Runtime

If you’re looking for a fun, bite-sized book snack in between larger reads then look no further - S.B Divya’s Runtime is the literary doughnut you are hankering for.It’s small, satisfying, and occasionally a little too sweet, but this novella goes down very, very easily.Divya sets her story in a convincing American dystopia, where citizens are classed on whether they are native born and registered (in which case they get access to health, education, etc.) or unregistered, in which case the [...]

Divya paints a very interesting world with a few strokes. Through the eyes of Marmeg, we see the raging social inequalities held in place, surprisingly by both sides. Dualities seem to be everywhere: people benefiting from the system and those who don't, people with exoskeletons and opting for a neutral gender and those firm against any technology. In fact, most characters in this novella see things one way or the other, black or white, and this is where Marmeg shines in her refusal to follow th [...]

A terrific little novella with elements of human cyber-enhancement and the lived experience of being an illegal immigrant in the US. Marmeg is of Filipino descent and living as an unlicensed person in the US like most of her family. In this US of the future you need a citizen license to access any of society's infrastructure and it costs a lot of money to get one. (A background piece early on shows politicians trying to make it more expensive). She's under huge pressure from her mother to give u [...]

I read all of Tor’s novellas, which is a good thing because I otherwise might have missed out on this gem by S.B. Divya. I would never have picked up a story about a cyborg endurance race on my own, but I’m glad I read this one. Runtime is a marvel of world building and character portraiture wrapped around a perfectly executed straightforward plot and just the right amount of smart-but-not-overbearing social commentary. It’s a near-perfect use of the novella length, and I cannot wait to se [...]

There's some interesting stuff in this novella, but it felt underdeveloped. It never caught fire, and so often didn't fulfill its promise. Certain things are given a cursory nod, when it would have been great to hear/read more.

I received a signed copy of this novella from the author during Nebula Weekend.Divya's novella is fine scifi: an underdog tale of a cross-country runner with an exoskeleton built out of scrap parts. Marmeg is a heroine you can truly root for, someone who works with black market goods out of necessity to survive, but keeps her eyes on the prize of college and a better life beyond. The world-building here is really something. This is a future America with frequent body modifications and an unsettl [...]

I received this as an egalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.This was a pretty interesting story of a young woman entering a race (using an exoskeleton suit), hoping to win and use the prize money to better her life and her family's. It tackles some ethical questions about cheating and doing the right thing even when it means it might hurt you.It was enjoyable and I thought the use of language was strong, but the story didn't go as deep as I wanted it to. I would love to rea [...]

Small book about the US having a caste system and one woman's attempt to get out of hers. Kind of heart breaking toward the end with a nice HEA (happy every after).

Well, fuck me. This was way too short. I was loving this and digging this world and so ready for what was going on with gender and then it stopped. Apparently this was just a novella. Damn. But regardless, this was excellent. Loved the setting, loved the shit about immigrants and naturals and citizens, loved the gender stuff. Want more, please.

The main character is born in a no-win situation, attempts to escape to a maybe-win situation, is trapped in another probably-win situation (it just requires giving up their ethics) by situations beyond their control, and chooses to lose for the sake of their ethics. And thus, wins. It's also a fun and interesting piece of SF, with registered citizens having all the benefits of the future, our character's family having almost none, and the determined struggle to get to the point where they can h [...]

This was a pretty quick read and tangled with some neat topics around body modification, ~cyborgs~, gender, and doing the wrong things for the right reasons. I really loved Marmeg. I wanted this to be longer, tho! Ah, Tor novellas, you're really digging in on that "always leave them wanting more" shtick. Fangirl Happy Hour discussion: fangirlhappyhour/2016/

Full review coming. Rock-solid 3.5 stars. Divya's story takes the hackneyed premise so common to the YA dystopian genre (have-not partakes in a grueling competition to better her and her family's mobility) and actually uses it for the purpose of meaningful cultural commentary.

Listen to me ramble about exoskeleton suits, a cyborg adventure race, and the consequences to winning a race no matter the cost or means to do so. youtube/watch?v=6320M

How this is a nominee for a Nebula makes we shake my head till dizzy. Great basic idea, weak execution, glaring unresolved plot points and a surprisingly wasted ending. There are better novellas written that deserve their nominations.

S.B. Divya’s RUNTIME is a superb old-school cyberpunk novella with a vital and youthful energy about it. Following the story of Marmeg, a young runner entered into the Minerva Sierra Challenge, a teched-up mud run of sorts, it’s a fresh take on a suddenly booming sub-genre that tips its hat to classics such as BLADE RUNNER, ROLLERBALL, THE RUNNING MAN and just about every must-see anime out there.For me, a good scifi story is one that draws you into its world immediately without hitting you [...]

The tor novellas have generally been an interesting bunch, and Runtime definitely adds to the mix. There’s a lot of background stuff which I find really intriguing: the society, the genderless/third gender (it’s not entirely clear what this should be considered as), the tech… The idea of what amounts to a caste system in America is pretty topical, given the attitude to immigrants at the moment, and it doesn’t feel that far off or strange.The story itself is relatively simple: Marmeg, the [...]

Cybernetic body-modifications combined with extreme endurance racing in an America that's taken a jackhammer to birthright citizenship. While the story is appropriately novella-sized, it felt undercooked, and there were more than a couple cliches clunking around. There was a lot of thematic interestingness and societal questions to chew over, however, and Divya's skillful at doling out her multi-faceted worldbuilding while keeping the plot moving forward. I also quite enjoyed her setting descrip [...]

Frustrating right from the start. Great concept but perhaps the novella is not the right format for world building.

4.25 STARS

An upbeat YA underdog story from a future where people race with prosthetically enhanced bodies. Poor teen from wrong side of tracks with gift for hacking mods risks her tuition fund on the big race. Moves along at a brisk pace with likable heroine.

Marmeg Guinto is going to take on the Minerva Sierra Challenge, her mother be damned, the public be damned, everyone be damned. It's a dangerous race, but she's pulled enough cybernetic enhancements out of the trash to give it a shot. Now it's a matter of how far she'll go to win that sweet, sweet prize money that can take her (and her family) to a brighter future.S.B. Divya portrays a futuristic society with social stratifications and bodymod-based prejudices and a commonly accepted (but not en [...]

I just finished reading this after acquiring an uncorrected proof copy whilst at Mancunicon (The 2016 British Eastercon) from the freebie table. I'll re-read the finished/final version upon its release and revisit this review at that time.That being said and being put out there, I really, really enjoyed this novella.(view spoiler)[Runtime is set in a future where humans routinely enhance their physical bodies and senses with embedded (inside the body) and external techs. It follows the trail of [...]

"Runtime" by S.B. Divya is concise, well-paced work which is jammed pack full of some amazing writing. The writing is crisp and, for lack better word, utterly "clean". By that I mean the narrative structure, descriptive scenes, dialogue and overall writing is just right, Goldilocks-style. Divya has a genuine talent, from start to finish, of providing the reader just enough information to understand what is occurring in the story as well as imparting critical information without resorting to awkw [...]

This book was provided by the publisher at no cost.Things I liked about this story:Technology was not at an end. It's a small thing, but often stories set "tomorrow" forget that technology keeps developing. There's a line in here about consumer tech not being ready for something but it soon would be - and I was very happy to read that.The family relationships were complex and largely believable.Struggling against a new class system that is completely rigged against you.Enhanced ultra marathons.T [...]

3.5/5.0

An enjoyable, quick read with a lot of really interesting ideas, so much so that I couldn't help but wishing the author had fleshed some of them out a bit more and made it into a full-blown novel instead of a novella.Set in a near-future, near-dystopic California, there are a lot of fascinating and thought-provoking themes at play. There's an American caste system in which citizens have to be licensed to receive an education or social services. There's a myriad of moral quandaries that the prota [...]

First Line:“The wall behind Marmeg thrummed with the muffled impact of bass beats.”Runtime was a finalist for the best Novella in the Nebulas this year. It takes place in the far future where immigrants are given scarcely any, if any, rights. Marmeg, is in a position where her only option for livelihood is becoming a nurse at an old age home but she dreams of racing instead. (view spoiler)[The Good: Despite the clunky dialogue - I think Divya did a good job with crafting slang terms.Marmeg - [...]

The main character, Marmeg, is engaging and sympathetic. The worldbuilding is so smart, with polarizations oriented not towards 'left' and 'right' but closer to 'future' and 'past.' It makes a lot of sense in light of the new technologies available in this society. There are lots of crunchy details to mull over. Especially Marmeg's family life, and her aspirations for an education and beyond, feel real and affecting. To me, the text echoed Jack London in its love for the natural world, its atten [...]

Sci-fi with something to sayRUNTIME is the perfect kind of science fiction for me. First off, it's entertaining. I'm fascinated by endurance racing, and Divya has a fully-immersive world to play with. Second, and more importantly, the author expands our own world with a vision of the future that seems absolutely inevitable. RUNTIME feels like glimpse into the future. It has its problems, its prejudices, its social hierarchy, and it has betrayals, decisions, and compromises . . . but it also has [...]

In a future where America’s class system is even more stratified, Marmeg Guinto is determined to run in the Minerva Sierra Challenge, a day-long race across the Sierra Nevada where all the contestants have cybernetic enhancements. But most of the contestants also have the newest gear and corporate sponsorships. Marmeg has none of these. She’s racing in the gear she savaged from rich people’s trash and with the money her mother wants her to use for a nursing program. Racing is her dream, an [...]