Tag: Speculative Fiction

For the Love of Books #21

2023 so far has been filled with some magical reads. As writers we look for those layers to encapsulate and bring to life the essence of characters, cultures, worlds… and two titles stand out, for their intrinsic connection with music, that adds depth in a way that is difficult to define, because it’s as omnipresent as culture in stories masterfully woven.

Nine Bar Blues, by Sheree Renee Thomas

Nine Bar Blues is an extraordinary collection of evocative tales, rich, layered and textured with magic that haunts, uplifts and ascends any bounds of expectation. With prose that sings and muse that flies through the pages, I was hanging onto every word that guided me deeper into the authors layered imaginings and startling observations. From curse-bound sisterhood journeying to the source of ancestry, through poisoned landscapes of an other-worldly earth, to golden mermaids, tales are woven with musical renditions that move with the rhythm of cultural change, alive with the sounds of souls.

This is magic and fantasy rooted in the real; snapshots of life as sharp as cut glass that stop you in your tracks and make you lose your breath for a long pause. From contemporary social justice concerns, and words that carry the weight of history in finely-drawn prose, this collection speaks truth to the abuse of power, truths that sing to slave songs, lost souls, and the blues. An inspiring and masterfully woven collection.

Songspinners, by Sarah Ash

Orial works with her father, Dr Magelonne, in the Sanatorium of the spa city of Sulien. She is close to her father, more so since her mother, Iridial, died. Iridial had lived and breathed music, and now Dr Magelonne forbids music, since it provokes memories too painful to endure. But, like her mother, music flows from Orial like water. Only in the Undercity, at her mother’s shrine, can she practice the art that she has taught herself. But there she experiences strange visions in a waking dream – the searing pain of burning flames.

The underground labyrinth of the Undercity was built by ancient builders, the Lifhendil, commonly known as Songspinners in modern-day Sulien. Their artwork is still displayed on the Undercity’s walls, but their beliefs and language are lost, save for fairy stories and folk tale. This mysterious race possessed a unique trait – multi-coloured irises, which Orial and her mother shared. And as the world unfolds, revealing the depth of Orial’s gift, wonder, intrigue and danger merge.

In the Undercity, Orial is approached by refugees from Bel’Esstar, fleeing persecution from the Commanderie. One of the refugees, Amaru Khassian, is a composer, whose hands have been badly burned, injuries so severe, he won’t regain the use of his hands. A strange and unique connection exists between Orial and Khassian, one that makes clear to Orial that she simply must have music in her life, whilst for Khassian, a dangerous chain of events are triggered. Their personal music describes their uniqueness, and their contrasting and connected plights: Orial’s as darting and bright as a dragonfly’s flight; Khassian’s with despair and madness fuelled by ego.

This is an evocative, beautifully drawn world. I adored the magic, memorable, tangible, yet delightfully just beyond our reach, with tales of musical telepathy, faeries and dragonflies, and mystical reservoirs. Orial’s character was utterly captivating from the start, a thoughtful, determined, empathic young woman, and utterly intriguing in her magic as the story unfolds like an orchestral song. And as tensions run high in this complex world, the question remains, will Orial succumb to madness?

What are you reading?

For the Love of Books #11

I often think dystopian fiction is a great tool for looking at those uncomfortable truths and predicting what might be if we continue down certain paths. With the recent COP26, it feels timely to mention two reads that serve as a cautionary tale to climate change and the socio-political fallout that brings.

This Is Our Undoing by Lorraine Wilson

This is our Undoing is speculative fiction interspersed with mystery, cli-fi, alternate futures, and a sprinkling of the supernatural. In a near future Europe fracturing under climate change and far-right politics, Biologist Lina Stephenson works in the remote Rila Mountains safely away from London State. A fugitive from her former life, her father persuaded her to get out. Now she is protected by the local militia after signing over citizenship. But following the assassination of a London minister, Lina’s name comes into question, threatening the safety of herself and her family. And to make matters worse, she is trapped with the dead man’s family.

So begins this complex, intricately woven tale, written in the third person although told primarily from Lina’s perspective. The cast is diverse, each battling events greater than themselves. As entwined personal histories are revealed, the characters are left wondering who they can trust and the readers are left wondering who is a reliable witness, making for a compelling plot. A character I particularly enjoyed was a mysterious young boy, Kai, who Lina is inexplicably drawn to. I was left wanting to know more about the boy who fights monsters, but parts of the mystery remain just beyond our reach, leaving space in the narrative for the reader to draw their own conclusions. I also loved the remote mountainous setting and Lina’s role as a biologist studying the conservation of biodiversity. The rich descriptions of place and wildlife were beautifully told, offering an immersive and atmospheric experience that I didn’t want to end. Yet despite the vast landscape the sense of claustrophobia and tensions grow, as the ultimate question is posed: who might you condemn to save another?

O Man of Clay by Eliza Mood

“They said sea level would rise one day when the polar caps melted and fell into the sea but this was not the future, it was now.”

O Man of Clay offers a dystopian future with a cautionary tale of climate change. After the tsunami hits Eastern England, Scotland, Denmark and the Netherlands, it brings it close to home with Hartlepool as the setting. For those of us in the UK, having a local feel adds power to the message, and the story pulls no punches with the bleakness of that message.

As the walls goes up, three teenagers face being trapped in the flooded zone: Zoe, from Hartlepool, haunted by all she has lost, collecting fragments of humanity in her treasure tin; Volk, a refugee from a Soviet prison colony; and Alma. The present day is woven into each of the character’s pasts, and for me, Alma’s backstory was one I particularly enjoyed. Her ancestors are Buryats, consisting of Evenki hunters and Mongol herders who lived on the shores of Bailgal Nuur. The mythologies and beliefs of an indigenous people are beautifully told, highlighting voices often marginalised but with the most to say and the deepest connections to the natural world and all that is at stake.

I found the story to be a slow burn with literary merit, rather than a fast-paced thriller/adventure. There is huge depth to the prose that meanders with the interlinking past and present, that feel like well-investigated snap shots in time. Time is running out, and while some survivors search for a way to live, others look for ways to die, in a story that reveals the depth, harshness and beauty of humanity and the life we all stand to lose.

What are you reading?