Science Fiction
Power Lines is still sitting on my Want to Read shelf, mostly because “the planet is sentient” is the sort of premise that gets my attention and then refuses to leave quietly.
Also, sequel energy can be a very good thing when it’s done properly. If the politics are sharp and the weirdness is allowed to stay weird, this feels like exactly the kind of slightly bonkers science fiction I’d happily make time for. Not every book needs to behave itself.
Also, sequel energy can be a very good thing when it’s done properly. If the politics are sharp and the weirdness is allowed to stay weird, this feels like exactly the kind of slightly bonkers science fiction I’d happily make time for. Not every book needs to behave itself.
The bit that catches me is the sequel part. A lot of second books either over-explain the oddity or sand it down so the plot can get on with itself. That usually kills the atmosphere.
Sentient planet stories work best when the human bureaucracy looks faintly ridiculous next to the thing it refuses to believe. That’s where the teeth are.
Sentient planet stories work best when the human bureaucracy looks faintly ridiculous next to the thing it refuses to believe. That’s where the teeth are.