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nrgburstI've been reading a lot more now that I live in a place with an English library, and I've been meaning to post about Artemis for awhile, because I actually devoured it in a day. I feel bad that I didn't review it earlier because I've returned it and therefore can't accurately quote clever lines, boo.
Anyway, bottom line is: I liked it, especially the signature nitpicky scientific details and how Weir chose to make his main character a Saudi woman who defies convention. It didn't have as much heart as The Martian, although it was suspenseful, had the usual amazing space worldbuilding and would be worth a re-read, IMO. Unfortunately, it's getting a lot of negative reviews that I think are not deserved?
Yes, it's a sophomore novel and yes, the main character is not a typical good guy protagonist. Also, his epistolary sections work way less well here than in The Martian. But I think it's actually internalized misogyny and classism that makes people dislike Jazmine "Jazz" Bashara- they expected Mark Watney, and she's not a brilliant at problem solving but resource strapped NASA astronaut who swears a lot- she's a brilliant at problem solving but resource strapped smuggler who swears a lot. And for a lot of people, a woman who does things like not prioritizing physical hygiene and deliberately breaking rules just irks them subconsciously when a white man doing the exact same things would not. Mark was dipping his french fries in Vicodin and just gave up on hygiene in The Martian. Poor, brown Jasmine drinking to try to numb the reality of her awful circumstances and delaying showering because she doesn't own one doesn't garner the same kind of sympathy from the audience. It's not that they don't understand just how dire things are for her- it's that they are wired to care less; even actively despise her for being poor. So while the story wouldn't have worked if Jazz was anybody else --even her ethnicity and culture come into play with the plot, she's not just a character in brown skin-- I think the reader reviews show just how willing society is to accept a WOC character who isn't a model minority or a non-main character.
Also read two other books over the holidays, The Shadow Queen and Shalador's Lady. I hadn't actually read anything by Anne Bishop in years, and didn't know she'd added to her Black Jewels trilogy. Anne Bishop's reliance on soft power narratives for woman makes me RME a lot more now than when I first read the trilogy, but the main plot was compelling reading- I liked getting a look at the struggles of a low powered, plain looking Queen like Cassidy more than overpowered characters like Jaenelle. Although I think it's hilarious that they made her hot on the covers. LOL
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Anyway, bottom line is: I liked it, especially the signature nitpicky scientific details and how Weir chose to make his main character a Saudi woman who defies convention. It didn't have as much heart as The Martian, although it was suspenseful, had the usual amazing space worldbuilding and would be worth a re-read, IMO. Unfortunately, it's getting a lot of negative reviews that I think are not deserved?
Yes, it's a sophomore novel and yes, the main character is not a typical good guy protagonist. Also, his epistolary sections work way less well here than in The Martian. But I think it's actually internalized misogyny and classism that makes people dislike Jazmine "Jazz" Bashara- they expected Mark Watney, and she's not a brilliant at problem solving but resource strapped NASA astronaut who swears a lot- she's a brilliant at problem solving but resource strapped smuggler who swears a lot. And for a lot of people, a woman who does things like not prioritizing physical hygiene and deliberately breaking rules just irks them subconsciously when a white man doing the exact same things would not. Mark was dipping his french fries in Vicodin and just gave up on hygiene in The Martian. Poor, brown Jasmine drinking to try to numb the reality of her awful circumstances and delaying showering because she doesn't own one doesn't garner the same kind of sympathy from the audience. It's not that they don't understand just how dire things are for her- it's that they are wired to care less; even actively despise her for being poor. So while the story wouldn't have worked if Jazz was anybody else --even her ethnicity and culture come into play with the plot, she's not just a character in brown skin-- I think the reader reviews show just how willing society is to accept a WOC character who isn't a model minority or a non-main character.
Also read two other books over the holidays, The Shadow Queen and Shalador's Lady. I hadn't actually read anything by Anne Bishop in years, and didn't know she'd added to her Black Jewels trilogy. Anne Bishop's reliance on soft power narratives for woman makes me RME a lot more now than when I first read the trilogy, but the main plot was compelling reading- I liked getting a look at the struggles of a low powered, plain looking Queen like Cassidy more than overpowered characters like Jaenelle. Although I think it's hilarious that they made her hot on the covers. LOL
