Caliban's War
(The Expanse #2)
by James S.A.Corey (aka Daniel Abraham)
space opera
copyright 2012
read in June 2021
rated 6/10: read to pass the time
Somewhere I read that this series aims to fill the fictional gap between Humans stuck in the Solar System and a galaxy-wide human empire. How will we get from one to the other?
As far as I can tell the answer is, by deus ex machina. Or, by god-like alien intervention. Which is rather disappointing, really.
Made more interesting by a lot of strictly human fighting.
So the big-picture growth of civilisation is disappointing. The space opera violence makes for an overall enjoyable book.
Except for the characters.
I have a rating of three, for a book which is so bad that it's embarrassing. The characters in this book are close to "three".
The characters are all overdrawn cliches. Then the committee of authors tries to add a humanising touch... and it is embarrassing.
There is, for example, the sweet little white-haired granny. She swears like a trooper and eats pistachios. (Why?)
Then she interacts with her very young grandchildren.
Does she play with them as though she were human? No... she totally fakes an interest in what they have found.
Actually, I suspect that fake interest is seen by the authors as being a valid human response.
Sorry, no.
There is no surprise when the granny proves to be a manipulative and power-hungry witch. Spoiler: it is really disappointing but she totally fails to choke to death on a pistachio.
Then there are the plot chiches. Indestructible alien monster. Which succumbs to an even bigger weapon. Embarrassing "blockbuster" essential cliche: the plot is driven by the need to rescue the cute little girl. Oh good grief :-(
And whenever it would be a good idea to tiptoe quietly past danger... some idiot will get in a killing mood due to anger... or fear... and start a gunfight. Could be worse: they could also shout... LEROY !!
This is a book -- a series -- where every attempt is made to tick every box in the "deliberate blockbuster cliche" list. So yes, it is embarrassing.
On the other hand... it is quite enjoyable. And when the last page is the inevitable to be continued... who cares.
Read the next book. Or books. And be prepared to pass the time. Quite enjoyably. Yet with no great insights... certainly no insights into humanity's expansion from solar system to galaxy. Mindless. cliched. Nevertheless... enjoyable.
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
===One joy scatters a hundred griefs" ... Chinese proverb
Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)
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