The Waiting Stars

I just really like Aliette de Bodard and her Xuya universe, okay? She writes about these deep family ties and her stories move me as they make me think. This particular story is about those family ties and it's also about identity and freedom and it's wonderful.

Really enjoyable story about Mind-ships. I think this is what I was hoping McCaffrey's Brainship series would be, except much better. I really want to read more in this universe. De Bodard's writing is enjoyable and this universe's concept is very different from the usual Western-only space stories.

You can find this free to read at Aliette's website.

Another Nebula, Locus and Hugo finalist from Aliette, and having just finished reading it one can see why it was a finalist: very good indeed.

But quickly back to our previous two books, The Weight of a Blessing and Memorials, where i was utterly confused as to what any of it had to do with the Xuya universe, well, in this story they kind of join up a bit.   The Galactics from our previous two books have been shooting up mind ships from the Vietnamese and taking them away and putting them in a grave yard in space, and this is the story of one the families of one of those mind ships going to reclaim their relative.   The book begins with a lot of unknowns for a lot of people, memories show more missing, ships missing, ship minds damaged or dead, places in the galaxy that the Vietnamese aren't allowed because they're Galactic territory but they're only filled with shot down mind ships.

As the story goes on, things reveal themselves and gain focus until everyone in the story and you, the reader, realises the truth.

Like those previous two books which were great to read in and of themselves, this is likewise, a brilliant read; but -- and it's a big fat BUT -- who are these Galactics?   Where did these Galactics come from?   What's their place in all of this story?   Why are they so against the mind ships and the Vietnamese?   Me thinks there are some books that need writing explaining this.   Or maybe things will be revealed as we read the last few books of Xuya?

That all said, we're now off to read A Slow Unfurling of Truth. show less

Well, that makes three Hugo-nominated novelettes that I completely loved. This is going to be a HARD choice. Note, this is a good problem to have! :)

Spoilery thoughts here. If you read this story and are thinking, what? That isn't believable at all, why would people do something like that? I have some links for you here also:
http://ciaracatscifi.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-waiting-stars-by-aliette-de-bodard...

A few thoughts on Aliette de Bodard's short story The Wating Stars.