Amazon.com.au:Customer reviews: Emergency Skin: Forward

Great story and skillfully written with seamless exposition and near perfect pacing for my tastes.

I wasn't a huge fan of the second-person perspective. Drew me out of the story at times. Not sure why. Maybe just not used to reading from this perspective.
Made me think of the tongue-in-cheek Ursula Le Guin quote: "every so often somebody writes a story in the second person under the impression that it hasn't been done before," but maybe I'm being mean spirited!

Helpful

Chris (Obsqur)

Our future awaits

Reviewed in Australia on 26 October 2019

I've always been very torn on the subject of colonising another planet VS careing for this one/finish exploring it before we leave (oceans)
I wanted both! New horizons & to love the dirt we stand on. But we can't do that any of that if we're always fighting. We won't ever truely progress unless we work together!
This story has solidified my feelings to that sentiment... All you folk out there with your fancy high tech & high ideals: go build your ships, evacuate this rock. We'll be just fine with each other, some trees & some beautiful Earth ❤️

Helpful

Kristyn Willson

Liked

Reviewed in Australia on 4 January 2020

Liked

Helpful

Celia King

Amazing

Reviewed in Australia on 19 November 2019

Loved this! It was a brilliant story, loved it. She’s a great writer! Couldn’t put it down once I’d started

Helpful

From other countries

Norma Miles

"The babble of the rabble."

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 February 2021

Verified Purchase

When earth, mentioned in polution, was no longer able to support it's growing population, the wealthy, the powerful, the 'best of the best', flew away to found new woods and shape them to be better. They left everyone else behind to die. Centuries into the future, a young soldier is sent back to Tellus - their new name for Earth - to try to recover something essential which was fast running out and was known to have been plentiful in that planet. He goes alone in this dangerous task but with an A.I.implant to guide and instruct him - and it is from this 2nd person point of view that we learn the story; the voice of the young soldier himself is never heard.

The writing format is unusual but very effective, if a little clunky at times. The A.I.'s comments and outbursts are often amusing in context and the whole is a clever indictment of present day politics. Narrator Jason Isaacs does an excellent job of providing voice both for the A.I. and for the others encountefed. Well paced and nicely modulated, also, his was a good performance.

A fun, far futuristic short story, which pokes fun at present day circumstances, if a little over hopeful about the furure. Nothing wrong with that: we all need a little more hope in our lives.

Good Story, But Delivery Not To My Taste

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 February 2020

Verified Purchase

The premise of this story is actually very good, my only reservation was in the way it was written. I wasn't really a fan of the pacing with the back and forth dialogue between the characters. It keeps the story moving at a rapid pace, but I found it hard at times to tell who was saying what.

5 people found this helpful

Emilia

Brilliant science fiction

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 July 2022

Verified Purchase

Earth was abandoned centuries ago due to climate changes that made it uninhabitable. Now, a soldier is sent to retrieve valuables necessary for future development. Warned about the hazardous nature of his mission, he explores the land believed to be populated by devolved descendants of those left behind during the exodus.

Emergency Skin is a brilliant short story written by N. K. Jemisin as part of the Forward collection. It is written from an interesting point of view of an AI interface focused entirely on the explorer’s mission, giving him commands and guiding him through Earth. It is a confident and self-righteous voice, and his narration contains offensive comments. I listened to this story as an audiobook, and Jason Isaacs adds to it with his very dramatic performance. I would recommend this story to everyone, especially the audiobook.

Ralston

Hmmmm

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 September 2020

Verified Purchase

This was quite well written and I was really looking forward to reading it due to the rave reviews and the possibilities hinted at in blurbs and bios. However I found it highly politicized in a left wing way, seemingly blaming a certain demographic for all of earth's problems. It was far too simplistic and quite niave in terms of human nature. Was pleased when it finished. Oh well.

4 people found this helpful

Need customer service? Click here

‹ See all details for Emergency Skin: Forward

5 star		51%
4 star		28%
3 star		14%
2 star		5%
1 star		2%

Emergency Skin: Forward

›

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Emergency Skin: Forward

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From Australia

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

From other countries

Emergency Skin: Forward › Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Emergency Skin: Forward

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From Australia

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

From other countries

Emergency Skin: Forward

›

Customer reviews