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Radiance A Novel Catherynne M Valente 9780765335296 Books

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Radiance A Novel Catherynne M Valente 9780765335296 Books

So, imagine that at around the time George Melies filmed A Trip to the Moon, we actually discovered space travel. And all the planets--the moon, Venus, Neptune, Mars, etc--were habitable. And unlike A Trip to the Moon, no one lived on these planets but giant callowhales, and these whales produced milk that facilitated our ability to live on these planets, though no one knows what these callowhales are.

Okay, then imagine that silent films are considered so artistic that films are produced primarily without sound, and also in black and white.
Now put yourself in the Hollywood, film-noir mentality. An Orson Welles movie, perhaps.

Meet Severin. She’s the daughter of a famous gothic film director, and has always grown up under the spotlight as a beloved film icon. She becomes a documentarian, traveling the stars and making her own films. Her fifth film—The Radiant Car Thy Sparrows Drew—explores a city that’s disappeared on Venus, and a child that circles the city. She and her crew travel to Venus, begin filming.

And then she disappears.

Told through scripts, gossip columns, interviews, and a fictional first-person detective, Radiance explores the impact of Severin’s disappearance on those who loved her, as well as the history of a person who’s always been in the limelight. As always, Valente’s writing is mesmerizing and unique, and I’m awed by her ability to capture so many different tones. Radiance is her first science fiction novel (she has several sci-fi short stories, one of which was the jumping off point for this novel), and it combines the pulp aesthetic of 1950s sci-fi with postmodern storytelling strategies.

This is a book that’s meant to be read fast. If you let too much time go by between reading, you’ll miss connections. It wasn’t until about halfway through that I realized what was going on with some of the parts, and I went back to reread so I could make sure I was following! But it’s utterly unique and beautiful. For sci-fi, fantasy, and film fans, you should absolutely read this.


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Radiance A Novel Catherynne M Valente 9780765335296 Books Reviews

Cat Valente writes weird books, and I love them. This one is no exception. Radiance follows the unfolding of a great mystery as told through audio transcripts, gossip magazines, film clips, and other forms. It's beautifully written. It's almost certainly not for everyone; it is quite odd, but I expect that those who like it will absolutely love it.
Some books you pick up casually, to keep you company on the train, to relax with at night. Other books you think about all day. You can't wait to get home and be done with whatever it is you have to do to read this book.

I love this book. I'm sad it's over. I watched the percentage on my kindle app tick up and begged it to never read 100. I recommend you buy this book on paper. It helps to be able to flip back and forth to the timeline sometimes.
This is a weird one a multi- point of view history of 20th century film making if Jules Verne style space travel had worked. Flits around through time and place, but if you have patience, the story comes together nicely. Very cool.
I loved the book. Being a fan of really-really old movies, I could not dislike it. It brings to mind all those old noirs and gothic horrors and papier-mache monsters. In fact, the movie I most associated this with was the 1924 Aeilta Queen of Mars.
Nevertheless, it definitely requires a certain frame of mind and the readiness to enjoy all the diverse bits without necessarily expecting a logical narrative with a beginning and an end.
This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you can imagine a world where the 1920's silent films, art deco, and noir exist in a quantum physic's, multiverse timeline, well then I think you'll enjoy this very much.

It takes a leap of the imagination, but if you can let your mind give way to Valente's worlds, you will be overwhelmed with where she dares to take you. I have been a fan of hers for many years now, beginning with Palimpsest. She is an author like none other.

Bravo!
24 hours after I finished this book, I am still thinking about it. When I first started reading, I was really struggling with it. The style is unusual to say the least, but as the story builds, it really pays off. I didn't think I could love a story about a missing filmmaker in the golden age of Hollywood (if Hollywood was on the moon and all planets in our universe were colonized) as much as I did. It's a beautiful, haunting tale, and I'm happy I pushed through so I was able to experience it.
Seriously, it's impossible to describe this novel without Launching into a full blown synopsis that would take longer to tell than to read the novel in its entirety. Hitch hikers guide meets goblin market in an alternate universe of jazz age brilliance. Total ho,eric adventure story, little nuggets and gems poetical references, and absolutely stunning in its craft. Disorienting at first due to its non-conventional format, but if you just let yourself flow and not force it into any sort of linear narrative, you'll come away with the literary experience equivalent of a day at the spa--just relaxing with the effect of making everything glow with beauty. God, I love this book.
So, imagine that at around the time George Melies filmed A Trip to the Moon, we actually discovered space travel. And all the planets--the moon, Venus, Neptune, Mars, etc--were habitable. And unlike A Trip to the Moon, no one lived on these planets but giant callowhales, and these whales produced milk that facilitated our ability to live on these planets, though no one knows what these callowhales are.

Okay, then imagine that silent films are considered so artistic that films are produced primarily without sound, and also in black and white.
Now put yourself in the Hollywood, film-noir mentality. An Orson Welles movie, perhaps.

Meet Severin. She’s the daughter of a famous gothic film director, and has always grown up under the spotlight as a beloved film icon. She becomes a documentarian, traveling the stars and making her own films. Her fifth film—The Radiant Car Thy Sparrows Drew—explores a city that’s disappeared on Venus, and a child that circles the city. She and her crew travel to Venus, begin filming.

And then she disappears.

Told through scripts, gossip columns, interviews, and a fictional first-person detective, Radiance explores the impact of Severin’s disappearance on those who loved her, as well as the history of a person who’s always been in the limelight. As always, Valente’s writing is mesmerizing and unique, and I’m awed by her ability to capture so many different tones. Radiance is her first science fiction novel (she has several sci-fi short stories, one of which was the jumping off point for this novel), and it combines the pulp aesthetic of 1950s sci-fi with postmodern storytelling strategies.

This is a book that’s meant to be read fast. If you let too much time go by between reading, you’ll miss connections. It wasn’t until about halfway through that I realized what was going on with some of the parts, and I went back to reread so I could make sure I was following! But it’s utterly unique and beautiful. For sci-fi, fantasy, and film fans, you should absolutely read this.