I hope that all y’all had a good summer. Between working full-time and my thesis I did not write as many reviews as I had hoped to despite reading several books. So here’s a compilation of what I read this summer.
Her Silhouette Drawn In Water – Vylar Kaftan
I initially picked up this novella since Ann Leckie blurbed it. It didn’t appeal to my personal tastes despite being very queer. I think my issue with it is that it feels too short to properly do all that it is doing with its plot. Kaftan has several layers of “reality” within the story which is an interesting concept. However, the “reality” I found the most interesting isn’t the main focus. If you like telepathic lesbians then give this one a try. The one lesbian is coded as a trans lady which is pretty awesome!
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 – P. Djèlí Clark
I really enjoyed this novella. The Black God’s Drums really hooked me with the alternative history and Djeli Clark does not disappoint with an alternate Cairo. The Haunting of Tram Car 015 intersects my interests in Middle East and North African (MENA) history and science fiction. The worldbuilding is lush and I just love all the details that Djeli Clark puts such as the food. I could go on and on about the setting. The story is really tightly written full of interesting characters and captures a changing time clearly. I highly recommend this book for people who want to read steampunk that is not imperialistic or focused on Britain.
New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color – Edited by Nisi Shawl
This is a stellar anthology. I was originally going to wait for my library to get it but when I saw it and the table of contents at the bookstore I knew I had to have my own copy. The stories are absolutely fabulous and it is a good introduction to contemporary SFF writers of color. My favorite story was a lesbian mermaid story set in Malaysia featuring bobbit worms. It just was completely up my alley. There was only one story that I did not finish. The author’s writing style was too heavy for my brain to focus on which was a pity because I really, really wanted to finish it! But when I can’t concentrate on something due to style it’s pretty much futile.
The Outside – Ada Hoffmann
Since I heard the premise of The Outside, I have been really excited to get my hands on it. My friend and I went to the bookstore on its release date so I could grab a copy. I didn’t even have to ask the bookstore employees to look in the back to see if the copies had arrived like in the past with other books. I will try to write something that isn’t just screaming in excitement because I just cannot convey how much I loved The Outside in a comprehensible manner. It is one of my top five books of 2019 so far.
The Outside’s characters are so real and relatable. I haven’t seen any science fiction novel before fully capture the dynamics in academia between a student and their adviser. The Outside basically caters to everything I want in science fiction — a cute wlw romance, academia done right, religion, and a heavy dose of eldritch. One of the biggest things about this novel is that it’s the first science fiction novel I have read with a female autistic protagonist. It’s just so well done. I really loved the religion system and the cybernetic angels. Like that part was just so cool! I am hoping that there will be a sequel or short stories set in the world of The Outside since I absolutely adore Yasira.
Please read this book. It is amazing.
Storm of Locusts – Rebecca Roanhorse
Having previously enjoyed Trail of Lightning, I was excited for Storm of Locusts. I was not disappointed at all by the novel. It continues to have the Mad Max vibes and expands the setting outside of Walls of Dinetah. There are viscerally horrifying things that Maggie and her friends encounter on the quest to find Kai who has been taken in by a cult. The addition of Ben was absolutely delightful and added further character depth to Maggie. Storm of Locusts explores issues within the Native American community that I am not qualified to talk on besides being a satisfying adventure novel.
Insectoid Reviews 