Whenever an Asian American writer comes into the sci-fi genre, I am always very excited to see what they can bring to the table as Asians writers in gWhenever an Asian American writer comes into the sci-fi genre, I am always very excited to see what they can bring to the table as Asians writers in genre are few and far between; so I was quite keen on reading Axie Oh's debut novel despite the PR material calling in "Pacific Rim" (dreadful movie) combined with K-drama. Well, I personally would say it is more Power Rangers/Transformers/Avatar: The Last Airbender combined with K-drama, but that is really splitting hairs.
In short, I came into this novel prepared to like it but the short comings sadly outweigh the great potential Oh has as an author. There is very little world building here. Old Seoul is never really described in any kind of detail and Neo Seoul...well, it has a dome and a grid and it is sleek and military. The settings never once come alive in any way and often in the novel (set very far in the future) both cities just feel like present day. We're just expected to imbue these skeleton descriptions with futurism. I really wish Oh had spent more time describing the worlds rather than being stuck in her protagonist's head all the time.
And that's another nit to pick. 1st person, present in never my favorite and this novel is told exclusively that way which really limits it as far as narrative goes. 1st, past would have been a far better choice and omniscient third probably the best. But unfortunately the author saddles herself with this particular point of view.
This is billed as a dystopian novel, but due in part to the lack of sufficient world building noted above, it never feels that way. We should feel and see the oppression of Old Seoul. We should feel and see the arrogance of Neo Seoul. And we should feel one way or the other about both communities. But because Oh never lets old Seoul live and breath, we never get to know anyone there and never do we get to feel their oppression. Likewise, in Neo Seoul, everyone comes off as rather inefficient bordering on bumbling idiots. Sadly, there is no soul in either new or old Seoul and that really lets the novel down.
Characters are also a problem. The really are shells and there is no real depth of emotion. Part of this is that the characters never really talk to each other. Most interactions are "banter" that becomes tiresome very quickly. So they never really rise above stock characters: brooding young man, chaebol, evil father of chaebol's, the evil general (Tsuko? See where I get Last Airbender?). You want to know more about them, but because they never really talk to each other and because you are constantly stuck in the protagonist's head, you never get to.
Unfortunately, the blending in of K-drama doesn't really extend past the stock characters. There are plenty of "Aissshhhh!" and "Ya!" thrown in but the marriage of K-drama doesn't really stand out any other way (well, there is a K-pop singer character who kinda hovers around).
The novel could have used a good editor as well. "One is flung across a chair, which I pull on as I move across the room to open the window." Well, I know I always like pull on a chair. Or "He leans against the wall, slipping it on." Not quite sure how you "slip on" a wall. These are just a few examples of the grammatical errors that pull you straight out of the story and which could have been easily fixed by a good editor.
I think Oh has talent and I hope she develops as a writer, but sadly this one never lives up to the potential of its premise (as thin as that is). At times it reads more like fan fiction than sci-fi. It will likely find an audience in Young Adult, particularly those into the K-pop scene, but I think even a number of YA readers would find this a little bit lacking....more
An entertaining little piece, but I give this one only three stars because the interior logic of the story just doesn't track for me. The lead suggestAn entertaining little piece, but I give this one only three stars because the interior logic of the story just doesn't track for me. The lead suggests a particular old man for an experiment because he remembers him well. But later, when thongs go awry, he states he didn't really remember that much about the old man. It just didn't make sense to me. Still an enjoyable read and while the ending may seem predictable today, it was far from such when first published....more
Philip K. Dick's first published short story and a little gem it is. It does have a lot of things to say about mankind but it does so with humor and pPhilip K. Dick's first published short story and a little gem it is. It does have a lot of things to say about mankind but it does so with humor and pathos and an extremely likable alien. Be careful what you wish for on your plate....more
Drew Gaska and BLAM! Ventures have come up with a winner. For fans of the television series (of which I am, admittedly, one), they’ve taken a story I’Drew Gaska and BLAM! Ventures have come up with a winner. For fans of the television series (of which I am, admittedly, one), they’ve taken a story I’ve loved for decades and breathed new life into it through their attention to detail. This isn’t a quick drive-by recreation, not some slapping on of a franchise name to all new material. It’s an A-class reinvention and it is Gaska’s respect for the details in the source material that helps him bring new cannon into old and make it work exceptionally well. It’s believable because the BLAM! team understands and appreciates the original and pays homage to it rather than simply exploits it.
Gaska reveals himself as a skilled storyteller and a masterful juggler. With his attention to detail and extensive knowledge of the franchise, he not Gaska reveals himself as a skilled storyteller and a masterful juggler. With his attention to detail and extensive knowledge of the franchise, he not only puts forth a highly entertaining work of science fiction, but also weaves a discordant and often contradictory history into a highly logical summation. Most importantly, however, Gaska stays true to the vision and tone first birthed by writers Boulle, Serling and Dehn by delving deep into the political, religious and sociological aspect of Apes society and holding the Ape mirror up to humankind. A welcome addition to the Apes franchise.
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