Upright Women Wanted
by Sarah Gailey
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In a last-ditch effort to escape her powerful and dangerous father, Esther stows away on the traveling book wagon of the Librarians, a group that carries government-approved reading material between far-flung desert communities. She’s quickly discovered hiding amongst the books, but when the Librarians invite her to travel and train with them, Esther quickly learns that being a Librarian isn’t just about bringing state-sanctioned stories from town to town. The Librarians have dangerous secrets, and as Esther grows closer to the group, she realizes how little she actually knows about the restrictive and desolate society in which she lives.
This novella is a quick and immersive read that puts a modern, feminist twist on the classic Western. While there are horse chases, small-town sheriffs, and toothpick-chewing rebels, the story is about the importance of resistance in the face of tyranny and the inherent value of intellectual freedom. Esther and the Librarians are a diverse and interesting group of heroes that face danger at every turn, and I had a hard time putting this book down!
Reviewed by Madison
Tagged: Adventure, Dystopia, Fiction, LGBTQ, Libraries, Western
The Midnight Lie
by Marie Rutkoski
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This YA fantasy novel is the first in a duology about Nirrim, a young woman who lives in a remote island city. Nirrim is Half Kith, which means she cannot wear bright colors, eat flavorful food, or leave the walled-in neighborhood she calls home. Beyond the walls, the privileged class known as the High Kith live lavishly. When an unlucky accident lands Nirrim in the city jail, she meets Sid, a traveler with a mysterious past who somehow convinces the guards to let Nirrim free. Sid has questions Nirrim never thought to ask, like: why do the High Kith get all of life’s pleasures? How was the city founded? And who built the wall around the Half Kith? Together, Nirrim and Sid set out to find the answers.
Though this plot description has elements that will be familiar to anyone who reads YA fantasy and dystopian sci-fi, I found it to be a unique and engrossing story that isn’t quite like anything I’ve read before. The island of Herrath, where Nirrim lives, is immersive and detailed, and Marie Rutkoski’s writing brings it vividly to life. The primary romance in this book is between two women, and the characters feel well-developed and real. I picked this book up on a whim one Sunday morning and didn’t put it down until it was finished–it totally hooked me from the first few pages. Highly recommended to teens and adults who love complicated heroes, LGBTQ romance, and unique fantasy worlds.
Reviewed by Madison
Tagged: Dystopia, Fantasy, Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance
The Dispossessed: A Novel
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Shevek is born in a world created by anarchists. This world, a moon in fact, is home to a planned society in which the concept of property does not exist and the language has been designed to discourage selfish thought. The people there have very little contact with the world from whence they came—the capitalist planet of Urras. Shevek is a brilliant physicist whose groundbreaking work is too advanced to be understood by his colleagues. If he wishes to continue his research he must, therefore, visit Urras and work with the scientists there.
Le Guin’s writing is excellent. In telling the story of Shevek, of his research, and of his journey, she also subtly explores some very interesting ideas about culture, language, government, and psychology. This imaginative work, like most of Le Guin’s science fiction, stands alone, and if you have never read any Le Guin this would be an excellent place to start. And if you like it you will find that Le Guin has written many more excellent books set in the same universe.
Reviewed by Ben
Tagged: Dystopia, Fiction, Science fiction, Utopia
The Giver
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The Giver is a 1993 American young adult novel by Lois Lowry. It is set in a society which is at first presented as a utopian society but gradually appears more and more dystopian.
Reviewed by Forbes Library Staff
Tagged: Dystopia, Fiction, Futuristic
Patternmaster
by Octavia E. Butler
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Folks have been recommending that I read Octavia E. Butler for some time. I’ve received recommendations from friends that know I like Ursula Le Guin and have told me that I would therefore like Butler’s writing as well, and I’ve also received recommendations from friends who have said, “Oh, you like science fiction. I don’t read much science fiction, but I just read this book by Octavia E. Butler…”.
I picked up my first novel by Octavia E. Butler, Patternmaster, last Thursday, and I finished reading it over the weekend. Needless to say, I enjoyed it! In this short novel, Butler introduces us to a post-apocalyptic world in which humans are divided into a complex system of social castes and warring factions based upon the powerful mental powers of some, and the disease induced mutations of others. The story, of a student who leaves school to find himself in conflict with his own power hungry brother, is relatively simple, but the detailed world in which it takes place makes it feel like part of something much bigger.
Reader’s of Ursula Le Guin’s fiction will recognize themes of class, gender, and sexuality in Butler’s writing, as well as a similar approach to speculative fiction that is based on rigorous world building and avoids the stereotypes of the genre. The struggles depicted in Patternmaster are, however, more violent, and the cast more power hungry, than in Le Guin’s writings. If you like Ursula Le Guin and don’t mind the a story with some loose ends and some violent passages, you should give Patternmaster a try.
Reviewed by Ben
Tagged: Dystopia, Fiction, Science fiction
