Carl Anderson recommended On a Red Station Drifting on his fine blog here. A space station on the other side of the galaxy is slowly being overwhelmed with refuges from a galactic rebellion against the Emperor. Aliette de Bodard creates a convincing Mind that runs the operations of the station, but doesn’t quite understand humans. The Mind is slowing losing functions. The conflicts as systems degrade accelerate. The themes of loss and family duty weave their throughout the political action that builds to a surprising conclusion. Aliette de Bodard is a writer to watch. I want to read her next book! GRADE: A-
This has been on my TBR list. I’ve read some of her short stories and have been impressed. Too bad this has such a terrible cover.
Steve, ON A RED STATION DRIFTING is published by a small press, Immersion Press of England. Alette de Bodard has also published some mysteries published by Angry Robot.
I have it and got about 20 pages and then a library book came and zI stopped to read that and then I needed something old for FFB so I read that, and then got further distracted with other books and have yet to get back to it. I enjoyed the story as far as I got and it’s still on the top of my TBR. Yes the cover is awful. But then so many covers are awful these days.
Rick, I’ve read some of Aliette de Bodard’s short fiction and admire it. I didn’t know ON A RED STATION DRIFTING existed before I read about it on Carl’s excellent blog. I imagine small presses don’t have big art budgets.
You are right, George, they don’t but even a small budget painting of a space station blob in a field of stars would have been better.
Oops, I meant to press return for this: I’m expecting, win or not, that this will wind up as part of a longer novel. Hopefully that one will have a better cover.
The cover has actually grown on me. Yes, it is still awful, but because of how much I love the story I am actually quite fond of the book cover now.
Carl, again thanks for the recommendation of ON A RED STATION DRIFTING. The cover is growing on me, too!