Space Opera
My main thought upon finishing this book was that I need to read it again. Which is what happens nearly every time I finish a Cat Valente novel and is the main reason I love her as much as I do.
Unlike Radiance and Palimpsest, the plot of this novel is obvious pretty early on. Aliens have become aware of the existence of humanity, and they're giving us a chance to prove our sentience and join the intergalactic community. There's a musical contest, based heavily on Eurovision (the book was initially conceived as "Eurovision in space"), and all we humans have to do is not come in last.
They've gone through our musical archives and put together a list of possible contestants. Most of whom have died. The only one left standing is Decibel Jones, who was an international sensation before one member of his band died, resulting in an estrangement between him and the remaining band member. He's spent the last twenty years trying to recapture the glory of his youth with little success.
This book is basically what would happen if Douglas Adams had decided to write about David Bowie instead of Arthur Dent. Valente pays homage to Adams' style and absurdist humor. And it honestly takes a bit of getting used to. The sentences are long and unwieldy, and she packs in jokes as densely as she can. I had to focus on the prose in a way I usually don't. I enjoyed the challenge, even if it meant that reading the book took a bit longer. Then again, slowing down can help me enjoy a book more.
Space Opera is deeply funny and deeply satirical. There's more than a bit of Terry Pratchett mixed up in the DNA. Valente uses absurd situations and a full cast of aliens to shine a bright spotlight on humanity and make loving fun of it. There's even an earworm pun that's worthy of the master himself. And then, when you've finally got a handle on the humor, and you're zipping along enjoying the story and the sly commentary on our society, Valente comes out of nowhere and punches you in the gut.
The ending, which actually loops back to the beginning with new information (something you can do when one of your characters is a time-traveler) is devastating. But there's hope there, too. That's what being human is all about, this book seems to be arguing. You can screw up spectacularly, but as long as you can regret it and learn from it, you deserve another chance. Now go write a song that captures that sentiment to convince the rest of the universe that you understand.
Unlike Radiance and Palimpsest, the plot of this novel is obvious pretty early on. Aliens have become aware of the existence of humanity, and they're giving us a chance to prove our sentience and join the intergalactic community. There's a musical contest, based heavily on Eurovision (the book was initially conceived as "Eurovision in space"), and all we humans have to do is not come in last.
They've gone through our musical archives and put together a list of possible contestants. Most of whom have died. The only one left standing is Decibel Jones, who was an international sensation before one member of his band died, resulting in an estrangement between him and the remaining band member. He's spent the last twenty years trying to recapture the glory of his youth with little success.
This book is basically what would happen if Douglas Adams had decided to write about David Bowie instead of Arthur Dent. Valente pays homage to Adams' style and absurdist humor. And it honestly takes a bit of getting used to. The sentences are long and unwieldy, and she packs in jokes as densely as she can. I had to focus on the prose in a way I usually don't. I enjoyed the challenge, even if it meant that reading the book took a bit longer. Then again, slowing down can help me enjoy a book more.
Space Opera is deeply funny and deeply satirical. There's more than a bit of Terry Pratchett mixed up in the DNA. Valente uses absurd situations and a full cast of aliens to shine a bright spotlight on humanity and make loving fun of it. There's even an earworm pun that's worthy of the master himself. And then, when you've finally got a handle on the humor, and you're zipping along enjoying the story and the sly commentary on our society, Valente comes out of nowhere and punches you in the gut.
The ending, which actually loops back to the beginning with new information (something you can do when one of your characters is a time-traveler) is devastating. But there's hope there, too. That's what being human is all about, this book seems to be arguing. You can screw up spectacularly, but as long as you can regret it and learn from it, you deserve another chance. Now go write a song that captures that sentiment to convince the rest of the universe that you understand.
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