Books

I read…a lot. Here’s where I ramble about books and printed media.

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

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39/2024 – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1996 Hugo Best Novel

As good as every other time I’ve read it, and I think it’s still my favorite of Stephenson’s novels. “Modern Victorians with ubiquitous nanotechnology create a fancy children’s book” might not sound like that fascinating of a concept, but it definitely is. In addition to the oft-mentioned things about Stephenson’s writing that always work for me but don’t work at all for others — the snark, digressions, and sidetracks — it’s his ability to convey highly technical concepts in understandable form, which is highlighted here in some of the stories that the Primer tells, that has always been a big part of the appeal of this book for me.

Me holding The Diamond Age

Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold

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36/2024 – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1995 Hugo Best Novel

Complex in both story and character, this becomes an excellent exploration of the differing personalities of the Vorkosigan brothers in the midst of military adventure and political maneuvering. As with the rest of the series, it’s Bujold’s ability to craft realistically flawed characters, some in very serious ways, while still making them relatable, believable, and often quite funny, that really makes these stand out. Though most of the books in the series are written to be readable on their own, this is one where I’d definitely recommend reading earlier books first.

Me holding Mirror Dance

Uncanny Magazine Issue 58 edited by Lynne M. Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas, and Monte Lin

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35/2024 – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Favorites this month were “Happily Ever After Comes Round” by Sarah Rees Brennan, “Loneliness Universe” by Eugenia Triantafyllou, “Markets of the Otherworld” by Rati Mehrotra, and “Hands Like Gold and Starlight” by K.S. Walker.

Me holding Uncanny Magazine issue 58 on my iPad

Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold

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30/2024 – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Collects three in-universe novellas with a bit of a framing story. Of the three, the third was the best, then the first, and the last was the weakest. Admittedly, that analysis is definitely affected by modern biases; the middle story’s approach to going beyond the gender binary, while likely progressive at the time, is very dated by today’s standards, and there’s a consensual intimate relationship that involves a somewhat eyebrow-raising age issue. That said, all three are still enjoyable additions to the Vorkosigan saga.

Me holding Borders of Infinity