Hmm. Let me guess. The draw to this book is that there's a golem and a djinni, right?
That's a part of why I picked it up. Chava is a golem who's left without a master in 19th century New York; Ahmad's a djinni released by accident from his lamp. I did really like the idea of getting to see those pieces of folklore get some quality page time.
Did?
I did enjoy that. But it wasn't the best part of the book. The best part of The Golem and the Djinni was the detailed, wondrous depiction of historic New York; the fascinating cast of side characters, all vibrant and alive; and the relationship between two very different people who just happen to be supernatural creatures. In short, it was just the way Helen Wecker writes. She filled this book with little details of the best sort and in doing so made reading it an absolute joy.
That I place the fantasy elements second isn't much of a criticism at all, although I must admit there's a hint of one. The fantasy covered this story like sugar on a donut, but I found myself wishing there'd been some filling as well. Ultimately, I found Chava and Ahmad a little too de-mythologised (I hope that's actually a word of some time). The sense of the fantastic found in some of the other characters, the humans who brush up against them are and permanently marked, was exactly what I wanted but there wasn't enough of it. That's a matter of purely subjective taste though. Wecker being a fine writer and a meticulous observer is far less so.
And did you turn to the back at any point?
Yes. Exactly halfway through. The middle of the book is very heavy on the contemplation and slow step-by-step showing of connection made between Chava and Ahmad. There was a point where I wondered whether the resolution would be worth it, or whether I should simply say "Awesome scene writer, read until I got bored, enjoyed everything up until that".
I'm very glad I did stick with it though. The ending is grandiose, tense, creepy and contains all the fantasy I'd been desiring. It also seemed to do a very neat job of bringing together some of the themes about freedom and power dynamics together. Speaking of the theme
Can I stop you? This is almost a concise review, you know.
Speaking of the theme, the whole thing about freedom is a very, very obvious one given the folklore behind golems and djinnis. Wecker doesn't just tell it through Chava and Ahmad though, but also through her supporting cast, particularly Anna. And she does so quietly but clearly, in ways that always feel like natural choices for the characters. The Golem and the Djinni would make a good book for teenagers to study in that respect.
Summary time please
This is not a perfect book. Some of my complaints are made of the purest type of picky; but when it comes to things like the pacing I know I'm not alone. It is a very good example of its type though. It is lucid, gently funny, warm, yet poignant and sharp when needful. It will delight people who love detailed depictions of historic cultures and close character study, and probably persuade a few that they love that sort of thing when they didn't know it.
There is a scene where Ahmad produces a piece of art that takes people a while to figure out, but stuns them when they realise what and how detailed and alive it is. What Ahmad did with his art, Helene Wecker has done with this book. I look forwards to many more.
Tuesday, 27 August 2019
Saturday, 24 August 2019
The Futures Women Spin: Interviews with the Distaff Authors part 3
The Distaff anthology had its formal launch last night, so now seems like a good time to post up the last set of interviews. Thanks again to the authors - I've enjoyed reading their answers almost as much as reading their stories.
First up is Rosie Oliver, author of many a short story and editor/publisher of SFerics 2017anthology - and one of Distaff's editors too
1) This anthology came about from you all being members of the SFFChronicles forums. What brought you to the community and what does being part of it mean to you?
RO: Its welcoming friendliness for all things science fictional! I can let my geeky hair down without having to apologise and do truly experimental science fiction without being ridiculed for being outlandish (who else would write stories from a robo-cat’s point of view?).
2) Of course, Distaff isn't just about Chrons, its about celebrating the many female writers who are part of it. When people talking about "Women in SFF", what do you think of?
RO: Sadly, the lack of female science fiction writers. At the sciency end of science fiction, it seems publishers get about one in five submissions from ladies. At the fantasy end, it is more like one in three. The reasons for this are complex and interwoven, and extend to other science-based areas of life.
This is why I was so happy to see Distaff grow out of a few comments posted on SFFChronicles – it goes a little way to help redress the balance.
3) Onto the stories! Where did the idea for your particular contribution come from?
RO: Which idea are we talking about there? I have quite a few in my contribution.
I suppose it’s fair to say my story grew out of my fascination of the Ice Hotel in the Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi. What could I do with the ice? Could I make a few tweaks out of it to solve problems? What are the incidental consequences? By the time I started typing, I was in avalanche of ideas from which to pick out a suitable story line.
4) Finally a question just for funsies - if you could be any female character in SFF, befriend any female character in SFF, and get to bring righteous retribution of your choice for any female character in SFF, which three would you pick?
RO: Being a science fiction author I have the wonderful luxury of writing about lady characters I would like to be! Of my published ladies, Nikita, a female robo-cat with taser whiskers! My favourite, as yet unpublished, lady is Paola Osmanski, a Service space pilot with some unusual attributes that I haven’t read about anywhere else in the genre. If I have to go for a lady written by another author, I would pick Rowan by Anne McCaffrey. She has some real backbone in her character!
Female characters I would like to be friends with? Private Investigator Alma in Adam Roberts’ duology, Real Town Murders and By the Pricking of her Thumb. I wouldn’t want her hellish lifestyle, but would certainly enjoy joining her on her bizarre investigations – fits in with my warped sense of humour.
As to which women I would like to act as their Nemesis? Any woman who is in the story just to give a male protagonist some kudos! Such wimps! They annoy me intensely. Real women are not like that at all!
Rosie's not one for fence sitting! And hurrah for more Anne McCaffrey love. If you want to find out more about Rosie's writing, or ways to contact her and convince her to turn her story into a series, visit here website here
Now for EJ Tett, author of Otherworld, Shuttered, and more books than I can conveniently mention right now
1) This anthology came about from you all being members of the SFFChronicles forums. What brought you to the community and what does being part of it mean to you?
ET: Well, I joined the forum in 2006 and I can't remember that far back to know what brought me there! I love being part of the community though, the members are great - really knowledgeable and helpful. I've met several members in person, and made really good, close friends with people who I've never met at all (although we plan on meeting up at some point).
2) Of course, Distaff isn't just about Chrons, its about celebrating the many female writers who are part of it. When people talking about "Women in SFF", what do you think of?
First up is Rosie Oliver, author of many a short story and editor/publisher of SFerics 2017anthology - and one of Distaff's editors too
1) This anthology came about from you all being members of the SFFChronicles forums. What brought you to the community and what does being part of it mean to you?
RO: Its welcoming friendliness for all things science fictional! I can let my geeky hair down without having to apologise and do truly experimental science fiction without being ridiculed for being outlandish (who else would write stories from a robo-cat’s point of view?).
2) Of course, Distaff isn't just about Chrons, its about celebrating the many female writers who are part of it. When people talking about "Women in SFF", what do you think of?
RO: Sadly, the lack of female science fiction writers. At the sciency end of science fiction, it seems publishers get about one in five submissions from ladies. At the fantasy end, it is more like one in three. The reasons for this are complex and interwoven, and extend to other science-based areas of life.
This is why I was so happy to see Distaff grow out of a few comments posted on SFFChronicles – it goes a little way to help redress the balance.
3) Onto the stories! Where did the idea for your particular contribution come from?
RO: Which idea are we talking about there? I have quite a few in my contribution.
I suppose it’s fair to say my story grew out of my fascination of the Ice Hotel in the Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi. What could I do with the ice? Could I make a few tweaks out of it to solve problems? What are the incidental consequences? By the time I started typing, I was in avalanche of ideas from which to pick out a suitable story line.
4) Finally a question just for funsies - if you could be any female character in SFF, befriend any female character in SFF, and get to bring righteous retribution of your choice for any female character in SFF, which three would you pick?
RO: Being a science fiction author I have the wonderful luxury of writing about lady characters I would like to be! Of my published ladies, Nikita, a female robo-cat with taser whiskers! My favourite, as yet unpublished, lady is Paola Osmanski, a Service space pilot with some unusual attributes that I haven’t read about anywhere else in the genre. If I have to go for a lady written by another author, I would pick Rowan by Anne McCaffrey. She has some real backbone in her character!
Female characters I would like to be friends with? Private Investigator Alma in Adam Roberts’ duology, Real Town Murders and By the Pricking of her Thumb. I wouldn’t want her hellish lifestyle, but would certainly enjoy joining her on her bizarre investigations – fits in with my warped sense of humour.
As to which women I would like to act as their Nemesis? Any woman who is in the story just to give a male protagonist some kudos! Such wimps! They annoy me intensely. Real women are not like that at all!
Rosie's not one for fence sitting! And hurrah for more Anne McCaffrey love. If you want to find out more about Rosie's writing, or ways to contact her and convince her to turn her story into a series, visit here website here
Now for EJ Tett, author of Otherworld, Shuttered, and more books than I can conveniently mention right now
1) This anthology came about from you all being members of the SFFChronicles forums. What brought you to the community and what does being part of it mean to you?
ET: Well, I joined the forum in 2006 and I can't remember that far back to know what brought me there! I love being part of the community though, the members are great - really knowledgeable and helpful. I've met several members in person, and made really good, close friends with people who I've never met at all (although we plan on meeting up at some point).
2) Of course, Distaff isn't just about Chrons, its about celebrating the many female writers who are part of it. When people talking about "Women in SFF", what do you think of?
ET: To be honest, there's so few 'women in SFF' that I struggle to think of anything. I guess I think there needs to be more women in SFF!
3) Onto the stories! Where did the idea for your particular contribution come from?
3) Onto the stories! Where did the idea for your particular contribution come from?
ET: I had a short story published in Mischief Corner Books online magazine. That story was called 'Athanasia' and was about a spaceship janitor called Silver who discovered that the spaceship she cleaned toilets on was actually alive and in love with her. 'Holo-Sweet' is a really a follow-on story to that, though it stands on its own.
4) Finally a question just for funsies - if you could be any female character in SFF, befriend any female character in SFF, and get to bring righteous retribution of your choice for any female character in SFF, which three would you pick?
4) Finally a question just for funsies - if you could be any female character in SFF, befriend any female character in SFF, and get to bring righteous retribution of your choice for any female character in SFF, which three would you pick?
ET: If I can be any character it would be Aeryn Sun from Farscape because she's complex and badass. She's one of my all time favourite characters in anything ever, let alone a favourite female character, or favourite sff character. If I could befriend anyone it would be Anya from Buffy the Vampire Slayer because she's hilarious and honest and an ex-demon. As for bringing righteous retribution, I don't think there's a female character I dislike enough!
Might have to try that Athanasia and see where Silver's story started. To find out more about EJ Tett's writing, visit her website here
And to close it all out, Jo Zebedee, author of the Abendau trilogy, Inish Carraig, and a few other bits and bobs
Might have to try that Athanasia and see where Silver's story started. To find out more about EJ Tett's writing, visit her website here
And to close it all out, Jo Zebedee, author of the Abendau trilogy, Inish Carraig, and a few other bits and bobs
1) This anthology came about from you all being members of the SFFChronicles forums. What brought you to the community and what does being part of it mean to you?
JZ: I came here for the critiques! It was my first ever forum experience and I thought I’d stay for 30 posts, get told I was a writing genius, and go home. Eight years and nearly 17000 posts later I’m still here.
I like that I know most people here and that many of them are now friends. I also like that it’s less cliquey than many of the sff forums I drop in and out of and much much less of a bearpit.
2) Of course, Distaff isn't just about Chrons, its about celebrating the many female writers who are part of it. When people talking about "Women in SFF", what do you think of?
JZ: I think I shouldn’t be thinking anything - that it should be perfectly normal to have women in the genre. It’s a big genre - there’s room for all of us. In terms of writers I think of, people like Pat Cadigan are heroes to me, as well as Lois McMaster Bujold.
3) Onto the stories! Where did the idea for your particular contribution come from?
JZ: Well I normally don’t do well working to a brief but this time I actually managed a pure sci fi story as directed! I have two points of view in mine and it was the AIs view that came first and was almost mythological in its feel. Which led to be want to explore the myth behind it and to de-mythologise it. I’m convinced most of the myths we know involve people who were as boring as paint drying. Once I knitted both strands together it then changed the AIs story too, which is always fun when that happens.
4) Finally a question just for funsies - if you could be any female character in SFF, befriend any female character in SFF, and get to bring righteous retribution of your choice for any female character in SFF, which three would you pick?
JZ: Oooh, 1 and 3 might be the same answer! But no, let’s see...
I would be Servalan in Blake’s Seven (tempting to say Barbarella, actually). Maximum power! Who could resist?
I would befriend Cordelia Vorkosigan cos she is smart, funny and insightful. Although Max from the St Mary Chronicles also appeals. The chaos she causes would be huge fun to watch.
Retribution - for me it’s on one of my own characters: the Empress in Abendau. She hurt a lot of characters who I love. She ruined more than one. Yep. She’s the one.
JZ: I came here for the critiques! It was my first ever forum experience and I thought I’d stay for 30 posts, get told I was a writing genius, and go home. Eight years and nearly 17000 posts later I’m still here.
I like that I know most people here and that many of them are now friends. I also like that it’s less cliquey than many of the sff forums I drop in and out of and much much less of a bearpit.
2) Of course, Distaff isn't just about Chrons, its about celebrating the many female writers who are part of it. When people talking about "Women in SFF", what do you think of?
JZ: I think I shouldn’t be thinking anything - that it should be perfectly normal to have women in the genre. It’s a big genre - there’s room for all of us. In terms of writers I think of, people like Pat Cadigan are heroes to me, as well as Lois McMaster Bujold.
3) Onto the stories! Where did the idea for your particular contribution come from?
JZ: Well I normally don’t do well working to a brief but this time I actually managed a pure sci fi story as directed! I have two points of view in mine and it was the AIs view that came first and was almost mythological in its feel. Which led to be want to explore the myth behind it and to de-mythologise it. I’m convinced most of the myths we know involve people who were as boring as paint drying. Once I knitted both strands together it then changed the AIs story too, which is always fun when that happens.
4) Finally a question just for funsies - if you could be any female character in SFF, befriend any female character in SFF, and get to bring righteous retribution of your choice for any female character in SFF, which three would you pick?
JZ: Oooh, 1 and 3 might be the same answer! But no, let’s see...
I would be Servalan in Blake’s Seven (tempting to say Barbarella, actually). Maximum power! Who could resist?
I would befriend Cordelia Vorkosigan cos she is smart, funny and insightful. Although Max from the St Mary Chronicles also appeals. The chaos she causes would be huge fun to watch.
Retribution - for me it’s on one of my own characters: the Empress in Abendau. She hurt a lot of characters who I love. She ruined more than one. Yep. She’s the one.
I think technically Jo does kinda get retribution on the Empress. To find out more about Jo's work, visit her site here
Friday, 23 August 2019
Five Friday Fantasy Thoughts
1) My twitter was pretty much non-stop Worldcon over the last week or so, which has introduced me to new and wonderful heights of FOMO. It also meant I saw a decent amount about Jeannette Ng's acceptance speech (and congratulations to her!). Now you can agree with it. You can disagree with it. But the one thing that I think any logical being should accept is that in any award named after a person with outspoken political views, having your own political views is fair game. And the amusing thing is that I - and probably a few others - wouldn't have seen about Campbell's political views if it wasn't for the pushback against Ng's speech. I wouldn't be utterly surprised if within a few years, the exposure they just got leads to a push to get the award renamed. Some things get stronger for being attacked; I think Ng's argument is one of them. If that helps lead the community further towards being a place where people can just do their thing and be themselves without censure, then that'd be a fine thing indeed.
2) Speaking of congratulations, congratulations to Edward Cox on the release of The Song of the Sycamore. I reviewed The Relic Guild here a little ago and really liked the world he created and admired the ideas he came up with. Having just read the blurb (yes, I know, behind), it looks like that was just him getting warmed up because the idea of a possessed corpse turned into a reluctant assassin is super intriguing. Incidentally, apropos of nothing, I now know why so many of my fellow fans complain of huge TBR piles.
3) While I'm busy admiring authors - the first bits and pieces about "How To Lose The Time War" seem to be dribbling out there. I remember being excited when I first heard about it, because it sounded mind-bending and Max Gladstone is probably in my top three for "living authors I trust most to nail whatever they do". Ventureadlaxre's review made me more excited. Then I found Amal El-Mohtar had decided to write a pastiche of Hamilton's Satisfied to fit one of the characters and well, uhm, it's like Ben Franklin with a key and a kite (you see it right?).
And now I'm less excited and more considering just writing a five star review for it sight unseen. Pretty sure that'd kill my credibility as a reviewer but hey, can't lose what you never had.
4) Continuing with the music theme - I've spent the day pretty much non-stop listening to James' Getting Away With It (All Messed Up). I think the only time I wasn't listening to it was me and my wife's in bed Hamilton sing along actually. It's driving and melancholic and the double meaning of the lyrics in terms of that celebrating that mad chaotic lifestyle and giving thanks for the fact that we can find succour from it is just what my mind needs right now. I was looking up trivia about the song and realised there was a third meaning as well - it's a simple story about a guy who saves a girl and in doing so saves himself. For some reason, the double meaning of "Daniel's saving grace" never occurred to me. Yes, I know, I am a simpleton. But I love this sort of repetition and wordplay. Obviously it's a lot harder to get it into a long novel than it is a short song, but you can do something like it. I think the best example is Joe Hill's Horns, with its numerous references to cherry in all its various meanings and connotations. I'm sure if I thought harder I could think of other such uses of word repetition to build not just recognising characters, but a sense of theme.
5) Last but not least - I literally just saw that Breaking The Glass Slipper had posted up a list of 100 underrated SFF books by authors using female pronouns. I opened it up, confident I'd be around 10 or so... I had one. One. And that, The Poppy War, is arguably pretty darn highly rated right now. It'd be higher if there'd been stuff by Kerr and Kurtz and so on as I was expecting, but the fact there's not is pretty awesome as that means so many more books for me to look at. So if anyone's looking for something to read this weekend, and they haven't been tempted by all the other things mentioned - there's got to be something there you'll like.
2) Speaking of congratulations, congratulations to Edward Cox on the release of The Song of the Sycamore. I reviewed The Relic Guild here a little ago and really liked the world he created and admired the ideas he came up with. Having just read the blurb (yes, I know, behind), it looks like that was just him getting warmed up because the idea of a possessed corpse turned into a reluctant assassin is super intriguing. Incidentally, apropos of nothing, I now know why so many of my fellow fans complain of huge TBR piles.
3) While I'm busy admiring authors - the first bits and pieces about "How To Lose The Time War" seem to be dribbling out there. I remember being excited when I first heard about it, because it sounded mind-bending and Max Gladstone is probably in my top three for "living authors I trust most to nail whatever they do". Ventureadlaxre's review made me more excited. Then I found Amal El-Mohtar had decided to write a pastiche of Hamilton's Satisfied to fit one of the characters and well, uhm, it's like Ben Franklin with a key and a kite (you see it right?).
And now I'm less excited and more considering just writing a five star review for it sight unseen. Pretty sure that'd kill my credibility as a reviewer but hey, can't lose what you never had.
4) Continuing with the music theme - I've spent the day pretty much non-stop listening to James' Getting Away With It (All Messed Up). I think the only time I wasn't listening to it was me and my wife's in bed Hamilton sing along actually. It's driving and melancholic and the double meaning of the lyrics in terms of that celebrating that mad chaotic lifestyle and giving thanks for the fact that we can find succour from it is just what my mind needs right now. I was looking up trivia about the song and realised there was a third meaning as well - it's a simple story about a guy who saves a girl and in doing so saves himself. For some reason, the double meaning of "Daniel's saving grace" never occurred to me. Yes, I know, I am a simpleton. But I love this sort of repetition and wordplay. Obviously it's a lot harder to get it into a long novel than it is a short song, but you can do something like it. I think the best example is Joe Hill's Horns, with its numerous references to cherry in all its various meanings and connotations. I'm sure if I thought harder I could think of other such uses of word repetition to build not just recognising characters, but a sense of theme.
5) Last but not least - I literally just saw that Breaking The Glass Slipper had posted up a list of 100 underrated SFF books by authors using female pronouns. I opened it up, confident I'd be around 10 or so... I had one. One. And that, The Poppy War, is arguably pretty darn highly rated right now. It'd be higher if there'd been stuff by Kerr and Kurtz and so on as I was expecting, but the fact there's not is pretty awesome as that means so many more books for me to look at. So if anyone's looking for something to read this weekend, and they haven't been tempted by all the other things mentioned - there's got to be something there you'll like.
Thursday, 22 August 2019
Forgotten Classic Review: The Serpentwar Saga by Raymond E Feist
When most people talk about Feist, they talk about Magician. A BBC survey had it as one of people's 100 favourite books a few years back. People are still picking it up and trying it nearly forty years later because of its reputation. A lot of people bounce off its old fashioned approach - it's not in close third or first, it's got an idealistic tone, it's slow to get to the action. It also has a few first time author flaws to it too. But for those who don't get put off by those things, Magician is a monumentally epic and ambitious story with a heart the size of the Pacific. No wonder people still love it.
After Magician, a lot of the talk is about how Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon lacked the same oomph. I like both books a lot but I totally understand why people say it. Magician is a mad as hell gonzo trip that was virtually unique at its time and even now. The other two could be any fantasy book.
And I think that's why people don't really talk about the Serpentwar Saga, when maybe its the best thing Feist did.
Shadow of a Dark Queen, the first book in the saga, starts in familiar enough fashion. There's two young boys from humble beginnings in a tiny town. From there, things take a left turn and instead of a quest, or adventures with the elves, Erik and Roo find themselves in the army, training for a probably suicidal mission to infiltrate the horde of said dark queen. I don't want to give away too many spoilers so I shall speak in generalities here; the Serpentwar Saga does have it's share of big showy magic, but most of its about war, politics, trade and being human. It takes this series a bit closer to Parker and Kay than it does to Brooks and Eddings; it's almost like a less extreme Wheel of Time in places.
A big part of what makes it for me is the relationship and differences between Erik and Roo. Best friends and fellows in not belonging, their lives take radically different approaches after their enlistment. Erik finds a place he belongs and a feeling of responsibility, and climbs the military's ranks. Roo by contrast sticks with his dream of getting rich and leaves to become a merchant. And while Erik's genial company to read about a war with, Roo is a gem. A self-aggrandising, unscrupulous, greedy and short of empathy gem. Seeing his cunning is fun - and Rise of a Merchant Prince is one of the very few fantasy books I've seen to concentrate on a merchant - but watching him try to make sense of his life, trying to find a sense of belonging and very slowly growing up while blunder into life's traps? Golden. And he's just vulnerable and moral enough for it to work. There's so few characters like Roo, and twinning his narrative with that of the super solid, ever conscientious Erik gives it the right light needed.
As for the rest of it? It has a fun supporting cast. My particular applause goes to Duke James, the closest thing to Vetinari outside of Discworld, and his grandsons James and Dashell, who sort of mirror the Erik-Roo contrast. It's rammed full of memorable scenes, particularly of the "ordinary person in the presence of superhuman prowess" and "moment of personal triumph/tragedy". They're not the absolute best I've ever read, but they more than satisfy. It casts a decent light on some of the forgotten in fantasy, its victims and everyday inhabitants; Helen Jacoby and Kitty are my favourite minor characters of that kind.
It is better written than the Riftwar too, and delves deeper into the characters' frustrations and hopes. I don't think this series is less idealistic than its predecessor, but it does admit that sometimes the idealists aren't and can't be where they need to be in terms of power. The nobles of the Riftwar Saga are, by and large, decent and reliable eggs. The nobles of the Serpentwar Saga aren't bad people, by and large, but they can't be trusted to put aside their egos and do what's needed. And the theme of responsibility vs ego is a fairly big one in here; it not only helps keep the disparate threads together, it adds a pleasing sense of tension and realism to the largely human concern based plot. And that's true of no one more than Roo.
After The Serpentwar Saga, Feist never really returned to this sort of story, going back to adventure plots, a focus on magicians other politics, and hugely gonzo world-hopping adventures. There's some good books there, but nothing I'd ever really recommend to somebody else.
It's a shame. This and the Empire trilogy (which deserves a review of its own) showed that Feist could really pull off this sort of Epic Fantasy - probably better than he did quest fantasy. He doesn't stand at the absolute pinnacle of this art form, with Jordan and Martin and Kay, but he stands close. I feel like there's probably people out there who have a soft spot for this sort of fantasy but who haven't heard of the Serpentwar Sage. Hopefully this corrects that and brings a few of those people some extra pleasure.
After Magician, a lot of the talk is about how Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon lacked the same oomph. I like both books a lot but I totally understand why people say it. Magician is a mad as hell gonzo trip that was virtually unique at its time and even now. The other two could be any fantasy book.
And I think that's why people don't really talk about the Serpentwar Saga, when maybe its the best thing Feist did.
Shadow of a Dark Queen, the first book in the saga, starts in familiar enough fashion. There's two young boys from humble beginnings in a tiny town. From there, things take a left turn and instead of a quest, or adventures with the elves, Erik and Roo find themselves in the army, training for a probably suicidal mission to infiltrate the horde of said dark queen. I don't want to give away too many spoilers so I shall speak in generalities here; the Serpentwar Saga does have it's share of big showy magic, but most of its about war, politics, trade and being human. It takes this series a bit closer to Parker and Kay than it does to Brooks and Eddings; it's almost like a less extreme Wheel of Time in places.
A big part of what makes it for me is the relationship and differences between Erik and Roo. Best friends and fellows in not belonging, their lives take radically different approaches after their enlistment. Erik finds a place he belongs and a feeling of responsibility, and climbs the military's ranks. Roo by contrast sticks with his dream of getting rich and leaves to become a merchant. And while Erik's genial company to read about a war with, Roo is a gem. A self-aggrandising, unscrupulous, greedy and short of empathy gem. Seeing his cunning is fun - and Rise of a Merchant Prince is one of the very few fantasy books I've seen to concentrate on a merchant - but watching him try to make sense of his life, trying to find a sense of belonging and very slowly growing up while blunder into life's traps? Golden. And he's just vulnerable and moral enough for it to work. There's so few characters like Roo, and twinning his narrative with that of the super solid, ever conscientious Erik gives it the right light needed.
As for the rest of it? It has a fun supporting cast. My particular applause goes to Duke James, the closest thing to Vetinari outside of Discworld, and his grandsons James and Dashell, who sort of mirror the Erik-Roo contrast. It's rammed full of memorable scenes, particularly of the "ordinary person in the presence of superhuman prowess" and "moment of personal triumph/tragedy". They're not the absolute best I've ever read, but they more than satisfy. It casts a decent light on some of the forgotten in fantasy, its victims and everyday inhabitants; Helen Jacoby and Kitty are my favourite minor characters of that kind.
It is better written than the Riftwar too, and delves deeper into the characters' frustrations and hopes. I don't think this series is less idealistic than its predecessor, but it does admit that sometimes the idealists aren't and can't be where they need to be in terms of power. The nobles of the Riftwar Saga are, by and large, decent and reliable eggs. The nobles of the Serpentwar Saga aren't bad people, by and large, but they can't be trusted to put aside their egos and do what's needed. And the theme of responsibility vs ego is a fairly big one in here; it not only helps keep the disparate threads together, it adds a pleasing sense of tension and realism to the largely human concern based plot. And that's true of no one more than Roo.
After The Serpentwar Saga, Feist never really returned to this sort of story, going back to adventure plots, a focus on magicians other politics, and hugely gonzo world-hopping adventures. There's some good books there, but nothing I'd ever really recommend to somebody else.
It's a shame. This and the Empire trilogy (which deserves a review of its own) showed that Feist could really pull off this sort of Epic Fantasy - probably better than he did quest fantasy. He doesn't stand at the absolute pinnacle of this art form, with Jordan and Martin and Kay, but he stands close. I feel like there's probably people out there who have a soft spot for this sort of fantasy but who haven't heard of the Serpentwar Sage. Hopefully this corrects that and brings a few of those people some extra pleasure.
Monday, 19 August 2019
King of Assassins by RJ Barker
I'd been meaning to do this review for a while and had mentally drafted it, but when I found out that RJ Barker was so drained and in need of reviews that he'd lost full use of his words, I decided to push it up the schedule - anything to avoid updating my CV!
Also, I'm trying out a new review format in the hope of teaching myself some structure...
King of Assassins huh? You'd think wearing a crown would be a drawback in the secret murder game. What's the premise here?
King of Assassins is the third and final book of the Wounded Kingdoms trilogy. We've seen its protagonist Girton go from optimistic young secret murderer to angry slightly-less young secret murderer, all in RJ Barker's creepy kingdom of gloom and secrets and tainted sorcery; now there's a bit of a bigger time hop and we get the very tired, somewhat old no longer that secret murderer. That's the problem with being a book protagonist, everyone hears about you.
(From here on there'll be some spoilers - I'm assuming anyone reading a review of the third book in a trilogy either has read the other books, or is okay with a few spoilers. I mean, you know that Girton survived the first two books for one thing already)
This time, Girton's mission revolves around getting his once and still kinda-bestie Rufra to the newly vacant High King's throne (no, Girton had nothing to do with that). But making a High King isn't as easy as a Kind Hearts and Coronets-esque spree, oh no. It involves finding a way through the political swamp, uncovering the secrets of a Gormenghast-esque castle, and untangling the messes caused by Rufra's previous wars to become king (and Girton's part in them). In short, King of Assassins is a glorious tangled bundle of intrigue, drama and action, featuring the wise and emotionally scarred in their one last "pays for all" adventure in a fantasy world tinged by nightmare and decay. With the odd secret murder.
So that's the cool stuff - how does it read?
The majority of the book is set in Girton's first person past narration. First Person is a difficult one as the voice can get tiring, particularly with a narrator so basically over it as Girton, but I could have read it all day. There's a wry self-deprecating note that keeps it from getting too much and provides a more-ish sense of humour. The variety of tasks set before Girton also keeps things moving swiftly.
There's also a few chapters detailing the background of Merela, Girton's mentor and foster-mother. This made me so happy because if I'm ever reborn into a fantasy world where I'm destined to be trained as an assassin from birth, Merela is the secret-murder-mother I want.
Okay, be honest now. At what point did you think "I'm not sure I'm up for this, let's just flip to the back and see just how many pages it is"?
I did flip to the back at some point but that was only because I just really, really wanted to know how it ended and didn't mind spoilering myself. If it ever felt like a chore, that I can't recall.
Favourite thing?
Aydor the Place Bear!
Which is a double answer because I cheat. Aydor's metamorphosis from first book villain to some wonderful heroic combination of home truths, one liners and smackdowns is just fucking delightful. If I ever do a list of my favourite characters in fantasy for sheer entertainment value, he's a strong contender to make it.
But the how of that transformation is key to the book's themes (as I see them at least). Aydor's become comfortable in his skin. He's found his place in life, he's found the sort of friendship that lets him stand tall. He's found *healing*. And gradually, as you watch Aydor have the time of his life while Rufra and Girton stress and snap at each other, the centrality of healing and escaping the cycles of harm becomes more and more apparent. He's the contrast that brings it out. And he's the rock that helps bring the moments of emotional clarity that lie behind this book's pathos. And he's the shining example that for all the focus on decay and mistakes, that redemption lies there for us all. I loved that the Wounded Kingdoms walked in darkness before finding some light.
That's why I love Aydor - and this trilogy, and this book.
Cheating indeed. Okay, what sucked.
Nothing.
Liar. Come on, something could have been better. Or more to your taste. Or-
Look, there's always something, but it makes no sense to sweat the small stuff. Particularly when it'll rarely be the same small stuff as everyone else. I guess there's one minor character who I wish had more of an arc of their own - they felt a bit of a plot vehicle, in retrospect. But that's nitpicking for the sake of nitpicking. I'd rather talk more about how great this book was to be honest.
Well get on with it then. This is your review. You don't have to listen to us you know...
Ultimately every book's value lies in the eye of the beholder. A reviewer can try to convey a book's type, and how good it is of that type, but they can never convey the value.
My type - well, one of my particular favourite types - is the stories that can flit seamlessly from shenanigans and action to heavy real talk. Sitcoms like Scrubs and Brooklyn 99; Pratchett; Gemmell at his best; Jim Butcher's Changes. Stuff like that. I suspect that might be RJ Barker's type too, or at least it's what he writes. There's an uncanny versatility in how he shifts gears. And as such, this is a book I feel like I could recommend to just about everyone, as there's something for everyone. I can get people not loving it, but pretty much everyone's going to like it, as evidenced by it only having 8 sub 3 star ratings on GR and Amazon UK combined (about 1% of respondents). I know people only tend to rate series endings if they like the author, but that still feels pretty bloody high.
In any case, I feel like I've made my point. This is the sort of Epic Fantasy that covers all the bases, and covers them with style and cohesion. It makes you go Ooh. It makes you go Aah. It makes you point out that you can't actually be experiencing emotions because you're a robot. It has tension, catharsis, fistpumping moments, tons of mystery, and highly memorable characters. And the overall effect is, well, great. Amazing.
Read it. Read it now.
And I can't wait for Bone Ships.
Also, I'm trying out a new review format in the hope of teaching myself some structure...
King of Assassins huh? You'd think wearing a crown would be a drawback in the secret murder game. What's the premise here?
King of Assassins is the third and final book of the Wounded Kingdoms trilogy. We've seen its protagonist Girton go from optimistic young secret murderer to angry slightly-less young secret murderer, all in RJ Barker's creepy kingdom of gloom and secrets and tainted sorcery; now there's a bit of a bigger time hop and we get the very tired, somewhat old no longer that secret murderer. That's the problem with being a book protagonist, everyone hears about you.
(From here on there'll be some spoilers - I'm assuming anyone reading a review of the third book in a trilogy either has read the other books, or is okay with a few spoilers. I mean, you know that Girton survived the first two books for one thing already)
This time, Girton's mission revolves around getting his once and still kinda-bestie Rufra to the newly vacant High King's throne (no, Girton had nothing to do with that). But making a High King isn't as easy as a Kind Hearts and Coronets-esque spree, oh no. It involves finding a way through the political swamp, uncovering the secrets of a Gormenghast-esque castle, and untangling the messes caused by Rufra's previous wars to become king (and Girton's part in them). In short, King of Assassins is a glorious tangled bundle of intrigue, drama and action, featuring the wise and emotionally scarred in their one last "pays for all" adventure in a fantasy world tinged by nightmare and decay. With the odd secret murder.
So that's the cool stuff - how does it read?
The majority of the book is set in Girton's first person past narration. First Person is a difficult one as the voice can get tiring, particularly with a narrator so basically over it as Girton, but I could have read it all day. There's a wry self-deprecating note that keeps it from getting too much and provides a more-ish sense of humour. The variety of tasks set before Girton also keeps things moving swiftly.
There's also a few chapters detailing the background of Merela, Girton's mentor and foster-mother. This made me so happy because if I'm ever reborn into a fantasy world where I'm destined to be trained as an assassin from birth, Merela is the secret-murder-mother I want.
Okay, be honest now. At what point did you think "I'm not sure I'm up for this, let's just flip to the back and see just how many pages it is"?
I did flip to the back at some point but that was only because I just really, really wanted to know how it ended and didn't mind spoilering myself. If it ever felt like a chore, that I can't recall.
Favourite thing?
Aydor the Place Bear!
Which is a double answer because I cheat. Aydor's metamorphosis from first book villain to some wonderful heroic combination of home truths, one liners and smackdowns is just fucking delightful. If I ever do a list of my favourite characters in fantasy for sheer entertainment value, he's a strong contender to make it.
But the how of that transformation is key to the book's themes (as I see them at least). Aydor's become comfortable in his skin. He's found his place in life, he's found the sort of friendship that lets him stand tall. He's found *healing*. And gradually, as you watch Aydor have the time of his life while Rufra and Girton stress and snap at each other, the centrality of healing and escaping the cycles of harm becomes more and more apparent. He's the contrast that brings it out. And he's the rock that helps bring the moments of emotional clarity that lie behind this book's pathos. And he's the shining example that for all the focus on decay and mistakes, that redemption lies there for us all. I loved that the Wounded Kingdoms walked in darkness before finding some light.
That's why I love Aydor - and this trilogy, and this book.
Cheating indeed. Okay, what sucked.
Nothing.
Liar. Come on, something could have been better. Or more to your taste. Or-
Look, there's always something, but it makes no sense to sweat the small stuff. Particularly when it'll rarely be the same small stuff as everyone else. I guess there's one minor character who I wish had more of an arc of their own - they felt a bit of a plot vehicle, in retrospect. But that's nitpicking for the sake of nitpicking. I'd rather talk more about how great this book was to be honest.
Well get on with it then. This is your review. You don't have to listen to us you know...
Ultimately every book's value lies in the eye of the beholder. A reviewer can try to convey a book's type, and how good it is of that type, but they can never convey the value.
My type - well, one of my particular favourite types - is the stories that can flit seamlessly from shenanigans and action to heavy real talk. Sitcoms like Scrubs and Brooklyn 99; Pratchett; Gemmell at his best; Jim Butcher's Changes. Stuff like that. I suspect that might be RJ Barker's type too, or at least it's what he writes. There's an uncanny versatility in how he shifts gears. And as such, this is a book I feel like I could recommend to just about everyone, as there's something for everyone. I can get people not loving it, but pretty much everyone's going to like it, as evidenced by it only having 8 sub 3 star ratings on GR and Amazon UK combined (about 1% of respondents). I know people only tend to rate series endings if they like the author, but that still feels pretty bloody high.
In any case, I feel like I've made my point. This is the sort of Epic Fantasy that covers all the bases, and covers them with style and cohesion. It makes you go Ooh. It makes you go Aah. It makes you point out that you can't actually be experiencing emotions because you're a robot. It has tension, catharsis, fistpumping moments, tons of mystery, and highly memorable characters. And the overall effect is, well, great. Amazing.
Read it. Read it now.
And I can't wait for Bone Ships.
Saturday, 17 August 2019
Meeting of Minds: Five Examples of Cultures Meeting That Would Make Great Fantasy Inspirations
I seem to be unable to do anything other than write blog posts at the moment, so I might as well make hay while the sun shines. This one was inspired by a stray Twitter interaction on the subject of the objection to PoC in fantasies "because people didn't travel that much back then".
Frankly, I think the tendency to look back to history all the time as the guide on how to do Fantasy is not particularly good for the genre in the first place. The clue on how close to reality we have to be in this genre is in the name and while a grounding in reality is often vital, it doesn't have to be found in hard historical accuracy. Many of fantasy's most beloved cultures have cheerfully thrown such a thing to the wind.
But still, it seems that it does matter these days. Which is why I found myself musing about the many cool little bits of history I've seen that show that the argument really doesn't have to be the case in anyone's book.
1) The Roman Embassy to China - The distance that the Roman Empire covered, and the amount of geographical dislocation it caused, would make good fuel for any number of stories, but for an embassy to get all the way to China must have been an astonishing feat. Yet it happened in 166 AD, going from the Middle East through the Indian Ocean (evidence of a Roman presence is not uncommon in Indian sea ports) and up to South China. Since Fantasy loves a travelogue, that seems as good a one as any.
It mightn't have been the first presence of Romans that far east. There's a somewhat dubious theory that some of the Roman soldiers took prisoner at Carrhae eventually ended up fighting for the Huns against the Chinese somewhere in modern day Xianjiang, and settling there. I don't know whether it's true but that would be one hell of a saga - and hell, how much of Fantasy is based on "Weellll maaaaybe" history anyway?
2) Vikings in America - From little known to well known; the voyage of Leif Erikson has always attracted attention. I can't think of many fantasy adaptions but I always loved the little shout out it got in American Gods. And the most recent evidence suggests that the Scandinavian presence in Newfoundland went on a lot longer than previously thought too.
3) Early Medieval Southern Italy and Sicily - If the first two are about small populations, brief meetings and incredible journeys, then the tale of Southern Italy is one of prolonged inter-cultural exchange that reached its peak in the late 1000s when Byzantines, Arabs, and Norman mercenaries all fought for control over the boot and its native population (who ended up with very little say in the matter). Honestly, I feel a little like I'm sharing a precious secret given how little this era's history is used, but it deserves to be known. Its an incredible story that has left its mark on the world in a number of small ways (such as the word admiral). And the architectural heritage it has left is stunning.
4) Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca - The story of the Malian Empire is little known. Hell, I barely know more than's on Wikipedia. But I do know that its 10th Mansa, Musa the 1st, made the journey through Egypt to Mecca and he took so much gold with him that he ended up crashing the economy everywhere he went. And there's just so many ways you could make a story out of a great king who appears from a foreign land with a massive entourage, handing out so much gold it ceases to have meaning.
5) The 18th century population of Africans in London - If it wasn't for a local library display, I'd have probably never known that by 1750 about 1 to 3% of London's population was made up of people of African heritage. Many were sailors, some were servants in great houses, a few such as Ignatius Sancho and Olaudah Equiano achieved a certain level of social standing and celebrity.
So there we go. A little dip into the wide range of cross-cultural communities and incredible journeys that formed part of the pre-modern age (with nought said of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, the missionaries to the Mongolians, the Phoenician traders in Britain, the Celtic settlement of Iceland etc.etc.).
Part of me suspects this article might be wasted words as anyone who wants to go that route in their Fantasy already will and those who don't, won't, but there we go. Maybe someone will get inspiration; maybe someone will find a weird little nugget in history they didn't know about and get to spend the next thirty minutes uncovering it.
Frankly, I think the tendency to look back to history all the time as the guide on how to do Fantasy is not particularly good for the genre in the first place. The clue on how close to reality we have to be in this genre is in the name and while a grounding in reality is often vital, it doesn't have to be found in hard historical accuracy. Many of fantasy's most beloved cultures have cheerfully thrown such a thing to the wind.
But still, it seems that it does matter these days. Which is why I found myself musing about the many cool little bits of history I've seen that show that the argument really doesn't have to be the case in anyone's book.
1) The Roman Embassy to China - The distance that the Roman Empire covered, and the amount of geographical dislocation it caused, would make good fuel for any number of stories, but for an embassy to get all the way to China must have been an astonishing feat. Yet it happened in 166 AD, going from the Middle East through the Indian Ocean (evidence of a Roman presence is not uncommon in Indian sea ports) and up to South China. Since Fantasy loves a travelogue, that seems as good a one as any.
It mightn't have been the first presence of Romans that far east. There's a somewhat dubious theory that some of the Roman soldiers took prisoner at Carrhae eventually ended up fighting for the Huns against the Chinese somewhere in modern day Xianjiang, and settling there. I don't know whether it's true but that would be one hell of a saga - and hell, how much of Fantasy is based on "Weellll maaaaybe" history anyway?
2) Vikings in America - From little known to well known; the voyage of Leif Erikson has always attracted attention. I can't think of many fantasy adaptions but I always loved the little shout out it got in American Gods. And the most recent evidence suggests that the Scandinavian presence in Newfoundland went on a lot longer than previously thought too.
3) Early Medieval Southern Italy and Sicily - If the first two are about small populations, brief meetings and incredible journeys, then the tale of Southern Italy is one of prolonged inter-cultural exchange that reached its peak in the late 1000s when Byzantines, Arabs, and Norman mercenaries all fought for control over the boot and its native population (who ended up with very little say in the matter). Honestly, I feel a little like I'm sharing a precious secret given how little this era's history is used, but it deserves to be known. Its an incredible story that has left its mark on the world in a number of small ways (such as the word admiral). And the architectural heritage it has left is stunning.
4) Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca - The story of the Malian Empire is little known. Hell, I barely know more than's on Wikipedia. But I do know that its 10th Mansa, Musa the 1st, made the journey through Egypt to Mecca and he took so much gold with him that he ended up crashing the economy everywhere he went. And there's just so many ways you could make a story out of a great king who appears from a foreign land with a massive entourage, handing out so much gold it ceases to have meaning.
5) The 18th century population of Africans in London - If it wasn't for a local library display, I'd have probably never known that by 1750 about 1 to 3% of London's population was made up of people of African heritage. Many were sailors, some were servants in great houses, a few such as Ignatius Sancho and Olaudah Equiano achieved a certain level of social standing and celebrity.
So there we go. A little dip into the wide range of cross-cultural communities and incredible journeys that formed part of the pre-modern age (with nought said of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, the missionaries to the Mongolians, the Phoenician traders in Britain, the Celtic settlement of Iceland etc.etc.).
Part of me suspects this article might be wasted words as anyone who wants to go that route in their Fantasy already will and those who don't, won't, but there we go. Maybe someone will get inspiration; maybe someone will find a weird little nugget in history they didn't know about and get to spend the next thirty minutes uncovering it.
Distaff
I’ve never really done a full anthology review before and truth told, I’m feeling a little unsure how to do it. Mini-reviews of each story? A general overview? Something in between?
I suppose the best place to start is what Distaff is (even if there’s been plenty of words here on this blog about it). It’s all Sci-Fi, all written by female authors - and that’s about where the hard similarities finish. The majority of them have haunting, apocalyptic vibes, but some are sweet and humourous, like E.J. Tett’s Holo-Sweet and Kerry Buchanan’s Space Rocks. Some take place on a near future Earth, some in space, some on very different (or far future) planets - Jo Zebedee’s ambitious We Are The Shadows has two of those in a split time-line story. And while they all have a feminine slant, not all of them have female leads; a few are written entirely or mostly from the angle of men, like Susan Boulton’s Ab Initio and Shellie Horst’s My Little Mecha, where a technician has to deal with malfunctioning security and his family at the same time.
Incidentally that story made me miss my train stop.
It’s not even my favourite story in there. That honour belongs to The Ice Man by Rosie Oliver which would make a fantastic novel in its own right. Or series of novels. Maybe even a movie. I think my favourite thing about the Scandi Noir movement is the way they use the cold sparse landscapes and distances to frame people as individuals, loosely connected to the whole and each with their own major flaws. The Ice Man nailed that feeling. Nailed. It.
But while I may have a favourite, there are no bad stories here. A lot of anthologies have me fast-forwarding at times - not here. Not once. If I had to look for a criticism, I’d say that a few stories didn’t quite stick their landings and give me the resolution I desired. None of those endings marred my enjoyment however as each story had already won me over.
Ultimately, where Distaff wins me over is that each story has its own individual feeling yet all of them felt like they belonged together. I have no rational explanation for that; just that there was a seamless fit that made reading the anthology very enjoyable. And I expect that I will dip in and out of this collection again over the years and test how that holds up.
…
Okay, couldn’t do this without individual story reviews:
The Broken Man by Jane O’Reilly - One of the slower and bleaker pieces in the anthology, it centres on post-apocalyptic scavenger Kiko and the risks she takes when she finds a man who’s fallen from the paradise above and builds to a deliciously dramatic and hopeful climax with its themes of Have and Have-Not.
Space Rocks by Kerry Buchanan - By turns tense and comedic, it plays off the horror trope of a space ship crew that realises it has an unwelcome passenger, and does a lot with those crew dynamics in a small space. I can easily imagine this as the start of something bigger.
The Ice Man by Rosie Oliver - Cool in just about every possible way, this neo-noir tracks a Swedish detective Soldis as she deals with a murder involving old friends, a secretive genius millionaire and the frailties of humanity. I must reiterate my demands that this be made into a movie.
A Cold Night in H3-II by Juliana Spink-Mills - I literally just got the pun there and feel stupid as, well, hell as a result. ANYWAY. This is the story of Meryn, one of the survivors on a failing colony. It has a horror-comedy vibe and while this is one of the stories where the ending didn’t quite get me, the creepiness and humour both really got me.
The Colour of Silence by Damaris Browne - There’s a lot happening here in this story about a devastating virus and how people cope with stress; the care with which we see the process of emotions that makes the latter makes the story feel slow, the scale and timeline on which we see the form makes it feel quick. A very neat piece of storytelling with a powerful end.
Holo-Sweet by E.J. Tett - Silver was a ship’s janitor, until she and the ship fell in love and she got promoted to ship-whisperer - but there’s complications. Holo-Sweet deals with those complications, and uses a light touch and jokes to deal with what’s quite a weighty topic. A lot of fun to read.
My Little Mecha by Shellie Horst - Stories that are full of mystery and family interactions hit my sweet spot; My Little Mecha is full of both and executes them both pretty spot on as technician Jared tries to make sense of malfunctioning security on Orbital Two. I was still somewhat confused by a few things by the end, but that just means Shellie Horst should write a follow-up story to it.
Ab Initio by Susan Boulton - A near future post-apocalyptic tale in which a survivor named Trent struggles to cope with the expectations of those around him. My favourite part of this story was how evocative it was; I felt like I could see all of it. That and the ending with its hint of redemption.
The Shadows Are Us And They Are The Shadows by Jo Zebedee - I don’t know if this was deliberately placed at the back because it has the strongest themes of renewal, but if it was, I thoroughly approve. It’s another of the slower, bleaker pieces with a powerful emotional ending full of hope, all about an attempt to survive a dying earth, and Jo pulls off the sense of panic one would feel facing the end.
I suppose the best place to start is what Distaff is (even if there’s been plenty of words here on this blog about it). It’s all Sci-Fi, all written by female authors - and that’s about where the hard similarities finish. The majority of them have haunting, apocalyptic vibes, but some are sweet and humourous, like E.J. Tett’s Holo-Sweet and Kerry Buchanan’s Space Rocks. Some take place on a near future Earth, some in space, some on very different (or far future) planets - Jo Zebedee’s ambitious We Are The Shadows has two of those in a split time-line story. And while they all have a feminine slant, not all of them have female leads; a few are written entirely or mostly from the angle of men, like Susan Boulton’s Ab Initio and Shellie Horst’s My Little Mecha, where a technician has to deal with malfunctioning security and his family at the same time.
Incidentally that story made me miss my train stop.
It’s not even my favourite story in there. That honour belongs to The Ice Man by Rosie Oliver which would make a fantastic novel in its own right. Or series of novels. Maybe even a movie. I think my favourite thing about the Scandi Noir movement is the way they use the cold sparse landscapes and distances to frame people as individuals, loosely connected to the whole and each with their own major flaws. The Ice Man nailed that feeling. Nailed. It.
But while I may have a favourite, there are no bad stories here. A lot of anthologies have me fast-forwarding at times - not here. Not once. If I had to look for a criticism, I’d say that a few stories didn’t quite stick their landings and give me the resolution I desired. None of those endings marred my enjoyment however as each story had already won me over.
Ultimately, where Distaff wins me over is that each story has its own individual feeling yet all of them felt like they belonged together. I have no rational explanation for that; just that there was a seamless fit that made reading the anthology very enjoyable. And I expect that I will dip in and out of this collection again over the years and test how that holds up.
…
Okay, couldn’t do this without individual story reviews:
The Broken Man by Jane O’Reilly - One of the slower and bleaker pieces in the anthology, it centres on post-apocalyptic scavenger Kiko and the risks she takes when she finds a man who’s fallen from the paradise above and builds to a deliciously dramatic and hopeful climax with its themes of Have and Have-Not.
Space Rocks by Kerry Buchanan - By turns tense and comedic, it plays off the horror trope of a space ship crew that realises it has an unwelcome passenger, and does a lot with those crew dynamics in a small space. I can easily imagine this as the start of something bigger.
The Ice Man by Rosie Oliver - Cool in just about every possible way, this neo-noir tracks a Swedish detective Soldis as she deals with a murder involving old friends, a secretive genius millionaire and the frailties of humanity. I must reiterate my demands that this be made into a movie.
A Cold Night in H3-II by Juliana Spink-Mills - I literally just got the pun there and feel stupid as, well, hell as a result. ANYWAY. This is the story of Meryn, one of the survivors on a failing colony. It has a horror-comedy vibe and while this is one of the stories where the ending didn’t quite get me, the creepiness and humour both really got me.
The Colour of Silence by Damaris Browne - There’s a lot happening here in this story about a devastating virus and how people cope with stress; the care with which we see the process of emotions that makes the latter makes the story feel slow, the scale and timeline on which we see the form makes it feel quick. A very neat piece of storytelling with a powerful end.
Holo-Sweet by E.J. Tett - Silver was a ship’s janitor, until she and the ship fell in love and she got promoted to ship-whisperer - but there’s complications. Holo-Sweet deals with those complications, and uses a light touch and jokes to deal with what’s quite a weighty topic. A lot of fun to read.
My Little Mecha by Shellie Horst - Stories that are full of mystery and family interactions hit my sweet spot; My Little Mecha is full of both and executes them both pretty spot on as technician Jared tries to make sense of malfunctioning security on Orbital Two. I was still somewhat confused by a few things by the end, but that just means Shellie Horst should write a follow-up story to it.
Ab Initio by Susan Boulton - A near future post-apocalyptic tale in which a survivor named Trent struggles to cope with the expectations of those around him. My favourite part of this story was how evocative it was; I felt like I could see all of it. That and the ending with its hint of redemption.
The Shadows Are Us And They Are The Shadows by Jo Zebedee - I don’t know if this was deliberately placed at the back because it has the strongest themes of renewal, but if it was, I thoroughly approve. It’s another of the slower, bleaker pieces with a powerful emotional ending full of hope, all about an attempt to survive a dying earth, and Jo pulls off the sense of panic one would feel facing the end.
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