Customer Reviews

Yellow Blue Tibia

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Yellow Blue Tibia, with its quirky humour and uncertain realities, calls to mind Kurt Vonnegut and Philip K Dick. It also reminded me a bit of Stanislaw Lem, in particular, his absurdist novel Memoirs Found in a Bathtub.

Roberts has created some memorable characters here. The protagonist Svorecky has a kind of dry acerbic wit that permeates almost every conversation he has, and the nuclear physicist cum taxi driver with Asperger's Syndrome, Saltykov, is absolutely hilarious. There are some very funny scenes too - Svorecky's impromptu address to a group of Muscovite UFO enthusiasts and his interrogation at the hands of the militia are both eminently chucklesome.

But behind the humour, there's an interesting sociological theme about the UFO phenomenon and why it's so culturally prevalent. The idea that the KGB devoted so many resources to investigating it is both silly and oddly plausible - the Soviet X-Files. I don't think Roberts intended the novel to be a serious exploration of the sociology and psychology of UFO culture - it's more an intellectual entertainment. As such, I think it works pretty well.

So if you enjoy weird ideas and witty narrative, you'll probably enjoy this.

I generally find "humorous" SF and fantasy to be anything but. Where's the wit? Where's the elegance, the sense of play? Well, as you may have guessed by the many gold stars above, I thought "Yellow Blue Tibia" was hilarious. It follows Konstantin Skvorecky, one of a small group of Russian SF writers selected by Stalin to create a fictional alien menace that will unite the Soviet people. Abruptly, the project is cancelled and the writers are scattered to the four winds.

Skvorecky tries to forget - as he was ordered to - but twin conspiracies make that impossible. One group believes fervently in the alien menace and wants his help in warning the world. The other group believes just as fervently and wants to facilitate the coming invasion. Together, they drag him through the darkest crannies of the Soviet police state, from Stalin's country chalet to a KGB interrrogation cell to the ill-fated Reactor 4 at Chernobyl. What makes the journey so delightful is Skvorecky's droll narrative voice and the hilarious bon mots he exchanges with his various jailers, interrogators, helpers and would-be assassins. It all wraps up in the best kind of happy ending - the kind that implies that, if only the book were a few chapters longer, it would include the end of the world.

I suspect Adam Roberts will be a very popular writer in a few years. I say, "Get on board now"

As a long time fan, I ordered the book from Amazon's UK website, as I couldn't wait for the US version.

Yellow Blue Tibia is well written. The story is a page turner. The characters are well filled out. The writing is superb, clever, funny... I found myself smiling often, and even breaking out in laughter on occasion. The setting in the Soviet Union only adds deeper flavor. Well done!

I struggled with the 'verdict' regarding this book for some time. Of course these reviews are quite subjective, so to give you a bit of context and my personal frame of reference, some of the works which I find to be superb (5 stars) are:

- "Revelation Space" by Alastair Reynolds
- "Chasm City" by Alastair Reynolds
- "Beetle in an Anthill" by Arkadiy and Boris Strugatskiy

And example of good but not quite superb (3-4 stars):

- "Singularity Sky" by Charles Stross

Now, regarding "Yellow Blue Tibia"

The PRO:
I picked up Yellow Blue Tibia due to what I deem to be a very interesting premise of leveraging UFO phenomena to further political agendas and the superposition of sci-fi elements with historic events. The book is well written and has a very refreshing and a sharp sense of humor - if you have experienced USSR culture at all, the humor will be that much more effective. Furthermore, if you are from the former USSR, the book will be more meaningful to you, but at the same time, will seem more flawed. It is a rather quick read. Character development is great and the imagery is effective. The story does throw you a couple of 'curve balls' and keeps you on your toes as you read.

The CON:
There is a severe lack of solid scientific ideas behind the science fiction in this novel - again, this is quite a matter of taste of course. There is too much foreshadowing and at times you feel like you are reading a children's book. Very fast and abrupt resolution that has a fairly shallow basis, leaving feeling 'empty' at the end of the story. Lastly, a rather awkward romantic story line feels grossly out of place and unnecessary - or perhaps is not developed enough to take its place as a integral component of the novel.

Overall:
In my point of view, the book did not live up to the expectations. At the end, it felt very shallow. It was fun enough to read, but as I was 2/3 of the way through, I could not wait to finish it so that I could get to reading "Gallactic North".

I was really looking forward to this book as it seemed right up my alley- Soviet Russia + Sci-Fi + Mystery. However, I felt that the story took much too long to get its legs. The first 200 pages seemed to drag and while there were really interesting and definitely funny parts, the plot seemed to meander and go in fits and starts. Then the last 30 pages or so were great, but felt incredibly rushed. Explanations were hurried and seemed inserted last minute. Trying not to spoil anything so I won't get into detail here, but some things I think should have been given more page time especially since a HUGE twist relies on it. All in all, the story was interesting but uneven and I wasn't left completely satisfied.

I would have given this book 3 out of 5 stars except for the incredible characters.

So, do I recommend this book? Yes and no. If you're in the mood for a light read with good characters, I say go for it. But keep your expectations low.

Extremely smart and readable science fiction, with some of the best characters and dialogue I have read in a long time. UFOs, Soviet Russia, Scientology, history and Chernobyl with a bunch of science fiction writers as characters for good measure. (The cover subtitles the book as "Konstantin Skvorecky's memoir of the alien invasion of 1986".)

I don't find it easy to say much else about the book except I think you should read it. It took me around 30 pages to settle in and accept its structure. So don't give up if you bounce off the beginning. Roberts doesn't offer any typical genre footholds, and while the book is better off it can be tough going initially.

Recommended.

Adam Roberts certainly is in the running for a gold medal with Yellow Blue Tibia. His novel, in the form of a Soviet science fiction writer's memoir, leads the reader on a perplexing, high-strung, high-concept pursuit. Konstantin Skvorecky (the writer); Stalin; KGB officers; other science fiction writers; an American man and woman representing Scientology; and a phobic, tic-ridden taxi driver all play their parts in this elaborate, ironic, schizophrenic "fantasy.'

In the 1950's, Skvorecky, as a young man of twenty-eight, is brought, together with a handful of other Soviet science fiction writers, to see the leader before whom they quake, Joseph Stalin. He orders the group to come up with a plotline about invading extraterrestrials which the Communist dictator intend to feed the people when America is defeated and another enemy is needed to unite the U.S.S.R. The plan is abandoned however and Skvorecky forgets the whole interlude. He also stops writing science fiction. For many years a heavy drinker, in 1986 he's now on the wagon and supports himself with translating jobs. One day, he meets Ivan Frenkel again -- one of the men with whom he worked on the alien plot. And that's when the zaniness shifts into high gear. Soon, Skvorecky; the large American woman, Dora, for whom feelings sweetly blossom within him; and the compulsive taxi driver; motor for Kiev and, more specifically, the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl where "radiation aliens" allegedly plan a sabotage that could slaughter millions. It seems that the wild storyline the science fiction writers invented is coming true!

At one point Frenkel upbraids Skvorecky: " 'Fundamentally, you take nothing seriously. You believe it is all a game. It was the same with your novels; they were never serious....For me, as for Asterinov, literature was a high calling. A serious business. One story, not the ludicrous branchings of possibilities and ironic alternatives.' " Frenkel is, of course also speaking of Adam Roberts' version of science fiction. YELLOW BLUE TIBIA often leaves one dizzy as Skvorecky, though not drunk, sometimes feels himself in a dream or is sure something dire (such as death) has befallen him only to discover he's still kicking. He also engages in some seemingly nonsensical or downright childish conversations that spin the reader around and around like a helpless top. However, the silliness, irony, and the possibilities have a great science fiction hand behind their madness. Even the curious title will, in due time, get its moment in the sun and be a revelation.

Roberts spoofs both the concept of science fiction and honors it. He both twits the whole UFO/alien phenomenon and gives it new, sturdier legs. He bids the reader to stretch their minds with him as he introduces an innovative theory about what is going on around us. YELLOW BLUE TIBIA may jumble your brain a bit, but don't let that stop you. 4.5 stars.

This book is terrible. It starts out like a real story and what appears to be an interesting premise, but it rapidly descends into slapstick that quickly wears thin. I couldn't get beyond the fourth or fifth diversion into obscure antics. Did I mention how utterly depressing it is?

That's how I think of this book: an itty-bitty bit of science fiction diluted into a big glass of verbiage.
The story starts well, and the writing style is pleasant and alert. At the end of the Second World War, Stalin summons a bunch of science fiction writers in order to offer them a most unusual job. I won't spoil it for you, since the first few pages are the most entertaining of the book, the ones that drew me in. Suffice it to say that a very promising premise gets completely wasted in this book: what we get instead is a kind of weird-funny adventure in which an elderly Russian keeps needling the KGB verbally and escaping from their clutches again and again. Roberts can write well but he is so self-indulgent: page after page of clever dialogue, by which I mean the older guy sparring verbally with KGB people and showing them off as stupid oafs. Someone should introduce him to a real editor, one who can restrain his tendency to show others how clever he is, and who can force him to tidy up his plot. Are there any people like that left in the publishing industry?

Since 2009 when I first read a review of Yellow Blue Tibia, I have been wanting to read it. Its premise entranced me: science fiction writers in Russia invent an alien invasion for Stalin and 40 years later discover it's coming true. It sound like alternative history with a twist.

Which it is. However, this is primarily an ideas-driven novel, not a plot-driven novel. The author is primarily concerned with a philosophical discussion on UFOs and, to some extent, science fiction itself, rather than plot. The book moves at the pace necessary to advance the conversation rather than to keep the reader turning pages.

I generally enjoy thought-provoking novels but I like the ideas to be built around a snappy plot. I like to enjoy the novel at both a superficial, plot-driven level as well as at a deep, philosophical level. As Yellow Blue Tibia really only serves the second level, I struggled with reading it and while I picked up some interesting quotes, didn't enjoy the book as a whole. However, for a reader primarily interested in reading for ideas, I'm sure this book would be just right,