This is going to be a shorter post – not because the book deserves few words – but because I’ve already created so many opportunities in so many other posts to praise this series by Yoon Ha Lee. To be brief and to the point, these books – “Ninefox Gambit”, “Raven Stratagem” and “Revenant Gun” – stand out alongside Ann Leckie’s “Imperial Radch” series as the best, most innovative science fiction I’ve read in years.
Both series have been recognized with Hugo and Nebula Award nominations and have received their share of critical praise – which should reassure any fans of the genre that this isn’t just one of my quirky affections. For me personally – at my age and given the amount of science fiction I’ve read over the course of the last fifty years – I have to say that it’s exceptionally rare to find new work that can do all of the following: 1) provide me with a radically different vision of the future of humanity and human society, 2) do that within the boundaries of a truly engaging narrative, 3) delivered via really, really good writing. In my opinion, these books do all three in an exceptionally satisfying way. They represent instant SF classics that people will be reading for many years to come.
One note – these two authors make different but equally compelling choices as they evolve their narratives over the course of three books. Ann Leckie begins big – with a series starter set on a galactic scale – wrestling with a narrative that involve imperial politics and macro-level societal change. She then goes small and sets her two subsequent volumes on a single planet within that Empire and writes about related issues but on a micro-scale. Lee actually starts his series on a smaller stage – focused on a single military campaign but he does so in a way that helps you develop a solid understanding of the incredibly novel and extremely complex society which he’s created. Lee then goes big and moves his narrative onto a much larger stage involving multiple worlds and increasingly complex story lines. Both authors make these choices work extremely well and leave you extremely satisfied by the end of their third books.
Having said that – were I forced to choose between the two – and thank goodness that I’m not – I would probably go with Lee’s “Machineries Of Empire”. As much as I enjoyed Leckie’s three books – given how BIG Breq (her protagonist) became in that first “Imperial Radch” novel – I couldn’t help but feel that Leckie had placed him in too small a box with books two and three. Nothing could be further from the truth with respect to Lee’s “Machineries”. He starts with an expanse concept and it just kept getting bigger.
Short to long – if you claim to be a Science Fiction enthusiast and you haven’t read this series – shame on you. Clear your TBR list, move these books to the top and settle in for hours of challenging but rewarding reading. They are that good. Once you’re done with Lee – if you haven’t already done so – then move right along to Leckie. I’m sure you’ll thank yourself for doing so.
Have a Great Weekend.
PS: The final sentence in Lee’s “Revenant Gun” relating to Jedao delivers an intriguing hint that he may not be finished with this universe just yet. I can only hope. 😀