A review by rara2018
The Four Thousand, the Eight Hundred by Greg Egan

5.0

I didn’t expect to like this in the slightest since, a. it’s by a man, b. the cover is not my vibe at all, and c. it seemed a little more sci-fi sci-fi than I usually enjoy, but I ended up really enjoying it. The moral questions here were so interesting to think about, with Vesta’s politics being reminiscent of what I can only call “reverse reparations” for lack of a better term, and Ceres utilitarian outlook being exacting in its methods. Reading about the revolution on Vesta through Camille’s eyes was amazing and really brought the whole world to life. I didn’t love the ending, but I understood it—and it was nice to finally see where the title came from because I’d spent the rest of the novella trying to rationalize the logic behind it every time someone mentioned a number. The story made me think and somehow managed to make me feel for the characters I’d only known for such a brief time. While the worlds here are scientifically very unlike our own, the people face such similar societal obstacles surrounding immigration and class and everything in between that it made for a very interesting read.