas that I feel an irrational amount of disappointment towards and the central theme of the novel is revealed to be one of them.
This is a predictable book with obvious consequences. I believe that doing so was intentional. We choose the actions of our lives with predictable consequence and blind or delude ourselves into not seeing their inevitable outcome. The irony was that I was the same as the characters. The text told me several times how the book would end. But, I ignored that and thought "This surface level spectacle sure is cool, fun, and stylish!" Then the end came and I could deny no longer. I want to emphasize this is a personal problem and that it's made me an outlier with other books that have done similarly and are both popular and greatly enjoyed. To say what it is would do more than spoil the plot. I feel that it would undermine the experience of the emotional journey that reading this book is.
i just picked up a dense sci-fi novel that's basically 300 pages of intricate future society details, and i'm genuinely unsure if i'm supposed to care about the actual story happening in it. does anyone else find that satisfying, or does it feel like the plot gets buried under all the setup?
I recently read Metal From Heaven (August Clarke). It has a fun rebel arc but it made me realize I want to see the flourishing of the end goal (i.e. a more egalitarian, just society). Any recs for stories with functional governments that aren't rooted in a capitalist/feudal model? I'm looking for fiction that articulates tension within such spaces and are then resolved, even better if they include its interface with science & tech.
Examples of what I'm thinking about.
- Murderbot series has The Preservation (not explored in depth how it operates)
- Kim Stanley Robinson is at the forefront of near future reimagining, but often deal with corrective actions within the existing system (Ministry, New York 2160)
- Malka Older's Infomocracy is a good exploration of a new democracy format paired with independent authority over trustworthy data.
Book number three of a ten book young adult science fiction series. There is also a two book sequel series and a seven book sequel series, nineteen books in all. I read the well printed and well bound POD (print on demand) trade paperback self published by the author in 2018 that I bought on Amazon in 2026. I now own books #4, #5, and #6 in the series and plan to buy the #7 to #10 soon.
Jiden Armstrong is the older child of two archaeologists on the dry, dusty planet named Century. Jiden is fourteen planet years old which is equivalent to sixteen Earth years and was forced by her parents after her misbehavior to attend and graduate from the five month military prep school that her grandmother runs for the planetary military. She then interned at a logistics and supply company which blew up in her face when she notified the planetary authorities that people in the company were selling stored military spare parts off planet. Now she is attending the Century Military Academy as a third year cadet. And the academy is making it mandatory to have implants installed in your brain.
This is a great story about making mistakes and overcoming difficult situations to make something of yourself. Somebody online recommended this book to me and I really enjoyed the book. If you are a fan of Heinlein juveniles then you will probably love this book also.
