Saturday, June 11, 2011

Steph, the 2011 Hugo Voter, Reviews: The Novelette Ballot

“Eight Miles”, Sean McMullen (Analog, September 2010)

Premise: In Victorian England, a balloonist and inventor is hired by a wealthy patron to build a balloon that can withstand a vertical climb of many miles. The reason for this highly dangerous assignment is simple: the patron has recently acquired a woman with freakish anatomy who seems to be better adapted to extremely thin air. Eventually, the main character learns that the woman in question is a military leader from Mars -- and that she was exiled to Earth after losing a war.

Steph's Comments: This story definitely reflects the fandom's recent preoccupation with steampunk, that's for sure. But I think it's also written in much the same spirit as Murray Leinster's "Exploration Team" (1956) in that it presents the main character with a challenge that he masters in a low-tech environment. Presumably because this is a story penned for Analog, McMullen's scientific detail - though not intrusive by any means - is quite extensive. I find it impressive that McMullen studiously cleaves to the scientific knowledge that was available to the people in his selected setting; this lends his tale a skin of plausibility that is not often present in other steampunk stories.

I don't like how this story concludes, however. You see, when the main character finally reaches the eight mile mark (and passes out), he has a telepathic conversation with the exiled Martian general in which she favorably compares herself to Hannibal (who was unquestionably a brilliant military leader) and makes apologies for Carthage. Granted, whether the people of Carthage practiced child sacrifice is currently disputed, but in the nineteenth century, anyone in the West who was educated in the classics probably believed it. And that makes the main character's willingness to go with the Martian in a spaceship of her design to seek revenge for her defeat feel very anachronistic.

Steph's Rating: 7.5

*****


“The Emperor of Mars”, Allen M. Steele (Asimov’s, June 2010)

Premise: After a grunt-worker in a Martian colony loses his fiance and his parents in a tragic accident back on Earth, he becomes completely obsessed with the fantastic tales of Mars that were written before it was discovered that Mars is largely barren.

Steph's Comments: There is a fluffiness and humanity to this story that I find basically appealing, but since I have only a passing familiarity with the writers of the pulp era, much of the nostalgia is entirely lost on me.

Steph's Rating: 7.3

*****


“The Jaguar House, in Shadow”, Aliette de Bodard (Asimov’s, July 2010)

Premise: This story is set in an alternate history in which the Aztecs and the Chinese are dominant. Within the modern Aztec empire, an oppressive leader has taken power and has liquidated many of the noble houses. Jaguar House survives, but only because its leader has capitulated to the ruling faction. In this particular story (which is apparently part of a series), the main character must risk her life to break a friend out of the Jaguar House, which has become a prison and a center of torture.

Steph's Comments: This is certainly an interesting concept that, once again, reflects a current preoccupation of the fandom: this time, the what-ifs of alternate history. The author doesn't make the mistake of white-washing the Aztec religion, which is a plus. I also think the antagonist, Tecipiani, is a very well-realized character. Even though you disagree with her decision to surrender, you understand where she is coming from -- you understand her desire to preserve her house by any means necessary.

Unfortunately, for the most part, I walk away from this story with the sense that I'm missing much of the larger context -- that this story really doesn't stand alone. And that means de Bodard has failed to write a true novelette.

Steph's Rating: 7.5

*****


“Plus or Minus”, James Patrick Kelly (Asimov’s, December 2010)

Premise: The main character, Masiska, serves on a long-haul spaceship, where she spends a lot of her time on duty cleaning mold off the walls. At the start of the story, Mariska and her crewmates are several months out of port, and they are going a little stir-crazy. Beep, the head of this crew, has been harassing Mariska ever since he learned that her mother is a deep space hero -- and he's also been entertaining himself by ingesting mind-altering substances. As you might expect, Beep's dereliction of duty eventually results in a disaster that drastically cuts the ship's supply of oxygen, and the crewmembers must make some tough choices to stay alive.

Steph's Comments: This is the one story on the ballot that I didn't really care for. Beep's mini redemption arc, in which he (sort of) atones for his crappy leadership by sacrificing himself for the others is probably the only vaguely good element, but even that moment is tainted by the hopelessness of the story in general, as everyone - save Mariska - dies anyway.

Which is not to say that I am totally opposed to downer endings. But if you're going to write a tragedy, it helps to make your characters sympathetic so that you really feel that necessary sense of loss. And are the characters likable here? No. Their lives are pretty sordid, actually. Even Mariska harbors a resentment of her mother that seems far out of proportion to anything her mother has done. (Though since I'm unfamiliar with Kelly's other stories, it's possible that I'm missing something here.)

There are critics out there who praise this story for its "relentless realism," but I've always taken that as a code phrase for "this story doesn't even try to inspire you," and so far, I haven't been proven wrong yet.

Steph's Rating: 6.0

*****


“That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made”, Eric James Stone (Analog, September 2010)

Premise: This story is set on a space station at the heart of the sun, where the human inhabitants keep watch over an interstellar gate and interact with the ancient swales, enormous plasma beings whose civilization pre-dates human civilization by many, many centuries. The main character is the branch president of the local Mormon congregation, and he has managed to bring some of the younger, smaller swales into his flock. Eventually, though, he is confronted with a serious problem: apparently, the older and larger swales don't believe that involuntary sexual congress is wrong. The main character thus feels obligated to speak to the swale elders in defense of his fellow congregants.

Steph's Comments: Yes, yes, YES! Ever since the Vatican astonomer publicly stated that he would baptize an alien if that alien requested it, I've had a real hankering for stories that tackle missionary work (of any kind) on an intergalactic scale. And even though I am not Mormon, Stone's story certainly goes a long way towards fulfilling that craving.

As you might expect, the usual crowd of anti-ists and hardline multiculturalists hate this story. How dare Stone suggest that certain societies are morally inferior! How dare he imply that Christian missionaries are not racist assholes, or that many people might freely choose to become Christian precisely because Christian morality protects them! But of course, Stone's portrayal of the Gospel's impact on a society that has not heard it before is precisely right. Early Christianisty was most attractive to those who were oppressed in the societies in which they lived. It's not for nothing that Nietzsche despised Christianity and called it a "slave morality." It's not for nothing that Christian history is replete with stories of wives converting their husbands and mothers converting their sons.

At times, Stone's dialogue feels a little clunky, so I can't give this story a feature rating. But the fact that "Leviathan" pokes radical multiculturalism in the eye is something I definitely can't ignore. Nor can I ignore the way in which Stone echoes the stories of the Christian martyrs in his final scenes.

Steph's Rating: 8.5

*****


Steph's General Impressions of the Ballot:

I still haven't found a true literary triumph in this year's shortlist, but the novelettes are definitely stronger than the short stories. Some folks have complained that this particular ballot is too nostalgic and "comfortable," but those are the same people who've been busily working to turn science fiction fandom into a leftwing political ghetto. Eff them, I say. I'm here to be entertained and inspired, not "challenged," which is a code word for "talked down to like a misbehaving child".

Steph's Personal Selection: "That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made," in the hopes that my vote will encourage a trend and annoy people who deserve to be annoyed.

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