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A review by abbyfrelier
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu
dark
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This probably wasn't stellar when it was published in 2010 but my god it's aged poorly. The humor is peak pedantic self-important nerd on the Internet of that era. The construct is great but we have zero fun with it! No creative worlds, no fun side characters, no hijinks just a whole lot of musing about how Dad's are sad and distant and you can't change the past.
One of my personal biggest annoyances is that gender stuff here is the worst in a subtle way that makes me so sad. The only female characters are TAMMY the AI that our protagonist is rude too, takes for granted and then decides he's in love with (but of course it's mostly himself he's in love with because she's just reflecting what he wants) and his mother. His poor mother is worse off than a non-character because her "retirement" is repeatedly re-living an hour of her life spent cooking a meal for her family. Laboring her entire retirement! We get pages upon pages of the inner world of his father but his mother doesn't get an inner life apparently.
One of my personal biggest annoyances is that gender stuff here is the worst in a subtle way that makes me so sad. The only female characters are TAMMY the AI that our protagonist is rude too, takes for granted and then decides he's in love with (but of course it's mostly himself he's in love with because she's just reflecting what he wants) and his mother. His poor mother is worse off than a non-character because her "retirement" is repeatedly re-living an hour of her life spent cooking a meal for her family. Laboring her entire retirement! We get pages upon pages of the inner world of his father but his mother doesn't get an inner life apparently.