All the Birds in the Sky
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4.1 • 285 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Entertainment Weekly's 27 Female Authors Who Rule Sci-Fi and Fantasy Right Now
Winner of the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novel
Finalist for the 2017 Hugo Award for Best Novel
Paste's 50 Best Books of the 21st Century (So Far) List
“The book is full of quirkiness and playful detail...but there's an overwhelming depth and poignancy to its virtuoso ending.” —NPR
From the former editor-in-chief of io9.com, a stunning Nebula Award-winning and Hugo-shortlisted novel about the end of the world—and the beginning of our future
An ancient society of witches and a hipster technological startup go to war in order to prevent the world from tearing itself apart. To further complicate things, each of the groups’ most promising followers (Patricia, a brilliant witch and Laurence, an engineering “wunderkind”) may just be in love with each other.
As the battle between magic and science wages in San Francisco against the backdrop of international chaos, Laurence and Patricia are forced to choose sides. But their choices will determine the fate of the planet and all mankind.
In a fashion unique to Charlie Jane Anders, All the Birds in the Sky offers a humorous and, at times, heart-breaking exploration of growing up extraordinary in a world filled with cruelty, scientific ingenuity, and magic.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A friendship between two adolescent misfits is the catalyst for an apocalyptic reckoning in Anders's clever and wonderfully weird novel. Novice witch Patricia and preternaturally intelligent Laurence form an uneasy bond as they attempt to survive bullying at their Massachusetts middle school. Ten years later, they reunite in San Francisco, where Patricia quietly practices her craft and Laurence, now a tech-world wunderkind, attempts to manipulate time and space, setting off a battle between magic and science that could mean the end of the human race. Anders (Choir Boy) smoothly pivots from horror to humor to heartbreak and back again, and she keeps readers guessing as to the fate of her two protagonists and the world. Talking animals and a sentient computer searching for love and understanding tighten the narrative strings. Fans of genre fiction will be delighted by Patricia and Laurence's story, and Anders's smart, matter-of-fact prose will appeal to a mainstream audience as well.
Customer Reviews
Different and Delightful
‘All the Birds in the Sky” defies easy categorization. It is clearly fantasy, perhaps with a dose of urban fantasy, and maybe magical realism. However, it is also science fiction, of the mad science flavor. It is also about the end of the world, and what can be done to save humanity from itself. But more than any of these things, it is about a relationship. This is the relationship of two childhood friends, Patricia who becomes a powerful witch, and Laurence who becomes a mildly mad scientist. These two find their way in the world, then find each other again as adults. They must bridge their differences in order to prevent the end of the world.
This is an amazing work, that goes in different and unexpected directions with each chapter. It is about decisions and consequences. But it is also about loyalty, hope, and love.
Why the discrepancy?
I think this might be a glitch or something, but this book is actually around 470 pages long, not 250 like iBooks claims it to be. It’s a great book, but I was expecting a quick read because of the page number advertised and it did not turn out like that.
Other than that, I’m really enjoying it. All the Birds in the Sky is a very unique blend of magical realism and science fiction. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read before.
I loved it
Sometimes authors try to beat you over the head with the moral. Sometimes they try to wrap things up in a neat little bundle. "and they lived happily ever after."
But real life is messy. Sometimes hero or villain is a perspective. Charlie was able to take a fantastical situation comment on today's issues and create real people with flaws and feelings. I loved it..