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mdstepp1998's review
4.0
Hmm...this is a tough review to write for it is not written in a traditional novel format. The best I can describe Desolation Road is it is like watching a TV show. There are individual episodes that have a short story arc and moral message, while there is usually some overall story arc that binds them all together.
Each chapter follows an individual character. The initial dozen or so stories chronicle the creation of Desolation Road - a small town in the Martian Desert along a transplanet railroad track - and how each character came to find themselves in the town. The overall story arc is that of town founder, Dr. Alimintando, who was led to the site of the town by a little green martian. His character is central to the time traveling theme (he leaves early in the book to time travel search for the green martian) that is dispersed throughout the chapters (and plays a significant role in the closing stories).
The 30 or so chapters in the books middle follow each original character or the children they breed as each face different issues both normal and science fiction. Each are often as simple as falling in love and any consequences that fall out from it or as fantastical as one of the characters becoming a temporary god of machines (because the usual god needs to take a break essentially). Some of these stories are excellent, engrossing, and I wish were longer (any story involving the Mandella's, Tenebrae's, and Jericho). Others seemed almost like fillers and just slowed down the books rapid pace (Stalin, some of the Adam Black stories).
The final 20 chapters or so bring all of the characters stories together in a very action packed and interesting finish. The town itself is brought full circle and there is a nice twist at the end that brought a smile.
Overall, this all may seem quite random - and it is at times - but in the grand scheme of the book it makes sense. I felt a great sense of wonder - something that seems to be missing from some of the more recent science fiction bestsellers - and for this it is a must read. Each chapter, or episode, provides a short story that never drowns itself in detail, but really gives a sense of how unique each character is and how that transforms their decision making. There are villains and heroes and many in between. There are stories about politics, bureaucracies, angels, gods, the dying planet Earth, family bickering, stealing children, murder, love, secret societies, war, aliens, lasers, and really anything else you can think of from modern day science fiction stories.
It really is a grab bag of science fiction wrapped in a great world building story. Any fantasy/sci-fi reader should check it out.
Each chapter follows an individual character. The initial dozen or so stories chronicle the creation of Desolation Road - a small town in the Martian Desert along a transplanet railroad track - and how each character came to find themselves in the town. The overall story arc is that of town founder, Dr. Alimintando, who was led to the site of the town by a little green martian. His character is central to the time traveling theme (he leaves early in the book to time travel search for the green martian) that is dispersed throughout the chapters (and plays a significant role in the closing stories).
The 30 or so chapters in the books middle follow each original character or the children they breed as each face different issues both normal and science fiction. Each are often as simple as falling in love and any consequences that fall out from it or as fantastical as one of the characters becoming a temporary god of machines (because the usual god needs to take a break essentially). Some of these stories are excellent, engrossing, and I wish were longer (any story involving the Mandella's, Tenebrae's, and Jericho). Others seemed almost like fillers and just slowed down the books rapid pace (Stalin, some of the Adam Black stories).
The final 20 chapters or so bring all of the characters stories together in a very action packed and interesting finish. The town itself is brought full circle and there is a nice twist at the end that brought a smile.
Overall, this all may seem quite random - and it is at times - but in the grand scheme of the book it makes sense. I felt a great sense of wonder - something that seems to be missing from some of the more recent science fiction bestsellers - and for this it is a must read. Each chapter, or episode, provides a short story that never drowns itself in detail, but really gives a sense of how unique each character is and how that transforms their decision making. There are villains and heroes and many in between. There are stories about politics, bureaucracies, angels, gods, the dying planet Earth, family bickering, stealing children, murder, love, secret societies, war, aliens, lasers, and really anything else you can think of from modern day science fiction stories.
It really is a grab bag of science fiction wrapped in a great world building story. Any fantasy/sci-fi reader should check it out.
kazio1993's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
suzemo's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first work I’ve read by Ian MacDonald and I (mostly) really enjoyed it. McDonald knows how to write. He knows how to write fluidly and beautifully and have fun with his words, which I really appreciate. Most of the book is lyrical and fun, and I loved the imagery and magical realism he presents.
This book is about the town of Desolation road... it starts with the founding and the slow addition of characters. The writing about founding of the town, the new characters rolls around your brain and relaxes and slowly feeds you the atmosphere and the characters.
It was wonderful. And then about three quarters of the way through the book it lost me. All of a sudden I couldn’t keep the characters apart. I would have to pause to remember who was who, why they were running around wherever they were and wonder why we were even there.
There was an overly contrived scene/reason/giant plot device to bring all of the characters back, and to be honest, I just didn’t care that much anymore. The melody of the writing had been lost, and to be honest, it definitely lost me.
I loved the greenperson and I definitely loved the character of Doctor Alimantando.
This book is about the town of Desolation road... it starts with the founding and the slow addition of characters. The writing about founding of the town, the new characters rolls around your brain and relaxes and slowly feeds you the atmosphere and the characters.
It was wonderful. And then about three quarters of the way through the book it lost me. All of a sudden I couldn’t keep the characters apart. I would have to pause to remember who was who, why they were running around wherever they were and wonder why we were even there.
There was an overly contrived scene/reason/giant plot device to bring all of the characters back, and to be honest, I just didn’t care that much anymore. The melody of the writing had been lost, and to be honest, it definitely lost me.
I loved the greenperson and I definitely loved the character of Doctor Alimantando.
nal9000's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Took me a couple tries to get into Desolation Road but once I got rolling I loved every bonkers chapter.
I’m surprised I haven’t seen the term Magical Realism thrown around because that’s what this book reminded me of. Maybe “magical futurism” is a better description. The main character of the story is the Town of Desolation Road itself; an old American west town on the dunes of a colonized mars thats actively being terraformed. The story plays out over dozens of years following the founding members of the town and their children. The tech used is a wild combination of steam punk and ultra, almost magic like tech that’s never really explained outside the fairy tale like style the author chose. I think it would make a wonderful mini series animated show. The chapters already feel like episodes.
I’m surprised I haven’t seen the term Magical Realism thrown around because that’s what this book reminded me of. Maybe “magical futurism” is a better description. The main character of the story is the Town of Desolation Road itself; an old American west town on the dunes of a colonized mars thats actively being terraformed. The story plays out over dozens of years following the founding members of the town and their children. The tech used is a wild combination of steam punk and ultra, almost magic like tech that’s never really explained outside the fairy tale like style the author chose. I think it would make a wonderful mini series animated show. The chapters already feel like episodes.
geckoedit's review against another edition
5.0
Dazzlingly brilliant, bizarre, and utterly fantastic. Read this book.
lanster's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Quite an imaginative and surprising book that tells the story of a town, by it's defining events and defining people over the years.
It's a bit rough around the edges, but there's so many different ideas, settings and topics explored over the course of the book that it pulls it off in the end.
It's a bit rough around the edges, but there's so many different ideas, settings and topics explored over the course of the book that it pulls it off in the end.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
1.0
I've had this book checked out for a LONG time - at least as far back as last November. I took three tries on reading it. What a grand disappointment. Ian McDonald is a relatively new author for me and up until this book I've been very impressed. But this one I hated. And I finished it though it was an absolute struggle. So what was wrong with this book? It was a funny book that wasn't funny. It was allegory without any real message. The writing was stupid. The characters interesting but I never cared about any of them and could be barely troubled to keep one from another. And the ending was clearly going to be circular, in fact the middle was circular. And unreasonable consequences rampant. It did kind of have a Jerry Cornelius Tetralogy kind of feel to - but that book had way fewer character and at least one point in time I actually liked that book. Your mileage may vary, but I found this book not worth reading.
thwacko's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Sprawling. Enthralling. A pleasure.
jam51's review
4.0
I remember having read this book. I think that it was the first Ian McDonald book that I read. I remember liking it enough to want to read other books by the same author. Which I have done. But I don't remember a thing about this book. I think that it was likely about a desolate road somewhere. Probably not on Earth. Mars maybe? Yes, I think it was one of the "Mars books." (I was at one time trying to read every SF book set on or about Mars, which kept me busy for a few years!) So that is why it's on my "To Re-read" list, which I just created. I'll be adding more books to this list as I remember them (which is a pretty unlikely event, given the state of my memory these days!) or come across them by chance or someone else mentions them to me in passing or someone throws the book at me and it hits me in the head.