Finally read this overhyped book, and I have to admit I’m a little underwhelmed. It’s got a great combination of feminism and humor going for it—and really, which woman doesn’t relate to the injustice of being constantly ignored in favor of her male colleagues? The plot, in brief, follows the life of an up-and-coming scientist, Zott, who—after being horrifically sexually assaulted—is left without a job or prospects. She eventually finds her footing in a new…
Culture
My pick for Bangladesh is going to be Lajja:Shame by Taslima Nasrin, a controversial but important novel. Nasrin’s Lajja outlines the religious anti-Hindu riots that follow in the wake of the notorious destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992. While national borders might separate Bangladesh and India, the events thousands of miles away find common ground in communal violence. The narration centers on Duttas, a Hindu Bangladeshi family that must decide if they have…
American writer Michael J. Arlen explores his Armenian identity by making a trip to his ancestral homeland. As he grew up in New York and built a profession as a writer, he sees himself as American first and feels disconnected from his Armenian identity. His relationship with Armenia is as mysterious and confusing as his relationship with his first-generation immigrant father. On his trip, he hopes to find some answers. Passage to Ararat is set…
Review: All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries Series #1) Genre: Introverted Robots “And in their corner all they had was Murderbot, who just wanted everyone to shut up and leave it alone so it could watch the entertainment feed all day.” ― Martha Wells, All Systems Red The Muderbot Diaries is my 2024 sci-fi discovery. The Hugo-Nebula-Locus winning novella, All Systems Red introduces to our reluctant hero, an artificial construct that calls itself…
When the Indian film industry brings out the most expensive movie in the decade with a stellar cast it’s worth checking out at least once (if only to watch it bomb). The early trailers of Kalki 2898 AD promised something different in Indian Cinema and I was here for it. And can you ask for bigger names than Kamal Hasan, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Prabhas in one frame? Also, Telugu blockbuster cinema has been…
Gothic sci-fi horror, steampunk action and some good old detective fiction all rolled into one makes Chasm City a page turner. Tanner Mirabel, the protagonist, who is a security expert, and a hired assassin, has your attention from page one. The novel moves in flashbacks & we learn a lot more about why Tanner worked at Sky’s Edge, and why he was one day on the way to Chasm City. The mystery sustaining the pace…
It’s that season of the year. Snowy evenings, foggy mornings, and early sunsets. Shadows on the streets. The quiet in the house with the radiator buzzing in the background. The quiet outside as everyone stays in avoiding the cold. The quiet everywhere. Winter is the time for ghosts to come calling. I know Halloween month is for spooky stories, but where is the fear in silly costumes and golden autumn light. No, it is the…
“Sooner or later…one has to take sides. If one is to remain human.” ― Graham Greene, The Quiet American Brighton Rock was my first exposure to Graham Greene, and it wasn’t pleasant. I found it quite morbid, but the writing appealed to me. I chanced upon ‘The Quiet American’ while staying at a friend’s place and picked it up because it was a slim book and I could get through it in a few days.…
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