I’m just zipping through this little robot space opera, and I am doing so happily.
Another planet, more dumb humans almost getting themselves killed and a robot still questing for answers.
Murderbot is onto its next clue in bringing down GrayCris. The organization that tried to kill their first group of humans in order to hide their illegal activity, harvesting ancient alien remains. Murderbot wants to find as much evidence as possible to send back to the first human that recognized and respected their free will (I don’t remember their name) so that they can win their legal case and be safe from a dangerous organization.
It’s my theory that if you’ve ever said the words, “Money
doesn’t buy happiness,” then you’ve never been
dirt-fucking-poor. Money can buy a lot of happiness. Maybe not all
the happiness in the world but trust me, it takes a major weight off
of your shoulders and puts you on the path to achieving what does
makes you happy.
The Babel Corporation has selected poor teenagers from all over the
world to compete for amounts of money they never imagined by going
first to space, then onto a new planet. The trick is, they have to
survive rigorous training and score high enough through these
competitions to make it down to Eden, a planet inhabited by lifeforms
known as Adamites, who like human kids but not so much the adults.
The teenagers may still encounter trouble while down on the planet,
mining a precious resource called Nyxia, the real goal for Babel.
Emmett Atwater was plucked from Detroit. Poor, dying mother with shit
insurance, and a father working himself to the bone trying to make
ends meet while raising a son and being the support of an ailing
wife. When Emmett is offered a chance to make all right for his
family, he doesn’t hesitate. All his other competitors are enemies,
standing in the way of his goal. Until, a couple sneak behind his
wall and make themselves friends instead of only competition.
Almost all of the kids know that Babel Corporation is much more
sinister than their outward appearances, but with that kind of money
and healthcare for family on the line, you can over look a lot.
This was a fair start to a YA science fiction trilogy. I think the
part that will interest me the most will come in book two. Although,
I’m not running off to pick up the next book. Time will tell if I
continue the series.
“My asshole is doing as much to keep me alive as my brain.”
Mark Watney has just been accidentally abandoned by his crew on Mars. The next mission to Mars won’t happen for another four years. It’s either find a clever way to survive until then or give up.
If that were me, I would have just shit my spacesuit.
But I’m not an astronaut, botanist or on my way to Mars for any reason, so for now spacesuits are safe from me.
At first, I was worried that I would get bored with the style of this book. It begins as a journal of Watney realizing he’s been left behind and trying to find a way to survive. A diary style novel is hit or miss with me. That protagonist better be damn entertaining if I’m going to read their every thought. Thankfully, Watney is sarcastic and humorous. Had the author written him any other way, I don’t think I would have kept on. It then shuttles back to Earth and gives us the point of view of NASA scientists doing everything they can to bring an abandoned astronaut home. And for a little extra space love, it also tunes you into Watney’s crew mates, who think they’ve left a team member dead on Mars.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the best science fiction has actual science in it. This has butt-tons. Metric butt-tons of science. So not only was this an enjoyable escape to read, I also learned more about rocket science and potatoes than I ever thought I would know.
(I had to do sci-fi/dystopian because that is how little science fiction I read. I’m working on correcting that though so give me a break!)
1. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
A rebellion is rising on colonized Mars. I mean do I really need to say more? Oh, I do? Stop being lazy and go look it up!
2. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
This is considered a YA but I don’t care! It would go on my favorite YA novels of all time if that’s the case. This is set 15 years after the zombie apocalypse, with the main character living in a small, chained off town with his older brother. The town hires mercenaries to savage the land for things they need, but the mercenaries have been up to no good. The town tries to ignore it but the mercenaries begin turning on some of the town members. There is rumor that they are dragging children off to some place called, “Gameland.”
3. The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell
Also set after zombies take over the planet, 15 year old Temple wanders the United States alone. She comes across small pockets of humanity but you never know if they’ll be kind or dangerous. But Temple is dangerous too. She doesn’t survive on her own by being gentle. (There is NO punctuation in this book. It takes some getting used but then adds a unique flavor to it.)
4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I really don’t need to describe this one do I?
5. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Character driven space opera. Never have I been more interested in relationships in space.
In celebration of hitting 100 lovely followers, I finally filled out my facts from winning the One Lovely Blog Award a few months ago from The Shameful Narcissist and Ignited Moth. (Thanks ladies!)
The Official Rules of the Award:
1. Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link to their blog
I prepared for this novel by giving myself plenty of space to take detailed notes. I wanted to get it all down. The terminology, the science, the aliens, the world building, the characters. You name it, I was prepared to jot it down and dissect it later. Do you know what happened?
You hated it so much that you put it down and tried to conquer Guatemala?
cupcakesandmachetes 