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Nataliya's Reviews > Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 107, April 2019
Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 107, April 2019
by ǰ�
by ǰ�
This review is for The Archronology of Love by Caroline M. Yoachim, nominated for best novelette for both Hugo and Nebula.
Saki Jones was supposed to join her “lifelove� partner M.J. on the new colony on the New Mars. But the colony had suddenly collapsed prior to her arrival, and the colonists are dead � likely from an alien plague, possibly related to alien artifacts from a seemingly vanished alien civilization. To determine what exactly happened, Saki and her crew mates can access the Chronicle � holographic projections of time records, a nonhuman invention that allows you to see slices of the past � but entering the Chronicle alters and destroys parts of it across time.
This is a quiet story of pain and loss and grief. It’s about how your personal experiences can’t help but bring bias to your research. It’s about misunderstandings that can make first contact a tragedy. It’s sad, with a bittersweet ending, and quiet understated power. It’s not a story of struggle or conflict, but of what comes after, of how you deal with loss, how you learn to go on.
The idea of the Chronicle is fascinating. I’d be curious to see it explored further in a longer story.
4 stars.
Read it here:
—ĔĔĔĔĔ�
My Hugo and Nebula Awards Reading Project 2020: /review/show...
Saki Jones was supposed to join her “lifelove� partner M.J. on the new colony on the New Mars. But the colony had suddenly collapsed prior to her arrival, and the colonists are dead � likely from an alien plague, possibly related to alien artifacts from a seemingly vanished alien civilization. To determine what exactly happened, Saki and her crew mates can access the Chronicle � holographic projections of time records, a nonhuman invention that allows you to see slices of the past � but entering the Chronicle alters and destroys parts of it across time.
“We did not create the Chronicle, we simply discovered it, as you did. Layer upon layer of time, a stratified record of the universe. When you visit the Chronicle, you alter it. Your presence muddles the temporal record as surely as an archaeological dig muddles the dirt at an excavation site.�
This is a quiet story of pain and loss and grief. It’s about how your personal experiences can’t help but bring bias to your research. It’s about misunderstandings that can make first contact a tragedy. It’s sad, with a bittersweet ending, and quiet understated power. It’s not a story of struggle or conflict, but of what comes after, of how you deal with loss, how you learn to go on.
The idea of the Chronicle is fascinating. I’d be curious to see it explored further in a longer story.
“We act out of love, but that does not erase the harm we cause. Forgive us.�
4 stars.
Read it here:
—ĔĔĔĔĔ�
My Hugo and Nebula Awards Reading Project 2020: /review/show...
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Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 107, April 2019.
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May 30, 2020
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Dennis
(last edited Jun 04, 2020 12:58AM)
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rated it 4 stars
Jun 04, 2020 12:58AM
Yes, a longer story around that concept would be nice.
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Dennis wrote: "Yes, a longer story around that concept would be nice."Right? I’d love to see the idea of the Chronicle developed more. Especially with the idea of records of the future. That can make a good novel.
Not sure if Yoachim is writing things outside of short fiction. But I'd definitely like to see it.
Dennis wrote: "Not sure if Yoachim is writing things outside of short fiction. But I'd definitely like to see it."I does appear that it’s all she does - but maybe she’s not the next Ted Chiang and will eventually try a longer work. I guess we’ll see.
Yep, we'll see. Your review of Exhalation was very helpful, by the way. I had The Lifecycle of Software Objects on my list. But it costs upwards of 200 Euros. Good to know that it's part of the collection.
Dennis wrote: "Yep, we'll see. Your review of Exhalation was very helpful, by the way. I had The Lifecycle of Software Objects on my list. But it costs upwards of 200 Euros. Good to know that it's part of the col..."Although I enjoyed that novella, I would not pay 200 euros for it! It reminds me how I was looking for China Mieville’s The Tain and I found it on Amazon for 460 dollars - but the same novella in a collection with 3 other works was just 1.99! Needless to say, that was the copy I got.
‘Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom� is also in that collection, and it has a Hugo nod this year. It’s a good one.
I agree with having The Chronicle explores further. I absolutely loved the idea but in. Short story had a hard time picturing it. Great review!
Nataliya wrote: "Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom� is also in that collection, and it has a Hugo nod this year. It’s a good one."Okay, thanks. Hadn't noticed that. I might get it before August then. We'll see. It's not one of the stories that's been on my list for the Hugos. But if I'm going to get that book anyway.
Jess ❈Harbinger of Blood-Soaked Rainbows� wrote: "I agree with having The Chronicle explores further. I absolutely loved the idea but in. Short story had a hard time picturing it. Great review!"Thanks, Jess! Yes, it was a bit vague but the bits that I understood were fascinating. Who knows, maybe she’ll expand on this idea someday.
