Chaos Space Awesomness (slight spoilers)

[JM]

Finally managed to get around to finishing CS. I had to finish a Hugh Laurie, Neil Gaiman, Max Barry and re-read Dark Space but I got there.

The verdict: Incredible

Chaos Space manages to encompass so much without being slow or too complex.
The feel of the first novel is still there, but with the character's bouncing emotions off each other instead of being in other solar systems it just flows so beautifully.

Thales is a great new character. It's great to see someone who doesn't know what the hell is going on.

Rast has really turned into a bit of a bitch hasn't she (more than the last novel I mean). That whole thing she implied to Jo-Jo about Mira being a lesbian was dirty trick but I loved it.

Speaking of which what the hell happened to Jo-Jo? (good thing, no bad) He's gone from this little isolationist character to a real person with an obscene crush and an attitude problem.
But I guess you start re-evaluating life when your healthwatch has run out.

Anyway Marianne it's an amazing book. You're doing just what you did with the parrish series, drawing me in and holding onto my attention. I can't wait to read the next.

[Chirugal]

Okay, I have totally sucked, fangirl-wise, but I've finished Chaos Space now and am therefore able to squee loudly all over this thread. I LOVE IT!

Marianne, you've outdone yourself, drawing all the characters together for the grand finale. I knew it was coming, I was just a little unsure as to how...

I loved Rast - then again, I always gravitate towards the gay characters, I can't help it. ;D But she seemed less lecherous and more sympathetic - no less ruthless though, which was great.

Mira being out of her element (and off her planet!) was a lovely touch, and her interactions with Insignia (who is by FAR my favourite character!) were brilliant.

Thales is a cool character, very bewildered by all around him - I agree, IM!

And Jo-Jo... he really has developed. He's kinda like the Han Solo character, if that makes sense. He started off only out for himself, and then slowly came around. And the final scene, where he chooses Mira over revenge on Tekton... awe-inspiring. I actually read the final couple of paragraphs about five times because I love it so much.

And Bethany is great - I saw it coming that Djeserit was her daughter, and I really felt for her. And since Djes is changing, when/if they're reunited will she be mostly Mio and almost unrecognisable? Can she change back to 'esque if she wants to go with her mother?

Trin... pisses me off. But I guess that's the point. It's very in character that he barely gives a damn about any of the women except Djes, and even when his mother turns up he still puts her down like a pro... His sections are interesting to read, but he deserves a swift kick in the nuts.

And I wanna see what Tekton's plans for the quixite are! Hurry up, Marianne!

Sole... still very ominous. The word 'luscious' shouldn't be this scary. XD

I want Salacious and Insignia to meet. That'd be a great conversation.

I'm excited for Mirror Space!

[stellar]

I'm only a third the way through at this stage. I don't really get the Thales character. I guess everything will become clear, but I can't even remember him from the first book. I will have to go back and re-read, I think.

[marianne]

He wasn't in the first book Stellar. New character.
Hang in there he will become clear.
MDP

[Chirugal]

Yeah, stick with it, Stellar. He's actually pretty cool. He gets quite a few layers in time...

Gotta say I still love Rast the mostest though. Yes, mostest is now a word.

[stellar]

Well, I finally made it through. I think I must have read individual chapters of the book three or four times now to try and make sense of it! "Chaos Space" is right, there is soooo much going on in there.

I like the fact the book has character interaction with non-humanoid aliens. A major annoyance for me in movies are stupid "first contact" scenes with aliens which are just people with stuff stuck to their heads. I found Uulis particularly interesting as well as the non-human artist.

I like Tekton as he really is the perfect villain. He does not even think like a human any more, much less express any humanity. You have to wonder if he was born like that or if that is Sole's influence on his mind. I also like the development of Jo-Jo as well.

I want to spend a moment too to reflect on settings. Rho Junction and Akouedo were fantastic! I realised I was tired of the SF schtick of a purpose-built space station and that the concept of a giant floating hulk of rubbish brought together by its own gravity is truly inspired. Well done, MDP.

[marianne]

Hi Stellar,

thanks for the thoughtful review. I always find it really interesting to hear considered thoughts.

Glad you got through it!

are you going to Suapnova in Perth this weekend?

[stellar]

I was hoping to catch you there, so it may just be a day pass thing for me. Is there specific place and time I should be there to catch you speaking or signing? I'm trying not to be all stalker here. That would be creepy.

[marianne]

Hi Stellar,

I'll be on one of the book stalls most of the time. My talks are usually in the pm (1.30, 2.30), but I haven't seen a schedule yet. You will get a list of events in your supanova bag.

[Chirugal]

Stellar, take a video camera! I wanna see Marianne's talks!

... I don't actually expect you to. *lol* But it would be cool.

[stellar]

Well, I don't own a video camera and well, it's not my intellectual property. However I spent a fair bit of today basquing in MDP's radiant glow and will probably head back tomorrow. It's like that.

[JM]

She does have quite an amazing glow. Wait till she gets her first movie made. She will practically go nova.

[Chirugal]

That'll be fun. I'll be able to see her from the UK!

[textu]

Thales:
This character stands out most to me because as is often the case, a character flaw can be a gift as well. Thales, a champion of Good, seems to take the world literally or at face value. Clothing Thales as a naive raving young philosopher academic perfectly disguises that he is right from the beginning. He does get in trouble because of his trusting nature, but before he decides to become less trusting, it gets him out of trouble as well, or at least into a different trouble.

Djeserit:
I don't know if any of you have seen the anime, Ponyo, but there is a Goddess of Mercy the Japanese fishermen seem to recognize. Djes really does provide mercy or relief to the humanesque survivors as a successful diplomat and provider. If she thrives so well in the ocean, why have her kind not migrated there and set up a colony? Is this possibility what Trin begins to consider as her value to him begins to catch up to his love for her? If he wants an arian heir, why not an aquarian heir as well?

Rast and Mira:
These two deserve to be together. I see some evidence Mira might be coming around to Rast very very slowly, but I didn't expect it, and so won't be dissappointed if nothing happens. Besides, Rast knows when to move on to something better if it doesn't work out! Mira's loss, if so.

[Chirugal]

I'm a total Rast/Mira shipper as well. I know how the series ends, but I won't say anything about that. But Rast/Mira was a big part of my Dark/Chaos Space squeeing. ^_^

Djeserit is a really interesting character - you're never quite sure what her motivations are, because most of the time you view her through Trin's eyes, and he's very uncertain of her sometimes. I think that really works.

And Thales' journey is fantastic. He keeps his naiveté the whole way through, but he grows a lot of backbone.