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Alexander Peterhans's Reviews > Terminal Boredom: Stories
Terminal Boredom: Stories
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'What do you mean, you’re ill?’
‘I’m a drug addict.’ He looks up at me after giving this blunt answer, trying to gauge my reaction.
I fight the muscles in my face, trying to keep from expressing anything.
This collection of sci-fi-infused short stories feels like it's trying to keep from expressing anything. I say 'sci-fi-infused', but I should probably say 'lightly sprayed with'. In most stories the sci-fi elements are window dressing, if that, and to me seem only there to ever so slightly up the weirdness quotient. Not a lot happens in this book - it's mostly young people lounging around listlessly, having endless conversations, conversations that come across stilted and forced (could be that's a translation thing). Now and then they mention someone like Mick Jagger, or a film like Blade Runner, kind of an old fartish idea of Stuff That Is Cool. Only really the last story, the eponymous Terminal Boredom uses science fiction to give it a sting, and fully works.
Not for me, this one.
Women And Women - 3 stars
You May Dream - 3 stars
Night Picnic - 2 stars
That Old Seaside Club - 2 stars
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - 2 stars
Forgotten - 2.5 stars
Terminal Boredom - 3.5 stars
(Kindly received an ARC from Verso Books through NetGalley)
‘I’m a drug addict.’ He looks up at me after giving this blunt answer, trying to gauge my reaction.
I fight the muscles in my face, trying to keep from expressing anything.
This collection of sci-fi-infused short stories feels like it's trying to keep from expressing anything. I say 'sci-fi-infused', but I should probably say 'lightly sprayed with'. In most stories the sci-fi elements are window dressing, if that, and to me seem only there to ever so slightly up the weirdness quotient. Not a lot happens in this book - it's mostly young people lounging around listlessly, having endless conversations, conversations that come across stilted and forced (could be that's a translation thing). Now and then they mention someone like Mick Jagger, or a film like Blade Runner, kind of an old fartish idea of Stuff That Is Cool. Only really the last story, the eponymous Terminal Boredom uses science fiction to give it a sting, and fully works.
Not for me, this one.
Women And Women - 3 stars
You May Dream - 3 stars
Night Picnic - 2 stars
That Old Seaside Club - 2 stars
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - 2 stars
Forgotten - 2.5 stars
Terminal Boredom - 3.5 stars
(Kindly received an ARC from Verso Books through NetGalley)
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Reading Progress
November 7, 2020
–
Started Reading
November 7, 2020
– Shelved
November 7, 2020
– Shelved as:
netgalley
November 7, 2020
–
9.0%
November 9, 2020
–
17.0%
"‘Like keeping honeybees?’ I asked Maki, always an authority on such matters.
‘Hmm, no , not quite. Though the sexual morphology of our society is maybe similar. Except that with honeybees, there’s only one queen.’
‘And we’re all queens,’ Rei cut in, bursting into giggles.""
‘Hmm, no , not quite. Though the sexual morphology of our society is maybe similar. Except that with honeybees, there’s only one queen.’
‘And we’re all queens,’ Rei cut in, bursting into giggles.""
November 12, 2020
–
46.0%
November 15, 2020
–
86.0%
November 18, 2020
–
Finished Reading
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Geoff
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Nov 18, 2020 05:11PM
Ah shoot - I was looking forward to this one.
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It appears you suffered terminal boredom from this read.
Geoff - the other reviews are a bit more positive than mine, so maybe it is something for you!Julie - I was so careful not to make that joke.. gaah!! ;)
