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This is a reply to callum at calcuode.com so I can nerd out about a book I like, and so I can offer and solicit recommendations for non-white-male scifi/fantasy.
gemini://calcuode.com/gemlog/2020-12-17_ancillary-justice.gmi
I too greatly enjoyed Ancillary Justice! I thought it was riveting and compelling, and it swallowed up all of my attention and imagination.
I haven't gone on to read any of the rest of the series though. I admit I'm not that into "series" lately. They used to stress me out because I'm a real completionist, and I felt obligated, once I started a series, to finish it. I somehow made up my mind though sometime within the last few years to not care about that any more. And now I feel free to enjoy books on their own and just pretend they were standalones. "That sure did end on a cliffhanger, in the middle of things! Oh well!"
I of course don't totally fool myself; I know very well I can return to the series if I ever want to. But there's so much out there to read to lose a couple of months to a year on a series if I'm only continuing it out of obligation.
It might be some kind of variation of the sunk cost fallacy now that I think about it. "I already read one book of the series! I need to read the whole thing in order for it to have been worth it!"
But I digress.
The /in medias res/ device that Ancillary Justice uses is something I generally enjoy, especially in science fiction. I like the feeling of mystery while I try to figure out the world I'm in. I think Dune is a great example of this done well: Herbert doesn't spend any time whatsoever explaining the factions and parties involved in the story. He simply drops you into the story and allows the characters to become evident. Classic /show don't tell/.
And Ancillary Justice does this well, too. I remember feeling hooked by the story on two different levels: at the surface level I was curious about whatever happened to be going on at the moment, and at another level I was dying to know who the main character was and what lead to the state of the world.
Okay, the reason I actually stopped to reply:
I'm trying to read more SF by authors who aren't white men
Callum, if you're reading this (or if you are somebody else reading this and happen to be interested) I think this is a great goal and it is something I am trying to do as well.
I read Ancillary Justice obviously, and A Wizard Of Earth Sea by Le Guin. I have a couple more of hers on deck.
But I highly recommend to you picking up some N. K. Jemisin. More fantasy than science fiction. But I read the whole Broken Earth series (despite my previous claim of being not that into series). Not only was it well written, and not only was it a terrific story in a unique and beautiful world, but it was also fantastically refreshing in how it represents a variety of genders, colors and ethnicities, abilities, and relationships.
And obviously please, all of you, if you recommend any non white man scifi/fantasy (or anything else I suppose, but I especially enjoy my scifi/fantasy) do let me know! I will read your recommendations and report back!
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