#lavanya lakshminarayan

[literary-illuminati]

book recommendation: The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan. Dystopian SF set in nearish-future Bangalore about a society which sucks. It's not terribly subtle, but the form and craft is really interesting-- it's told through a series of linked vignettes, with no one character ever repeated, that slowly reveals more about how the society sucks.

Okay glancing at the marketing copy I see what you mean by not subtle but that does look pretty interesting and I do definitely want to read more SFF written outside the...okay at this point it's less 'the US' and more 'the Greater Tor Publishing cultural bubble'. But either way, fits the bill! So added to the list, thanks.

[dr-archeville]

There’s a long-standing tradition in the arts, whether it’s literature, film, music, or all pop culture in general: every once in a while, someone comes along and proclaims a genre irrevocably dead. The jury’s been out on cyberpunk for decades.

I’m a woman writer of color from India, something that sits completely at odds with all the canonical cyberpunk I’ve ever read, and I’m here to tell you why the genre has never been more alive.

---

[tigger8900]

The Ten Percent Thief, by Lavanya Lakshminarayan

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

In a far-future city once known as Bangalore — now Apex City — the algorithmic Bell Curve governs everything. Each citizen receives an equal evaluation, being scored upon dozens, perhaps hundreds, of productivity metrics. As the curve constantly re-evaluates the performance of the population, the top twenty percent are allowed to retain their life of luxury, while the unfortunate bottom ten percent will themselves cut off from technology, forced to live an Analog life in the city's outskirts. But when the ten percenters begin to plan a revolution, even the all-powerful Bell Curve might not be able to save the twenty percent from consequences.

I thoroughly enjoyed this corporate dystopia. I thought the algorithm was scarily plausible, reminiscent of ideas such as social credit scores that we've already seen play out. Of course the fusion with a caste system puts a new spin on the concept, sorting people neatly into a firm hierarchy while — in theory — allowing them the fair opportunity to earn a better life for themselves. What makes it scary is I can imagine someone proposing a system much like this, genuinely thinking it's a good idea.

I didn't realize this was a mosaic novel when I picked it up, but the format worked incredibly well for the story being told. Most of the stories connect to each other, whether sharing characters or setting up a situation that's later revisited. Those that don't largely serve to set the scene, demonstrating the status quo that the plot aims to tear down. I'm someone who views the setting of a good SF/F novel almost as a character in its own right, so I loved reading those. If you're more interested in the list of recurring characters or the plot playing out, you might find those chapters to be tedious.

This was the best dystopian novel I've read in quite some time. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on what else Lavanya Lakshminarayan might put out in the future!

[katefathers]

The Starburst Magazine website is back in action, which means my review of The Ten Percent Thief is up! I could write whole essays about this book.

And if you’re interested in my other online book reviews (written during my Tumblr break), you can find them here: What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo and Even Greater Mistakes by Charlie Jane Anders

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Moral Hazard

Today on my podcast, I read my short story "Moral Hazard," a madcap tale of fintech, inequality, finance bros, Wyoming, homelessness and bailouts. It's from "Communications Breakdown," a new anthology from MIT Press, edited by Jonathan Strahan, with stories from Elizabeth Bear, S.B. Divya, Chris Gilliard, Lavanya Lakshminarayan, Ken Macleod, Tim Maughan, Ian McDonald, Anil Menon, Premee Mohamed, and Shiv Ramdas.

Episode:

https://craphound.com/stories/2023/11/12/moral-hazard-from-communications-breakdown/

MP3:

https://archive.org/download/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_455/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_455_-_Moral_Hazard.mp3

Anthology:

https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262546461/communications-breakdown/

I know exactly where I was the day I decided to give every homeless person in America their own LLC. I was in the southeast corner of the sprawling homeless camp that had once been Seattle’s Discovery Park on a rare, dry February afternoon. The sun was weak but so welcome. After weeks of sheltering in our tents and squelching through the mud and getting drenched waiting for the portas, we were finally able to break out the folding chairs and enjoy each other’s company. Mike the Bike had coffee. He always did. Mike knew more ways to make coffee than any fancy barista. He had a master’s in chemical engineering and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and when he was high he spent every second of the buzz thinking of new ways to combine heat and water and solids to produce a perfect brew. I brought trail mix, which I mixed up myself with food-bank supplies and spices I bought from the bulk place for pennies. My secret is cardamom and a little chili powder. I learned that from my Mom. “Trish,” Mike the Bike said, “I wish I was a corporation.”

[sobreiromecanico]

No correio (41)

Em Março, a propósito do falecimento precoce de Akira Toriyama (68 anos - a idade dos meus pais - é ainda algo cedo), decidi finalmente aventurar-me a ler Dragon Ball, a icónica banda desenhada que se tornou num fenómeno mundial também - sobretudo? - devido à adaptação para série televisiva. Tenho andado a comprar e ler os livros desde então, e com gosto - é uma história divertíssima, e muito bem ilustrada. Logo falarei dela com mais detalhe num destes dias, agora que já chegaram os dois últimos livros da série original.

Ainda não decidi se lerei também Dragon Ball Z, mas mesmo que lá chegue, não será para já.

Chegou-me também hoje este Deep Dream: Science Fiction Exploring the Future of Art, uma antologia editada por Indrapramit Das para a MIT Press que reúne contos originais de autores de fantasia e ficção científica aclamados, como Vajra Chandrasekera, Aliette de Bodard, Lavanya Lakshminarayan, Wole Talabi, Lavie Thidar e Bruce Sterling, entre outros. Alguns destes autores já li, e aprecio; outros ando para descobrir, pelo que vou aproveitar o pretexto.

[ibboard]

Cyberpunk Is Alive, Evolving and More Relevant Than Ever

Closes as an advert for the author's new #Cyberpunk book. But also very true and relevant about classic Cyberpunk, #representation and which voices we hear.

[ryttu3k]

Was tagged by @surreealism, take if you wish!

Last Song: Currently playing is Måneskin - La Fine. Astonishing ;)

Favourite colour: This really specific shade of orangey-yellow.

Currently watching: Gardening Australia? The most recent season of The Great Canadian Baking Show? Honestly I don't watch a lot of TV or ongoing series, haha.

Last movie: jfc I think it was Detective Pikachu.

Currently reading: Just finished The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan. Not sure what's up next, I'll have to go through my TBR.

Sweet/spicy/savoury: I do have a sweet tooth, but I tend to gravitate more towards salty/savoury/crunchy than anything else.

Last thing I googled: 'bg3 investigate fireworks not ending'. I found out what they were doing, I did what I was meant to do, why is the quest marker still active :(

Current obsession: I apologise to everyone who wasn't expecting me to turn into a Baldur's Gate 3 blog. Those illithid brainworms, man.

Currently working on: Post-Cazador fic. Astarion has trouble coping, his friends try to help.

[maryrobinette]

My Favorite Bit: Lavanya Lakshminarayan Talks About THE TEN PERCENT THIEF

Lavanya Lakshminarayan is joining us today to talk about [pronoun] novel, book name. Here’s the publisher’s description: Welcome to Apex City, formerly Bangalore, one of the last bastions of civilization in a world ravaged by climate change. Governed by an insidious corporation, everything is decided by the mathematically precise Bell Curve. With optimal productivity, and the right image and…

[taylor-its-me]

ARC Review: " Interstellar Megachef" by Lavanya Lakshminarayan. Sapphics in space, food & adorable friendships! 🤖🪐🥞

Listen, listen! I have perhaps read 10 sci-fi novels in all of my life (and I think some of them were all the Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, because of my boyfriend) and it has never been my genre. However, something propelled me hard and fast towards “Interstellar MegaChef” and I was ecstatic when I got it.Was it the huge doughnut on the cover? Perhaps! Was it the intriguing female centricity…

[wildardsfansite]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/04/07/glenn-taylor-lavanya-lakshminarayan-lee-mandelo/

[some-weird-queer-writer]

Hello! I have many suggestions!! Enjoy!

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (the epitome of Dark Academia fantasy)

A Psalm for the Wild-Built (& sequel a Prayer for the Crown Shy) by Becky Chambers (fantasy/sci-fi, nonbinary mc and robot mc, technology became sentient and said they didn't want to work with humans)

Poor Deer by Clair Oshetsky (fantasy/mystery?? For sure one of the most different books I've read)

We Won't Be Here Tomorrow: and Other Stories by Margaret Killjoy (one of the most wild collections I've ever read for sure. Was a trip to be reading this while sitting beside my Very Catholic Republican grandmother ngl)

A House with Good Bones by T Kingfisher (mystery/fantasy, very confusing book but was very entertaining)

Stealing Thunder (fantasy adventure lgbtq+ (can't remember if this one is YA or not))

From my TBR that are worth noting:

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (fantasy sci fi queer adventure)

Walk the Vanished Earth by Erin Swan

The Gathering Dark edited by Tori Bovalino (anthology of folk horror)

The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan (fantasy adventure future society - seems Arcane: LoL -ish in some ways :) )

Hope this helps!

Help !! I need book reccs!

I’ve recently got access to Libby and other library services, and I really want to start listening to more audiobooks!

Here’s some books I have read that I do enjoy, and maybe that will help?

The Secret History ; It’s the OG and undefeated dark academia book lol

Based on a True Story ; I love adult women crimes

Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep ; idk it was a good time, I like sci fi

Dragonflight / Dragonriders of Pern ; I heard there’s a benevolent AI in the later books and also like long forgotten human tech and that’s my fave thing

Yellowface ; I work in publishing i just enjoyed it, it was like reading industry drama

Circe ; it described a femininity I have never experienced but was so good

Dracula ; look we all love it actually

The Moth Diaries ; it’s good I love an obsessed and unreliable narrator

The Ace of Spades: I do read a lot of YA for work but this one with a focus away from romance and two incredibly compelling leads is just really good 😭

( I don’t read much!! )

Specific genres/ things!!:

Adult / mostly adult characters

Contemporary

Dark academia

Mystery / thriller

Sci Fi / cyberpunk, or near future

Fantasy (any, I’m open!!)

Worlds that involve long forgotten and recently rediscovered technologically advanced civilisations

Secret societies, cults and sacrificial lambs

I of course generally prefer books that center women, poc & lgbtq characters!!

Thank you u_u feel free to send me asks or replies!!

[theamazingstories]

Time Machine: April 2, 2023

AMAZING NEWS FROM FANDOM: April 2, 2023 Book Excerpt: Blood Red Steel by Damien Larkin BOOK REVIEW: Melinda West, MONSTER GUNSLINGER The Big Idea: Lavanya Lakshminarayan On writing audio – Action sequences – by Julian Simpson Breaking News – New STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY Show Begins Production in 2024 at Paramount+ New Releases in Science Fiction/Fantasy/Paranormal Romance for MARCH…

[katherinecrighton]

Upcoming appearance: Apex Magazine's "Happy Hour" livestream

Upcoming appearance: Apex Magazine’s “Happy Hour” livestream

So remember “DEMON FIGHTER SUCKS,” my fantasy-horror short story set during a livestream? WELL OH DANG: In celebration of the Apex Magazine 2021 limited edition anthology — coming out December 20th with all new afterwards for each story — come listen to chief editors Jason Sizemore and Lesley Conner talk to me and my fellow authors Carson Winter (“In Haskins”) and Lavanya Lakshminarayan…

[sobreiromecanico]

No correio (32)

Dia de livros novos é sempre um bom dia. Continuaremos pelo Verão a ler Dragon Ball de Akira Toriyama. E se este The Ten Percent Thief de Lavanya Lakshminarayan, nomeado ao Prémio Arthur C. Clarke Award deste ano, tivesse chegado um ou dois dias mais cedo, talvez lhe pegasse já. Assim, como entretanto fui à vasta pila de TBR e já comecei uma nova leitura, terá de esperar um pouco mais.