Seven Surrenders - Read Jim Fulner

No cover — Ada Palmer: Seven Surrenders (2017, Head of Zeus)

English language

Published April 30, 2017 by Head of Zeus.

ISBN:: 978-1-78669-951-0

"It is a world in which near-instantaneous travel from continent to continent is free to all. In which automation now provides for everybody's basic needs. In which nobody living can remember an actual war. In which it is illegal for three or more people to gather for the practice of religion--but ecumenical "sensayers" minister in private, one-on-one. In which gendered language is archaic, and to dress as strongly male or female is, if not exactly illegal, deeply taboo. In which nationality is a fading memory, and most people identify instead with their choice of the seven global Hives, distinguished from one another by their different approaches to the big questions of life. And it is a world in which, unknown to most, the entire social order is teetering on the edge of collapse. Because even in utopia, humans will conspire. And also because something new has arisen: Bridger, the child …

"It is a world in which near-instantaneous travel from continent to continent is free to all. In which automation now provides for everybody's basic needs. In which nobody living can remember an actual war. In which it is illegal for three or more people to gather for the practice of religion--but ecumenical "sensayers" minister in private, one-on-one. In which gendered language is archaic, and to dress as strongly male or female is, if not exactly illegal, deeply taboo. In which nationality is a fading memory, and most people identify instead with their choice of the seven global Hives, distinguished from one another by their different approaches to the big questions of life. And it is a world in which, unknown to most, the entire social order is teetering on the edge of collapse. Because even in utopia, humans will conspire. And also because something new has arisen: Bridger, the child who can bring inanimate objects to conscious life"--

6 editions

sifuCJC reviewed Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer

A very successful experiment

4 stars

At the end, this book explicitly states that it is the second part of the first book, then the series goes on from there. And that's the way this book reads. It ties up all the themes and plots that started in the first book, plus some introduced in this one.

I can see Palmer had an ambitious plan with these two books and that she was very successful. The amount of themes and plots introduced, plus the connection to history, plus the intricate thought and emotion of the narrator character are all brought together harmoniously. It's an impressive feat.

Now personally I couldn't keep up, so they weren't as entertaining for my purpose. But I can see how if I'd put the effort into it, I could've reaped more from the reading experience. (My lazy ass just can't right now.)

At the end, this book explicitly states that it is the second part of the first book, then the series goes on from there. And that's the way this book reads. It ties up all the themes and plots that started in the first book, plus some introduced in this one.

I can see Palmer had an ambitious plan with these two books and that she was very successful. The amount of themes and plots introduced, plus the connection to history, plus the intricate thought and emotion of the narrator character are all brought together harmoniously. It's an impressive feat.

Now personally I couldn't keep up, so they weren't as entertaining for my purpose. But I can see how if I'd put the effort into it, I could've reaped more from the reading experience. (My lazy ass just can't right now.)

Subjects

Fiction, science fiction, general