All the Birds in the Sky (edition 2017)

2.5 stars to be honest.

So, this book has some great basic ideas, and a very interesting first half. Its the second part that totally loses the plot.

Lawrence is a child prodigy, a scientist of unbelievable talent - think Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory, he invents a time machine watch for crying out loud! Patricia is a witch who is trying to figure out her powers.

The first part of the book follows them as children as they try to deal with bullies. My only objection to this part is that it sometimes feels like the author is trying too hard. The parents are too neglectful/idiotic, the bullies are too hostile and there is a random assassin. But overall the segment is quite enjoyable though it ends on a very random note.

The second part is strange. They are both adults, living in San Fransisco, both trying to deal with a gradually collapsing world. Here is where the author messes up. First, neither of the characters really read like adults, but more like older teenagers. Secondly, the worldbuilding slips a bit and the explanation for the wider magical society is not really adequate. Thirdly the author inexplicably totally messes up a very promising science thread from the first part causing it to underperform hilariously. Fourthly, there are random flashbacks which felt very awkwardly inserted into the text.

And the ending felt even more random, with stuff just happening.

This book had a lot of potential it did not live upto. ( )

Good characters. Good pace. Conceptually very interesting with a brewing war between technology and magic which mirrors the proclivities of the two main characters, Laurence and Patricia. ( )

It's funny to read this after hearing the author's incomparable introductions at Writers with Drinks. Like she's simply narrating alternate realities as they reveal themselves in real time. This book struck deep for me. It certainly showed me that I could never be a Trickster magician, gaah. I was explaining things to the characters out loud at some length but did they listen? Oh no. I didn't want it to end yet I more than half hope that we never return to this world, let it stand. Maybe brief visits. ( )

Two children meet. Both are socially awkward with completely disconnected parents. One is connected to nature, one to technology. In the book we jump between the two from pre-school age to 20s (I guess, maybe 30s). In the background is the slow but steady collapse of human civilizaiton due to climate change.

I believe this is a story about how multi faceted the world is and how there is both a technological and a natural side to human development but I am not sure. If anything, the book leaves me not sure of much. It is not the role of a book to present all the answers but in this case I am not even sure about the questions.

As a Science Fiction building story it is interesting. There is magic. There are giant leaps in technological inventions. What could happen if they met and tried to combine those things? ( )

All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders is one of the most unique and interesting books I have read in awhile. It blends science fiction and fantasy, as its two protagonists are a witch and a scientist. The two meet in elementary school and become fast friends, as they are both outsiders shunned by the other kids. Patricia has recently learned she can speak with animals, while Laurence is working on creating artificial intelligence with scrap computers. The struggles of elementary school lead to the two splitting, and they eventually go to separate schools, a school of magic for Patricia, and a disciplinary military academy for Laurence. Many years later they meet again by chance. Laurence is now researching wormholes that can transport people off the climate change ravaged Earth. Patricia works for an organization of witches looking for their own solution for the failing planet. Laurence and Patricia find themselves in conflict over their different survival plans, while also falling in love.

I loved this book; one of the best I’ve read this year so far. All the Birds has been nominated for a Hugo and it absolutely deserves it. My interpretation of the story is that it is about communication. Most of the novel’s conflicts arise because the characters do not speak to each other honestly about their thoughts and feelings and plans. Granted, they both have suffered emotional traumas that make it hard to trust others, but at one point I found these two so frustrating, that I had to put the book down for a couple days. All relationships require good communication, so intentions do not get misconstrued and disagreements do not threaten to tear people apart. It is something that I struggle with myself.

Full disclosure, I listened to the audio book version, but I still consider that reading. The performance was very well done, and the reader makes efforts to differentiate the characters, rather than simple read aloud.I particularly enjoyed watching the romance blossom between Laurence and Patricia, which may be why I would get so angry with them when they start screwing it up. I’m a little embarrassed to say, but there is a sex scene that I also found really steamy and incredibly intimate.

Another idea that crossed my mind towards the end of the novel is the solution is not either magic or science, but a kind of blending of the two. No one has all the answers, but together we may find compromise and a path forward ( )