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A review by cathepsut
The Heartbeat of the Universe: Poems from Asimov's Science Fiction and Analog Science Fiction and Fact 2012–2022 by Emily Hockaday
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
I am not a massive poetry fan, but I have read the odd speculative fiction poetry. Emphasis on odd. Still, I have a reading buddy who loves specfic poetry and I got the Netgalley of this book.
Here is the first poem of this collection as a teaser:
MOSTLY HYDROGEN
Jack Martin
Somewhere between Earth’s axis
and the hippocampus, a line draws
swimmers into water. This is
outer space, blue cloth over borders
with music notes in black enameled writing.
This is how memory works. This is how:
a large system of stars, gas, dust,
and dark matter orbits a common center.
Deep in the ice, bodies get stuck
reaching for the anterograde.
Each meadowlark song is a series
of green sparks. Oh, vastness,
I’ve forgotten how to be where I am.
Some of the poems were a complete mystery for me, as I lacked historical context or knowledge of the underlying physics. I struggled to relate. And that was true for the majority of poems in this collection. I assume that it‘s probably me and not the poems.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.
Here is the first poem of this collection as a teaser:
MOSTLY HYDROGEN
Jack Martin
Somewhere between Earth’s axis
and the hippocampus, a line draws
swimmers into water. This is
outer space, blue cloth over borders
with music notes in black enameled writing.
This is how memory works. This is how:
a large system of stars, gas, dust,
and dark matter orbits a common center.
Deep in the ice, bodies get stuck
reaching for the anterograde.
Each meadowlark song is a series
of green sparks. Oh, vastness,
I’ve forgotten how to be where I am.
Some of the poems were a complete mystery for me, as I lacked historical context or knowledge of the underlying physics. I struggled to relate. And that was true for the majority of poems in this collection. I assume that it‘s probably me and not the poems.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.