Bitsy's Books
Note: I'm uploading my books from Goodreads and since there are like 200+ it's going to take awhile. The uploading seems a bit wonky too, so hang with me as I fix things. Also there may be spoilers until I can make all the appropriate tags.
I'm an ex-English Major who, sick of reading classics after college, decided to read all the trashy books I didn't before because I was too snobby. Since graduating, I've entertained myself with comics, YA, and romance novels, finding out they can not only be decently written, but superbly written. I've since recovered from my classics aversion, but I'm now more open-minded reader willing to read from any genre. If a book has kick-ass heroines and/or witty banter and/or takes place in a different time or place (including fantasy settings), I will most likely fall in love with it. My favorite authors are Jane Austen, Shakespeare, E.M. Forster, Meljean Brook, Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Hartman, Catherynne M. Valente, and Aliette de Bodard.
Overall: 3.5 StarsA solid issue. The only stand out was de Bodard's story, but the rest are good. No duds or things that made me rage-y.Favorite: "Scattered Along the River of Heaven" by Aliette de BodardFiction"Scattered Along the River of Heaven" by Aliette de Bodard4.5 Stars"Scattered Along the River of Heaven" is the story of a revolutionary's rise and fall from power and also the story of her estranged family. I think I should remove the words "heartbreaking" and "beautiful" from my vocabulary when speaking about de Bodard's work because everything she writes is both. She has a painful understanding of how revolutions (and the concept of history written by winners) works. The granddaughter not knowing her own grandmother adds an emotional undercurrent, made all the more powerful by the Chinese ideals of filial piety and honoring ancestors. I docked a half star because some of the Chinese terms confused me (e.g. Mheng is used to refer to the oppressed people and High Mheng is the language used by the oppressors). My own ignorance of Chinese language and culture probably played did not help the confusion. Overall, de Bodard is a different voice in the sci-fi world and one that deserves to be heard."What Everyone Remembers" by Rahul Kanakia3.5 StarsA unique take on the belief cockroaches will survive a nuclear war. Some of the ideas argued in the story seemed familiar and typical for apocalyptic stories, but Eve's sweet voice and unknowingly sad life elevated the piece."All the Painted Stars" by Gwendolyn Clare3.5 StarsA mash-up of Alien/human contact from the perspective of the alien and a coming of age story, but Clare makes them work together into a harmonious story. The amount of world-building done was impressive. However, the story-arch seamed a little too...precious for lack of a better term. I don't think all sci-fi/fantasy has to be depressing and bleak, but this just seamed too pat. I think that may be more of my grumpiness than any actual reflection on the author or her story.Non-fiction"The Future Sounds of Yesterday: A Sequence of Synthesizers in Science Fiction" by Christopher Bahn3 StarsA brief history of the developing technology in music and how it related to sci-fi media (movies, television, etc). There really isn't any analysis besides "synthesizers sound futuristic!" and sometimes the history can be a bit dense, but it's interesting.You can read the full magazine for free here! If you like what you read, support the magazine by buying a copy for your e-reader.