Monday Melee
I read these two books back to back in three days. The first because I promised Luke I would vis a vis podcast, looked like it might play with some interesting ideas, and it was short.
The second I’ve been waiting on tippy toes for the time to devour and, once I got started, was on it like a ravenous wolf on a bag of unguarded Birthday Cake M&Ms. I couldn’t decide which one to review for this week, so I decided to give the smack down format a try.
What follows is my response to these books at the time of reading and right this second while I’m writing the post. I could change my mind. *steely glare* But I probably won’t *goes back to petting soft kitty*
WHO WILL WIN: ANNIHILATION VS VALOUR AND VANITY?
Narrator:
immediate, unfounded, visceral hatred VS. old friends back for a perfectly timed visit of exactly the right length
Advantage: Valour and Vanity
Genre:
environmental, speculative, horror VS fantasy, “romance,” heist
Advantage: Valour and Vanity
Gravitas:
lots VS lightness, humor, fake pirates
Advantage: Annihilation
Plot:
murderous temperate zone (yes, you read that correctly) absorbing souls (?) with native blobs who can write (Avatar meets Survivor meets The Fly) VS. a con, a double-cross, magic, an enduring marriage, and a heist including a nunspiracy (“Jane Austen meets Ocean’s 11″)
Advantage: Valour and Vanity
Special Abilities imparted by:
plant spores VS. genetics
draw
Villains:
amorphous place (again, yes, you read that correctly) sentience, literate blobs of brain tissue, evil government/corporation (unclear which) VS. fake pirate con men
draw
Heroes:
obnoxious, whiny biologist who whines VS. a kickass artist who reads Wollstonecraft and her valiant, handsome, artist husband
Advantage: Valour and Vanity
Fun Factor:
none VS fuck, yeah
Advantage: Valour and Vanity
Funny Hats:
none VS lots
Advantage: Valour and Vanity
Witty Repartee
nope vs cubic fuckton
Advantage: Valour and Vanity
Conspiracies Involving Nuns with a Can of Whup-Ass
none vs one
Advantage: Valour and Vanity
Weight Added to My Bag:
little vs noticeable
Advantage: Annihilation
Winner:
Annihilation is a well written book and doubtlessly one of the social issue driven heavyweights of the last year. Valour and Vanity, however, is a lot more fun to read and has a hell of a lot more giggles and heart. I was in the mood for heart.
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