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One of the
things I like best about Bujold is her uncanny ability to create
and evoke alien cultures. (The fact that those cultures don’t
actually involve aliens is inconsequential.) The real trick of
it, I’ve decided, is that Bujold doesn’t make a big deal out
of it. With most authors, every single difference is emphasized
and analyzed and justified. The result feels inherently
unnatural – partly because the author is making an elaborate
production out of it, partly because the author is showing their
hand at work, and often because the characters end up being far
too self-aware. (Neither I, nor anyone I know, pauses to give
elaborate, pseudo-science lectures on why 21st
century Americans behave the way they do.)
Bujold, by
contrast, simply allows her characters to *live* in the cultures
she creates. Perhaps even more importantly, she lets us see the
universe of her story through the unfiltered eyes of her
characters, without apology or explanation.
On this level,
ETHAN OF ATHOS delivers in a big way. The colony of Athos was
founded by patriarchs who believed, primarily, that women were a
corrupting influence. Using uterine replicators, they
successfully created an all-male society way out in the
boondocks of civilized space. Now, however, problems have begun
to appear: Their original ovarian cultures are dying out, and
problems of limited diversity were rearing their head even
before the most recent genetic crisis came to a head. Somebody
needs to be sent out into the wider galactic community to
purchase new genetic material for the colony, and that’s where
Ethan comes in: He leaves on the annual galactic census ship on
a secret, if somewhat unexciting, mission to save his world.
At which point
he promptly falls into the middle of an espionage mission
involving Elli Quinn (a delightful character familiar to those
who have read Bujold’s other Vorkosigan books).
Coincidentally,
this discussion of culture-building brings up something which
consistently puzzles me: A lot of people seem to have the belief
that Bujold’s work is light on the science fiction. Or, in
other words, that her work only has a thin layer of science
fiction thrown in to make them genre works. The only explanation
I have for this belief is that Bujold is simply too subtle a
writer for these people.
At first glance,
ETHAN OF ATHOS is a simple adventure story starring a
protagonist from an unusual culture. But take a closer look:
That unusual culture is, in fact, a very sophisticated
extrapolation of how technology will affect human society. And
Bujold works in a complete analysis of the consequences and
mindset of that culture, even while you’re busy turning the
pages for the exciting payoffs of the adventure story – she
just refuses to Emphasize It With Capital Letters and Long
Speeches Explaining the Point.
And against all
of this, Bujold weaves yet another theme: A softly-played,
emotionally-packed character drama.
Which brings me
to another thing that I like about Bujold: Her humor. It’s
believable and real and rib-achingly funny. It’s the humor of
actual people living in an actual world, and it demonstrates the
vividness with which Bujold evokes her stories. And, like most
living humor, its all about context. (You’ll see what I mean
when you understand the line: “Apparently they had committees
on Kline Station, too…”)
So, we’ve got
great prose, keen foresights, a fully-realized world, compelling
characters, and an exciting plot.
And this is one of Bujold’s weaker novels? There’s
little doubt in my mind that she’s the best science fiction
author writing today.
GRADE:
A- |
