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Book Review: Shelter by Susan Palwick
Title: Shelter
Author: Susan Palwick
Published: New York: Tor, 2007
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 574
Total Page Count: 75,154
Text Number: 221
Read For: interest in the author after reading "Gestella" in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Fifteenth Annual Collection, borrowed from the library
Short Review: Roberta is on parole for "excessive altruism" when Meredith reenters her life, prompting both to reflect on the events which drew them together: a devastating virus, Preston, first man translated into virtual existence, and their attempts to protect Nicholas and Fred, an unstable child and an artificial intelligence. Shelter has a number of flaws: over-explained backstory, a too-simple conclusion, and heavy-handed themes. Nonetheless it's a brave and intelligent book. The plotline is intriguing and the characters empathetic, and the book is rich which thoughtful issues of identity. While it could be better, it's still quite enjoyable and I recommend it.
Shelter opens with a speaking house, a homeless man, and a violent rainstorm; it's rich with mystery and hints at a dystopic near-future. What follows this promising beginning is far more concrete, and some of the book's magic is lost in the change. Roberta and Meredith recollections are highly detailed and lean towards over-explication. The conclusion, by contrast, is rushed and verges on a deus ex machina, ending the book on a somewhat sour note. Despite these extremes, the uneven pacing and detail often finds a medium point that houses realistic characters and an intelligent plot; the book is intriguing and on the whole an enjoyable read, but not always a smooth one.
Both plotlines are riddled with issues and events that range from pandemic disease to the autonomy of artificial intelligence, making for a vast and complicated book. Most of these issues are questions of identity: how intelligence, body, memory, and sense of self create a person. That's a bold theme, and Palwick has much to say on it and nearly as many ways to say it. Her approach to the theme is sometimes heavy-handed, addressing it too blatantly and too often. But it's a bold move to reach so far, and Palwick sometimes grasps her goal. Preston, Nicholas, and Fred, as a virtual identity, a child threatened by brain wiping, and an AI, are in turns empathetic and manipulative, artificial and startlingly real. Palwick creates a realistic world where they can all exist, and cultures genuine interest—not always in their safety, but always on the issue of their identity. Shelter is an imperfect book, but I applaud it for what it attempts to be and enjoy it for what it is. I recommend it. It's akin in style and theme to some of Margret Atwood's books (though admitably lacks some of her finesse), and may appeal to a similar audience of readers interested in personal narratives which center around strong science fiction themes.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: Susan Palwick
Published: New York: Tor, 2007
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 574
Total Page Count: 75,154
Text Number: 221
Read For: interest in the author after reading "Gestella" in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Fifteenth Annual Collection, borrowed from the library
Short Review: Roberta is on parole for "excessive altruism" when Meredith reenters her life, prompting both to reflect on the events which drew them together: a devastating virus, Preston, first man translated into virtual existence, and their attempts to protect Nicholas and Fred, an unstable child and an artificial intelligence. Shelter has a number of flaws: over-explained backstory, a too-simple conclusion, and heavy-handed themes. Nonetheless it's a brave and intelligent book. The plotline is intriguing and the characters empathetic, and the book is rich which thoughtful issues of identity. While it could be better, it's still quite enjoyable and I recommend it.
Shelter opens with a speaking house, a homeless man, and a violent rainstorm; it's rich with mystery and hints at a dystopic near-future. What follows this promising beginning is far more concrete, and some of the book's magic is lost in the change. Roberta and Meredith recollections are highly detailed and lean towards over-explication. The conclusion, by contrast, is rushed and verges on a deus ex machina, ending the book on a somewhat sour note. Despite these extremes, the uneven pacing and detail often finds a medium point that houses realistic characters and an intelligent plot; the book is intriguing and on the whole an enjoyable read, but not always a smooth one.
Both plotlines are riddled with issues and events that range from pandemic disease to the autonomy of artificial intelligence, making for a vast and complicated book. Most of these issues are questions of identity: how intelligence, body, memory, and sense of self create a person. That's a bold theme, and Palwick has much to say on it and nearly as many ways to say it. Her approach to the theme is sometimes heavy-handed, addressing it too blatantly and too often. But it's a bold move to reach so far, and Palwick sometimes grasps her goal. Preston, Nicholas, and Fred, as a virtual identity, a child threatened by brain wiping, and an AI, are in turns empathetic and manipulative, artificial and startlingly real. Palwick creates a realistic world where they can all exist, and cultures genuine interest—not always in their safety, but always on the issue of their identity. Shelter is an imperfect book, but I applaud it for what it attempts to be and enjoy it for what it is. I recommend it. It's akin in style and theme to some of Margret Atwood's books (though admitably lacks some of her finesse), and may appeal to a similar audience of readers interested in personal narratives which center around strong science fiction themes.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.