China Mountain Zhang, by Maureen McHugh
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China Mountain Zhang, by Maureen McHugh
One of the big problems that I have with book reviewers out there, myself included I suppose, is not that they are unable to shuck off their own personal prejudices when writing reviews; its that they pretend that they are even able to shuck them off, then utterly fail to do so, or even to remain objective. I was reminded of this while reading this week's selection China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh. I have read a couple of first efforts this year. This one for example, and recently The Unselfish Gene by Robert Adams. As I finished this book and planned my review I was struck by how different the two works were. The Unselfish Gene was a lust tinged survival story set in a zombie infested world. China Mountain Zhang was a sensitive coming-of-age tale about a gay twenty-something American Born Chinese living in New York City in a third-world, barely emergent, communist United States. Radically different stories to be sure. I was very happy with the review I wrote for The Unselfish Gene, and I wondered to myself, even if I can do McHugh's book justice, would someone reading one review after the other on my web-site consider it absurd that I had given both such high marks? Mostly this whole rigmarole I put myself through is about self-discovery. But to tell the truth sometimes, times like this actually, I question whether I am gaining any headway...Please click here, or on the book cover above, to be taken to the complete review..
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!
-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)
The Omphalos Umbrella Page
-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)
The Omphalos Umbrella Page
- SandChigger
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Re: China Mountain Zhang, by Maureen McHugh
I was wondering if "China Mountain" had anything to do with Zhongshan, which is Yatsen's name in Mandarin.
"Chancho...sometimes when you are a man...you wear stretchy pants...in your room...alone."
"Politics is never simple, like the sand chigger of Arrakis, one is rarely truly free of its bite."
Arrakeen is an unawakened ghola.
"Politics is never simple, like the sand chigger of Arrakis, one is rarely truly free of its bite."
Arrakeen is an unawakened ghola.
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Re: China Mountain Zhang, by Maureen McHugh
I believe that McHugh lived in China for some time. There are enormous amounts of information about Chinese culture and linguistics in this book, and a lot of speculation too, as its a future utopia/dystopia piece. But yes, that was the source of the name. People joked a few times about the main character having a name equivalent to "Sun Yat Smith" or "John Wayne Yang."
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!
-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)
The Omphalos Umbrella Page
-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)
The Omphalos Umbrella Page