Knives Out In Space
August 29, 2021 10:30 AM Subscribe
Based on this thread, I read Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty and want more books to scratch that SF mystery itch. Details inside.
What I liked about it was the slow reveal and the revelations about the characters’ pasts. Tight plotting is a big draw, with some good twists. An ensemble of not-so-nice people, like Knives Out. While I love Murderbot and Chambers, my mystery tastes are more dark, like Tana French and many Scandinavian/Nordic authors. Please no misogyny or queerphobia.
What I liked about it was the slow reveal and the revelations about the characters’ pasts. Tight plotting is a big draw, with some good twists. An ensemble of not-so-nice people, like Knives Out. While I love Murderbot and Chambers, my mystery tastes are more dark, like Tana French and many Scandinavian/Nordic authors. Please no misogyny or queerphobia.
Dan Simmon's "Hyperion"?
The framing device is a group of diverse characters is heading to a planet on the edge of galactic civilization on a final pilgrimage to the "Time Tombs" of Hyperion.
Along the way each character tells their tale as to why they're going on this journey. A sort of Canterbury Tales in space but each story is a different genre of sci-fi. Each story reveals the character's pasts, a part of the setting, up ends what you know so-far.
The sequel, "Fall of Hyperion" is not as good (I still like it!) but closes out the story quite well. The remaining sequels, Endymion and Rise of Endymion, are worth reading to see what happens next but they're nowhere near as good.
posted by Snuffman at 11:51 AM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
The framing device is a group of diverse characters is heading to a planet on the edge of galactic civilization on a final pilgrimage to the "Time Tombs" of Hyperion.
Along the way each character tells their tale as to why they're going on this journey. A sort of Canterbury Tales in space but each story is a different genre of sci-fi. Each story reveals the character's pasts, a part of the setting, up ends what you know so-far.
The sequel, "Fall of Hyperion" is not as good (I still like it!) but closes out the story quite well. The remaining sequels, Endymion and Rise of Endymion, are worth reading to see what happens next but they're nowhere near as good.
posted by Snuffman at 11:51 AM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
If you're OK with fairly "straight" speculative fiction (without being "in space" or "with dragons"), check out China Miéville's The City & the City. (It's best to go into it fairly "cold", so I'd encourage you to not read too much about it before you actually start reading it.)
posted by Johnny Assay at 12:15 PM on August 29, 2021 [7 favorites]
posted by Johnny Assay at 12:15 PM on August 29, 2021 [7 favorites]
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle:
Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others.
posted by ockmockbock at 12:26 PM on August 29, 2021 [4 favorites]
Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others.
posted by ockmockbock at 12:26 PM on August 29, 2021 [4 favorites]
What I liked about it was the slow reveal and the revelations about the characters’ pasts. Tight plotting is a big draw, with some good twists.
Ancillary Justice, but you'd likely think the major cast is too small. The sequels are very good but don't have that quality.
Some Banks sort of fit, with the caveat that most Culturniks end up being at least a little sympathetic, and again a small core cast. Use of Weapons might scratch that itch. Excession too, but less probably. Dunno anything about Tana French etc, but Banks brings the dark.
Vinge's _Marooned in Realtime_ might fit. I honestly can't remember how much, if any, misogyny or queerphobia there was.
Scalzi, Lock In -- more buddy-cop than ensemble, but a good yarn. Not dark.
Maybe Altered Carbon, but its noir setting might fail your misogyny criterion. Someone in a female body gets virtually raped, sort of, as torture, and other misogynistic things happen. The book is not the male-gaze-extravaganza that the show was.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 1:45 PM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
Ancillary Justice, but you'd likely think the major cast is too small. The sequels are very good but don't have that quality.
Some Banks sort of fit, with the caveat that most Culturniks end up being at least a little sympathetic, and again a small core cast. Use of Weapons might scratch that itch. Excession too, but less probably. Dunno anything about Tana French etc, but Banks brings the dark.
Vinge's _Marooned in Realtime_ might fit. I honestly can't remember how much, if any, misogyny or queerphobia there was.
Scalzi, Lock In -- more buddy-cop than ensemble, but a good yarn. Not dark.
Maybe Altered Carbon, but its noir setting might fail your misogyny criterion. Someone in a female body gets virtually raped, sort of, as torture, and other misogynistic things happen. The book is not the male-gaze-extravaganza that the show was.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 1:45 PM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
Consider Asimov's Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun. It is, of course, impossible for a robot to harm a human or, through inaction, allow one to come to harm. So why is Robot Daneel Olivaw wanted for murder?
posted by SPrintF at 2:46 PM on August 29, 2021
posted by SPrintF at 2:46 PM on August 29, 2021
You may like The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch. Starts as a procedural investigation of a brutal murder but it soon is clear there are implications beyond that - in (you learn this very early on) alternate timelines/dimensions. Very dark and complex, I thought, and quite good.
A bit of an odd recommendation but Stanislaw Lem's Solaris may actually fit the bill a bit. It's very cosmic in a way but also extremely character-focused. Make sure you get the Kandel translation.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 9:22 PM on August 29, 2021
A bit of an odd recommendation but Stanislaw Lem's Solaris may actually fit the bill a bit. It's very cosmic in a way but also extremely character-focused. Make sure you get the Kandel translation.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 9:22 PM on August 29, 2021
Seconding Banks, although he may not get dark enough.
Regarding Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice, her fantasy The Raven Tower is probably even more fun on the mystery side of thing.
I'd push Alister Reynolds, but my wife can't get into him.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:43 AM on August 30, 2021
Regarding Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice, her fantasy The Raven Tower is probably even more fun on the mystery side of thing.
I'd push Alister Reynolds, but my wife can't get into him.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:43 AM on August 30, 2021
Obsessed with Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. You will love it. The sequel is great but not so mystery-focused.
posted by Isingthebodyelectric at 1:20 PM on September 2, 2021
posted by Isingthebodyelectric at 1:20 PM on September 2, 2021
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posted by mumkin at 10:59 AM on August 29, 2021 [4 favorites]