Take a photo of a barcode or cover
dawson001 's review for:
The Mimicking of Known Successes
by Malka Older
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
The Mimicking of Known Successes is a quirky science fiction murder mystery with a dash of romance by Malka Older. Tordotcom has made a name in publishing excellent novellas, and this is no exception – it was nominated for both the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award for Best Novella. While the title may be a bit of a mouthful, it fits the unique academic nature of the book, which is billed as a cozy Holmesian murder mystery and sapphic romance. The mood and feel of the book are enough like Victorian England to suit the Sherlock Holmes comparison, but its setting is 100 percent science fiction. Presumably, this is centuries in the future, as humans thrive on open-aired platforms above Giant while hoping to “reset” Earth and return home.
If I were to describe this book using only one word, it would be, “lovely.” The writing, the characters, the descriptions – all splendid. The title is a quote from the book (which I absolutely love), explaining how scholars plan to recreate the perfect living environment on Earth so they can return to the planet one day. It’s the main character’s sole focus – and she’s not alone. Valdegeld University is “the great center of learning and culture” on one of the floating platforms where humanity now lives, and one of its scholars disappeared from an isolated platform with no explanation. Senior Investigator Mossa is intrigued. She didn’t think the scholar went there to kill himself, so if he went over the edge, he might have been pushed or thrown. She decides to return to Valdegeld and enlist the help of her university sweetheart, Pleiti. Together they follow the trail of the missing scholar.
Their investigatory relationship is very Holmes and Watson. Mossa is very much a meticulous detective who keeps her investigations to herself while letting Pleiti do most of the talking. The romance is tentative and subtle, as brief hints of their past relationship colors their current attraction. While their mutual attraction is obvious, they are both hesitant to act on it, and their interactions add depth to the story.
There’s a lot to love about this universe. My favorite is the Koffre Institute for Earth Species Preservation, which is part zoo and part museum, where Earth species of plants and animals were reconstituted. Researchers believed that not only did humanity need other life in order to flourish, but they needed to study the inhabitants of Earth if they ever wanted to recreate them on their home world. Referred to as the Preservation Institute or the mauzooleum, Pleiti muses that “many non-scholars visited as well, finding some importance in seeing for themselves these creatures and plants, even if they were not, quite, in their native habitat; a respite perhaps, or a warped window on what our lost life on Earth might have been like.”
Scholars from Valdegeld like Pleiti are dedicated to the “vaunted field of Classical studies,” and study old Earth books to analyze the descriptions of flora and fauna. Pleiti tells Mossa that she studies the British Isles in the mid-twentieth century, and is amazed by a story book intended for children – “a very useful book about rabbits and their adventures.” It’s a delightful addition. It also makes the reader think about books in a new light – even children’s stories.
The Mimicking of Known Successes may not be for everyone – it takes a few chapters to get into and the dialogue is very prim, proper, and formal – but I very much enjoyed it.