Scan barcode
A review by archergal
The Dazzle of Day by Molly Gloss
4.0
The framing story is about a sub-light speed generation ship that is finally about to arrive at its destination star. Once there, the ship's colonists have to decide what to do: stay with their aging vehicle, or take their chances on a cold and inhospitable new world.
But it's really and truly the story of the people on the ship, who've lived there for generations and built a society and an ecosystem that works for them. The society is Quaker. They spend time sitting quietly and letting answers come to them as a group.
This is no a linear tale; and though it takes place on a generation ship, the mechanics of it all are not part of the story. There's a bit at the beginning where they're doing maintenance on the sails that have brought the ship to its new "harbor," but that's about it. Honestly, tha[b:Aurora|23197269|Aurora|Kim Stanley Robinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436300570l/23197269._SX50_.jpg|42742263]t was kind of a relief, because I'm the sort of person who always wonders about the how the plumbing works and who maintains the reactors and stuff like that. I could just let that worry go and assume it all just works. (Cf [b:Aurora|23197269|Aurora|Kim Stanley Robinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436300570l/23197269._SX50_.jpg|42742263]) No worries about incompatible proteins here.
The writing here is very fine and a little dense. It's quietly intelligent. The characters are complex and interesting. The story is ultimately hopeful. It takes a little work to read, but I'm glad I read it.
But it's really and truly the story of the people on the ship, who've lived there for generations and built a society and an ecosystem that works for them. The society is Quaker. They spend time sitting quietly and letting answers come to them as a group.
This is no a linear tale; and though it takes place on a generation ship, the mechanics of it all are not part of the story. There's a bit at the beginning where they're doing maintenance on the sails that have brought the ship to its new "harbor," but that's about it. Honestly, tha[b:Aurora|23197269|Aurora|Kim Stanley Robinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436300570l/23197269._SX50_.jpg|42742263]t was kind of a relief, because I'm the sort of person who always wonders about the how the plumbing works and who maintains the reactors and stuff like that. I could just let that worry go and assume it all just works. (Cf [b:Aurora|23197269|Aurora|Kim Stanley Robinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436300570l/23197269._SX50_.jpg|42742263]) No worries about incompatible proteins here.
The writing here is very fine and a little dense. It's quietly intelligent. The characters are complex and interesting. The story is ultimately hopeful. It takes a little work to read, but I'm glad I read it.