Reviews

This was an ok story. I read it because it was this seasons One book One Chicago selection. For me I struggled to understand why the androids were the bad guys and why androids and humans could not live side by side in harmony. I got the sense if the characters were in community with androids they would feel less alone and isolated and depressed and hopeless. I also got confused about the whole mercer subplot about climbing hills and being hit by stones and this having some deeper meaning.

sklus's review against another edition

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4.0

This book should probably be a 3-star book for me, but I settled on 4-stars given that it was written in the 60s and Harrison Ford is in the movies. But, boy, can you tell that this book was written by a man. The treatment of women was horrible in this book. I knew the breast size of every female character in the book, but I knew nothing of the men. I can't even remember the men being physically described except for being large and frightening. The women characters seemed to be extra scatterbrained and self-absorbed. To be fair,

Spoiler

most of the women were androids and they were supposed to be empathy-less killers

. However, even Rick's wife was just there to be moody and dramatic about life. The dialogue was also a little hard to swallow, but it was more of a stylistic choice. Characters talked past and around one another, which played up the sickness and disorder of this post-nuclear earth. Overall, I really liked the world and the story. The treatment of animals, the religious elements, and the "post-apocalyptic but still lived in" Earth were all different from other Sci-Fi books I've read. I would recommend this book with the strong warning that it is a lot.

brisingr's review against another edition

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2.0

I loved the concept of the world and the sci-fi traits of the story! I was so damn impressed and enthusiastic at the start of this novel, and I really thought I was going to enjoy it, but it soon proved me different. As most old SF books, it took very misogynistic and sexist turns real soon, so I was left very meh about it. And I also absolutely hated all characters, so you get me?

2.5

kumipaul's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Odd but fascinating book about what makes someone human. Or maybe it's more about how androids are getting s0 good that they are nearly indistinguishable from humans. It's about AI before AI was really a thing. And how "you don't know what you've got til it's gone". And it's about something like God, but as a human, but not like Jesus. And a comedian who is the only thing on TV 23 hours a day. Got it?

reasselin's review

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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