Tag Archives: catherynne m. valente

Quirky Sci-Fi: Space Oddity and Molli & Max in the Future

25 Sep

Space Oddity
by Catherynne M. Valente
Space Oddity is the sequel to Catherynne M. Valente’s Science Fiction love letter to the Eurovision Music Competition, Space Opera, where humanities only hope in proving their worth and escaping alien annihilation was winning an intergalactic song competition. I had previously blogged about Space Opera, which like much of Valente’s work I found highly creative and enjoyable. This even more than the previous book reminds me of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and if you are a fan of Douglas Adam’s classic hilarious work than you may want to check this out. Some of the writing can be a bit dense since Valente has packed it with clever references and jokes; this can at times slow down the pace of the book a bit, but this is definitely a novel that focuses as much on the journey as the final destination. I loved how seemingly random facts and divergent story-lines all harmonized together at the end. If you enjoyed the space/music mashup than also check out Gail Carriger’s excellent Tinkered Starsong Series.

Molli & Max in the Future
Mostly when you think Science Fiction movie you expect space opera with epic starship battles or perhaps a dystopian future where people are desperate to survive; Molli & Max in the Future on the other hand is a sci-fi romcom about two people whose paths collide and diverge over the series of 12 years across several planets and dimensions. At one point Molli joins a cult with a tentacled alien demigod where she learns to do magic. Max, who is part fish person, on the other becomes a mechapilot for giant robot battles. Mollie is played by the talented Zosia Mamet, who I had enjoyed in her role in the HBO series Girls. Max is played by a charming Aristotle Athari, who brings comedic skills as a veteran of Saturday Night Live. The effects are a fun mix of practical effects with stylized backgrounds that give the film a fun, futuristic kitschy look on a budget. This is what I imagine Futurama or the Jettisons would be like as a live action series. The film is not rated, but I would recommend it for adult audiences due to some of the dialogue.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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October Thrills and Chills: The Dead Take the A Train and Comfort Me with Apples

4 Oct
Cover Images from Amazon.com

The Dead Take the A Train
by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey
Being just across the river, I was excited to read The Dead Take the A Train which merges magic and otherworldly monsters with the gritty reality of New York City. It imagines a world where Cthulhu would be summoned by Investment Bankers or Legal Firms to increase their power. I had enjoyed in the past two of Khaw’s novellas so was curious to see what a full length novel that they cowrote with Richard Kadrey would be like. Julie, the main character, starts out feeling a bit like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, pretty girl with powers who is underestimated, but only she can manage to save the world, but it is much darker bringing in Julie’s drug use which she uses to fill the emptiness from being abandoned and abused in too many past relationships. Her found family includes a landlord who may be an ageless film star, who reminded me a bit of the narrator of Siren Queen, a recent favorite of mine. Plus there is Julie’s online gaming friend who is the priest to a pantheon of digital gods reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. All of these associations meant the novel was very much in my wheel house, but it also shouldn’t be taken away that there aren’t a lot of original ideas and concepts mixed in. Julie and her long time BFF, Sarah, who have unrequited feelings for each other, both have exs who are both mentally and physically abusive and the horrors of our real world are depicted as being just as brutal as those of the Nether Realm. This might be on the dark side for some fantasy fans, but horror aficionados will be counting the days to the sequels release.

Comfort Me With Apples
by Catherynne M. Valente
Comfort Me With Apples draws its title from a bible quote and besides the bible, the story also seems to have a bit of the classic Bluebeard fairytale mixed in for additional inspiration. Sophia wants to be perfect for her perfect husband and the perfect life she believes she has. Her neighbors seem to like her, but she worries that things might not be quite right despite their assurances since there is a mysterious basement she is not allowed to enter. I enjoyed this novella as an audiobook read by Karis Campbell who did a great job of bringing Sophia’s naïve wonder and fears at the world that she slowly understands to life. Her voices for Sophia’s neighbors were charming and added a bit of humor to what is overall a very dark work. Although I picked up fairly early on where the story was leading to, the dialogue at the end was still haunting and the story asks relevant questions about women’s autonomy and continued ability to define themselves on their own terms in our modern world. I had previously written about several of Valente’s other works including The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairy Land and Space Opera. Fans of Neil Gaiman and Holly Black will also enjoy this work.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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