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angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
3.0
Had promise with a dystopian world after the arrival of an alien plant that decimates the landscape and is accompanied by a strange floating orb that scorches the earth. However it then devolves into a ludicrous survivalist scenario where mankind is living within the alien plant’s roots, and then the narrative just gets more and more ridiculous until the end.
suzemo's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
As a ... connoisseur? or just someone who's read too much older and pulpy sci fi & especially post apocalyptic stuff, this was pretty on the mark to what I expected for a novel of this age.
I mean, I get it, it was probably mind blowing at the time it was published, and the idea of plants that grow larger than trees and that you can get and travel inside of them to their roots/fruit is pretty different. But overall? pulpy, old (as in, heteronormative & very dated gender roles), and decent enough. I was fine with most of it, up until the "light" pedophilia (edgelords would say ephebophilia - same, same) and then weird feeding/fat fetish/horror? I have no idea, but yeah. I read it. I'm done.
The weirdest part (which, it's personal) - is that the end was so sudden. It was a fast book, sure, but the end was all "and then they all died" out of nowhere. It's almost like the author got tired or bored with the story and just wanted to end it (not that it needed to keep going, but it was odd).
I mean, I get it, it was probably mind blowing at the time it was published, and the idea of plants that grow larger than trees and that you can get and travel inside of them to their roots/fruit is pretty different. But overall? pulpy, old (as in, heteronormative & very dated gender roles), and decent enough. I was fine with most of it, up until the "light" pedophilia (edgelords would say ephebophilia - same, same) and then weird feeding/fat fetish/horror? I have no idea, but yeah. I read it. I'm done.
The weirdest part (which, it's personal) - is that the end was so sudden. It was a fast book, sure, but the end was all "and then they all died" out of nowhere. It's almost like the author got tired or bored with the story and just wanted to end it (not that it needed to keep going, but it was odd).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Excrement, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Animal death, Death, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Sexual content, and Medical trauma
scheu's review against another edition
4.0
The Genocides could just as well be a slipstream novel instead of SF; the science fiction elements are a means to an end and not crucial to the story. This is the way the world ends - no bang, no whimper, just the disintegration of a rotten apple. It's probably an allegory, but I'll leave that interpretation to the next reader.
pnw_afox's review against another edition
4.0
If you like social commentary in your sf, then you will probably like Disch. He never shies away from a realistic, yet pessimistic, outcome.
babsxi's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, half way through this book I found myself thinking this is christian propaganda and how the f did I get here. Imagine my surprise and joy at the end when I realized it’s actually commentary on how “christian values” can corrupt and bring out the worst in humanity.
Facing extinction of every single species that’s ever lived, the humans were are following are only focused on going to church and trying to portray other fundamentalist values. It’s interesting how in some dystopian / apocalyptic books/movies/etc. there is some bullshit christian sect hellbent on maintaining judo-christianity at the detriment of the actual human species’ survival. “Only one man and one woman” like bitch why do you care? There are literal aliens vaporizing humans just for feeding cattle?
What’s worse is that if the USA was to ever encounter a major fallout of all of our institutions like this, there is a guarantee that some christian sect will arise out of the ashes to try and doom us all. I think that’s what makes including the trope in the genre so effective- on a scale of plausibility what is more likely to happen: aliens arrive with vaporizing guns; OR humans contribute to their own extinction from outdated values.
Side note: I love how the vaporizing was described as the aliens just “spraying the garden.” Excellent writing.
While Game of Thrones was still on the air I read an analysis that suggested the Night King was nature and the rest of the world was not acting on climate change- or something like that- and while that trope was never actually fulfilled in GOT, I found some satisfaction from Disch’s The Genocides. Yeah, it’s really sad when they emerge from the caves in the spring and there are no sounds of birds. That sucks so bad to even think about. BUT the ending of The Genocides was satisfying because humans are not sole survivors. They’re one of the species to go extinct.
And weirdly, it’s nice to see a book with possible extinction on the table and the because the humans refuse to come together, they are also eliminated. There’s no happy ending here except a world without humans to destroy it.
Boy, howdy. What a book.
Facing extinction of every single species that’s ever lived, the humans were are following are only focused on going to church and trying to portray other fundamentalist values. It’s interesting how in some dystopian / apocalyptic books/movies/etc. there is some bullshit christian sect hellbent on maintaining judo-christianity at the detriment of the actual human species’ survival. “Only one man and one woman” like bitch why do you care? There are literal aliens vaporizing humans just for feeding cattle?
What’s worse is that if the USA was to ever encounter a major fallout of all of our institutions like this, there is a guarantee that some christian sect will arise out of the ashes to try and doom us all. I think that’s what makes including the trope in the genre so effective- on a scale of plausibility what is more likely to happen: aliens arrive with vaporizing guns; OR humans contribute to their own extinction from outdated values.
Side note: I love how the vaporizing was described as the aliens just “spraying the garden.” Excellent writing.
While Game of Thrones was still on the air I read an analysis that suggested the Night King was nature and the rest of the world was not acting on climate change- or something like that- and while that trope was never actually fulfilled in GOT, I found some satisfaction from Disch’s The Genocides. Yeah, it’s really sad when they emerge from the caves in the spring and there are no sounds of birds. That sucks so bad to even think about. BUT the ending of The Genocides was satisfying because humans are not sole survivors. They’re one of the species to go extinct.
And weirdly, it’s nice to see a book with possible extinction on the table and the because the humans refuse to come together, they are also eliminated. There’s no happy ending here except a world without humans to destroy it.
Boy, howdy. What a book.
eliaseuler's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
ninj's review against another edition
4.0
Very day-of-the-triffids feel, and other turn of the 20th century novels. I was a little iffy in the early part of the story with its old-school sci-fi story-telling, but it picked up strongly and did a great job of chasing after the characters through their trials and tribulations.
ladyjedi's review against another edition
5.0
This is a book, that despite me having read it a while ago, it still haunts me. I may not remember each name of the protagonists in this book, but the main story, still is with me. Maybe this is not a review but a thought about the book... Destruction in order to make a harvest. Destroying a whole planet for a harvest. Destroying a civilization for a harvest.
How many times have white people endangered or destroyed civilizations out of greed? How many times religious dogma has destroyed people and endangered lives? How many times people have oppressed other people? How many times religious dogma has destroyed civilizations?
As I said, this is an afterthought.
How many times have white people endangered or destroyed civilizations out of greed? How many times religious dogma has destroyed people and endangered lives? How many times people have oppressed other people? How many times religious dogma has destroyed civilizations?
As I said, this is an afterthought.
matt_books's review against another edition
3.0
A bleak and sparse piece of bare bones sci-fi from the author of The Brave Little Toaster