User Profile

Stephen

tinheadned@ramblingreaders.org

Joined 1 year, 4 months ago

Brit in Canada. I read when I can't sleep, so yes there's a lot of books here. Nearly all SF.

he/him

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2024 Reading Goal

38% complete! Stephen has read 19 of 50 books.

Andrea Pitzer: Icebound (2021, Scribner) 4 stars

More gripping than I expected!

4 stars

Considering there can't be many primary sources to read to support writing such a book on an-almost-half-millennium-old set of voyages, this is a great story. Some of the winter parts can get slightly repetitious "and then there was a storm, and then they ate another fox, and then.." but I'm sure that exactly reflects the dull nature of being icebound. William Barents himself isn't known too well in the sources, as he was mythologised a while after.

The author also adds variety by interleaving in explanations of scurvy or technology and trade levels, which helps.

Naomi Kritzer: Better Living Through Algorithms (Clarkesworld) 5 stars

https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_05_23/

Is this a happy story? Or not?

5 stars

Content warning Just read it first, it's super short