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A review by printsofwhales
2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson
3.0
I picked up this book because I was intrigued that it won a science fiction book of the year award and because I liked another book by the author.
2312 is an odd book. It's unlike other science fiction I've read: it's not a thriller, it doesn't really do much world-building, it doesn't get lost in technical, (exo)biological, or medical details. It's not a page-turner, but I found it odd and engaging enough to keep going.
If I had to label 2312, it's more like a character study than anything else. The novel follows a rather un-relatable heroine, Swan, as she follows a loved one's last message that turns into a mild mystery - I say mild because she doesn't pursue answers with any particular intensity. In fact, she doesn't pursue anything with much intensity. Swan is a creature of impulse and little introspection who seems to lurch from one situation or whim to the next.
Swan does develop somewhat over the course of the novel, and some unusual chapters (unexplained lists, excerpts of what I think is supposed to be understood as reference material, etc) are, I suspect, intended to convey some broader message about what it means to be human. Unfortunately, this message was too obtuse for me to grasp.
I finished this book for three reasons. The first is that I enjoyed the descriptions of planets, moons, and asteroids that set the scene for different events. They struck me as realistic and well researched, and I've always enjoyed planetary astronomy. Next, Robinson has a poetic writing style that I like to read even when I don't quite understand what he's doing. Third, since I didn't hate the book as some other reviewers have - I merely found it it odd - I kept reading out of pure curiosity to see what would happen next. (If the characters or plot line has become truly disagreeable, I would have put 2312 down.)
2312 is an unusual book with some interesting devices and ideas. It won't make my top 100, but it might inaugurate some trends in the world of scifi. It certainly was original.
2312 is an odd book. It's unlike other science fiction I've read: it's not a thriller, it doesn't really do much world-building, it doesn't get lost in technical, (exo)biological, or medical details. It's not a page-turner, but I found it odd and engaging enough to keep going.
If I had to label 2312, it's more like a character study than anything else. The novel follows a rather un-relatable heroine, Swan, as she follows a loved one's last message that turns into a mild mystery - I say mild because she doesn't pursue answers with any particular intensity. In fact, she doesn't pursue anything with much intensity. Swan is a creature of impulse and little introspection who seems to lurch from one situation or whim to the next.
Swan does develop somewhat over the course of the novel, and some unusual chapters (unexplained lists, excerpts of what I think is supposed to be understood as reference material, etc) are, I suspect, intended to convey some broader message about what it means to be human. Unfortunately, this message was too obtuse for me to grasp.
I finished this book for three reasons. The first is that I enjoyed the descriptions of planets, moons, and asteroids that set the scene for different events. They struck me as realistic and well researched, and I've always enjoyed planetary astronomy. Next, Robinson has a poetic writing style that I like to read even when I don't quite understand what he's doing. Third, since I didn't hate the book as some other reviewers have - I merely found it it odd - I kept reading out of pure curiosity to see what would happen next. (If the characters or plot line has become truly disagreeable, I would have put 2312 down.)
2312 is an unusual book with some interesting devices and ideas. It won't make my top 100, but it might inaugurate some trends in the world of scifi. It certainly was original.