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Title: Constellation Games
Author: Leonard Richardson
Genre: Humorous near-term science fiction
Thingummies: 4.5
Synopsis: Alien contact has finally been made. So naturally, the most logical response is to review their video games.
Thoughts: Disclaimer: I'm a friend of the writer, and in fact, read earlier drafts of this before publication.
Richardson has a wicked sense of humor. His protagonist, Ariel, has a sharp tongue, a serious case of self-deprecation, and not a lot of motivation to get off the couch and on with his life. Which means he has a very different spin on first contact that most science fiction characters. This is what alien contact would be like for most of us--a weird backdrop that doesn't keep us from screwing around with our useless business plans, getting a little too drunk at our friends' parties, messing up our relationships, and trying to convince aliens not to pee in the sink.
The book is written in a mishmash of blog entries, fictitious game reviews, IM conversations, emails, and the very occasional real life narration. It gives Richardson a lot of room to play with the lies and half-truths we tell, not only because we have to but because sometimes it makes the story better. It also gives him more than enough room to snark, and snark he does. The characters have distinct voices, each of which have their own senses of humor. (And Tetsuo takes every scene he's in, rolls it up under his arm, and walks away with it.)
I still think the climax is a little bit rushed, but overall, this is a sweet story with a lot of wickedly funny lines. There are also bits of unexpected depth to delight you and remind you that Richardson has a much bigger universe than this living in his head.
The novel was originally serialized, and two Twitter feeds (one for Ariel, one for Tetsuo) ran concurrently. They're worth checking out, although you'll want to be careful not to read ahead on the feed lest you spoil yourself. The feeds themselves are even funnier, freed from the demands of plot to be as loopy and off-the-wall as Richardson could manage.
If you like video games, or aliens, or snarky banter, or just an insightful and surprisingly optimistic cynical take on how we'd actually act if the Federation came knocking on our door, this is your book.
Author: Leonard Richardson
Genre: Humorous near-term science fiction
Thingummies: 4.5
Synopsis: Alien contact has finally been made. So naturally, the most logical response is to review their video games.
Thoughts: Disclaimer: I'm a friend of the writer, and in fact, read earlier drafts of this before publication.
Richardson has a wicked sense of humor. His protagonist, Ariel, has a sharp tongue, a serious case of self-deprecation, and not a lot of motivation to get off the couch and on with his life. Which means he has a very different spin on first contact that most science fiction characters. This is what alien contact would be like for most of us--a weird backdrop that doesn't keep us from screwing around with our useless business plans, getting a little too drunk at our friends' parties, messing up our relationships, and trying to convince aliens not to pee in the sink.
The book is written in a mishmash of blog entries, fictitious game reviews, IM conversations, emails, and the very occasional real life narration. It gives Richardson a lot of room to play with the lies and half-truths we tell, not only because we have to but because sometimes it makes the story better. It also gives him more than enough room to snark, and snark he does. The characters have distinct voices, each of which have their own senses of humor. (And Tetsuo takes every scene he's in, rolls it up under his arm, and walks away with it.)
I still think the climax is a little bit rushed, but overall, this is a sweet story with a lot of wickedly funny lines. There are also bits of unexpected depth to delight you and remind you that Richardson has a much bigger universe than this living in his head.
The novel was originally serialized, and two Twitter feeds (one for Ariel, one for Tetsuo) ran concurrently. They're worth checking out, although you'll want to be careful not to read ahead on the feed lest you spoil yourself. The feeds themselves are even funnier, freed from the demands of plot to be as loopy and off-the-wall as Richardson could manage.
If you like video games, or aliens, or snarky banter, or just an insightful and surprisingly optimistic cynical take on how we'd actually act if the Federation came knocking on our door, this is your book.
