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Vagabonds
A century after the Martian war of independence, a group of kids are sent to Earth as delegates from Mars, but when they return home, they are caught between the two worlds, unable to reconcile the beauty and culture of Mars with their experiences on Earth in this spellbinding novel from Hugo Award–winning author Hao Jingfang.
In 2096, the war of independence erupts when a colony of people living on Mars rebel against Earth’s rule. The war results in two different and mutually incompatible worlds. In 2196, one hundred years later, Earth and Mars attempt to initiate a dialogue, hoping a reconciliation is on the horizon. Representing Mars, a group of young delegates are sent to Earth to study the history and culture of the rival planet, all while teaching others about life on Mars.
Narrated from two Luo Ying, an eighteen-year-old girl from Mars who has spent the past five years on Earth, and Ignacio, a filmmaker in his late twenties from Earth on a job to document the delegates from Mars. Both Luo and Ignacio are trapped between worlds, with critics all around, and always under suspicion, searching for where they truly belong.
In 2096, the war of independence erupts when a colony of people living on Mars rebel against Earth’s rule. The war results in two different and mutually incompatible worlds. In 2196, one hundred years later, Earth and Mars attempt to initiate a dialogue, hoping a reconciliation is on the horizon. Representing Mars, a group of young delegates are sent to Earth to study the history and culture of the rival planet, all while teaching others about life on Mars.
Narrated from two Luo Ying, an eighteen-year-old girl from Mars who has spent the past five years on Earth, and Ignacio, a filmmaker in his late twenties from Earth on a job to document the delegates from Mars. Both Luo and Ignacio are trapped between worlds, with critics all around, and always under suspicion, searching for where they truly belong.
640 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2016
412 people are currently reading
14406 people want to read
About the author
Hao Jingfang
32 books410 followersHao Jingfang (Chinese: 郝景芳; pinyin: Hăo Jǐngfāng), is a Chinese science fiction writer.
Hao Jingfang was born in 1984, graduated in physics and gained her PhD in economics at Tsinghua University in 2013. She has been working since with the China Development Research Foundation (CDRF), where she acts as Deputy Director of Research Department I.
She won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette for Folding Beijing, translated by Ken Liu, at the 2016 Hugo Awards.
Hao Jingfang was awarded the First Prize in the New Concept Writing Competition (2002). Her fiction has appeared in various publications, including Mengya, Science Fiction World and ZUI Found. She has published two full-length novels, Wandering Maearth and Return to Charon; a book of cultural essarys, Europe in Time; and the short story collection, Star Travellers.
Hao Jingfang was born in 1984, graduated in physics and gained her PhD in economics at Tsinghua University in 2013. She has been working since with the China Development Research Foundation (CDRF), where she acts as Deputy Director of Research Department I.
She won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette for Folding Beijing, translated by Ken Liu, at the 2016 Hugo Awards.
Hao Jingfang was awarded the First Prize in the New Concept Writing Competition (2002). Her fiction has appeared in various publications, including Mengya, Science Fiction World and ZUI Found. She has published two full-length novels, Wandering Maearth and Return to Charon; a book of cultural essarys, Europe in Time; and the short story collection, Star Travellers.
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May 27, 2020
“This is the tale of the fall of the last utopia.”
― Vagabonds, prologue.
Don't let the prologue fool you: Vagabonds is not that kind of sci-fi. It's not a war story, even though the possibility and memory of war are ever-present shadows; it's not a story about an apocalypse. It is a slow-paced, introspective novel about a group of young Martians returning to their planet after having spent years studying on Earth, where they started to question everything about their way of life. This is a tale about the fall of the concept of utopia in the characters' mind; a story about loss of faith accompanied by gain of insight. A story about how a society came close to becoming the very thing it swore to never be.
While it follows many characters, the closest thing to a main character Vagabonds has is Louying, the granddaughter of the Martian consul and one of the eighteen-year-olds returning from Earth. We follow her journey in discovering the history of her family and some ugly truths tied to it; we follow her as she asks questions and tries to find answers that work for her, and a place that might fit her after the way her experience in with living on two very different planets shaped her.
Louying has been taught she lives in an utopia, while the citizens of Earth believe her grandfather is a dictator; the truth is much more complicated than either statement. This book navigates these questions - what makes an utopia; what is freedom; what it means to be a dictator - while exploring many different points of views. It compares Martian collectivism against the individualism of Earth, digs into each society's failing, and it never gives you definitive answers, but it still exposes the dangers of cultural exceptionalism, supremacy and close-mindedness. At its heart, Vagabonds is a story about the importance of communication between different viewpoints, how we can all learn a lot from each other.
I'm always here for stories that talk about what utopia might mean. I find the very concept of utopia as we usually define it inherently disturbing because stasis seems encoded in its very foundation, when that's antithetical to human nature, or nature in general. (If ecological stability in an ecosystem is always is a dynamic equilibrium, I don't have reasons to believe the situation is much different for human societies.) This book gets how every generation perceives its society in a different way and always strives for change, as it's natural, but sometimes doesn't understand the impact it may have.
I liked the lack of answers paired to a very well-defined, resonant character arc. At the same time, my usual bookish habitat is western queer SFF, so I kept thinking that Mars is a dystopia without considering any of these things just for its treatment of women - all people involved in politics are men and so are most people this book shows being involved in the sciences (all the relevant female characters are artists); you can also see the reflection of this in how the men around Louying treat her. I recognize this as the simplistic take it is, and yet it's not something I can brush off. Maybe it's because it isn't an element of comparison - I don't have any reason to believe book-Earth is any better in this - so the book chose not to engage with that. I don't know; I'll just say that it kept jumping up at me. Especially considering how multifaceted the worldbuilding is, how the book manages to talk in detail about the role of art, architecture, history, revolutions and innovation in a society, also going into the details of physics and engineering on Mars.
In an American categorization, this book would probably be seen as something standing on the line between genre and literary fiction, with the premise of the first and the mood and aim of the second. As I'm only familiar with the first, I can say that compared to the average sci-fi, is significantly slower, descriptive and meandering, with an almost dreamlike atmosphere. The characters are wonderfully crafted but you're not reading the story for them (for the most part, I say, thinking about Dr. Reini), and there are some beautiful parts involving space exploration on the surface of Mars, but they're again not the point. I ended up liking this book, but I think it's important to know all of this before going into it - it's not what you usually get from a sci-fi Saga Press tome. As for the translation, this is possibly the best translation I've ever read, and I've read a lot of them. It probably helps that the translator is an author himself.
Buddy read with Silvia! Read her review here.
― Vagabonds, prologue.
Don't let the prologue fool you: Vagabonds is not that kind of sci-fi. It's not a war story, even though the possibility and memory of war are ever-present shadows; it's not a story about an apocalypse. It is a slow-paced, introspective novel about a group of young Martians returning to their planet after having spent years studying on Earth, where they started to question everything about their way of life. This is a tale about the fall of the concept of utopia in the characters' mind; a story about loss of faith accompanied by gain of insight. A story about how a society came close to becoming the very thing it swore to never be.
While it follows many characters, the closest thing to a main character Vagabonds has is Louying, the granddaughter of the Martian consul and one of the eighteen-year-olds returning from Earth. We follow her journey in discovering the history of her family and some ugly truths tied to it; we follow her as she asks questions and tries to find answers that work for her, and a place that might fit her after the way her experience in with living on two very different planets shaped her.
Louying has been taught she lives in an utopia, while the citizens of Earth believe her grandfather is a dictator; the truth is much more complicated than either statement. This book navigates these questions - what makes an utopia; what is freedom; what it means to be a dictator - while exploring many different points of views. It compares Martian collectivism against the individualism of Earth, digs into each society's failing, and it never gives you definitive answers, but it still exposes the dangers of cultural exceptionalism, supremacy and close-mindedness. At its heart, Vagabonds is a story about the importance of communication between different viewpoints, how we can all learn a lot from each other.
I'm always here for stories that talk about what utopia might mean. I find the very concept of utopia as we usually define it inherently disturbing because stasis seems encoded in its very foundation, when that's antithetical to human nature, or nature in general. (If ecological stability in an ecosystem is always is a dynamic equilibrium, I don't have reasons to believe the situation is much different for human societies.) This book gets how every generation perceives its society in a different way and always strives for change, as it's natural, but sometimes doesn't understand the impact it may have.
I liked the lack of answers paired to a very well-defined, resonant character arc. At the same time, my usual bookish habitat is western queer SFF, so I kept thinking that Mars is a dystopia without considering any of these things just for its treatment of women - all people involved in politics are men and so are most people this book shows being involved in the sciences (all the relevant female characters are artists); you can also see the reflection of this in how the men around Louying treat her. I recognize this as the simplistic take it is, and yet it's not something I can brush off. Maybe it's because it isn't an element of comparison - I don't have any reason to believe book-Earth is any better in this - so the book chose not to engage with that. I don't know; I'll just say that it kept jumping up at me. Especially considering how multifaceted the worldbuilding is, how the book manages to talk in detail about the role of art, architecture, history, revolutions and innovation in a society, also going into the details of physics and engineering on Mars.
In an American categorization, this book would probably be seen as something standing on the line between genre and literary fiction, with the premise of the first and the mood and aim of the second. As I'm only familiar with the first, I can say that compared to the average sci-fi, is significantly slower, descriptive and meandering, with an almost dreamlike atmosphere. The characters are wonderfully crafted but you're not reading the story for them (for the most part, I say, thinking about Dr. Reini), and there are some beautiful parts involving space exploration on the surface of Mars, but they're again not the point. I ended up liking this book, but I think it's important to know all of this before going into it - it's not what you usually get from a sci-fi Saga Press tome. As for the translation, this is possibly the best translation I've ever read, and I've read a lot of them. It probably helps that the translator is an author himself.
Buddy read with Silvia! Read her review here.
October 24, 2021
Tengo tantos “sentimientos” encontrados con este libro... es imposible que escriba algo y lo “selle” tal cual;tan a la...ligera?. Ya me vais conociendo y como de costumbre iré actualizando mi opinión.
Esto es un tratado, incluso me atrevo a decir TESIS sociológica marciana! Le doy 5 porque como autor de ciencia ficción que soy, considero que este libro es una gran obra,hay detrás un trabajo y una entrega muy grandes. Y sí, me voy quitar el sombrero con Hao! El epílogo es muy bonito.
Pero como lector le daría un 3, por lo cansino y poco aventurera que es la historia en sí.A cualquier lector se le alarga demasiado en el tiempo,es monótono, y es verdad que como lectura a veces aburre. Hay que leer este libro con paciencia, y soy de la opinión que su lector debería concentrarse en leerle sin hacerlo al mismo tiempo con otro a la vez.
Esto es un tratado, incluso me atrevo a decir TESIS sociológica marciana! Le doy 5 porque como autor de ciencia ficción que soy, considero que este libro es una gran obra,hay detrás un trabajo y una entrega muy grandes. Y sí, me voy quitar el sombrero con Hao! El epílogo es muy bonito.
Pero como lector le daría un 3, por lo cansino y poco aventurera que es la historia en sí.A cualquier lector se le alarga demasiado en el tiempo,es monótono, y es verdad que como lectura a veces aburre. Hay que leer este libro con paciencia, y soy de la opinión que su lector debería concentrarse en leerle sin hacerlo al mismo tiempo con otro a la vez.
July 4, 2023
3.5 Stars
I loved the setup of this science fiction novel that used Earth and Mars to compare and contrast the cultural differences between the Western value of independence against the community focus of the East. This book was very slow paced with very little action or plot, yet I found the premise to be fascinating. Unfortunately this book was way too long. If it had been shorter, I may have loved it, but it sadly ended up being a chore to finish.
I loved the setup of this science fiction novel that used Earth and Mars to compare and contrast the cultural differences between the Western value of independence against the community focus of the East. This book was very slow paced with very little action or plot, yet I found the premise to be fascinating. Unfortunately this book was way too long. If it had been shorter, I may have loved it, but it sadly ended up being a chore to finish.
July 21, 2020
A story of freedom, merit, and equality. An ambitious book that delivers. Sedately paced, meticulously crafted, yet some patience is needed.
First of all, I need to clarify that while it might be easy to see Mars = China, Earth = West, it's not like that at all. Ken Liu explained it better here: https://youtu.be/gMH0R1H30bQ?t=3714 The way of life in Mars described in the novel would not work in China and the other way around.
Secondly, did this book meet my expectation? Yes. I have read some works from the author and they all have fascinating worldbuilding/speculative fiction side of how communities work.
Some friends I read this book with said they struggled with it. I could understand as I too struggled in the earlier parts. Luoying, one of the MCs, was kind of grating at times. I am not too fond of passive characters (Lucky there were some developments later in the book)
Yet, what makes this book to stay in my mind for a long time, is the speculative fiction bits. The author introduces a dichotomy between Earth and Mars, i.e. especially the economic system. In the course of the book, the balancing act between freedom, merit and equality, were explored, debated, fought for.
The way the character lives interspersed with the effects of their environment and society was very human to me. In the last Clarion West webinar, Ted Chiang said that when you're writing a book, be clear and mindful on who's suffering. This book gave me lots, in many layers and levels and nuances. The struggles were relatable, suffice to say. All systems have flaws, there's no perfect one. I thought a lot on which I'd prefer. That's exactly why I read SF. I like books that made think about my own (possible, flawed) choices.
I'd recommend the book for patient readers who could bear the slow pace and enjoy imagining the speculative ways of life especially where resources are scarce, which is the way our world is heading for right now.
First of all, I need to clarify that while it might be easy to see Mars = China, Earth = West, it's not like that at all. Ken Liu explained it better here: https://youtu.be/gMH0R1H30bQ?t=3714 The way of life in Mars described in the novel would not work in China and the other way around.
Secondly, did this book meet my expectation? Yes. I have read some works from the author and they all have fascinating worldbuilding/speculative fiction side of how communities work.
Some friends I read this book with said they struggled with it. I could understand as I too struggled in the earlier parts. Luoying, one of the MCs, was kind of grating at times. I am not too fond of passive characters (Lucky there were some developments later in the book)
Yet, what makes this book to stay in my mind for a long time, is the speculative fiction bits. The author introduces a dichotomy between Earth and Mars, i.e. especially the economic system. In the course of the book, the balancing act between freedom, merit and equality, were explored, debated, fought for.
The way the character lives interspersed with the effects of their environment and society was very human to me. In the last Clarion West webinar, Ted Chiang said that when you're writing a book, be clear and mindful on who's suffering. This book gave me lots, in many layers and levels and nuances. The struggles were relatable, suffice to say. All systems have flaws, there's no perfect one. I thought a lot on which I'd prefer. That's exactly why I read SF. I like books that made think about my own (possible, flawed) choices.
I'd recommend the book for patient readers who could bear the slow pace and enjoy imagining the speculative ways of life especially where resources are scarce, which is the way our world is heading for right now.
May 1, 2020
Real THE PUBLISHER APPROVED A DRC OF THE BOOK FOR ME VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: It will come as no surprise to any regular reader, or in fact anyone I've interacted with in the past decade-plus, that end-stage capitalism such as has gifted us with the badly botched, lethally disorganized COVID-19 plague response is not high on my list of Good Things in the old-fashioned Martha Stewart sense. Quite a lot of people (over fifteen) in the assisted-living facility where I live are dead thanks to this money-grubbing ethos. So yes, I began this read fully expecting to approve of the Utopian Martian colony and its collectivist politics.
Well, it's comforting (I suppose) that I consistently never learn....
Hugo-winner Hao (Best Novelette, 2016) builds two competing Utopias. Neither sees the beam in its own eye but focuses on the mote in its symbiotic sibling's; so much easier to sell the distortion and misperception necessary to see any human-made system as anything other than dystopian. Earth's hypercapitalism has continued to devour the planet; its existence is always precarious, always threatening to collapse. Mars's collectivism is dependent on inputs from the fragile, worn-out Earth; its people are not natural innovators, never striving to Do More because, well, why? You don't get more, and there is limited support for striving.
A side note to shout out my dead father, whose aperçu about economics I quote frequently: No system will thrive that either ignores or exalts greed.
Read the rest of my review here.
My Review: It will come as no surprise to any regular reader, or in fact anyone I've interacted with in the past decade-plus, that end-stage capitalism such as has gifted us with the badly botched, lethally disorganized COVID-19 plague response is not high on my list of Good Things in the old-fashioned Martha Stewart sense. Quite a lot of people (over fifteen) in the assisted-living facility where I live are dead thanks to this money-grubbing ethos. So yes, I began this read fully expecting to approve of the Utopian Martian colony and its collectivist politics.
Well, it's comforting (I suppose) that I consistently never learn....
Hugo-winner Hao (Best Novelette, 2016) builds two competing Utopias. Neither sees the beam in its own eye but focuses on the mote in its symbiotic sibling's; so much easier to sell the distortion and misperception necessary to see any human-made system as anything other than dystopian. Earth's hypercapitalism has continued to devour the planet; its existence is always precarious, always threatening to collapse. Mars's collectivism is dependent on inputs from the fragile, worn-out Earth; its people are not natural innovators, never striving to Do More because, well, why? You don't get more, and there is limited support for striving.
A side note to shout out my dead father, whose aperçu about economics I quote frequently: No system will thrive that either ignores or exalts greed.
Read the rest of my review here.
January 10, 2021
I'm going to start off by saying that I know this isn't a book for everyone. I don't even know if it's a book for most people. I do think though that it's one you'll know is for you rather soon in the story.
Describing the plot feels odd to me, and I'm not even sure that the synopsis is all that accurate. At its core and most basic, this is the story of a group of Martians returning to Mars after having spent their adolescence mostly on Earth and the ramifications of adapting back into a society. A lot of people on Goodreads make the judgement call about how this is a critique on the differences between the People's Republic of China and the United States, and there is definitely an argument to be made about how the societies are depicted as rough allegories of communism and free market capitalism for sure, I do think that Luoying's story is really on of anyone trying return to their home after time abroad. Themes of cultural identity seem more important while the themes of societal structure while certainly important just loom over the book as the events unfold.
As for events unfolding this isn't a space opera science fiction novel. In the way the prose is more literary, bordering on lyrical at times, it reminds of 1Q84 more than it does other more Western centered science fiction. For me that wasn't a problem. I do think that a lot of people who pick this up who are expecting some kind of space battle might be bored by the long paragraphs of philosophical discussion or the way that the prose tends to veer off into expansive portions filled with content that doesn't seem directly necessary to the narrative. For me that was just part of the overall experience.
While there were definite lulls in the story I was ultimately fascinated by where the story did go and the way that the various subplots eventually weaved together. I think it's very possible for someone to pick this up and not be satisfied with how things end, but as a piece of standalone fiction I think it works. The way the story is structured and its ending are both tied into the overall themes of the novel. So again, I wouldn't recommend this to just anyone because I do think that the audience this is for is quite narrow. I would instead recommend that you check out a sample or get it from your library and see if you enjoy the first couple of chapters and then ask yourself if you're still invested to keep continuing.
Describing the plot feels odd to me, and I'm not even sure that the synopsis is all that accurate. At its core and most basic, this is the story of a group of Martians returning to Mars after having spent their adolescence mostly on Earth and the ramifications of adapting back into a society. A lot of people on Goodreads make the judgement call about how this is a critique on the differences between the People's Republic of China and the United States, and there is definitely an argument to be made about how the societies are depicted as rough allegories of communism and free market capitalism for sure, I do think that Luoying's story is really on of anyone trying return to their home after time abroad. Themes of cultural identity seem more important while the themes of societal structure while certainly important just loom over the book as the events unfold.
As for events unfolding this isn't a space opera science fiction novel. In the way the prose is more literary, bordering on lyrical at times, it reminds of 1Q84 more than it does other more Western centered science fiction. For me that wasn't a problem. I do think that a lot of people who pick this up who are expecting some kind of space battle might be bored by the long paragraphs of philosophical discussion or the way that the prose tends to veer off into expansive portions filled with content that doesn't seem directly necessary to the narrative. For me that was just part of the overall experience.
While there were definite lulls in the story I was ultimately fascinated by where the story did go and the way that the various subplots eventually weaved together. I think it's very possible for someone to pick this up and not be satisfied with how things end, but as a piece of standalone fiction I think it works. The way the story is structured and its ending are both tied into the overall themes of the novel. So again, I wouldn't recommend this to just anyone because I do think that the audience this is for is quite narrow. I would instead recommend that you check out a sample or get it from your library and see if you enjoy the first couple of chapters and then ask yourself if you're still invested to keep continuing.
May 5, 2020
I made it to the 25% point of this book and the part I read was more social science than it was science fiction. That was not what I was expecting. The endless comparison and contrasting of capitalism and socialism was boring to me. The same thing could have been accomplished by having a utopian society establish itself in Delaware. Mars was unnecessary. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
May 23, 2020
I was sent this book as an advance listening copy via libro.fm for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
This was an overall interesting experience and I'm looking forward to not doing it again!
More seriously and in case it isn't clear, I actually really, really liked this and I think it did very interesting things. It's basically literary fic in a sci-fi trenchcoat and if you're wondering what that means: a whole lot of introspection and philosophy, not even one space battle and more physics than your average novel. Which, to me, meant that I really enjoyed it, but I am also aware that I would have never finished it if I hadn't been listening to the audiobook.
The book is divided in three parts and each follows a more or less self-contained arc, with recurring characters and what we could call the rightful main character, Luoying, who was part of a group of students who were sent to study on Earth for five years and are now back on Mars and trying to adjust to the society they were born in after experiencing, literally, a whole different world.
Luoying is also the granddaughter of what is known on Earth as the dictator of Mars (but nobody on Mars would call him that, because utopia), and she makes for an interesting main character also thanks to the fact that she's so close to the Mars establishment, but not only.
I think Hao Jingfang managed to get away with what frankly is a 650-page introspection fest because she managed to make it not about the individual but about the whole, even though in the novel very little happens in terms of events and plot points and most of the development happens internally, through Luoying's POV.
It's impossible to read this book and not make a direct comparison to different types of society in our reality, although the differences are much more emphasized in the book, and while reading this and discussing about it with my buddy read partner we found ourselves in similar situations as the characters of the book, wondering about "the other side" and then realizing we didn't know enough and all we had were speculations and assumptions, not dissimilar to how Martians assume things about Earth (and the other way around too). If this was even one of Hao Jingfang's goals, since she probably knew her novel would be translated, then she fully succeeded in it.
If you're scared of sci-fi but still want to read a novel that more or less answers the ever-present curiosity of "what would a human society on Mars look like?", with no space battles and very few scifi-typical elements, this might be for you. I highly recommend the audiobook if you're too impatient to sit down and read something so slow paced, but I promise its pace makes sense, and while I don't think this is the kind of book that would make onto many favorite lists, it is one of those novels that you'll find yourself thinking back to more than once.
Buddy read with Acqua (check out her review!)
This was an overall interesting experience and I'm looking forward to not doing it again!
More seriously and in case it isn't clear, I actually really, really liked this and I think it did very interesting things. It's basically literary fic in a sci-fi trenchcoat and if you're wondering what that means: a whole lot of introspection and philosophy, not even one space battle and more physics than your average novel. Which, to me, meant that I really enjoyed it, but I am also aware that I would have never finished it if I hadn't been listening to the audiobook.
The book is divided in three parts and each follows a more or less self-contained arc, with recurring characters and what we could call the rightful main character, Luoying, who was part of a group of students who were sent to study on Earth for five years and are now back on Mars and trying to adjust to the society they were born in after experiencing, literally, a whole different world.
Luoying is also the granddaughter of what is known on Earth as the dictator of Mars (but nobody on Mars would call him that, because utopia), and she makes for an interesting main character also thanks to the fact that she's so close to the Mars establishment, but not only.
I think Hao Jingfang managed to get away with what frankly is a 650-page introspection fest because she managed to make it not about the individual but about the whole, even though in the novel very little happens in terms of events and plot points and most of the development happens internally, through Luoying's POV.
It's impossible to read this book and not make a direct comparison to different types of society in our reality, although the differences are much more emphasized in the book, and while reading this and discussing about it with my buddy read partner we found ourselves in similar situations as the characters of the book, wondering about "the other side" and then realizing we didn't know enough and all we had were speculations and assumptions, not dissimilar to how Martians assume things about Earth (and the other way around too). If this was even one of Hao Jingfang's goals, since she probably knew her novel would be translated, then she fully succeeded in it.
If you're scared of sci-fi but still want to read a novel that more or less answers the ever-present curiosity of "what would a human society on Mars look like?", with no space battles and very few scifi-typical elements, this might be for you. I highly recommend the audiobook if you're too impatient to sit down and read something so slow paced, but I promise its pace makes sense, and while I don't think this is the kind of book that would make onto many favorite lists, it is one of those novels that you'll find yourself thinking back to more than once.
Buddy read with Acqua (check out her review!)
October 12, 2022
Para que yo abandone un audiolibro ya me tienen que doler las orejas para no poder terminarlo. Normalmente oigo cualquier cosa mientras trabajo o viajo. Pero Hao Jingfang lo ha conseguido con una historia muy densa e introspectiva.
Marte, comunista; la Tierra, capitalista; viven enfrentados por sus ideales y sistemas políticos. Por lo tanto, Marte envía un grupo de estudiantes de intercambio para mejorar las relaciones (¿?).
Pues después de un 50% todavía no sé a dónde va la trama más allá del resumen de arriba. Los personajes son los típicos que cada vez que miran por una ventana, pasean, o mojan una magdalena en el café están pensando en la inmensidad del universo, en la brevedad de la vida, etc, etc.
Me ha recordado a la trilogía de Marte de Kim Stanley Robinson. Una sociedad y estructuras muy bien creadas pero un rollo que no conecta a nivel personajes y trama.
Últimamente no estoy teniendo suerte con la ciencia ficción china. Probaré algún otro autor pero creo que Jingfang se ha caído ya para mí.
Marte, comunista; la Tierra, capitalista; viven enfrentados por sus ideales y sistemas políticos. Por lo tanto, Marte envía un grupo de estudiantes de intercambio para mejorar las relaciones (¿?).
Pues después de un 50% todavía no sé a dónde va la trama más allá del resumen de arriba. Los personajes son los típicos que cada vez que miran por una ventana, pasean, o mojan una magdalena en el café están pensando en la inmensidad del universo, en la brevedad de la vida, etc, etc.
Me ha recordado a la trilogía de Marte de Kim Stanley Robinson. Una sociedad y estructuras muy bien creadas pero un rollo que no conecta a nivel personajes y trama.
Últimamente no estoy teniendo suerte con la ciencia ficción china. Probaré algún otro autor pero creo que Jingfang se ha caído ya para mí.
October 23, 2020
This was a good piece of recent Chinese science fiction translated with care by Ken Liu. It is hard not to read it without seeing parallels drawn between the cultural conflicts between Mars and Earth echoing the cultural gap between China and the US. The Mars of Louying is like a socialist paradise where needs are met, but free choice is constrained whereas the Earth is a purely commercial smorgasbord. Some of the side love stories felt unnecessary, but overall an interesting read.
December 22, 2021
This will not be a book for everyone, but I loved this book so much. Not quite a full 5 stars though because there was just no reason for this book to be 600 pages. It's hard for me to review this book properly because in all honesty, there's very little plot - it's mostly a 600 page exploration of human identity, society, and what it means to be someone who exists in between worlds. The book definitely goes off on philosophical tangents at times, and while I personally enjoy that kind of thing, I can definitely see a lot of people hating it. Ultimately though, the experiences of our main group of characters, especially Luoying, resonated with me so deeply, and despite its flaws, this book just felt so deeply personal to me. I'd recommend this book more so to fans of literary fiction with a heavy emphasis on philosophical discussions on society and humanity, rather than hard sci-fi fans.
December 5, 2022
This wasn't quite what I expected it to be but I was pleasantly suprised as it was better than I thought. It was a rather long ebook but I wasn't bored by this at all. I'm not finding writing this review rather easy as I can't come up with what to write about it but I would definitely read more by this author
August 5, 2025
Am sympathischsten finde ich das Nachwort der Autorin von 2016. Da deklariert sie, zumindest durch die Blume, aber ziemlich offen selbstkritisch, was sie von ihren Schreibkünsten in diesem Roman hält. Da wird klar, dass sie dieses, ihr Erstlingswerk (entstanden 2007-2009), für so ungelenk und so überarbeitungsbedürftig hält, dass sie, obwohl sie Jahre später das Angebot des Verlags für eine Neufassung hatte, vor der Arbeit zurückgeschreckt hat. Und zwar weil sie soviel umschreiben hätte müssen, dass am Ende ein völlig anderes Buch herauskommen würde. So hat sie es lieber trotz aller Unvollkommenheit in seiner Urfassung belassen.
Dafür habe ich großes Verständnis, denn bei den wandernden Himmel funktioniert fast gar nichts und ich glaube keiner möchte etwas überarbeiten, dem es an jeglicher Substanz fehlt.
Kaum Spannung, außer ganz am Beginn, wo die Spannung sich noch aus der Ungewissheit speist, wohin sich die Geschichte entwickeln wird. Dann folgen hunderte Seiten langatmiger Versuche, irgendetwas kreatives aus der Geschichte herauszuwringen, aber die Autorin hat einfach keine Einfälle. Bezeichnenderweise „rettet“ sie sich dann in einen Kreativitätswettbewerb der jungen Generation auf dem Mars. Aber dabei kommt gar nichts raus.
Sprachlich ist es ein Chaos. Manchmal pseudophilosophisch, dann wieder nahezu kinderbuchartige Abschnitte, die wie Texte zu Bilderbüchern wirken, Dialoge wie aus B-Movies. Nur in wenigen einzelnen Sätzen blitzt ihr Talent auf.
Die Autorin hat übrigens auch einen Beleg für ihr Potenzial abgeliefert; sie hat die Erzählung „Peking falten“ geschrieben, die ich um Welten besser auf allen Ebenen fand.
Noch ein paar Eindrücke
Assoziationen hatte ich manchmal zu Harry Potter, der ganze aufgeblasene Zirkus rund um den Kreativitätswettbewerb der Schüler und Studenten ist wie ein lauer Aufguss der Turniere, die in Hogwarts ausgetragen werden, nur halt sehr umständlich und behäbig und ätzend lang beschrieben. Vielleicht ist das bei Harry Potter auch so öde, hab ich nie umfänglich gelesen, aber einige Filme gesehen, achja, ich fürchte die Wandernden Himmel wären auch als Verfilmung zum Wegdösen.
Außerdem scheint mir der ganze Roman in seinem Grundkonzept unentschlossen/unausgegoren. Was will dieser Roman eigentlich sein? Soll es eher ein Young Adult Buch sein? Ja, ich denke schon. Vieles weist darauf hin, die manchmal seltsam banalen Erklärungen psychologischer Aspekte oder Machtmechanismen und Intrigen. Geheimnistuerei (wie etwa die des autoritären Machthabers Hans, der auch der Großvater der Hauptfigur Luoying ist und vermutlich für den Tod von Luoyings Eltern verantwortlich) erfüllt meinem Eindruck nach manchmal einfach nur die Funktion Zeit zu schinden, weil die Autorin selbst an vielen Stellen keinen Tau hatte, wie sie manche Entwicklungen auflösen sollte.
Dafür habe ich großes Verständnis, denn bei den wandernden Himmel funktioniert fast gar nichts und ich glaube keiner möchte etwas überarbeiten, dem es an jeglicher Substanz fehlt.
Kaum Spannung, außer ganz am Beginn, wo die Spannung sich noch aus der Ungewissheit speist, wohin sich die Geschichte entwickeln wird. Dann folgen hunderte Seiten langatmiger Versuche, irgendetwas kreatives aus der Geschichte herauszuwringen, aber die Autorin hat einfach keine Einfälle. Bezeichnenderweise „rettet“ sie sich dann in einen Kreativitätswettbewerb der jungen Generation auf dem Mars. Aber dabei kommt gar nichts raus.
Sprachlich ist es ein Chaos. Manchmal pseudophilosophisch, dann wieder nahezu kinderbuchartige Abschnitte, die wie Texte zu Bilderbüchern wirken, Dialoge wie aus B-Movies. Nur in wenigen einzelnen Sätzen blitzt ihr Talent auf.
Die Autorin hat übrigens auch einen Beleg für ihr Potenzial abgeliefert; sie hat die Erzählung „Peking falten“ geschrieben, die ich um Welten besser auf allen Ebenen fand.
Noch ein paar Eindrücke
Assoziationen hatte ich manchmal zu Harry Potter, der ganze aufgeblasene Zirkus rund um den Kreativitätswettbewerb der Schüler und Studenten ist wie ein lauer Aufguss der Turniere, die in Hogwarts ausgetragen werden, nur halt sehr umständlich und behäbig und ätzend lang beschrieben. Vielleicht ist das bei Harry Potter auch so öde, hab ich nie umfänglich gelesen, aber einige Filme gesehen, achja, ich fürchte die Wandernden Himmel wären auch als Verfilmung zum Wegdösen.
Außerdem scheint mir der ganze Roman in seinem Grundkonzept unentschlossen/unausgegoren. Was will dieser Roman eigentlich sein? Soll es eher ein Young Adult Buch sein? Ja, ich denke schon. Vieles weist darauf hin, die manchmal seltsam banalen Erklärungen psychologischer Aspekte oder Machtmechanismen und Intrigen. Geheimnistuerei (wie etwa die des autoritären Machthabers Hans, der auch der Großvater der Hauptfigur Luoying ist und vermutlich für den Tod von Luoyings Eltern verantwortlich) erfüllt meinem Eindruck nach manchmal einfach nur die Funktion Zeit zu schinden, weil die Autorin selbst an vielen Stellen keinen Tau hatte, wie sie manche Entwicklungen auflösen sollte.
February 1, 2024
▪️ VAGABONDS by Hao Jingfang, translated from the Chinese by Ken Liu, 2016/2020.
/ KINETICS :: MOVEMENT /
Never before have I been so struck by the way ~movement~ plays into a story.
Rarely does literary fiction venture into the realms of physics, engineering, and kinetics in the way that VAGABONDS does. It also goes pretty deep into the movement of economics, geopolitics, and political philosophy & culture too.
I'll back up.
Hao Jingfang frames her story around a small group of young Martians who travel to Earth for 5 years. Mars and Earth have fought a long war - both hot and cold. This delegation is seen as a goodwill effort and to share scientific and cultural knowledge. The story starts just as this student delegation has returned to Mars, essentially as strangers in their own land.
Many other reviewers noted this one as a DNF and it is quite a challenging book to read if you're expecting a plot. The pace is slow and there are large digression / tangential sections on such things as glass architecture, aerodynamics, geography of Mars, economics, the philosophy of dance... It can be esoteric. But for me, that was also the thing that kept me so interested, and what will remain long after I've read.
I see the story as more of a series of slow waves, to keep with the movement metaphor. Waves that swell and build momentum over time, that cause shifts and changes in the surroundings. The waves that break down boulders and that form new channels. Sometimes the same waves that drown out and submerge.
🔥Leaving with this quote:
"Conversation. Commerce. People had lost sight of which was more important. The first commercial exchanges served the purpose of starting a conversation, and now a conversation only facilitated the goal of continuing commerce. When commerce was no longer necessary, it was easy to forget about conversation. The isolation of languages was the result of collusion; it brought profit, engendered hatred, gave birth to manufactured identities, and, above all, generated the desire to buy, buy, buy. Conversation was dying, but commerce grew ever more vibrant." (pg 226)
READ November 2021.
/ KINETICS :: MOVEMENT /
Never before have I been so struck by the way ~movement~ plays into a story.
Rarely does literary fiction venture into the realms of physics, engineering, and kinetics in the way that VAGABONDS does. It also goes pretty deep into the movement of economics, geopolitics, and political philosophy & culture too.
I'll back up.
Hao Jingfang frames her story around a small group of young Martians who travel to Earth for 5 years. Mars and Earth have fought a long war - both hot and cold. This delegation is seen as a goodwill effort and to share scientific and cultural knowledge. The story starts just as this student delegation has returned to Mars, essentially as strangers in their own land.
Many other reviewers noted this one as a DNF and it is quite a challenging book to read if you're expecting a plot. The pace is slow and there are large digression / tangential sections on such things as glass architecture, aerodynamics, geography of Mars, economics, the philosophy of dance... It can be esoteric. But for me, that was also the thing that kept me so interested, and what will remain long after I've read.
I see the story as more of a series of slow waves, to keep with the movement metaphor. Waves that swell and build momentum over time, that cause shifts and changes in the surroundings. The waves that break down boulders and that form new channels. Sometimes the same waves that drown out and submerge.
🔥Leaving with this quote:
"Conversation. Commerce. People had lost sight of which was more important. The first commercial exchanges served the purpose of starting a conversation, and now a conversation only facilitated the goal of continuing commerce. When commerce was no longer necessary, it was easy to forget about conversation. The isolation of languages was the result of collusion; it brought profit, engendered hatred, gave birth to manufactured identities, and, above all, generated the desire to buy, buy, buy. Conversation was dying, but commerce grew ever more vibrant." (pg 226)
READ November 2021.
May 16, 2020
I don’t know if it’s me, Liu’s translations in particular, or just the difficulty of translating from Chinese into English, but neither this nor The Three-Body Problem do anything at all for me.
The prose is alright, but the beginning seems to consist purely of an infodump. I’m too old and too impatient to slog through this sort of thing any more.
Maybe I should try Bradbury.
The prose is alright, but the beginning seems to consist purely of an infodump. I’m too old and too impatient to slog through this sort of thing any more.
Maybe I should try Bradbury.
September 10, 2020
When I first read the synopsis for Vagabonds, I was immediately intrigued and knew that I needed to read this book. That being said, this book was so much of a let down, which is really frustrating.
Coming in at over 600 pages, this book is an absolute behemoth. Don't get me wrong, the prose is beautiful and the author describes scenes in painstaking detail. However, when it comes to sci-fi that takes on civil war between Earth and Mars, I expect epic battles and space exploration. That is NOT this book.
Instead, Vagabonds is a genre-bending novel that is essentially the anthropological study of the philosophy and politics of human civilization as it relates to both Earth and Mars. We see dichotomous civilizations and how the two must maintain the illusion of a utopia due to the fear of one becoming like the other. It is very timely considering our current political environment. While I can appreciate what the author is trying to do, this is not sci-fi exploration that I was hoping for.
Thank you to Bookish First and Saga Press (Gallery Books) for my review copy. This did not influence my thoughts. All opinions are my own.
Coming in at over 600 pages, this book is an absolute behemoth. Don't get me wrong, the prose is beautiful and the author describes scenes in painstaking detail. However, when it comes to sci-fi that takes on civil war between Earth and Mars, I expect epic battles and space exploration. That is NOT this book.
Instead, Vagabonds is a genre-bending novel that is essentially the anthropological study of the philosophy and politics of human civilization as it relates to both Earth and Mars. We see dichotomous civilizations and how the two must maintain the illusion of a utopia due to the fear of one becoming like the other. It is very timely considering our current political environment. While I can appreciate what the author is trying to do, this is not sci-fi exploration that I was hoping for.
Thank you to Bookish First and Saga Press (Gallery Books) for my review copy. This did not influence my thoughts. All opinions are my own.
July 2, 2020
DNF @ 15% (3.25 hours).
This writing style was just not for me. Way too much tell instead of show. It was full of paragraphs like “when she was a little girl she had witnessed this and this and therefore she felt this way today”. Uhm okay, that leaves me absolutely no way to experience things *with* the characters, as they happen, which is how you make readers/viewers connect with characters. I understand you sometimes have to drop info here and there but this was how everything I knew about the characters was told. There were exactly two moments when something happened to a character in “real time” and which got me intrigued, but then it reverted back to a lot of infodumping about past happenings to explain where the characters are now. From a dramatic writing point that just really ineffective. Too bad, as I liked the general tone of Hao Jingfang’s writing, and there were interesting topics in there.
This writing style was just not for me. Way too much tell instead of show. It was full of paragraphs like “when she was a little girl she had witnessed this and this and therefore she felt this way today”. Uhm okay, that leaves me absolutely no way to experience things *with* the characters, as they happen, which is how you make readers/viewers connect with characters. I understand you sometimes have to drop info here and there but this was how everything I knew about the characters was told. There were exactly two moments when something happened to a character in “real time” and which got me intrigued, but then it reverted back to a lot of infodumping about past happenings to explain where the characters are now. From a dramatic writing point that just really ineffective. Too bad, as I liked the general tone of Hao Jingfang’s writing, and there were interesting topics in there.
March 28, 2021
Una muy buena idea pero con un ritmo horrible. Se me ha hecho tan interesante como pesado, y a medida que iba avanzando ese interés se iba desvaneciendo por la densidad de la historia.
En Vagabundos se explora un futuro en el Marte ya ha sido colonizado y en el que se ha formado una especie de utopía comunista, muy diferente a la sociedad capitalista de la Tierra. A pesar de sus diferencias y sus tensiones, ambos planetas mantienen las relaciones, ya que Marte necesita los recursos de la Tierra para sobrevivir, y la Tierra necesita el desarrollo tecnológico de Marte.
La idea, como digo, es buena, pero tampoco original. Me ha recordado a "Los desposeídos" de Le Guin, con toques de "La fundación" de Asimov, al ser Marte un planeta en el que prima la investigación y el desarrollo científico y tecnológico.
Es una historia que prometía mucho, pero está llena de altibajos. Me costó muchísimo entrar en la trama al principio, y cuando al fin consiguió captar mi interés y atención, volvió a una espiral de descripciones que no me aportaban nada, tramas que se iban por otro derroteros de lo planteado de primeras y una narración lenta y pesada. Y lo digo yo, que suelo disfrutar con historias pausadas.
Me ha costado horrores terminarlo, y lo hice a desgana. Me da mucha pena, porque por la sinopsis parecía tenerlo todo para gustarme... Pero no ha podido ser.
En Vagabundos se explora un futuro en el Marte ya ha sido colonizado y en el que se ha formado una especie de utopía comunista, muy diferente a la sociedad capitalista de la Tierra. A pesar de sus diferencias y sus tensiones, ambos planetas mantienen las relaciones, ya que Marte necesita los recursos de la Tierra para sobrevivir, y la Tierra necesita el desarrollo tecnológico de Marte.
La idea, como digo, es buena, pero tampoco original. Me ha recordado a "Los desposeídos" de Le Guin, con toques de "La fundación" de Asimov, al ser Marte un planeta en el que prima la investigación y el desarrollo científico y tecnológico.
Es una historia que prometía mucho, pero está llena de altibajos. Me costó muchísimo entrar en la trama al principio, y cuando al fin consiguió captar mi interés y atención, volvió a una espiral de descripciones que no me aportaban nada, tramas que se iban por otro derroteros de lo planteado de primeras y una narración lenta y pesada. Y lo digo yo, que suelo disfrutar con historias pausadas.
Me ha costado horrores terminarlo, y lo hice a desgana. Me da mucha pena, porque por la sinopsis parecía tenerlo todo para gustarme... Pero no ha podido ser.
May 13, 2021
Me aburro.
June 29, 2020
Hao Jingfang’s Vagabond’s was a beautifully voice acted intergalactic sci-fi novel that was clearly written by an economist. About two worlds, that of capitalist earth and a precariously terraformed socialist Mars, this book was largely about the idealism of youth struggling against histories unknown to them due to the cloaking of what came before in the wars and the resettlement and the struggle for survival and joy in a fascist state. This audiobook was 21 hours long, and much of it was just parched political theory in the dry deserts of Mars. There were many characters, none fully realized, and many allegories to China and the US, none particularly energizing. I told @reggiereads in the final two hours last night that I was ready for an unmentioned giant space monster to come and gobble up every angst ridden person in this imagined new home. Terraforming an unyielding world is boring folks. Real boring. There was surely something in this book, but I’m just not exactly sure which reader is looking for the improbability of space paired with the dustiness of financial analysis and the dramatics puzzled over by the most dramatic of privileged youth.
March 28, 2021
This was so relaxing and philosophical. It was very slow-paced and didn't have a strong plot. Usually I can't stand books like this! But in this case, I think the themes are things that I relate to and really enjoyed exploring with the main character. This book reminded me of The Dispossessed and The Brothers Karamazov...in that it is super reflective and philosophical and talks about societal and economic structures. It compared and contrasted different systems and meditated on good, best, revolution, human nature. I loved it. While The Dispossessed bored me to death with its unrelatable characters and long descriptions and "revolutionary" ideas that are no longer surprising or extraordinary, Vagabonds was very relatable and didn't overdo it with long descriptions and discussed thoughts and ideas I'm very much mulling at this time.
Sexual violence? No. Other triggers? Grief and death of parents and others, suicide.
Sexual violence? No. Other triggers? Grief and death of parents and others, suicide.
October 18, 2023
It's a character and idea focused book and therefore a bit quiter, which I always like. There are good thoughts and interesting characters - I especially liked Louyings discussions with the people that help her clarify her own thoughts and wants - but it's all a bit unsubtle and Asian writing tends to read the tiniest bit clunky to me. In this one, I think so almost exclusively about the dialog.
Apart from Louying, I prefered the adult characters and their conflicts over the teenagers: even though they were major drivers of a lot of the themes, they intentionally felt so - lets call it careless for lack of a better word. While some of the character relationship really drew me in, there were some that needed to be importent, but werent to me. I was more engaged into the first half than into the second, but there were some bangers in there, too.
If the concept sounds interesting to you, go for it, If only for the different cultural perspective.
Apart from Louying, I prefered the adult characters and their conflicts over the teenagers: even though they were major drivers of a lot of the themes, they intentionally felt so - lets call it careless for lack of a better word. While some of the character relationship really drew me in, there were some that needed to be importent, but werent to me. I was more engaged into the first half than into the second, but there were some bangers in there, too.
If the concept sounds interesting to you, go for it, If only for the different cultural perspective.
October 30, 2023
"We exist as momentary gatherings of dust, brilliant flashes of fireworks. Yet each of us carries in our atoms the history of the entire cosmos. Each of our gestures reflects the culmination of the movements of the eternal sky and sea over the eons."
Vagabonds is a quiet masterpiece.
It's not really sci-fi. Not really - and that's why it's so overlooked, so underrated.
Yes, Vagabonds is set against a futuristic backdrop of Earth's society and Mars' society as opposite images of each other, as your classic Apollonian-Dionysian dichotomy of reason vs heart, constrained logic vs wild abandon. But it's not really sci-fi - not really. It's an intense, heartfelt, lyrical meditation on the human condition, rather than a gung-ho Hollywood Earth vs Mars war.
I'm not saying all sci-fi is Hollywood schlock, of course not - it's one of my favourite genres, and it can definitely deal with deep and delicate themes. But Vagabonds focuses mainly on characters and philosophy, and I'd definitely classify it as literary fiction rather than sci-fi - and when you're all geared up for some crazyass plot-driven sci-fi and end up with philosophical lit fic, I can understand why one might feel a little bereft.
This book is incredible, thought-provoking, and will stick in my little grey cells for a very long time, and I'd certainly recommend it - but make sure you know what you're getting yourself in for: literary, character-driven meditations, and not a war story or an action story.
Vagabonds is a quiet masterpiece.
It's not really sci-fi. Not really - and that's why it's so overlooked, so underrated.
Yes, Vagabonds is set against a futuristic backdrop of Earth's society and Mars' society as opposite images of each other, as your classic Apollonian-Dionysian dichotomy of reason vs heart, constrained logic vs wild abandon. But it's not really sci-fi - not really. It's an intense, heartfelt, lyrical meditation on the human condition, rather than a gung-ho Hollywood Earth vs Mars war.
I'm not saying all sci-fi is Hollywood schlock, of course not - it's one of my favourite genres, and it can definitely deal with deep and delicate themes. But Vagabonds focuses mainly on characters and philosophy, and I'd definitely classify it as literary fiction rather than sci-fi - and when you're all geared up for some crazyass plot-driven sci-fi and end up with philosophical lit fic, I can understand why one might feel a little bereft.
This book is incredible, thought-provoking, and will stick in my little grey cells for a very long time, and I'd certainly recommend it - but make sure you know what you're getting yourself in for: literary, character-driven meditations, and not a war story or an action story.
September 24, 2018
Anfang des Jahres habe ich Ursula K. LeGuins Freie Geister(The Dispossessed) gelesen, ein Buch, das zu meinen absoluten Favoriten gehört, was das Soft-Scifi angeht. Jedes Mal lässt mich dieser Roman lange Zeit nicht los und das schaffen nur sehr wenige Autoren. Hao Jingfangs Wandernde Himmel spielt thematisch in derselben Liga. Statt wie LeGuin eine anarchistische Gesellschaft einer kapitalistischen Gesellschaft gegenüberzustellen, präsentiert uns Hao Jingfang eine technokratische Welt auf dem Mars. Dabei ist ihre Vision der Entwicklung des Menschen zu so einer Gesellschaft sowie seine Beweggründe dazu absolut nachvollziehbar und logisch.
Auf der Erde herrscht der Kapitalismus vor. Nach einem langen Krieg, der zur Unabhängigkeit des Mars von der Erde und zu einem kalten Krieg führte, gibt es nach Jahrzehnten erste Annäherungsversuche sowie ersten Tauschhandel. Eine Gruppe 13jähriger Schüler wird vom Mars zur Erde entsandt, um dort zu leben. Die Geschichte beginnt bei ihrer Rückkehr zum Mars. Wir folgen der mittlerweile 18jährigen Luoying Sloan zurück auf ihren Heimatplaneten. Der Einstieg ist sanft, beinahe poetisch. Luoying ist die Enkelin von Hans Sloan, dem amtierenden Generalgouverneur in Mars City. Mit ihr reist eine Abgesandtschaft von der Erde, die auf dem Mars Verhandlungen führen soll zum Austausch von Technologien. Ein Mitglied dieser Gesandtschaft ist Igor, ein Filmemacher, der das Vermächtnis seines Lehrers und Mentors mit sich führt. Igors Lehrer war viele Jahre zuvor für lange Zeit auf dem Mars gewesen und dann zur Erde zurückgekehrt mit einer 3D-Holophotographietechnologie im Gepäck. Igors Lehrer starb auf der Erde an Lungenkrebs. So folgen wir also auch Igor, der unzufrieden ist mit den Zuständen im Filmgeschäft auf der Erde und hofft, durch seine Dokumentation der Reise zum Mars ein filmisches Meisterwerk zu erschaffen, dass die Menschen wachrüttelt und ihm die Anerkennung verschafft, die er sich wünscht.
Schön fand ich hier, wie wir Igors Vorurteile, die auch die Vorurteile der Menschen auf der Erde sind, erleben und wie er sich selbst zwingen muss, von diesen unbeeinflusst das Leben auf dem Mars zu betrachten. Kurz gefasst halten die Menschen auf der Erde ihre Nachbarn auf dem Mars für versklafte, technologiehörige Wesen, die unter der Diktatur von Hans Sloan zu leiden haben. Umgekehrt sind die Menschen auf dem Mars überzeugt, dass ihre Gesellschaft die moralisch überlegenere ist, und halten die Menschen auf dem Mars für drogenabhängige, faule, dem Konsum verfallenen Idioten. Dass Vorurteile leicht gefasst sind, darüber ist sich ja in der Regel jeder Mensch im Klaren, aber etwas obektiv und differenziert zu betrachten, das kostet Zeit und Mühe.
Luoying und die anderen Austauschschüler freuen sich auf ihr Zuhause, aber nach 5 Jahren auf der Erde fällt ihnen die Wiedereingliederung sehr schwer. Auf der Erde konnten sie tun und lassen, was sie wollten. Sie konnten reisen, wohin sie wollten und das arbeiten oder lernen, was sie wollten. Auf dem Mars herrscht ein vorgegebenes System. Unterschiedliche Entwicklungszweige haben sich in Studios zusammengefasst, denen man sich je nach seinen eigenen Interessen und Fähigkeiten anschließen kann. Während das Grundeinkommen gesichert ist und jeder dieses Grundeinkommen erhält, ist der Anschluss an ein Studio Voraussetzung dafür, dass man zusätzliches Einkommen erhält. Hierbei konkurrieren die unterschiedlichen Studios um die Projektgelder des Parlaments, die diese Gelder danach verteilen, welches Projekt am nützlichsten für die Entwicklung der Gemeinschaft ist. Das mag auf den ersten Blick paradiesisch wirken, aber durch Luoying und die anderen Figuren merkt man schnell, dass es nicht so einfach ist, wie man meinen mag. Luoying tut sich schwer damit, sich wiedereinzufinden. Während ihrer Zeit auf der Erde war der Mars ihre von Kindheitserinnerungen geprägte Heimat, aber nun, da sie zurück ist, erkennt sie, dass sie so keinen rechten Platz für sich findet. Nur sehr langsam erfährt der Leser, was es mit dem Tod ihrer Eltern auf sich hat. Man folgt Luyoing und ihren Schüleraustauschfreunden durch ihre Gedanken und Gefühle, ihre Haltlosigkeit und ihre Überzeugung, dass sie nur Marionetten sind. Auch die Hintergründe, warum Luoying damals zur Erde geschickt wurde, obwohl sie bei den Prüfungen und im Auswahlverfahren eher mittelmäßig abgeschnitten hatte, bleiben lange im Dunkeln und führen nicht nur den Leser zu den wildesten Spekulationen. Am Ende sind diese Gründe einfach nur menschlicher Natur.
Grundthema des Buches ist nicht nur, wie der Mensch leben will, sondern wie bereits bei LeGuin die Frage nach der Freiheit. Dafür gibt es unterschiedliche Definitionen, die abhängig sind vom Einzelnen und nicht für die Gesamtheit der Menschheit gelten. Für den einen ist es die freie Wahl, was er tun und lassen und wo er leben möchte. Für den anderen ist es die Möglichkeit, sich nicht nur kaputt zu schuften sondern auch seinen Leidenschaften nachzugehen.
„Und was denkst du, wer freier lebt?“
„Ich weiß nicht. Was ist denn die Definition von Freiheit?“
Eine Figur im Buch, Dr. Renny wird dabei eine wichtige Bezugsperson nicht nur für Luoying sondern auch für den Leser. Dr. Renny ist auch die Figur für mich gewesen, der ich mich am meisten verbunden gefühlt habe. Hauptsächlich deswegen, weil ihm die Entscheidungen der ‚Oberen‘ über seine Karriere und seinen Beruf egal waren, solange er seiner wahren Leidenschaft und seinen wahren Interessen folgen konnte.
Luoying sah daran aber die größte Ungerechtigkeit. Ihr und auch ihren Freunden fiel es schwer zu akzeptieren, dass Dr. Renny eine andere Definition von Freiheit hatte als sie selbst.
Er hatte keinen Grund zur Klage, denn wer die Wahl hatte, musste dafür die Verantwortung übernehmen. Freiheit und Einsamkeit gehörten zusammen wie Zwillinge.
Was wirkliche Freiheit ist, das versuchten schon viele Philosophen und Schriftsteller der Vergangenheit zu ergründen. Und auch heute finde ich dieses Thema einfach nur faszinierend.
Hao Jingfang verfolgt diese Frage durch die Augen ihrer Figuren. Dabei erfährt der Leser die Thematik nicht nur durch Luoying und ihre Freunde, sondern auch durch Dr. Renny, Hans Sloan und Rudy Sloan. Die Gesellschaft auf dem Mars ist komplexer, als es die Jugendlichen vermuten. Wie viele Menschen begehen sie den Fehler, vorschnell zu urteilen und aus einzelnen Puzzlestücken ein ganzes Bild zusammensetzen zu wollen. Und auch als Leser ist man davor nicht sicher, denn oftmals vermutet man diese und jene Gründe, wird am Ende aber doch eines besseren belehrt.
Der Roman ist wie bereits die Erzählung Peking falten in einem sehr ruhigen Erzählton gehalten, dem eine Tiefgründigkeit und tiefempfundene Traurigkeit nachschwingen. Es gibt keine Action und keine herausragenden Spannungsmomente. Die Geschichte lebt von der langsamen Enticklung ihrer Figuren und den genauso langsam zu Tage tretenden Ereignissen und Hintergründen. Die Sprache dabei ist schon fast poetisch und einfach nur wunderschön.
Wandernde Himmel ist kein Roman, der sich schnell liest. Man sollte sich diese Zeit auch nehmen, denn die Thematik berührt den interessierten Leser zutiefst. Jedes Mal, wenn ich das Buch zur Seite legen musste, dachte ich trotzdem ständig über das Gelesene nach.
Zur Übersetzung muss ich außerdem sagen, dass sie absolut hervorragend ist. Die Sprache ist einfach wunderschön. Dem Lektorat muss ich ebenfalls mein Lob ausprechen, denn ich bin nicht einem einzigen Fehler begegnet.
Fazit
Ich kann gar nicht sagen, wie sehr mir dieses Buch gefallen hat. Wie Freie Geister wird es mich lange nicht loslassen und ein Roman sein, den ich bestimmt noch einige Male lesen werde. Für Leser, die Weltraumabenteuer und eine actionreiche Story suchen, ist Wandernde Himmel sicherlich nicht das Richtige, aber für Leser, die sich gern mit gesellschaftlichen und philosophischen Fragen auseinandersetzen möchten und die auch schon von LeGuins Werken begeistert waren, ist dieses Buch genau das Richtige. Von allen Büchern dieses Jahr ist Wandernde Himmel mein absolutes Lesehighlight gewesen, das locker in der oberen Liga des Soft-Scifi mitspielen kann. Ich muss gestehen, dass ich das nicht erwartet hatte.
Anmerkung:
Da es sich bei diesem Buch um ein zur Verfügung gestelltes Rezensionsexemplar handelt, muss ich diesen Beitrag als Werbung kennzeichnen. Ich möchte allerdings versichern, dass die verfasste Rezension meine ehrliche Meinung wiedergibt und nicht von der Tatsache, dass es sich um ein Rezensionsexemplar handelt, beeinflusst wurde. Denn ganz ehrlich, Rezensionen hätten keinen Sinn, wenn sie nicht ehrlich wären. Ich möchte dem Rowohlt Verlag meinen größten Dank aussprechen dafür, dass sie mir als Betreiber eines so kleinen Blogs ein Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt haben. Es war mir das größte Vergnügen, diesen Roman zu lesen. Vielen Dank!
Wandernde Himmel erscheint am 25.09.2018 und ich wünsche diesem Roman eine begeisterte Leserschaft. Ich hoffe, dass noch weitere Werke der Autorin und anderen chinesischen AutorInnen ihren Weg ins Deutsche finden. Die Literaturszene wird meiner Meinung nach davon nur profitieren.
Auf der Erde herrscht der Kapitalismus vor. Nach einem langen Krieg, der zur Unabhängigkeit des Mars von der Erde und zu einem kalten Krieg führte, gibt es nach Jahrzehnten erste Annäherungsversuche sowie ersten Tauschhandel. Eine Gruppe 13jähriger Schüler wird vom Mars zur Erde entsandt, um dort zu leben. Die Geschichte beginnt bei ihrer Rückkehr zum Mars. Wir folgen der mittlerweile 18jährigen Luoying Sloan zurück auf ihren Heimatplaneten. Der Einstieg ist sanft, beinahe poetisch. Luoying ist die Enkelin von Hans Sloan, dem amtierenden Generalgouverneur in Mars City. Mit ihr reist eine Abgesandtschaft von der Erde, die auf dem Mars Verhandlungen führen soll zum Austausch von Technologien. Ein Mitglied dieser Gesandtschaft ist Igor, ein Filmemacher, der das Vermächtnis seines Lehrers und Mentors mit sich führt. Igors Lehrer war viele Jahre zuvor für lange Zeit auf dem Mars gewesen und dann zur Erde zurückgekehrt mit einer 3D-Holophotographietechnologie im Gepäck. Igors Lehrer starb auf der Erde an Lungenkrebs. So folgen wir also auch Igor, der unzufrieden ist mit den Zuständen im Filmgeschäft auf der Erde und hofft, durch seine Dokumentation der Reise zum Mars ein filmisches Meisterwerk zu erschaffen, dass die Menschen wachrüttelt und ihm die Anerkennung verschafft, die er sich wünscht.
Schön fand ich hier, wie wir Igors Vorurteile, die auch die Vorurteile der Menschen auf der Erde sind, erleben und wie er sich selbst zwingen muss, von diesen unbeeinflusst das Leben auf dem Mars zu betrachten. Kurz gefasst halten die Menschen auf der Erde ihre Nachbarn auf dem Mars für versklafte, technologiehörige Wesen, die unter der Diktatur von Hans Sloan zu leiden haben. Umgekehrt sind die Menschen auf dem Mars überzeugt, dass ihre Gesellschaft die moralisch überlegenere ist, und halten die Menschen auf dem Mars für drogenabhängige, faule, dem Konsum verfallenen Idioten. Dass Vorurteile leicht gefasst sind, darüber ist sich ja in der Regel jeder Mensch im Klaren, aber etwas obektiv und differenziert zu betrachten, das kostet Zeit und Mühe.
Luoying und die anderen Austauschschüler freuen sich auf ihr Zuhause, aber nach 5 Jahren auf der Erde fällt ihnen die Wiedereingliederung sehr schwer. Auf der Erde konnten sie tun und lassen, was sie wollten. Sie konnten reisen, wohin sie wollten und das arbeiten oder lernen, was sie wollten. Auf dem Mars herrscht ein vorgegebenes System. Unterschiedliche Entwicklungszweige haben sich in Studios zusammengefasst, denen man sich je nach seinen eigenen Interessen und Fähigkeiten anschließen kann. Während das Grundeinkommen gesichert ist und jeder dieses Grundeinkommen erhält, ist der Anschluss an ein Studio Voraussetzung dafür, dass man zusätzliches Einkommen erhält. Hierbei konkurrieren die unterschiedlichen Studios um die Projektgelder des Parlaments, die diese Gelder danach verteilen, welches Projekt am nützlichsten für die Entwicklung der Gemeinschaft ist. Das mag auf den ersten Blick paradiesisch wirken, aber durch Luoying und die anderen Figuren merkt man schnell, dass es nicht so einfach ist, wie man meinen mag. Luoying tut sich schwer damit, sich wiedereinzufinden. Während ihrer Zeit auf der Erde war der Mars ihre von Kindheitserinnerungen geprägte Heimat, aber nun, da sie zurück ist, erkennt sie, dass sie so keinen rechten Platz für sich findet. Nur sehr langsam erfährt der Leser, was es mit dem Tod ihrer Eltern auf sich hat. Man folgt Luyoing und ihren Schüleraustauschfreunden durch ihre Gedanken und Gefühle, ihre Haltlosigkeit und ihre Überzeugung, dass sie nur Marionetten sind. Auch die Hintergründe, warum Luoying damals zur Erde geschickt wurde, obwohl sie bei den Prüfungen und im Auswahlverfahren eher mittelmäßig abgeschnitten hatte, bleiben lange im Dunkeln und führen nicht nur den Leser zu den wildesten Spekulationen. Am Ende sind diese Gründe einfach nur menschlicher Natur.
Grundthema des Buches ist nicht nur, wie der Mensch leben will, sondern wie bereits bei LeGuin die Frage nach der Freiheit. Dafür gibt es unterschiedliche Definitionen, die abhängig sind vom Einzelnen und nicht für die Gesamtheit der Menschheit gelten. Für den einen ist es die freie Wahl, was er tun und lassen und wo er leben möchte. Für den anderen ist es die Möglichkeit, sich nicht nur kaputt zu schuften sondern auch seinen Leidenschaften nachzugehen.
„Und was denkst du, wer freier lebt?“
„Ich weiß nicht. Was ist denn die Definition von Freiheit?“
Eine Figur im Buch, Dr. Renny wird dabei eine wichtige Bezugsperson nicht nur für Luoying sondern auch für den Leser. Dr. Renny ist auch die Figur für mich gewesen, der ich mich am meisten verbunden gefühlt habe. Hauptsächlich deswegen, weil ihm die Entscheidungen der ‚Oberen‘ über seine Karriere und seinen Beruf egal waren, solange er seiner wahren Leidenschaft und seinen wahren Interessen folgen konnte.
Luoying sah daran aber die größte Ungerechtigkeit. Ihr und auch ihren Freunden fiel es schwer zu akzeptieren, dass Dr. Renny eine andere Definition von Freiheit hatte als sie selbst.
Er hatte keinen Grund zur Klage, denn wer die Wahl hatte, musste dafür die Verantwortung übernehmen. Freiheit und Einsamkeit gehörten zusammen wie Zwillinge.
Was wirkliche Freiheit ist, das versuchten schon viele Philosophen und Schriftsteller der Vergangenheit zu ergründen. Und auch heute finde ich dieses Thema einfach nur faszinierend.
Hao Jingfang verfolgt diese Frage durch die Augen ihrer Figuren. Dabei erfährt der Leser die Thematik nicht nur durch Luoying und ihre Freunde, sondern auch durch Dr. Renny, Hans Sloan und Rudy Sloan. Die Gesellschaft auf dem Mars ist komplexer, als es die Jugendlichen vermuten. Wie viele Menschen begehen sie den Fehler, vorschnell zu urteilen und aus einzelnen Puzzlestücken ein ganzes Bild zusammensetzen zu wollen. Und auch als Leser ist man davor nicht sicher, denn oftmals vermutet man diese und jene Gründe, wird am Ende aber doch eines besseren belehrt.
Der Roman ist wie bereits die Erzählung Peking falten in einem sehr ruhigen Erzählton gehalten, dem eine Tiefgründigkeit und tiefempfundene Traurigkeit nachschwingen. Es gibt keine Action und keine herausragenden Spannungsmomente. Die Geschichte lebt von der langsamen Enticklung ihrer Figuren und den genauso langsam zu Tage tretenden Ereignissen und Hintergründen. Die Sprache dabei ist schon fast poetisch und einfach nur wunderschön.
Wandernde Himmel ist kein Roman, der sich schnell liest. Man sollte sich diese Zeit auch nehmen, denn die Thematik berührt den interessierten Leser zutiefst. Jedes Mal, wenn ich das Buch zur Seite legen musste, dachte ich trotzdem ständig über das Gelesene nach.
Zur Übersetzung muss ich außerdem sagen, dass sie absolut hervorragend ist. Die Sprache ist einfach wunderschön. Dem Lektorat muss ich ebenfalls mein Lob ausprechen, denn ich bin nicht einem einzigen Fehler begegnet.
Fazit
Ich kann gar nicht sagen, wie sehr mir dieses Buch gefallen hat. Wie Freie Geister wird es mich lange nicht loslassen und ein Roman sein, den ich bestimmt noch einige Male lesen werde. Für Leser, die Weltraumabenteuer und eine actionreiche Story suchen, ist Wandernde Himmel sicherlich nicht das Richtige, aber für Leser, die sich gern mit gesellschaftlichen und philosophischen Fragen auseinandersetzen möchten und die auch schon von LeGuins Werken begeistert waren, ist dieses Buch genau das Richtige. Von allen Büchern dieses Jahr ist Wandernde Himmel mein absolutes Lesehighlight gewesen, das locker in der oberen Liga des Soft-Scifi mitspielen kann. Ich muss gestehen, dass ich das nicht erwartet hatte.
Anmerkung:
Da es sich bei diesem Buch um ein zur Verfügung gestelltes Rezensionsexemplar handelt, muss ich diesen Beitrag als Werbung kennzeichnen. Ich möchte allerdings versichern, dass die verfasste Rezension meine ehrliche Meinung wiedergibt und nicht von der Tatsache, dass es sich um ein Rezensionsexemplar handelt, beeinflusst wurde. Denn ganz ehrlich, Rezensionen hätten keinen Sinn, wenn sie nicht ehrlich wären. Ich möchte dem Rowohlt Verlag meinen größten Dank aussprechen dafür, dass sie mir als Betreiber eines so kleinen Blogs ein Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt haben. Es war mir das größte Vergnügen, diesen Roman zu lesen. Vielen Dank!
Wandernde Himmel erscheint am 25.09.2018 und ich wünsche diesem Roman eine begeisterte Leserschaft. Ich hoffe, dass noch weitere Werke der Autorin und anderen chinesischen AutorInnen ihren Weg ins Deutsche finden. Die Literaturszene wird meiner Meinung nach davon nur profitieren.
October 6, 2020
En la amplia definición de ciencia ficción caben desde las especulaciones más científicas, tecnológicas y sociales a la aventura más desenfrenada, y, por supuesto, como ya demostraron autores de la talla de Ursula K. LeGuin, obras cuyo principal contenido es la política. Este es uno de esos casos y la comparación con LeGuin, desde la inmensa distancia estilística y narrativa, no es baladí. Jingfang plantea dos sociedades planetarias, enfrentadas por el modelo socio-económico-político desarrollada en cada una de ellas, y la problemática de quienes habiendo vivido en ambos modelos se encuentran de repente en tierra de nadie, contemplando los defectos y virtudes de ambas, y sin poder tomar partido. Utopía y distopía… ¿cuál es cuál? ¿O ninguna se ajusta a la definición en absoluto? La Tierra y Marte, después de un cruento enfrentamiento bélico y de un largo tiempo sin comunicación o intercambio de ningún tipo, se encuentran en un periodo de recuperación de la confianza, aunque las relaciones siguen siendo muy tensas. En este contexto, el retorno a Marte del conocido como Grupo Mercurio, unos adolescentes que fueran en misión de paz a la Tierra, sirve a la autora para mostrar dos sistemas contrapuestos, el capitalismo más desatado y una suerte de comunismo cooperativo, que se deshacen por sus costuras, pero en donde de verdad destaca es en su exploración del sentimiento de pertenencia. Vagabundos es una novela de ideas, con un discurso que cuestiona al lector y una narrativa tranquila que apenas deja paso a la acción incluso cuando el mundo se enfrenta a una revolución. Para leer con calma y dejar reposar en la mente.
Reseña completa en Sagacomic:
https://sagacomic.blogspot.com/2020/1...
Reseña completa en Sagacomic:
https://sagacomic.blogspot.com/2020/1...
May 12, 2020
Yo definiría esta novela como ciencia-ficción social. Aunque se desarrolle en un futuro bastante lejano, en el que la humanidad ha colonizado Marte y haya multitud de detalles tecnológicos bastante imaginativos y muy atractivos, el tema principal del libro es otro. El principal interés se centra en las diferencias sociopolíticas y económicas entre la comunidad humana establecida en Marte y las naciones del planeta Tierra.
Plantea cuestiones muy interesantes e invita a la reflexión profunda. En principio, es una temática que me gusta y que he disfrutado. Sin embargo la lectura se me ha hecho un poco cuesta arriba, no porque el lenguaje sea complicado ni nada de eso, más bien tiene que ver con una trama tan lenta que se diluye entre tanta reflexión. De ahí que no le de la cuarta estrella, pero en general me ha gustado.
Reseña completa en ConsuLeo: https://consuleoluegoexisto.com/2020/...
Plantea cuestiones muy interesantes e invita a la reflexión profunda. En principio, es una temática que me gusta y que he disfrutado. Sin embargo la lectura se me ha hecho un poco cuesta arriba, no porque el lenguaje sea complicado ni nada de eso, más bien tiene que ver con una trama tan lenta que se diluye entre tanta reflexión. De ahí que no le de la cuarta estrella, pero en general me ha gustado.
Reseña completa en ConsuLeo: https://consuleoluegoexisto.com/2020/...
dnf-shelf
August 31, 2020How I read this: Free audiobook copy received through Libro.fm
DNF @ 15%
This book is very long and very slow. I can see it being interesting to me, because it contains good critiques of both communism as well as capitalism, but it's also a little too slow for me right now. I am hoping to maybe one day return to listening to it.
I thank the publisher and libro.fm for giving me a free copy of the audiobook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
DNF @ 15%
This book is very long and very slow. I can see it being interesting to me, because it contains good critiques of both communism as well as capitalism, but it's also a little too slow for me right now. I am hoping to maybe one day return to listening to it.
I thank the publisher and libro.fm for giving me a free copy of the audiobook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
August 1, 2020
DNF at ~25%. The premise is interesting and I thought the world-building on Mars was cool. I would have liked to see more of that. The story really didn't get going and the characters were not engaging. I saw someone say that there's way too much telling versus showing in this and I agree. Maybe I would pick this up again at a later point to see where it goes, but I have other books I would rather be reading right now.
November 28, 2018
"Wandernde Himmel" zeigt auf, wie anders Science-Ficition aus nicht-westlichen Kontexten sein kann. Mit spannendem Weltenbau und vielen Denkanstößen. Lesen.
June 19, 2021
This book reminded me of The Dispossessed, but much better written and with much more sympathetic characters.
I love the exploration and comparison of different governments/systems and how the author did not make out one to be superior of the other. In fact, the books illustrated clearly how there is no perfect system. Humans are flawed, thus any system built and maintained by humans will most likely be corrupted by themselves. As the book said, at most we can only hope to minimize injustice, that's all.
It's quite a sobering and introspective book, I would recommend it to anyone interested in politics and speculative-fictions.
I love the exploration and comparison of different governments/systems and how the author did not make out one to be superior of the other. In fact, the books illustrated clearly how there is no perfect system. Humans are flawed, thus any system built and maintained by humans will most likely be corrupted by themselves. As the book said, at most we can only hope to minimize injustice, that's all.
It's quite a sobering and introspective book, I would recommend it to anyone interested in politics and speculative-fictions.
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