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A review by ambers
Another Life by Sarena Ulibarri
5.0
This novella is a delight! This is a story about Galacia, a woman who lives in a burgeoning solarpunk society in the desert.
For me, the world building is a highlight of this book. It's wonderful what the author has managed to pack into such a short story - its post capitalist for our main characters, but set during a time of transition. They haven't quite figured out how to live this way together in their new community of Otra Vida, and the rest of the world hasn't figured out how to feel about Otra Vida either.
Although there is en element of the fantastical (part of the plot revolves around members of the community learning who they were in a past life), the world itself feels plausible - both the sorrowful elements of it (police brutality, climate crisis) and the lovely ones (Otra Vida itself). Most importantly, Otra Vida is built through hard work, community bonds, resilience, and love. I adored that. Solarpunk works best for me when it feels like it COULD be achieved in the very near future.
I also greatly enjoyed how the author approached past lives and their impact on our current ones. Do our past mistakes irrevocably change us? What does it mean to believe in restorative justice, even if you struggle to face your own flaws?
Finally, as with any good solarpunk, this novel is wonderfully diverse. We have an important character who is trans, side characters who are gay, Indigenous, use wheelchairs, etc. Sometimes solarpunk has a tendency to create worlds where those differences are just handwaved away, and I appreciate that Ulibarri doesn't fall into that trope. In a true solarpunk world, we would find strength in a diverse community.
Overall, this was a 5 star read for me. There is a lot to love in this little novella! Thank you Stelliform Pres for an advanced review copy; all opinions in this review are my own.
For me, the world building is a highlight of this book. It's wonderful what the author has managed to pack into such a short story - its post capitalist for our main characters, but set during a time of transition. They haven't quite figured out how to live this way together in their new community of Otra Vida, and the rest of the world hasn't figured out how to feel about Otra Vida either.
Although there is en element of the fantastical (part of the plot revolves around members of the community learning who they were in a past life), the world itself feels plausible - both the sorrowful elements of it (police brutality, climate crisis) and the lovely ones (Otra Vida itself). Most importantly, Otra Vida is built through hard work, community bonds, resilience, and love. I adored that. Solarpunk works best for me when it feels like it COULD be achieved in the very near future.
I also greatly enjoyed how the author approached past lives and their impact on our current ones. Do our past mistakes irrevocably change us? What does it mean to believe in restorative justice, even if you struggle to face your own flaws?
Finally, as with any good solarpunk, this novel is wonderfully diverse. We have an important character who is trans, side characters who are gay, Indigenous, use wheelchairs, etc. Sometimes solarpunk has a tendency to create worlds where those differences are just handwaved away, and I appreciate that Ulibarri doesn't fall into that trope. In a true solarpunk world, we would find strength in a diverse community.
Overall, this was a 5 star read for me. There is a lot to love in this little novella! Thank you Stelliform Pres for an advanced review copy; all opinions in this review are my own.