This is a short novella. I am way behind on book reviews, so I will keep this shorter than normal. This book gave me a mild crisis when I realized how young this author and scientist in training is compared to me. I discovered her through listening to the Coode Street podcast. When she was talking about movies, I considered them pretty new, as ones she watched as a child. I know that is on me. Nonetheless, this author’s youth is a feature, not a bug. On page forty, when the point of view character decides to be female and explains the dynamics of her family, it felt natural. I would hope older SF readers flow with it, but I am still shocked that a large number of fans hate The Last Jedi, so what do I know?
Bringing some planetary science training from Stanford into this distant colony world, Kemi Ashing-Giwa is a fresh voice in modern science fiction. Billed as space horror, I didn’t find this book to be horrific myself. I found it inventive, and the speculative dynamics of love and relationships on this alien world were enough that I read this mostly on one bus trip across town.
Vinh is a character who comes from privilege and gives it all up to be part of a rough-and-tumble colony project. As intense as the planet, the personal dynamics are just as tough. The dynamic at the center is a Polycule, and as interesting as that was, I admit I was more interested in the planet.
The Cli-fi message and the story of Environmentalism meets colonial expansion was the part I found most interesting. The Grey, which is a disease like goo- OK yeah it is space horror. Short, quick read, I got it at the library, and that might be the call. I will read more by this author.
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