REVIEW: New Adventures in Space Opera edited by Jonathan Strahan
In “Zen and the Art of Starship Maintenance,” a cloud-based contractor finds a human war criminal clinging to the hull of the ship. The clones of “All the Colors You Thought Were Kings,” about to attend their coming-of-age ceremony, are also plotting treason. During “A Temporary Embarrassment in Spacetime,” two outlaws go on the run after stealing a device from a space cult.
Take a faster-than-light trip to the future. Discover where memes rise and fall in moments. Here are the new and adventurous takes on interplanetary battles, sentient starships, and galactic intrigue. This must-read volume gathers fifteen dramatic, newly classic stories from some of the most highly acclaimed speculative authors.
NOTE – regardless of “New” in the title, most of these short stories have been published before and this is noted in the book.
Review
I enjoyed a previous anthology edited by Jonathan Strahan and when I saw that several included authors are among ones I like, it was a no-brainer to request this. Plus sometimes I’m just not up for reading 500+ page SF tomes. As with any anthology, some are gonna be winners while others just don’t thrill me but all-in-all, this is a good mix.
Metal Like Blood in the Dark by T Kingfisher – This is straight SF rather than fantasy. A man alone on a stripmined planet makes two beings who must eventually try and survive on their own. They are kidnapped by another being and Sister must develop the ability to discern what a lie is and decide if she is willing to corrupt her code in order to survive. There is darkness but also the light of sibling devotion.
Extracurricular Activities by Yoon Ha Lee – part of the Machineries of Empire series. A special agent is sent to try and save a hostage. I enjoyed the writing but it wasn’t until toward the end of the story that I felt I had a grasp on the world.
A Temporary Embarrassment in Spacetime by Charlie Jane Anders – Two spacer farers who just want to open a restaurant must escape from a cult and steal some documents from people who want to kill them. This story started out okay, a little silly but okay. Then it took a major turn into extremely silly and finished up extremely extremely silly. I get that it’s meant to be outlandish fun but this missed all the marks for me.
Zen and the Art of Spaceship Maintenance by Tobias S. Buckell – This was fantastic. The idea of what the main character did – distilling himself into a machine in order to expand his lifespan and “see the galaxies” is set against what the person coercing him into doing something thinks is the only acceptable way to continue the human race. The outcome is inventive and neat. I would definitely read more in this universe.
All the Colors You Thought Were Kings by Arkady Martine – A group of related young adults who are about to join their world’s space voyagers have plotted a revolt against the planned showdown that must occur between a friend and an all powerful leader. This one is actually very short for what takes place but is done well.
Belladonna Nights by Alastair Reynolds – Why is someone leaving another person belladonna flowers? A special group gathers every 200,000 years to combine their memories and experiences but one person realizes something is wrong. Will the outsider who is asked to help be strong enough to follow through? Sad. Well written but sad. The person who has to end suffering is often the strongest one.
Immersion by Aliette de Bodard – This is a story about what trying to immerse yourself into a foreign way of being will do to you. You lose your way, lose your cultural identity, feel alien to yourself in the end.
Morrigan in the Sunglare by Seth Dickinson – Told in the brevity of fighter pilots, it is almost as difficult to understand for me as if I were actually listening to those people discuss what they do to protect civilians and how what they do eventually begins to chip away at what makes them human. It’s intense but was ultimately not accessible enough for me.
The Old Dispensation by Lavie Tidhar – An assassin who was sent to kill a heretic is questioned by the very religious authorities who sent him to do the job. Not having a deep knowledge of the Torah, a lot of the references in this one sailed right over my head. I enjoy Tidhar’s writing even if sometimes I don’t quite get or understand the plot.
A Good Heretic by Becky Chambers – From the Wayfarers universe. What if your whole life, you’ve been trained to expect one thing. What if you discover that despite your desires, you stand outside of that thing. What then? Mas discovers herself to be different. Mas discovers a friend willing to listen. Willing to help. This is delightful. This is not totally easy. There is pain involved, mental and physical, internal and external. But it’s delightful.
A Voyage to Queensthroat by Anya Johanna DeNiro – An older warrior has to face a villain from her past at the same time as she saves a new ruler. The present action is matched by recollections from the past and projections of what will come to be. It’s also got trans characters. I would have preferred more present action and for the dog to survive but this one isn’t bad.
The Justified by Ann Leckie – Bloodsoaked is a good description for it. I kind of got ancient Egyptian religious vibes from this one but in space. A supreme ruler reels back Het, one of her “Eyes” or enforcers, from self-exile when she feels that her subjects are getting uppity. But Het’s brand of justice is merciless – if perhaps needed. Well written though the worldbuilding is vague but it’s also action filled.
Planetstuck by Sam J. Miller – An experienced sex worker also deals in more profitable intel. When faced with a chance to return to his lost home planet, he has to weigh the cost to himself – and others. Very centered on the humanity of its MCs, a longing for the past, and someone becoming a hero they never thought they could be.
The Last Voyage of Skidbladnir by Karin Tidbeck – This is a strange little tale to end with. A low level fix-it worker discovers what’s behind, or under, or within, a ship she’s been working on. With the help of one who loves the ship, she fights to save it. I never quite visually grasped what was going on here nor connected to the ship.
Overall, I found all the stories readable at the very least and incredibly moving at best. Like another whose review I read at GR, I found it mentally exhausting at times to leap into and so quickly out of these very different stories but I enjoyed most of them. B overall.
~Jayne
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