Did not finish despite the fascinating worldbuilding.Most of Bacigalupi's characters felt thin and two-dimensional. I did find Jaidee interesting and would have read a novel about him, but I was frustrated elsewhere by lapses in close third-person perspective. Some early examples: Anderson is attacked and it's described in cinematic terms (rather than "holy crap, this hurts"), or Emiko thinks "Oh, there my genetic engineering goes again, making me feel submissive," instead of simply feeling overwhelmed by genuine emotion and instinct.I don't demand detailed character studies in an ambitious SF thriller, but I do need characters that I can empathize with, whether or not I like or understand them. This ensemble just didn't work for me. This elegantly written and elaborately imagined novel ripped right along for the first 90%, but then completely stalled. I didn't care about the characters and was unclear about exactly what was at stake. Just when the book should be crazy-glued to my hands, I let it set for days on end. I'd go three and half stars for the vivid world building and fine writing. If you like work of this sort, I strongly recommend John Brunner's masterpieces, Stand on Zanzibar and The Sheep Look Up. They're just as ambitious and a little more successful.
What do You think about La Chica Mecánica (2009)?
'Neuromancer' meets 'Oryx and Crake' with help from a cyberpunk editor from 'Hustler' magazine.
—nicmac
Non male la trama, finale un po' debole, nel complesso piu' che dignitoso
—CatW
Could've been hot shit if it were about 300 pages lighter.
—marux
I'll keep it quick. You'll say, "Holy Shit" - a lot.
—ladyloner
