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siriuschico's review against another edition
5.0
Sisyphean is the weirdest of the New Weird. It is a collection of four interconnected stories which tell us the story of humanity's bleak future. Dempow Torishima is a brilliant storyteller - he describes a future so different from ours that there is minimal overlap with the current world. The author uses many new, made-up words, so it can be tough to really know what the hell is going on right now. But the world that which author built is something else. Weird flash walls all around us, undersea living castles or ruthless nanodust deserts slowly devouring the last few surviving humans, Dempow is just throwing ideas at readers. Similarly to some of the best Lovecraft work - the atmosphere is a major drive here, the story is interesting, but in the end, it is just a canvas to paint the bleak atmosphere of a crazy future.
I especially loved Castellum Natatorius (or, The castle in the Mudsea) story. It is a hard-boiled detective story with insect humanoids. Just let that sentence sink in - hard-boiled detective story with insect humanoids.
This is definitely not a book for beginners, but if you dabbled in the new weird and liked it - give it a chance.
I especially loved Castellum Natatorius (or, The castle in the Mudsea) story. It is a hard-boiled detective story with insect humanoids. Just let that sentence sink in - hard-boiled detective story with insect humanoids.
This is definitely not a book for beginners, but if you dabbled in the new weird and liked it - give it a chance.
kayemme's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
youthfulexpression's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
the_littlest_lion's review against another edition
I've only had to read up to this point for a class and although I don't believe the story or writing is bad the horror is a little too uncanny valley for me and I'd rather cast it aside. I might get back to it eventually but not for a while.
yseemeusnier's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
tamandua's review against another edition
3.75
utterly bizarre. the new weird genre has never been more, whatever this is. a kaleidoscope of post-human, post-capitalist bio-horror.
lamusadelils's review against another edition
4.0
Uno de mis libros favoritos de este año, es extraño y tiene elementos contrastantes que se combinan en una experiencia sorprendente e inesperada.
diesmali's review against another edition
3.0
4 long short stories in what you may think of as "kafkaesque biopunk", as another reviewer put it.
5/5 for originality and _weirdness_ In a distant future humanity is no longer what it once was as bio-engineering has created a various amount of transhumans and transanimals seeking to make the most out of possible biological functions. The locals of the stories are also highly original and fascinating.
Unfortunately the stories in themselves don't hold the same level of interest, and there's a fair bit of muddling through for the reader. But there's enough of interest to keep going. The last story was the slightly more interesting one, if you ask me.
5/5 for originality and _weirdness_ In a distant future humanity is no longer what it once was as bio-engineering has created a various amount of transhumans and transanimals seeking to make the most out of possible biological functions. The locals of the stories are also highly original and fascinating.
Unfortunately the stories in themselves don't hold the same level of interest, and there's a fair bit of muddling through for the reader. But there's enough of interest to keep going. The last story was the slightly more interesting one, if you ask me.
history_bot's review against another edition
5.0
Very strange but in the end it all came together (in a way), which I feel like is uncommon with Weird fiction. The author took a risk by starting with the strangest section, but as you read on you get more of an idea of a cohesive narrative and overarching themes. Luckily I was completely hooked by the first section and it didn't put me off at all; I was really worried that the book was going to drop off in the end and not come to a satisfying conclusion but it actually did and I have to admit that I loved it. It won't be for everyone, but it might end up being one of my favorite reads of the year. Definitely deserves a reread!