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ferndust's review
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jesterbee's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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
ezatuesday's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
chantaal's review
3.0
Generation Ship got its hooks into me and dragged me along for a wild ride, read in two sittings. Or is it layings, when you're in bed reading on your Kindle, desperately ignoring how tired you are as you thumb just one more page...
It's a pretty solid premise: a generation ship, hundreds of years after it left Earth, is finally reaching its destination: a planet they can possibly colonize. As the ship approaches, political unrest churns and erupts thanks to the actions of our five main characters. We follow a scientist, a hacker, a police officer, a governor, and a reluctant union leader. Everyone is a mess, acting and reacting and reacting again, decisions pinging off each other until the ship is ready for an entire class revolution. It's great, that way.
Where the book failed for me was in the fact that I did not for one moment believe any of our main characters were <i>real people.</i> They all felt like puppets being moved around by the author to make his story move forward. Like I could see every decision the author was making so it could lead to the next, so it could lead to another, so that this outcome could happen. The constant forward momentum was great and obviously kept me reading, but I felt so dissatisfied with the whole journey by the end, mainly because of the characters.
It also did not need to be nearly 600 pages long.
Issues aside, this was still an incredibly compelling read. It's pure political drama set in space, like John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Stacy Abrams, and Lois McMaster Bujold were all set in a blender and this was the result.
Would I recommend it? Maybe, if you're looking for something easy to read and need to scratch a political drama, space opera itch.
It's a pretty solid premise: a generation ship, hundreds of years after it left Earth, is finally reaching its destination: a planet they can possibly colonize. As the ship approaches, political unrest churns and erupts thanks to the actions of our five main characters. We follow a scientist, a hacker, a police officer, a governor, and a reluctant union leader. Everyone is a mess, acting and reacting and reacting again, decisions pinging off each other until the ship is ready for an entire class revolution. It's great, that way.
Where the book failed for me was in the fact that I did not for one moment believe any of our main characters were <i>real people.</i> They all felt like puppets being moved around by the author to make his story move forward. Like I could see every decision the author was making so it could lead to the next, so it could lead to another, so that this outcome could happen. The constant forward momentum was great and obviously kept me reading, but I felt so dissatisfied with the whole journey by the end, mainly because of the characters.
It also did not need to be nearly 600 pages long.
Issues aside, this was still an incredibly compelling read. It's pure political drama set in space, like John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Stacy Abrams, and Lois McMaster Bujold were all set in a blender and this was the result.
Would I recommend it? Maybe, if you're looking for something easy to read and need to scratch a political drama, space opera itch.
instahgrump's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
maison's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
merchant_of_mishaps's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I found the ending to be a bit of a let down since the majority of the book was a more political sci-fi, I was expecting the planet to be more involved in the plot than it was. Overall I was engaged in the story but just didn't find it went anywhere for me
missyreads's review against another edition
3.75
A spaceship faces political upheaval just before it arrives at an inhabitable planet after a journey of over 200 years.
graff_fuller's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really liked this story. It didn't go the way that I thought it would go, but I believe that was for the better.
It seems that people will be people, wherever and whenever they go. We just cannot get out of our own way.
The belief systems that are instilled into the people who start a generational ship voyage, are not always the belief systems of the the generations later...and that isn't something that I'd thought of...until this book.
I HAVE thought of all the things that could/would kill people on other planets...a LONG way away. It only seems logical, to think...that a planet lightyears away...could be 99% compatible, but STILL that ONE percent could/should kill off the entire colony. Star Trek is a utopian view of what can/might happen...this isn't THAT type of story.
Overall, I was suprised by the ending, but also impressed...that it ended the way that it did.
I've loved everything that Michael Mammay has written, and Misfit Soldier is the only thing that is left. Hope to pick it up, soon.
It seems that people will be people, wherever and whenever they go. We just cannot get out of our own way.
The belief systems that are instilled into the people who start a generational ship voyage, are not always the belief systems of the the generations later...and that isn't something that I'd thought of...until this book.
I HAVE thought of all the things that could/would kill people on other planets...a LONG way away. It only seems logical, to think...that a planet lightyears away...could be 99% compatible, but STILL that ONE percent could/should kill off the entire colony. Star Trek is a utopian view of what can/might happen...this isn't THAT type of story.
Overall, I was suprised by the ending, but also impressed...that it ended the way that it did.
I've loved everything that Michael Mammay has written, and Misfit Soldier is the only thing that is left. Hope to pick it up, soon.
w1ngard1um's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5