Booktubers have been analyzing for years why we do reviews when they're watched so little, or not picked up by the algorithm... and I've always found them hard to make but the most rewarding to do! Most people find my channel through single book review videos, which always surprises me.

Throat? Tbr. Tbr.

I was also very, very much reminded of Rosemary Kirstein's Steerswoman series too. Her take on "fantasy is really science fiction" is my favorite, just perfection. Wish it was a finished series too! I agree with you that Tchaikovsky is one of those "idea authors". For me, he's a bit like Neal Stephenson - really gets the mental gears going, but the endings aren't always super satisfactory, or a whole subplot will just... disappear and not really be addressed again.

I think it was very telling about my tastes that I ate up Nyr's perspective, and when we were in Lynesse's, I just wanted to know the SF view! Because while the fantasy is fine, I'm always looking for that non-magical explanation. So it was really fun that the story actually engaged with that whole idea! He's prolific enough I think we can hold out hope for a sequel or something similar.

I'm not certain, but I had a strong suspicion while reading Elder Race that Tchaikovsky has had personal experience with depression. There's humor and flippancy in the story, but I felt so strongly that it was like dark humor, to deal with but unable to mask the depression, and for some reason that made it hit me really hard in the feels. I'd be really interested in your reaction!

@@Kalanadi I haven't read Elder Race yet because somehow I missed it even though I like to get evertyhing by Adrian Tchaikovsky. "Walking to Aldebaran" is also like that, I actually only got that in the audiobook version read by Adrian himself, the beginning is basically a long monolgue just full of whiny snarkiness and self-deprecation, so much that I actually stopped listening the first time because I thought the whole thing was going to be in that vein of whining, but it's mostly the first part that goes way overboard with the whining, but the snark and whining is more spread out in the rest of the book. Listening to it in audio format with his voice reading it in a snarky "LOL my life sucks now" tone doesn't make it easier to get through. Maybe if I had read the paper version it would have been less annoying. Once it gets going it's kind of a curious story, not one of his best for sure, but yeah, the whole book is in first person with a man telling himself how he's stupid for getting himself in to trouble as he navigates a mystical space labyrinth structure, constantly questioning and berating himself and feeling sorry for himself with a snarky middle age man humour, so it can be kinda hard to get through.

@@Kalanadi Coming back to your review after I've read it myself (and done my own review): I absolutely loved Elder Race, it was more or less perfect for me and I personally think the novella format was the right one for this kind of story, despite the density, perhaps, of the rich theming. It's definitely a new favourite for me, though yes a large part of that is due to the spot-on representation of severe depression - I can attest that Tchaikovsky absolutely knocked it out of the park there. I would agree that either he has had experience with depression himself, or has/had a loved one who does/did.

Whenever I think of this premise, I immediately think of the Steerswoman too. If only that series were complete! Love them.

I admit I was a bit surprised when the big reveal at the end wasn't Nyr's civilization, or technology that he understood right away, but it was a really interesting hint that something... else... might be out there? I want very much to know more about that. If there were ever a sequel, I'd be disappointed if it didn't delve into that a bit more, I think. And as an aside, I believe there's going to be a third Children of Time novel, and I am SO hyped for it already. I love those books; I think they're Tchaikovsky's absolute best.

@@Kalanadi Oh really??? I am very happy to hear this!!