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aoc's review against another edition
3.0
Novel presents a dystopian future where Earth has been polluted to such a degree that minority of people is forced to live in cities that stand apart from the ground on mechanical elevation and where even the smallest of crimes will get you sent to the Farms upon which you're expected to die working so cities can keep on going... that's the majority of the population. Both life styles are presented as horrible, but there is hope in the form of Travelers who move about and try to live a free life despite being hunted down by police and robots which effectively makes them terrorists of this reality. It's a grim world and our protagonist has mental issues on top of it all which result in him hallucinating things that may not be there. Novel follows his escapades throughout this world after crashing an automated freighter before some major revelations are made about African countries being the new rising power due to their largely untarnished land that can still be used to grow food and this does not sit well with current Powers That Be.
I cannot rightfully say whether I enjoyed Earthworks and to what degree. Its biggest weakness probably lies in characters themselves which are Aldiss' regular Achilles' heel from what I've experienced so far. Setting is interesting, but whenever people start speaking it begins to rely on author telling you what they're saying versus characters themselves, well, saying it. It's a weird style and I have a feeling it may be a personal dislike of mine. Story also sadly ends just as the finale is being set up and our protagonist Knowle finally commits to it. Talking about general broad strokes I'd say Earthworks delivers a heavy handed ecological message worth reading in modern times.
I cannot rightfully say whether I enjoyed Earthworks and to what degree. Its biggest weakness probably lies in characters themselves which are Aldiss' regular Achilles' heel from what I've experienced so far. Setting is interesting, but whenever people start speaking it begins to rely on author telling you what they're saying versus characters themselves, well, saying it. It's a weird style and I have a feeling it may be a personal dislike of mine. Story also sadly ends just as the finale is being set up and our protagonist Knowle finally commits to it. Talking about general broad strokes I'd say Earthworks delivers a heavy handed ecological message worth reading in modern times.
wertwow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
My first aldiss book. Definitely a book that feels like it should be 200 or 300 pages rather than 100. It sets up an interesting world and lots of ideas but doesn't really have enough time to scratch the surface of any of them.
hammard's review
2.0
This book has a terrible reputation. At the time it was absolutely pilloried. I think this comes partially because it is after three of his best works (Hothouse, Dark Light Years and Greybeard) whilst this a bit more of a step backwards (unsurprisingly given it is based on an older novella). It is a not bad setup but the whole thing feels rushed and unexplored. Definitely one that could have benefited from more time being spent upon it.
However, if you go in without too many expectations it is a fine shorter novel.
However, if you go in without too many expectations it is a fine shorter novel.
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