Read-a-long of "Space Opera" by Catherynne M. Valente

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Read-a-long of "Space Opera" by Catherynne M. Valente

Post by gali »

Read-a-long of Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente.

@Gravy and gali.
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Post by Gravy »

I've got the first chapter read. It's fun, so far. :)
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Post by gali »

Gravy wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 23:57 I've got the first chapter read. It's fun, so far. :)
I didn't start it yet. I am glad to hear it is good. :)

I will try to read a couple of chapters today.
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Post by Gravy »

No rush. I'll just be plodding along. :lol:
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Post by Gravy »

I've got a couple more chapters read. :auto-dirtbike:


:animals-chickencatch:
/^⬆️\_/^⬆️___\
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Post by gali »

Gravy wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 23:09 I've got a couple more chapters read. :auto-dirtbike:


:animals-chickencatch:
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Great! I will start it tonight and read the first three chapters.
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Post by gali »

Ok, I have read the first three chapters. It started a bit slow for me, and I don't care much for the style of writing (all those run-on sentences are a bit too much). I liked the concept of people/meat and the idea of doing contests instead of wars. Chapter three was much better from the other two, or maybe I just got used to the writing.

@Gravy Where are you now in the book?
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Post by Gravy »

I haven't really read this kind of sci-fi/fantasy, so it's all a bit weird to me. :lol:


I got a few more chapters read. I think I'm on, like, chapter 7 now?


I also like the people/meat concept (and boy is it all too accurate). I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes. :)
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Post by gali »

Gravy wrote: 02 Mar 2020, 22:34 I haven't really read this kind of sci-fi/fantasy, so it's all a bit weird to me. :lol:


I got a few more chapters read. I think I'm on, like, chapter 7 now?


I also like the people/meat concept (and boy is it all too accurate). I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes. :)
I will try to catch up with you. I didn't finish my other book yet, so I am zigzagging between the two.

Have you read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? It is one of my favorite series. It has the same principle but much better.
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Post by Gravy »

I'm not sure this genre is really going to be my thing. :eusa-think:

I watched the adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and I've been curious about it...
I may try it later.
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Post by gali »

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is highly recommended! If the author tried to imitate Douglas Adams, she missed the mark, unfortunately.

I started chapter 8. I finished my other book, so I can now focus on this one. What do you think on the writing? It is rather long-winded, isn't it? It has a stream of consciousness element, which I don't care for. The way the author described humanity was on the spot, though!

Decibel was made pregnant by the alien or did I misunderstand??
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Post by Gravy »

You absolutely did not misunderstand. :lol:
That's going to be something to see! :laughing-rolling:

Also, I must say, I really like that esca. They're fun. (I've read a bit more and (*WARNING!!!SPOILER*) there's a place where they explain gender in their species. I love it!)
END SPOILER

I feel like this is more meta fiction with some parody/satire thrown in? (Which may well add up to her imitating Douglas Adams, going on what little I know about his books.)
Her style is interesting to say the least. She has another book that I've been interested in (totally different genre), and I wonder how it would compare.


The jokes are pretty perfect. :lol2:
I'm enjoying it, though I'm not a huge fan of the style.
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Post by gali »

Gravy wrote: 06 Mar 2020, 23:57 You absolutely did not misunderstand. :lol:
That's going to be something to see! :laughing-rolling:

Also, I must say, I really like that esca. They're fun. (I've read a bit more and (*WARNING!!!SPOILER*) there's a place where they explain gender in their species. I love it!)
END SPOILER

I feel like this is more meta fiction with some parody/satire thrown in? (Which may well add up to her imitating Douglas Adams, going on what little I know about his books.)
Her style is interesting to say the least. She has another book that I've been interested in (totally different genre), and I wonder how it would compare.


The jokes are pretty perfect. :lol2:
I'm enjoying it, though I'm not a huge fan of the style.
I thought as such. I wondered how the author will handle his pregnancy. :D

I am about to start chapter 10.

I liked this esca as well. I reached the part where they explained gender, and it was unique. I felt sorry for some of the participated parties who didn't make it...

The section where Decibel was mishandled by government agents was hilarious, and I was glad the esca came to the rescue.

I enjoy the jokes, but the writing style is a bit clunky and wordy. Douglas Adams' book is also a satire, and I like his writing better.

What is the title of her other book?
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Post by gali »

@Gravy where are you in the book? I am on chapter 20.

The pace is rather slow, isn't it? I have read half of the book and there is hardly any action. I have to say that the book doesn't excite me. The premise is great, but the execution of the book leaves something to be desired. The novel does a lot of telling and not enough showing and there is too much ranting. The jokes are great, but they aren't enough to hold the plot (in my view). I am not enjoying the book as I thought I would.


Spoiler:
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Have you reached the section of the speaking cat yet? A pity the cat hardly speaks. It could have livened up the plot.
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Post by Gravy »

I haven't read much more yet. I just read about the sleeping wormholes.

So far I'm okay with everything. I enjoy the strangeness of it, and the creativity of the worlds. But I agree that it's a bit inactive. Given the premise, I expected a bit more action.

The world building reminds me A LOT of Simon R. Green's Nightside series, which has me enjoying it for that aspect alone.
I half expect my favorite characters from that series to walk in (I miss them so much. I may need to do a reread).

(If you enjoy the absurdity of the world but like more action, you'd probably like The Nightside. It's almost a mix of this and Discworld, with some bad language thrown in. I really do miss that world.)
gali wrote: 07 Mar 2020, 01:24
Gravy wrote: 06 Mar 2020, 23:57 You absolutely did not misunderstand. :lol:
That's going to be something to see! :laughing-rolling:

Also, I must say, I really like that esca. They're fun. (I've read a bit more and (*WARNING!!!SPOILER*) there's a place where they explain gender in their species. I love it!)
END SPOILER

I feel like this is more meta fiction with some parody/satire thrown in? (Which may well add up to her imitating Douglas Adams, going on what little I know about his books.)
Her style is interesting to say the least. She has another book that I've been interested in (totally different genre), and I wonder how it would compare.


The jokes are pretty perfect. :lol2:
I'm enjoying it, though I'm not a huge fan of the style.
I thought as such. I wondered how the author will handle his pregnancy. :D

I am about to start chapter 10.

I liked this esca as well. I reached the part where they explained gender, and it was unique. I felt sorry for some of the participated parties who didn't make it...

The section where Decibel was mishandled by government agents was hilarious, and I was glad the esca came to the rescue.

I enjoy the jokes, but the writing style is a bit clunky and wordy. Douglas Adams' book is also a satire, and I like his writing better.

What is the title of her other book?

Palimpsest
Between life and death, dreaming and waking, at the train stop beyond the end of the world is the city of Palimpsest. To get there is a miracle, a mystery, a gift, and a curse—a voyage permitted only to those who’ve always believed there’s another world than the one that meets the eye. Those fated to make the passage are marked forever by a map of that wondrous city tattooed on their flesh after a single orgasmic night. To this kingdom of ghost trains, lion-priests, living kanji, and cream-filled canals come four travelers: Oleg, a New York locksmith; the beekeeper November; Ludovico, a binder of rare books; and a young Japanese woman named Sei. They’ve each lost something important—a wife, a lover, a sister, a direction in life—and what they will find in Palimpsest is more than they could ever imagine.
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