Science Fiction & Fantasy Award Winning Book Group discussion

Welcome to this month's discussion of Emissaries from the Dead by Adam-Troy Castro. It won the 2008 Philip K Dick Award.

A murder mystery with some AI's. Sound familiar? I picked this one because I'm trying to get my average of PKD Award Winners that I've read over the 50% mark. Out of the ones that I've got left this one sounded interesting. There's also a sequel or two if you enjoy this one. I've never heard of this author before so I don't know what to expect.

I've just made a start on this one, and I'm quite enjoying it so far.

It reminds me a little of Dead Space and Bitter Angels (both also PKD winners) so far. They all have a similar vibe of space-noir with a gritty badass female lead.

I'm only about a quarter of the way through. I had a hard time getting into this one - but I think that is about to change. It does remind me of Dead Space as well. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes. And the whole hammock thing scares the crap out of me!

Yes, I would not enjoy living that way! It would be terribly uncomfortable never to be able to just stand up naturally

I just finished. This book has some really great sci fi bits. The Brachiators and Life, Hammocktown, the AISource in the background. But it felt a bit too complicated - like a football play that took too long to develop so it didn't quite turn out the way it should have. Took too long to get to the point sometimes, and then the end - what the heck - a big long soliloquy? It felt like a lazy way to let the readers know what happened - in case they didn't get it. And then not enough time on the relationship resolution. I t took me a long time to get into the story, and then it finally got good, had a few great surprises, a lot of misdirection, and then maybe it should have ended before the wrapup speech. I don't know if I will go on to read the next one.

Wow I'm way behind this month! Started it last night and got about a quarter of the way through. I agree with Deb that I had to work to get through the first bit but now I'm definitely interested. The habitat that they're in is a little freaky. No way could I live like that.

The habitat is WAY freaky! The descriptions were very well done, and I almost got vertigo just thinking about the heights.

I especially liked the idea of flying the little crafts upside down so that the foliage is below and the clouds above, to make people feel more comfortable. That was a very nice detail!

Yes, the skimmers flying in any direction was a neat trick. Made me seasick and have vertigo at the same time.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but like Dead Space, I think I would've liked it better if it had been a bit more rigorous.

For example: there's a moment in the story when (view spoiler)[Andrea encounters a species who are 'sentient' but have no means of communicating and no sense organs so they are totally unaware of the human who torments them and it just seemed so badly thought through. How would she even be able to verify if they were sentient? (hide spoiler)] You know that in an Iain M Banks novel that sort of thing would've had a whole chapter of backstory explaining it.

I really enjoyed it once it picked up in the middle. (view spoiler)[The Brachiators thinking that anyone that came from below their domain had to be dead blew me away. Such a concept! Simple but wow. (hide spoiler)] I wished there had been more AI information, but then again ... Maybe I will read the next Andrea Court book one day.

I really enjoyed it once it picked up in the middle. (view spoiler)[The Brachiators thinking that anyone that came from below their domain had to be dead blew me away. Such a concept! Simple but wow. (hide spoiler)] I wished there had been more AI information, but then again ... Maybe I will read the next Andrea Court book one day.

I liked it quite a bit until that 'speech' at the end. I thought that devolved into telling instead of showing. At the end of the ebook there was a chapter written by the author about the other books and stories that have been written in this universe. I am a little bit intrigued.

Jon, I agree completely! The speech killed the momentum. But as I think back on it, I am more inclined to read the next one in the series, as I did like it once it got off the ground, and I am curious about the relationships developed and Andrea's growth.