1sweetiegherkin
Let's venture into the world of sci-fi with works by N. K. Jemisin this month. Excited for this one!
2dianelouise100
I’ve gotten The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms from the library. It begins a trilogy, so I’m hoping to be able to start it soon!
3krissyzzz
Me, too, just put The hundred Thousand Kingdoms on hold and I'm excited to read it! I love Sci-fi ! Good author choice!
4sparemethecensor
A friend lent me The Fifth Season so I'll be reading that. She raved about it so I am looking forward to it.
Previously, I have read only one Jemisin work, which is The City We Became. I really liked the story and the inventive use of New York City as a setting. However, I also thought it was a bit long and meandering in the middle.
Previously, I have read only one Jemisin work, which is The City We Became. I really liked the story and the inventive use of New York City as a setting. However, I also thought it was a bit long and meandering in the middle.
5bell7
I've read several of Jemisin's books before, so I'm excited to start a new-to-me duology with The Killing Moon.
Edited to get touchstones to work
Edited to get touchstones to work
6Yells
I just bought The Fifth Season on kindle. New author for me!
7AnnieMod
>4 sparemethecensor: Weak and unfocused middles is what usually happens with Jemisin IMO - and with a lot of other modern fantasy authors. I tend to overlook that as long as the start and the end are worth it but they are noticeable.
8sparemethecensor
>7 AnnieMod: Thanks for the forewarning... That makes me sad, though. That's exactly the sort of issue a professional editor can fix right up.
9dianelouise100
I’ve finished The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, first book in The Inheritance Trilogy. I had read all the books in The Broken Earth Trilogy, for which Jemison won three Hugo awards in a row, and naturally this one did not quite measure up. I did enjoy reading it, though, and will most likely read the other two books in the series. Her talents for world building and for creating sympathetic non-human characters are remarkable. 4*
10sparemethecensor
I read the first two books of The Broken Earth trilogy. Well, I'll admit I skimmed some of the middle of the second...I really struggle with reading second person and those segments were a real slog for me. Just not my cup of tea.
Her world building is stellar. Super unique and revealed at a great pace. I really enjoyed how she showed the power structures put in place to control certain types of citizens evolve over time.
I did however think that both books were a little long and could have been more tightly edited in the middle. In addition, I really struggled with a subplot of the death of a child (not a spoiler -- happens in the second chapter) the same age as my child just being too much for me to handle emotionally.
Ultimately I'm not sure I will read on to the third book.
Her world building is stellar. Super unique and revealed at a great pace. I really enjoyed how she showed the power structures put in place to control certain types of citizens evolve over time.
I did however think that both books were a little long and could have been more tightly edited in the middle. In addition, I really struggled with a subplot of the death of a child (not a spoiler -- happens in the second chapter) the same age as my child just being too much for me to handle emotionally.
Ultimately I'm not sure I will read on to the third book.
11dianelouise100
>10 sparemethecensor: I agree that some parts of all the trilogy books were slow. I found some aspects of this world decidedly less interesting than others! But if you do decide to read the third novel, you’ll discover the rationale for using second person in some sections.
12sparemethecensor
>11 dianelouise100: Interesting - would you be willing to put the info into a spoiler or message that to me? I'm curious (but not curious enough to try to procure the third book).
13dianelouise100
>12 sparemethecensor: I put a message on your comment wall.
14krissyzzz
Hi! I read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and absolutely loved it. First book of hers I've ever read. Most of what I read is textbooks (thanks, school!) and self-help, so it was a treasure to read for pleasure. She is my favorite author so far; I will be reading all her other works now, I'm sure!
One of my favorite things was the concept of choosing to be a child, how she explored what that means and the struggle to stay in a mindset like that when life gets hard. I won't spoil it, but one of the 'solutions' was just wonderful, and applicable to all our lives!
The author did a lot of hooks, in which she would start revealing something, then back track and get to it later, likely to create suspense. It was welcome 80% of the time, but seemed to happen a bit too often, in my opinion.
I absolutely loved, loved, loved her writing. Every interaction she wrote about seemed interlaced with philosophy and awareness, as if she truly understood each character in all their complex depth. Morality was questioned in tricky ways, as we followed the protagonist as she uncovered more and more understanding of the characters around her.
Usually, sex scenes in a novel turn me off, as they seem forced and as if someone had a thesaurus in hand. But hers were done in a thoughtful way, more about interpretation and mental experience than a detailed physical narrative. Quite beautiful.
Only critique I have is that I struggled with the names. There were a couple times I thought we were talking about one character, but then I had mixed up the names in my head. I think this is because most of the names I had never heard before, so it took a few chapters before I easily recognized them, lol! So, I wish I would have kept a list of who everyone is, in relation to the main character (aka so-and-so is her mother, so-and-so is her grandfather, etc).
One of my favorite things was the concept of choosing to be a child, how she explored what that means and the struggle to stay in a mindset like that when life gets hard. I won't spoil it, but one of the 'solutions' was just wonderful, and applicable to all our lives!
The author did a lot of hooks, in which she would start revealing something, then back track and get to it later, likely to create suspense. It was welcome 80% of the time, but seemed to happen a bit too often, in my opinion.
I absolutely loved, loved, loved her writing. Every interaction she wrote about seemed interlaced with philosophy and awareness, as if she truly understood each character in all their complex depth. Morality was questioned in tricky ways, as we followed the protagonist as she uncovered more and more understanding of the characters around her.
Usually, sex scenes in a novel turn me off, as they seem forced and as if someone had a thesaurus in hand. But hers were done in a thoughtful way, more about interpretation and mental experience than a detailed physical narrative. Quite beautiful.
Only critique I have is that I struggled with the names. There were a couple times I thought we were talking about one character, but then I had mixed up the names in my head. I think this is because most of the names I had never heard before, so it took a few chapters before I easily recognized them, lol! So, I wish I would have kept a list of who everyone is, in relation to the main character (aka so-and-so is her mother, so-and-so is her grandfather, etc).
15AnnieMod
>14 krissyzzz: Any names outside of one's culture can be complicated. In one of the first books translated from English I remember reading, a character name switched from Richard to Dick in mid-book. Took me forever to figure out who Dick was. :) And with some cultures (invented or real), names can be close enough to each other to cause even more issues.
16krissyzzz
>15 AnnieMod: Annie,
lol! sudden nick-names, too, yes!!!!
lol! sudden nick-names, too, yes!!!!
17cindydavid4
>1 sweetiegherkin: Im late to this so excuse this question - is this sci fi or fantasy?
I didn't realize this thread was here, so forgive my lateness (thanks Annie for getting me here) Jemisin has been my fave for the better part of a year now . DIdn't care for 100,000 kingdoms but now that I have read her other work I will try it again. I agree that her middles tend to be muddled, but love her world building, her abilty to creat complex characters who are not all saits and villians, and love how she manages to make connections between them that were surprising. Loved Broken Earth, and the Duology. In both of those having glossarys really helped. What also helps is reading her short story collection how long till black future month Not only does she have the original stories that were the basis of Broken Earth, Killing Moon, and the new one The City We Became, but some really interesting ones including a take on Le Guins Those who walk away from the Omelas. I'll be reading the city we became next
I didn't realize this thread was here, so forgive my lateness (thanks Annie for getting me here) Jemisin has been my fave for the better part of a year now . DIdn't care for 100,000 kingdoms but now that I have read her other work I will try it again. I agree that her middles tend to be muddled, but love her world building, her abilty to creat complex characters who are not all saits and villians, and love how she manages to make connections between them that were surprising. Loved Broken Earth, and the Duology. In both of those having glossarys really helped. What also helps is reading her short story collection how long till black future month Not only does she have the original stories that were the basis of Broken Earth, Killing Moon, and the new one The City We Became, but some really interesting ones including a take on Le Guins Those who walk away from the Omelas. I'll be reading the city we became next
18cindydavid4
>15 AnnieMod: then there is Hilary Mantel with her Thomas/Mary/Elizabeth conundrum. Loved the series but took me a bit to get everyone straight!
19AnnieMod
>17 cindydavid4: People who rarely read the genres tend to call everything sci-fi.
Jemisin is mostly a fantasy author but she tends to cross over occasionally - usually into science fantasy and not straight science fiction but... :) It's all speculative fiction if you want a term that always works for her. :)
Jemisin is mostly a fantasy author but she tends to cross over occasionally - usually into science fantasy and not straight science fiction but... :) It's all speculative fiction if you want a term that always works for her. :)
20AnnieMod
>18 cindydavid4: Well, she was a bit stuck with the names after all. :)
21cindydavid4
>20 AnnieMod: oh yes that is true
And yes I always thought of her as a fantasy writer. So I was surprised by the sci fi. However in the Burnt earth there is a great deal that can be considered sci fi, that entire section when the narrator is going among the space ship on the shuttle and time is bending....but you are right, more science fantasy. Speculative fiction works, I suppose.
And yes I always thought of her as a fantasy writer. So I was surprised by the sci fi. However in the Burnt earth there is a great deal that can be considered sci fi, that entire section when the narrator is going among the space ship on the shuttle and time is bending....but you are right, more science fantasy. Speculative fiction works, I suppose.
