Reading roundup: Night Witch, Wayfarers + December ramble meme (BtVS)

[hamsterwoman]

Another clearing of the decks, fannishly, before I dive into Yuletide reading -- the two books I've finished recently (though there should be at least one and maybe two more for the year, since I'm in the middle of several).

75. Becky Chambers, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet -- I'd seen this book pop up on my flist several times, so when it

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[hamsterwoman]

Btw, as for "which way the inspiration went", I think it's book that must have taken way more from Tumblr than vice versa. I don't think the book is really popular, I mean, judging how I don't really see it mentioned/referenced much. Seems to me that it got its five minutes of small-ish fame some time ago, at best.

Yeah, you're probably right. I mean, you are certainly right in general, and the "aliens eating ice cream post specificaly could be mere coincidence, too.

the whole book feels so cotton-candy-sweet, so fluffy, so corner-cushioned, so polished, and so... shallow, alas.

Heh, "corner-cushioned" is my favorite of these descriptions, because YES, that exactly! I think everything else is sort of an outcome of that, the sweetness and the shallowness -- there are attempts at depth, but they never involve any real conflict, so they just sort of fizzled out for me. (Like, it might've actually been interesting to see Quentin, Rosemary's father, as an actual person? A man who BOTH loved his daughter and did his best by her and felt no qualms selling gene targeters to both sides of a war, but no -- because he is a bad guy, Rosemary thinks purely of that -- and of the taint it may leave on her. There was not a single moment of actual GRIEF for losing her family, no conflict at all -- not a moment of trying to justify to herself her father's actions or believe that he might've been falsely acused -- which is so weird, but felt like more Tumblr-y repudiation in black-and-white terms.)

And speaking of Tumblr-ness, I went back and reread your review, after writing up my thoughts, and I absolutely agree with you that the Toremi brand of groupthink mentality feels quite Tumblr-y too, in the least healthy incarnation of Tumblr "discourse" -- you either hold the right views in all details or are the enemy and to be destroyed.

Or at least is a little more memorable than a gif with puppies...

Heh. We'll see how much I remember in a couple of months. Meanwhile, I do like the characters -- Sissix (who I think is my favorite too) and Kizzy (the colorful tech) and even Jenks, and I think they might stay with me -- but on the level of characters in a sitcom, who just sort of exist to be colorful and entertaining, not as people whose fates I actually care about.

more ship for the sake of ship rather than for characters, if it makes sense?

Yeah, I have to agree. I thought the boundary-establishing conversation between them was pretty well done, and Rosemary's crush on Sissix is actually pretty well foreshadowed -- but it all felt very mechanical: the set up is in service of writing a f/f human/alien ship, rather than in service of the characters (at least how I felt it; but like I said elsewhere, Rosemary hardly feels like a character to me at all, so I'm not sure it would be possible for her to have chemistry with anyone. Probably not.)

because this book isn't really big on philosophical/scientific concept, and probably not even caring much about it, but rather focusing on correcting-what-we-have-already in the social aspect of it. It's rather the feel-better sort of book, instead of the what-if sort.

I actually feel like it tried to go there, with science (all the stuff about hyperspace travel, and all the anthropology) and philosophy (e.g. the Exodans' pacifism), but ran into the same problem of wanting the good guys to always be good and right), which makes it difficult to have nuanced conflict, and without nuanced conflict, the philosophical explorations don't have anything to hang on.

I like that post running around Tumblr about non-existent diversity within alien species in space operas

I do too! (with your caveats also) And I think this book made some efforts to address that, although we don't actually meet enough different representatives from any alien species for it to be show rather than tell.

[aletheiafelinea]

There was not a single moment of actual GRIEF for losing her family, no conflict at all -- not a moment of trying to justify to herself her father's actions or believe that he might've been falsely acused -- which is so weird, but felt like more Tumblr-y repudiation in black-and-white terms.
Yes. That's another thing that mostly slipped me while reading. And you also nailed that one about human guilt complex, in the reply to Egelantier below.

We'll see how much I remember in a couple of months.
For me it shifted from "Oh, cute! ...if not particularly clever" to "Annoying in its empty positiveness, though sweet". Though now you reminded me also that it might be read as "how to SJ in less harmful and hatespreading way" (admittedly I had overlooked the doubtful things you pointed out now). Perhaps kids brought up by Tumblr are the book's target (and certainly could learn from it more) rather than us, brought up on older sci-fi. It just hardly can tell us anything we don't already know about society and - especially - Tumblr-ish ways. It's a sort of book that's great in formative age but rather undersatisfying and feeling "childish" later.

but it all felt very mechanical: the set up is in service of writing a f/f human/alien ship, rather than in service of the characters
Now when I think about it (and very possibly remember wrong), there was little to no follow-up after that. It was like the whole thing took half a chapter and was immediately forgotten. Obligatory ship checked off, nothing else to tell about it. That's why it feels so... uh, I'd really rather avoid using word "tokenish", but sadly it fits. Not sure if the author wanted it this way, but she got rather something in the line of friends-with-benefits (where indeed wouldn't be much more to say than "so they decided they're banging each other recreationally, end of story") instead of an actual romantic relationship.

[hamsterwoman]

Rosemary's total repudiation of her father didn't hit me as a flaw right away, either, but has been bothering me further in retrospect -- I think it's part of why she works for me least well as a character, not even as mediocre-ly as saintly captain Ashby. I mean, I guess it's possible that she worked through all those feelings before the novel started, but that seems kind of unlikely, considering.

It's a sort of book that's great in formative age but rather undersatisfying and feeling "childish" later.

I could see that, and can also see (as egelantier said) it hitting the spot when one is especially in need of something that posits a friendly universe inhabited by benevolent and reasonable people. So, like, this year is good for it. But I've read "Clair" books that didn't feel "Tumblr-y" to me like this one does, and I preferred those more.

Now when I think about it (and very possibly remember wrong), there was little to no follow-up after that

No, you're right, and that's a good point! It's mentioned in passing -- Ashby remarks to Sissix that he's aware of the relationship, and they have a sweet sibling-y moment about it, actually. But we don't get anything about it from Sissix's POV or I think Rosemary's after the get-together scene, so it really does feel like the box was checked and the author lost interest and felt free to move on. I do think it's intended as a "friends with benefits" thing, at least for starters, but IDK, I feel like even that would leave a bit more of a mental imprint than we saw in the book? Or maybe I'm projecting just 'cos I'm not a FWB type...

[aletheiafelinea]

I mean, I guess it's possible that she worked through all those feelings before the novel started, but that seems kind of unlikely, considering.
I think in such case it would be good to mention it somehow. I mean, there's many ways to solve such sort of thing. Could be "It came as a huge shock to me, I had such and such thoughts and came out on the other end with my feelings rearranged; now I feel sad and ashamed, but I don't let it define me" (especially in case she was a loved child and used to feel safe at home), or could be "It wasn't really that surprising, just the last straw that made me cut all ties with the family; now I'm only bitter about it". Actually, I don't really remember how it was written, but if you say there was nothing, then yes, it feels artificial. Humans (and aliens ^^) have feelings, for sanity's sake, not just Correct&Righteous Views, even if they're "good characters".

But I've read "Clair" books that didn't feel "Tumblr-y" to me
I meant to ask, what are "Clair" books? That is, the meaning before examples, though I don't mind those either. :)

we don't get anything about it from Sissix's POV
Darn, indeed! And that would be actually interesting, how-alien-sees-human-in-sex-and-relationship. I'm always a sucker for any sort of Outsider POV, culture clash and such.

[hamsterwoman]

"It came as a huge shock to me, I had such and such thoughts and came out on the other end with my feelings rearranged; now I feel sad and ashamed, but I don't let it define me"

I can't swear that there *wasn't* something like that early on, before I had figured out who Rosemary even was, let alone what Terrible Secret she was fleeing from, but if there was, it was over too quickly and sharply to be believable to me. Even someone who WANTS to forget and feel distant -- those thoughts bubble up again and have to be chased back, at least in any human I know.

I have a feeling I may have a better explanation written somewhere for Clair, or possibly I'm just thinking of this exchange with egelantier. It is a recently and narrowly coined term, but very handy -- basically, the opposite of Noir, in storytelling. Instead of being stoically enduring lonely islands, the protagonists accumulate friends and people who care about them. Instead of other people being sources of heartbreak and betrayal, people for the most part are reasonable and kind and try to do the right thing (though of course they make mistakes; well in books other than this one). Instead of a cold and uncaring universe that grinds down all kindness and hope... well, the universe is not necessarily a rainbow, puppy-spangled place, but, to paraphrase Martin Luther King, the moral arc of the universe bends towards justice, however long it may be. since that initial conversation several years ago, I've come to find it a very handy shorthand term (especially as there seems to be a Tumblr fad for Clair universes, and some of them are definitely more relevant to my interests than others).

[aletheiafelinea]

re: Clair
I see. For me, Discworld would be the first example of clair (as I understood it) well written that comes to mind. Not coincidentally, I cringe a little at the thought of Discworld being placed next to wannabe-clair written poorly...

[hamsterwoman]

Yes, I do think of Discworld as the good kind of Clair.

Which reminds me, egelantier had prompted me for top 5 Clair and Noir universes in a past meme, and you can find my answers here if you're curious. Discworld is, of course, on the list :)

[aletheiafelinea]

Great, thanks! :) Indeed, this confirms my initial understanding of the term. (Rivers of London felt more like Noir to me, but in the books I'm not familiar with might be something that would change my impression. I didn't feel Peter as cynical, though... Again, maybe he becomes later.)

[hamsterwoman]

Rivers of London starts out with Noir trappings, but as the series evolves, I think it is building to a more Clair world -- essentially, Peter's commitment to Clair is helping to shape a new, Clair setting. Because Peter is the very opposite of the "lone wolf PI" noir hero -- he gets everyone involved, and diligently follows the chain of command, and drops by his parents' for tea, and does community outreach, and rubs off on other people in these regards. I think quite possibly that journey of the Folly from the sort of noirish thing we see at the beginning to full-on Clair is going to be the dominant arc of the series, thematically.

As for cynical -- I guess it would be more fair to say that Peter's narrative voice is quite cynical occasionally; I actually agree that he himself is not. It's probably some kind of coping/distancing trick, as a cop or as a kid with a crappy childhood or likely both.

[aletheiafelinea]

Ah, okay then, this makes sense.