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bradleyj's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
ergative's review
2.5
Ah, this was a disappointment. The series went on a bit too long, the brilliance of the world-building was already played out, the wit and zing of puns and commentary on machines and technology to humanity was missing, and even the title didn't particularly work very well. After all the camp and drag of Danny's character arc in the previous two books, he was barely present in this one, and the title was justified by something that seemed forced---as if the title was decided well before the final book was written, and McCrudden couldn't make it work as originally envisaged. Many of the characters from the previous books just didn't feature at all in this one (e.g., Danny), and even the ones who did recur (Pam, Janice, Rita, Fuji, Soonyo) seemed to lack a lot of the characterization that made them so memorable. Janice wasn't viewing the world in terms of hair; Rita wasn't viewing it in terms of taxi dispatch, Pam wasn't viewing it in terms of breadmaking; Fuji in terms of printing, and Soonyo in terms of clocking. There were comments about it, sure, but their worldviews seemed a lot less foundationally affected by their professions or machine functions than they had in the previous books, and that fundamental effect on one's perspective was part of what made those books work so well.
Also, if the nanobots were sentient voting machines in the last book, why was no one attempting to talk to them--even Fuji, who enfranchised them in the last book? They suddenly became an unstoppable dangerous mass once more.
All in all, the series would have been better off as a duology than a trilogy.
Also, if the nanobots were sentient voting machines in the last book, why was no one attempting to talk to them--even Fuji, who enfranchised them in the last book? They suddenly became an unstoppable dangerous mass once more.
All in all, the series would have been better off as a duology than a trilogy.
muccycloud's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
frombethanysbookshelf's review
4.0
The third and absurd addition to the Battlestar Suburbia series comes to us half a year after the end of the human/robot wars - and now the hard part has truly begun.
The humans and machines have to find a way to live in at least civility if not peace, and figure out exactly how they're going to share the solar system they've called home for centuries. Janice, still spearheading Battlestar Suburbia from orbit is now the first minister and trying to look after the millions of citizens she swore to protect, even if that means getting a bit dirty. But down on the ground, the prime minister is having a hard time trying to focus on peace and negotiation when the Earth itself seems to be falling apart beneath her feet.
If they don't have the Earth, humans and robots alike could lose everything - so working together to quite literally get to the centre of the problem might be the thing that finally fixes it once and for all.
Sashay to the Centre of the Earth is exactly what I'd hoped it would it be - a blisteringly sharp and witty satire about modernity and politics with plenty of absurd chaos and cheesy humour that you laugh at whether you want to or not.
In theory, this book should not be good. If you were to describe it to me, I'd tell you it's so outlandish and ridiculous that it couldn't possibly be pulled off, but McCruddens trademark action and worldbuilding will have you suspicious that your hairdryer might be trying to kill you after just a few pages.
This has been described as 'Star Wars but with the cast of the Golden Girls' and I can't agree more - it's full of the type of humour your dad loves, but in a world where toasters are quite possibly smarter than you.
The humans and machines have to find a way to live in at least civility if not peace, and figure out exactly how they're going to share the solar system they've called home for centuries. Janice, still spearheading Battlestar Suburbia from orbit is now the first minister and trying to look after the millions of citizens she swore to protect, even if that means getting a bit dirty. But down on the ground, the prime minister is having a hard time trying to focus on peace and negotiation when the Earth itself seems to be falling apart beneath her feet.
If they don't have the Earth, humans and robots alike could lose everything - so working together to quite literally get to the centre of the problem might be the thing that finally fixes it once and for all.
Sashay to the Centre of the Earth is exactly what I'd hoped it would it be - a blisteringly sharp and witty satire about modernity and politics with plenty of absurd chaos and cheesy humour that you laugh at whether you want to or not.
In theory, this book should not be good. If you were to describe it to me, I'd tell you it's so outlandish and ridiculous that it couldn't possibly be pulled off, but McCruddens trademark action and worldbuilding will have you suspicious that your hairdryer might be trying to kill you after just a few pages.
This has been described as 'Star Wars but with the cast of the Golden Girls' and I can't agree more - it's full of the type of humour your dad loves, but in a world where toasters are quite possibly smarter than you.
nursingthepages's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
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