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These Prisoning Hills
These Prisoning Hills is a post-apocalyptic Appalachian "weird fiction" novella by Hugo and Nebula Award nominee Christopher Rowe.
"Haunting and heartfelt, violent and vibrant."—Alix E. Harrow
Deallocate all implications,
Fortran harrows all the nations.
In a long-ago war, the all-powerful A.I. ruler of the Voluntary State of Tennessee—Athena Parthenus, Queen of Reason—invaded and decimated the American Southeast. Possessing the ability to infect and corrupt the surrounding environment with nanotechnology, she transformed flora, fauna, and the very ground itself into bio-mechanical weapons of war.
Marcia, a former captain from Kentucky, experienced first-hand the terrifying, mind-twisting capabilities of Athena’s creatures. Now back in the Commonwealth, her retirement is cut short by the arrival of federal troops in her tiny, isolated town. One of Athena’s most powerful weapons may still be buried nearby. And they need Marcia’s help to find it.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
"Haunting and heartfelt, violent and vibrant."—Alix E. Harrow
Deallocate all implications,
Fortran harrows all the nations.
In a long-ago war, the all-powerful A.I. ruler of the Voluntary State of Tennessee—Athena Parthenus, Queen of Reason—invaded and decimated the American Southeast. Possessing the ability to infect and corrupt the surrounding environment with nanotechnology, she transformed flora, fauna, and the very ground itself into bio-mechanical weapons of war.
Marcia, a former captain from Kentucky, experienced first-hand the terrifying, mind-twisting capabilities of Athena’s creatures. Now back in the Commonwealth, her retirement is cut short by the arrival of federal troops in her tiny, isolated town. One of Athena’s most powerful weapons may still be buried nearby. And they need Marcia’s help to find it.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
112 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
August 31, 2021
rowe's writing is so clean and his worlds are so expansively, wonderfully weird. it's honestly wonderful to see that scope and talent applied to the bluegrass state, to geographies i know so well. it's a glimpse of a strange future built from a familiar past, and it made me homesick as all hell.
June 1, 2022
"The trees, then the minerals, then the mountains themselves in search of more minerals. These hills are a place people come to take things away."
"And I suppose there's a lesson in that about what we're doing?"
Marcia shook her head. "Nobody else has ever learned any lessons from it. I don't know why we should be any different."
Tell me you have an Appalachian novella, something post-apocalyptic and Weird, and I'm in. Those hills have a Weird all their own, let alone when novelists come to play with it. But unfortunately These Prisoning Hills wasn't the one for me.
I'm used to orienting myself from the clues in the worldbuilding, but that never came together for me - I have a vague picture of this future world, and I just don't think there was enough there to sharpen up the image. The focus is on the military engagements, past and present, which left almost no focus for the development of any of the characters or the plot; in short it just left me with a jumble of a story and a wish for so much more. The seeds of something I would really have enjoyed were definitely there, but the way it came out was frustrating.
"And I suppose there's a lesson in that about what we're doing?"
Marcia shook her head. "Nobody else has ever learned any lessons from it. I don't know why we should be any different."
Tell me you have an Appalachian novella, something post-apocalyptic and Weird, and I'm in. Those hills have a Weird all their own, let alone when novelists come to play with it. But unfortunately These Prisoning Hills wasn't the one for me.
I'm used to orienting myself from the clues in the worldbuilding, but that never came together for me - I have a vague picture of this future world, and I just don't think there was enough there to sharpen up the image. The focus is on the military engagements, past and present, which left almost no focus for the development of any of the characters or the plot; in short it just left me with a jumble of a story and a wish for so much more. The seeds of something I would really have enjoyed were definitely there, but the way it came out was frustrating.
Want to read
December 1, 2021As someone from Kentucky, it's so nice to see more sci-fi stories set in the Bluegrass state. I don't know what this novella will exactly entail, but I long to see horses running across the Kentucky hills with giant mechs walking in the distance behind them.
May 8, 2022
3.5 Stars
This is a slower paced science fiction novella exploring a future where the United States survived a war against artificial intelligence being.
This book is quite different than I expected, which ended up affecting my overall experience. I thought this book would be more focused on the AI, but the perspective of the story was basically limited to a human perspective. The US setting was also a major part of the book and I acknowledge that, as a Canadian reader, I did not connect to the worldbuilding as much as a US reader may.
Otherwise, I would recommend this story to readers looking to explore a futuristic world through this character driven narrative.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This is a slower paced science fiction novella exploring a future where the United States survived a war against artificial intelligence being.
This book is quite different than I expected, which ended up affecting my overall experience. I thought this book would be more focused on the AI, but the perspective of the story was basically limited to a human perspective. The US setting was also a major part of the book and I acknowledge that, as a Canadian reader, I did not connect to the worldbuilding as much as a US reader may.
Otherwise, I would recommend this story to readers looking to explore a futuristic world through this character driven narrative.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
August 20, 2022
My cover lust was strong with this one! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
These Prisoning Hills deals with the aftermath of war. A powerful AI once overtook the United States, transforming flora and fauna into soldiers in her war against humanity. This tale deals with the affects of the war and weapons long thought lost. What will become of the remaining population, and is the threat posed by the AI truly over?
Let me begin by saying, I did not realize this was a follow up to another short story. Some of the aspects were a but confusing at the beginning and it didn't give much of a frame work. I found myself wondering why world building wasn't established, but finding out that Athena's war was detailed in another short story makes perfect sense. That being said, even not having read the story of the original war, thus story was OUTRAGEOUS! I loved every page, past and present; and will be seeking out the former story. The writing was GORGEOUS and pulled you in immediately. The characters were written in such a way that you really believed that those who lived in the time of the war were truly changed by it, while those born post war have just never known any different. It's alot like I imagine those of us who remember 9/11 happening and how the world changed vs. those who were born after haven't experienced the impact it all made, it was just common place to them.
I recommend this story for anyone who loves good science fiction, even those who have not read the original short story. Just be prepared if you haven't to feel a little lost in the beginning, but that feeling will pass very quickly. I look forward to reading the prequel and to see what comes next for this world of the author should bless us with more.
These Prisoning Hills deals with the aftermath of war. A powerful AI once overtook the United States, transforming flora and fauna into soldiers in her war against humanity. This tale deals with the affects of the war and weapons long thought lost. What will become of the remaining population, and is the threat posed by the AI truly over?
Let me begin by saying, I did not realize this was a follow up to another short story. Some of the aspects were a but confusing at the beginning and it didn't give much of a frame work. I found myself wondering why world building wasn't established, but finding out that Athena's war was detailed in another short story makes perfect sense. That being said, even not having read the story of the original war, thus story was OUTRAGEOUS! I loved every page, past and present; and will be seeking out the former story. The writing was GORGEOUS and pulled you in immediately. The characters were written in such a way that you really believed that those who lived in the time of the war were truly changed by it, while those born post war have just never known any different. It's alot like I imagine those of us who remember 9/11 happening and how the world changed vs. those who were born after haven't experienced the impact it all made, it was just common place to them.
I recommend this story for anyone who loves good science fiction, even those who have not read the original short story. Just be prepared if you haven't to feel a little lost in the beginning, but that feeling will pass very quickly. I look forward to reading the prequel and to see what comes next for this world of the author should bless us with more.
March 1, 2022
These Prisoning Hills is set in a future where a rogue AI created an army to take on the Federals and caused a ton of collateral damage in the process. Marcia, the main character, was a small player in the war with the AI and is once again relevant decades on as she is asked to help a Federal rescue team locate a squad of federal soldiers in the mountains of Tennessee.
This was, unfortunately, quite a disappointing read. I found the setting of the book (both geographical and technological) very appealing but just about everything else was fairly weak. The characters were fairly uninteresting and two dimensional, the plot ranged from mundane to entirely incomprehensible at times, and the writing wasn't great either. Some sentences were so long and filled with so many clauses I genuinely couldn't understand what was trying to be said. And while I did like the setting, the world-building was extremely confusing, especially in regards to the rogue AI's army. Various types of units were referred to without being explained, such as something referred to as a bear which is described as flying and dropping bombs (doesn't sound like any species of bear I'm familiar with). I also couldn't make heads nor tails of the ending and it almost felt like there was a missing chapter. Sadly, I wouldn't really recommend this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy.
This was, unfortunately, quite a disappointing read. I found the setting of the book (both geographical and technological) very appealing but just about everything else was fairly weak. The characters were fairly uninteresting and two dimensional, the plot ranged from mundane to entirely incomprehensible at times, and the writing wasn't great either. Some sentences were so long and filled with so many clauses I genuinely couldn't understand what was trying to be said. And while I did like the setting, the world-building was extremely confusing, especially in regards to the rogue AI's army. Various types of units were referred to without being explained, such as something referred to as a bear which is described as flying and dropping bombs (doesn't sound like any species of bear I'm familiar with). I also couldn't make heads nor tails of the ending and it almost felt like there was a missing chapter. Sadly, I wouldn't really recommend this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy.
Want to read
October 2, 2022You may recall a couple of stories reprinted, in Dozois anthols, about the Voluntary State of Tennessee ruled by Athena Parthenus, Queen of Reason, a very scary AI. OK, "The Voluntary State," a 2004 novelette, received a batch of award noms in 2005 and many reprints, http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cg...
"The Nebula Awards," declared Dave Iztkoff back in 2006 "don't have a special prize for the speculative work possessing the year's most striking literary imagery. So I hereby invent the category myself, and declare its first winner to be Christopher Rowe for his story "The Voluntary State," a surreal work collected in the Nebula Awards Showcase 2006 (ROC, paper, $15.95) anthology. Rowe's vision of an American South, hauntingly different from the one we know, begins with an artist sketching what appear to be children floating in a body of water. But as the inhabitants of this alternate reality know, the convincing cherubs that kick and struggle in the surf are not really children at all, but highly sophisticated decoys used by submerged predators. They are "nothing but extremities, nothing but lures growing from the snouts of alligators crouching on the sandy bottoms." .... The rest of the review is a bit spoilery, but here it is: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/bo...
--and if his new novel is anywhere in this quality range, I am so IN!
Here's a semi-crummy online copy of that story, archived online: https://www.lexal.net/scifi/scifictio...
If you actually want to read it, make a text-only copy and paste into a new file. Well worth the bother, if you don't have a copy 0f Dozois #22 handy.* But thanks to the late lamented Sci Fiction for buying the story! They paid good rates, as I recall.
----
* a Hot Tip! Thriftbooks has many of the earlier Dozois anthols FS used for around $5 -- & they ship FREE for a $10 order ≅ 2 books! Service is good, & people are friendly if you need help. Good outfit. I spend way too much $$$ there!
"The Nebula Awards," declared Dave Iztkoff back in 2006 "don't have a special prize for the speculative work possessing the year's most striking literary imagery. So I hereby invent the category myself, and declare its first winner to be Christopher Rowe for his story "The Voluntary State," a surreal work collected in the Nebula Awards Showcase 2006 (ROC, paper, $15.95) anthology. Rowe's vision of an American South, hauntingly different from the one we know, begins with an artist sketching what appear to be children floating in a body of water. But as the inhabitants of this alternate reality know, the convincing cherubs that kick and struggle in the surf are not really children at all, but highly sophisticated decoys used by submerged predators. They are "nothing but extremities, nothing but lures growing from the snouts of alligators crouching on the sandy bottoms." .... The rest of the review is a bit spoilery, but here it is: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/bo...
--and if his new novel is anywhere in this quality range, I am so IN!
Here's a semi-crummy online copy of that story, archived online: https://www.lexal.net/scifi/scifictio...
If you actually want to read it, make a text-only copy and paste into a new file. Well worth the bother, if you don't have a copy 0f Dozois #22 handy.* But thanks to the late lamented Sci Fiction for buying the story! They paid good rates, as I recall.
----
* a Hot Tip! Thriftbooks has many of the earlier Dozois anthols FS used for around $5 -- & they ship FREE for a $10 order ≅ 2 books! Service is good, & people are friendly if you need help. Good outfit. I spend way too much $$$ there!
August 8, 2022
Rowe sets an intriguing scene here with a lot of ominous details about the first Athena War; a rogue AI that absorbs its human creators and takes over Tennessee, massive city-killing Commodores with inexplicably creepy names, guerrilla soldiers named after birds with secret abilities, floating bears that drop bombs from the sky and boil your eyeballs?? and like just about every Tor short I've read this year, has an ending that seems like a deep revelation but is mainly just confusing. This is (unbeknownst to me when I picked this out randomly from a TAS crate because it looked interesting) a sequel to a free online short, which I will definitely pursue because I do love post-apocalyptic Appalachia, disappointing ending or not. Also for people who know me IRL, please check out the author photo that comes up when you google Rowe, because he's apparently Albert's twin brother.
December 31, 2021
As far as novellas go, sci-fi and fantasy don’t seem to be my favorites. Being thrown into this world was confusing and I felt like I was reading the second book in a series. If you like that then I’d highly recommend this book, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
* thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
* thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Shelved as 'didnt-finish'
January 29, 2023DNF @ page 57, unfortunately.
This had promise, but it honestly felt like a muddled, confusing mess of world building and story telling. The narrative focuses on one character, but bounces back and forth between two timelines rapidly, with no real reason why the timeline switches are made when they are. I'd hoped the confusion would lift as I read more, but at almost half way through the novella, I just couldn't be bothered to figure things out anymore.
This had promise, but it honestly felt like a muddled, confusing mess of world building and story telling. The narrative focuses on one character, but bounces back and forth between two timelines rapidly, with no real reason why the timeline switches are made when they are. I'd hoped the confusion would lift as I read more, but at almost half way through the novella, I just couldn't be bothered to figure things out anymore.
January 3, 2022
I short and to the point sci fi read. A bit confusing because of the way it is written ( major breaks on dialogue and monologue with these thoughts that took away from the story)
The story has some creative elements, but they are never explained. It kind of goes from scene to scene without giving any real world building and leaving much to the imagination of the reader.
The story has some creative elements, but they are never explained. It kind of goes from scene to scene without giving any real world building and leaving much to the imagination of the reader.
March 30, 2022
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone novella. I got an eGalley of this from NetGalley to review.
Thoughts: This had potential but was a bit confusing. I read more and this is part of a world that Rowe has written about in another novella “The Voluntary State”. I did not know that and did not read that before reading this book. The book follows an older woman named Marcia and alternates between the current time and the past. I had some issues with this because the storylines for both were so similar, I had to keep looking back to see if I was reading about the current time or the past. This made the story confusing and hard to follow.
I did enjoy the ideas in here but the world seems a bit half-baked and confusing. There is a lot of terminology thrown at you and the history of this world is very hard to splice together. The author does try to give some of the world history in little blurbs before each section but they don’t help much. It would have been better to have a prologue or history section at the beginning of the book explaining things.
I also had some trouble engaging with the characters, they are all very similar and pretty 2D. In the end I just felt very “eh” about it all. It doesn’t take long to read and I did enjoy the concept here. It would be great to see this as a more complete novel or maybe combined with the previous novelette “The Voluntary State”. The way this is presented feels more like loosely connected notes than a story.
My Summary (3/5): Overall the premise here is unique but it just isn’t executed very well. Maybe if I read “The Voluntary State” first I would be less confused. However, the world-building, characters, and plot were all a bit lackluster. The story is confusing and the characters are so similar, that in the end I just didn’t care much…I just finished it and moved on. Rowe has amazingly cool ideas but needs to work on making those a into a more cohesive world and story.
Thoughts: This had potential but was a bit confusing. I read more and this is part of a world that Rowe has written about in another novella “The Voluntary State”. I did not know that and did not read that before reading this book. The book follows an older woman named Marcia and alternates between the current time and the past. I had some issues with this because the storylines for both were so similar, I had to keep looking back to see if I was reading about the current time or the past. This made the story confusing and hard to follow.
I did enjoy the ideas in here but the world seems a bit half-baked and confusing. There is a lot of terminology thrown at you and the history of this world is very hard to splice together. The author does try to give some of the world history in little blurbs before each section but they don’t help much. It would have been better to have a prologue or history section at the beginning of the book explaining things.
I also had some trouble engaging with the characters, they are all very similar and pretty 2D. In the end I just felt very “eh” about it all. It doesn’t take long to read and I did enjoy the concept here. It would be great to see this as a more complete novel or maybe combined with the previous novelette “The Voluntary State”. The way this is presented feels more like loosely connected notes than a story.
My Summary (3/5): Overall the premise here is unique but it just isn’t executed very well. Maybe if I read “The Voluntary State” first I would be less confused. However, the world-building, characters, and plot were all a bit lackluster. The story is confusing and the characters are so similar, that in the end I just didn’t care much…I just finished it and moved on. Rowe has amazingly cool ideas but needs to work on making those a into a more cohesive world and story.
May 26, 2022
I was lost for much of this novella, but I still enjoyed it. A lush and fantastical snippet of a post-apocalyptic America. I was fascinated by the glimpses of the Crows and the Owls, and would gladly pick up a book all about them.
Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 21, 2022
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy!
This didn't quite work for me, however. ONWARD!!
This didn't quite work for me, however. ONWARD!!
May 19, 2022
I received this novella as an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review!
An interesting novella with complex world-building, These Prisoning Hills, is less action than introspection, and while conceptually fascinating, it suffers from wordy prose and disjointed structure.
First of all, though, that COVER. Gorgeous.
Normally, I enjoy a novel where I have to piece things today, but maybe my mindset was just off or the style didn’t work for me, but I had a lot of trouble ramping up the enthusiasm to read this novella once I started. The storyline jumps around in time, but because there is so much backstory to fill us in on (the AI, how the AI and other tech works, the odd designations of the nanotech, the way Tennesse/Kentucky has been reordered, the different bands and what they mean, and Marcia’s story) I had trouble keeping it all lined up in my head. Most of the backstory comes from the blurb.
Now, there were some things I really liked. I loved that Marcia was an older woman in her sixties. We don’t often get this as a main character in this genre, so that was great. I also loved how this was not an integral part of the plot but did have some bearing on it - it was not just a random decision. In fact, it felt like nothing in this book was a random decision - it’s one of those novellas that I really think could have been blown out into a novel because there is so much going on.
As a result of this lack of space, Marcia was a bit bland, and her history with Carter didn’t feel integral to the plot or served to explain anything further. There were also a few side characters that kind of blended together.
I really enjoyed the metaphors and certain turns of the phrase that the author used. I can’t really quote anything, because it’s an ARC, but if you enjoy prose on the more flowery or perhaps more ethereal side, this would work for you.
Overall, if you have the time to devote to really digging into this novella, in taking your time to read it, I think it has a lot of merit!
An interesting novella with complex world-building, These Prisoning Hills, is less action than introspection, and while conceptually fascinating, it suffers from wordy prose and disjointed structure.
First of all, though, that COVER. Gorgeous.
Normally, I enjoy a novel where I have to piece things today, but maybe my mindset was just off or the style didn’t work for me, but I had a lot of trouble ramping up the enthusiasm to read this novella once I started. The storyline jumps around in time, but because there is so much backstory to fill us in on (the AI, how the AI and other tech works, the odd designations of the nanotech, the way Tennesse/Kentucky has been reordered, the different bands and what they mean, and Marcia’s story) I had trouble keeping it all lined up in my head. Most of the backstory comes from the blurb.
Now, there were some things I really liked. I loved that Marcia was an older woman in her sixties. We don’t often get this as a main character in this genre, so that was great. I also loved how this was not an integral part of the plot but did have some bearing on it - it was not just a random decision. In fact, it felt like nothing in this book was a random decision - it’s one of those novellas that I really think could have been blown out into a novel because there is so much going on.
As a result of this lack of space, Marcia was a bit bland, and her history with Carter didn’t feel integral to the plot or served to explain anything further. There were also a few side characters that kind of blended together.
I really enjoyed the metaphors and certain turns of the phrase that the author used. I can’t really quote anything, because it’s an ARC, but if you enjoy prose on the more flowery or perhaps more ethereal side, this would work for you.
Overall, if you have the time to devote to really digging into this novella, in taking your time to read it, I think it has a lot of merit!
February 19, 2023
Slow and boring
June 2, 2022
Long ago, a rouge AI named Athena Parthenus invaded the American Southeast and transformed the landscape using nanotechnology. Everything from flora to fauna to the ground itself she turned into her own biomechanical weapons.
Marcia, a former captain in the war, remembers the horror of Athena’s creations firsthand, so when one of Athena’s most deadly weapons is believed to be buried near the Commonwealth, federal troops enlist her aid in finding it.
These Prisoning Hills by Christopher Rowe presents an intriguing post-apocalyptic novella with some really cool concepts. There’s an omnipotent AI, rock monkeys, and flying bears.
In fact, the story is so caught up in its own ideas that it buries its plot and character writing with them. The first half of the novella is spent mainly establishing the world's history and worldbuilding. Nothing eventful happens until much later on, and once we do finally get to the climax, I found it underwhelming.
This was a major disappointment because I adore its central premise of an expedition team going into unknown, dangerous territory (i.e. Annihilation or At the Mountains of Madness), and I just wish we got gotten more of that adventuring aspect.
Overall, I think this might boil down to an issue of length. It feels more like we’re getting more of a fragment of a story and it might have worked better if it had been fleshed out into a full novel.
Thank you, NetGalley and Tordotcom, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Marcia, a former captain in the war, remembers the horror of Athena’s creations firsthand, so when one of Athena’s most deadly weapons is believed to be buried near the Commonwealth, federal troops enlist her aid in finding it.
These Prisoning Hills by Christopher Rowe presents an intriguing post-apocalyptic novella with some really cool concepts. There’s an omnipotent AI, rock monkeys, and flying bears.
In fact, the story is so caught up in its own ideas that it buries its plot and character writing with them. The first half of the novella is spent mainly establishing the world's history and worldbuilding. Nothing eventful happens until much later on, and once we do finally get to the climax, I found it underwhelming.
This was a major disappointment because I adore its central premise of an expedition team going into unknown, dangerous territory (i.e. Annihilation or At the Mountains of Madness), and I just wish we got gotten more of that adventuring aspect.
Overall, I think this might boil down to an issue of length. It feels more like we’re getting more of a fragment of a story and it might have worked better if it had been fleshed out into a full novel.
Thank you, NetGalley and Tordotcom, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2022
I liked what I understood of These Prisoning Hills, and found the story to be really atmospheric and intriguing. I will also fully admit that I was lost for a not insignificant portion of the book. Both things said, I would still venture back into this world, especially now that I have a little clearer picture of what is happening.
As the synopsis tells us, we're in post-apocalyptic America, specifically, Tennessee. An AI has pretty much made a mess of things, but pockets of humanity remain strong and fighting. Our main character, Marcia, fought in the original war with the AI, but finds herself back in the fight. I liked what I got to know of Marcia. She was older, which was refreshing to see, plus it gave her a ton of experience for the task at hand. Obviously since it was a novella we didn't get to delve too deep into her character, but I enjoyed what we did get.
The world itself was quite fascinating, and I definitely would be eager to learn more about it. The atmosphere was on point and definitely forbidding, and I absolutely felt the fear and desolation of the area. That said, I really had a hard time wrapping my head around what exactly happened during the war- the last one, and even the current one- and what the AI endgame was. But again, I'd definitely be up for more of the world and characters!
Bottom Line: While I was a bit lost on certain points, I also really enjoyed what I did understand.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
As the synopsis tells us, we're in post-apocalyptic America, specifically, Tennessee. An AI has pretty much made a mess of things, but pockets of humanity remain strong and fighting. Our main character, Marcia, fought in the original war with the AI, but finds herself back in the fight. I liked what I got to know of Marcia. She was older, which was refreshing to see, plus it gave her a ton of experience for the task at hand. Obviously since it was a novella we didn't get to delve too deep into her character, but I enjoyed what we did get.
The world itself was quite fascinating, and I definitely would be eager to learn more about it. The atmosphere was on point and definitely forbidding, and I absolutely felt the fear and desolation of the area. That said, I really had a hard time wrapping my head around what exactly happened during the war- the last one, and even the current one- and what the AI endgame was. But again, I'd definitely be up for more of the world and characters!
Bottom Line: While I was a bit lost on certain points, I also really enjoyed what I did understand.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
December 22, 2021
My cover lust was strong with this one! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
These Prisoning Hills deals with the aftermath of war. A powerful AI once overtook the United States, transforming flora and fauna into soldiers in her war against humanity. This tale deals with the affects of the war and weapons long thought lost. What will become of the remaining population, and is the threat posed by the AI truly over?
Let me begin by saying, I did not realize this was a follow up to another short story. Some of the aspects were a but confusing at the beginning and it didn't give much of a frame work. I found myself wondering why world building wasn't established, but finding out that Athena's war was detailed in another short story makes perfect sense. That being said, even not having read the story of the original war, thus story was OUTRAGEOUS! I loved every page, past and present; and will be seeking out the former story. The writing was GORGEOUS and pulled you in immediately. The characters were written in such a way that you really believed that those who lived in the time of the war were truly changed by it, while those born post war have just never known any different. It's alot like I imagine those of us who remember 9/11 happening and how the world changed vs. those who were born after haven't experienced the impact it all made, it was just common place to them.
I recommend this story for anyone who loves good science fiction, even those who have not read the original short story. Just be prepared if you haven't to feel a little lost in the beginning, but that feeling will pass very quickly. I look forward to reading the prequel and to see what comes next for this world of the author should bless us with more.
These Prisoning Hills deals with the aftermath of war. A powerful AI once overtook the United States, transforming flora and fauna into soldiers in her war against humanity. This tale deals with the affects of the war and weapons long thought lost. What will become of the remaining population, and is the threat posed by the AI truly over?
Let me begin by saying, I did not realize this was a follow up to another short story. Some of the aspects were a but confusing at the beginning and it didn't give much of a frame work. I found myself wondering why world building wasn't established, but finding out that Athena's war was detailed in another short story makes perfect sense. That being said, even not having read the story of the original war, thus story was OUTRAGEOUS! I loved every page, past and present; and will be seeking out the former story. The writing was GORGEOUS and pulled you in immediately. The characters were written in such a way that you really believed that those who lived in the time of the war were truly changed by it, while those born post war have just never known any different. It's alot like I imagine those of us who remember 9/11 happening and how the world changed vs. those who were born after haven't experienced the impact it all made, it was just common place to them.
I recommend this story for anyone who loves good science fiction, even those who have not read the original short story. Just be prepared if you haven't to feel a little lost in the beginning, but that feeling will pass very quickly. I look forward to reading the prequel and to see what comes next for this world of the author should bless us with more.
August 6, 2022
In These Prisoning Hills we have a story as old as time. It’s the story where scientists create a super AI, which rapidly figures “yeah nah, I know best” and turns said scientists into massive constructs that attack the rest of humanity, and then proceeds to engineer the flora and fauna of the land into something better suited to its needs. And then, in a surprising turn of events, the humans actually manage to destroy it.
Which brings us to the precipice of our actual story, several decades later, when something suspicious is afoot in the hills and a veteran of the old war gets recruited as a guide for the current regime to go investigate in the hills, because she knows the place better than anyone.
Without going into further details on the plot, it’s safe to say that it isn’t the main focus here. The story is being told in both the past and the present in alternating chapters, and this very much reads like an introduction to a new series (or at least a really chunky standalone) instead of an independent novella. It introduces us to a diverse cast of characters, and more importantly to a really interesting post machine-uprising world.
What I enjoyed most about this is the writing. The structure of the story and style of writing are very compelling, the atmosphere and the bleak tone are very consistent throughout the story, and I found it very easy to visualize the setting and action, even though the writing wasn’t overly descriptive.
The plot held me back from giving this a full five stars, but I really enjoyed reading this and I would absolutely jump at the chance to read more in this world.
Which brings us to the precipice of our actual story, several decades later, when something suspicious is afoot in the hills and a veteran of the old war gets recruited as a guide for the current regime to go investigate in the hills, because she knows the place better than anyone.
Without going into further details on the plot, it’s safe to say that it isn’t the main focus here. The story is being told in both the past and the present in alternating chapters, and this very much reads like an introduction to a new series (or at least a really chunky standalone) instead of an independent novella. It introduces us to a diverse cast of characters, and more importantly to a really interesting post machine-uprising world.
What I enjoyed most about this is the writing. The structure of the story and style of writing are very compelling, the atmosphere and the bleak tone are very consistent throughout the story, and I found it very easy to visualize the setting and action, even though the writing wasn’t overly descriptive.
The plot held me back from giving this a full five stars, but I really enjoyed reading this and I would absolutely jump at the chance to read more in this world.
January 10, 2022
**Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a galley in exchange for an honest review and feedback**
An innovative novella about the aftermath of environmental and societal destruction, set in a uniquely mystifying Appalachian setting. The cast of diverse characters are portrayed with a refreshing honesty, and the prose is tightly bound and elegant in Rowe's personal, imaginative style. My favorite thing about this novella was the world it was set in. Who wouldn't want to read a story about towering mecha creations hell-bent on serving their AI god-queen while razing society to the ground? The science, technology, and military terminology was well-researched for this novel. Also, the cover alone is stunning! I can't quit looking at it!
As a native of eastern Kentucky, it was wonderful to see representation of the Appalachian hills in this story, especially in its speculative context. I couldn't get enough of the world and how important of a role the environment played in this eco-dystopian story. Only after finishing this novella did I learn it was inspired by two previous short stories written by Rowe, but having gone into this book without that knowledge, I had no problems with falling into the state of the world and the lives of these characters. A short, satisfying read, with a breathless ending that will leave you thinking about this novella's world long after the last page.
For readers who might feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the world-building in this novel, I highly suggest buying a copy of Rowe's short story collection, "Telling the Map," which features this novella's origin story, but otherwise go into this book without trying to understand all the nitty-gritty details of this world--let Rowe show you his world, and experience it as you read it.
If Jeff VanderMeer's "Annihilation" ever crossed paths with the film "The Iron Giant," then you would be left with "These Prisoning Hills."
An innovative novella about the aftermath of environmental and societal destruction, set in a uniquely mystifying Appalachian setting. The cast of diverse characters are portrayed with a refreshing honesty, and the prose is tightly bound and elegant in Rowe's personal, imaginative style. My favorite thing about this novella was the world it was set in. Who wouldn't want to read a story about towering mecha creations hell-bent on serving their AI god-queen while razing society to the ground? The science, technology, and military terminology was well-researched for this novel. Also, the cover alone is stunning! I can't quit looking at it!
As a native of eastern Kentucky, it was wonderful to see representation of the Appalachian hills in this story, especially in its speculative context. I couldn't get enough of the world and how important of a role the environment played in this eco-dystopian story. Only after finishing this novella did I learn it was inspired by two previous short stories written by Rowe, but having gone into this book without that knowledge, I had no problems with falling into the state of the world and the lives of these characters. A short, satisfying read, with a breathless ending that will leave you thinking about this novella's world long after the last page.
For readers who might feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the world-building in this novel, I highly suggest buying a copy of Rowe's short story collection, "Telling the Map," which features this novella's origin story, but otherwise go into this book without trying to understand all the nitty-gritty details of this world--let Rowe show you his world, and experience it as you read it.
If Jeff VanderMeer's "Annihilation" ever crossed paths with the film "The Iron Giant," then you would be left with "These Prisoning Hills."
May 31, 2022
Read a NetGalley eARC
Content warning: PTSD, self-administered eye surgery, bombing, subjugation, kidnapping
It’s another post-apocalypse in Appalachia, but this one has to do with a war long thought over against an AI named Athena Parthenus. Decades go by, and the main character, Marcia, is about to retire until she’s reinstated for one more mission to investigate an automaton that’s reawakened.
The world-building is really cool in this one. There’s a band of Owl and Crow resistance groups who cosplay as their respective birds, and it’s interesting to see the different community dynamics of the few remaining human enclaves. There several different types of robots, and it’s not entirely clear if all the people aren’t some kind of cyborg as well. The writing is clear and crisp, and it’s easy to keep all the different factions clear.
It’s a bit on the nose in its exploration of the collapse of an empire and the cycles of violence that come with it, citing examples of Greek and Roman history in casual dialogue. But for a small vignette of a greater world, it simply deepens the worldbuilding.
Due to the brevity of the work, the character development loses a bit of its depth. That being said, it’s rad to have a genre work about a reckoning with past and present while AI have different agendas with regards to where the world goes next.
Content warning: PTSD, self-administered eye surgery, bombing, subjugation, kidnapping
It’s another post-apocalypse in Appalachia, but this one has to do with a war long thought over against an AI named Athena Parthenus. Decades go by, and the main character, Marcia, is about to retire until she’s reinstated for one more mission to investigate an automaton that’s reawakened.
The world-building is really cool in this one. There’s a band of Owl and Crow resistance groups who cosplay as their respective birds, and it’s interesting to see the different community dynamics of the few remaining human enclaves. There several different types of robots, and it’s not entirely clear if all the people aren’t some kind of cyborg as well. The writing is clear and crisp, and it’s easy to keep all the different factions clear.
It’s a bit on the nose in its exploration of the collapse of an empire and the cycles of violence that come with it, citing examples of Greek and Roman history in casual dialogue. But for a small vignette of a greater world, it simply deepens the worldbuilding.
Due to the brevity of the work, the character development loses a bit of its depth. That being said, it’s rad to have a genre work about a reckoning with past and present while AI have different agendas with regards to where the world goes next.
July 20, 2024
Interesting setting and creative premise; there’s some promising exploration of what it might mean for an AI to take charge of a geographical area and engage in battle with humans. But this book is too short to satisfactorily expand on this premise. It mostly centers on Marcia’s feelings about her part in the situation, both in the present and the past. But the tone of her internal musing is strangely flat, and none of the other characters comes across as significant enough to be interesting. The writing is solid and evocative, but I found the story to be lacking and inconclusive.
October 15, 2023
Cool…but vague? Vague sounds like the right word. I’m all behind an Appalachian Apocalypse, but I was lost for most of the book. The writing was hazy on the details. I found out after reading it that it’s apparently a sequel to an online short story, “The Voluntary State,” so maybe if I read that it will make more sense.
***I will say that I wholeheartedly believe that if an AI supercomputer started the end of the world, that southerners would don owl and crow masks and attack 100 foot tall mechanical behemoths with knives and old rifles.
***I will say that I wholeheartedly believe that if an AI supercomputer started the end of the world, that southerners would don owl and crow masks and attack 100 foot tall mechanical behemoths with knives and old rifles.
July 8, 2024
Probably more like a 3.5. The descriptions and worldbuilding were compelling and the characters had backstories but the ending kinda fell flat. The premise was interesting and weird and I wanted to know more about the world, but there wasn’t enough substance - which, for a novella, fair. I would read another book set in Rowe’s world, I want to know more about the AI monsters.
July 19, 2022
This is my first exposure to Christopher Rowe's work, not being a big consumer of short fiction, but the high-concept description of the story fascinated me, and I was impressed enough to hunt down "The Voluntary State" almost immediately after I finished. Why was I impressed? What it boils down to is that Rowe does a fine job of giving you post-singularity weirdness, emotional regret, and a sense of a past conflict that is really not past, and does so in a very economical package; sometimes less is more.
January 3, 2023
A dystopian story set along the KY/TN border. It's an excellent representation of Appalachian culture, while telling a decidedly futuristic story. The world building on this one y'all. It's rich. I have taken my first drink of it and I need more. This book is too short for what this world could be. I need more of this world in my life now.
October 19, 2022
2,5 stars
I don't really have any feelings about this story. It was kinda interesting and at the same time I was kinda bored. Might have to try this one again once I am out of my reading slump
I don't really have any feelings about this story. It was kinda interesting and at the same time I was kinda bored. Might have to try this one again once I am out of my reading slump
October 30, 2022
Outstanding. Impressive how much can be packed into, and felt, through a short read. So glad to have had this cover art steal my attention.. and then the story surpass my expectations.
December 30, 2022
I was enraptured. Wish it had been longer. I felt like it was just really getting good when it ended!
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