Inversion

I've never actually read anything by Ursula K. Le Guin (yet! I'll get around to it!), but this book reminded me of what my understanding of how her books are: a story with a unique sci-fi setting designed to make you think about how our own society could be better, and how its inhabitants would react to threats that real-world readers would expect and understand.

At face value - and this might be a bit facetious - I didn't think a book set in a literal utopia could interest me; if everything is perfect and every need is met, what kind of story could be told that could possibly be interesting? Thankfully the kumbaya honeymoon period only lasts for the first chapter before an inciting incident kicks an actual plot into motion. Previous books from this publisher I've read in the past lay on the political pontificating pretty goddamn heavy, but it was more subtle and toned down here, allowing it to be present without getting in the way of the story.

Our dual protagonists feel strongly distinct from one another (one of them uses "we/our" pronouns with a clever in-fiction justification for that), and they do go through a transformation and character change through the events of the book. The prose and dialogue are serviceable enough, but really it's the setting that's going to stick with me for a while after reading it. I don't know if the author intends to revisit this world, but I'd be interested in going back if he did.

I like the Black Dawn series, and this book only reinforced my appreciation. It wasn't perfect, but the world building was amazing. Highly recommended for people looking for an anarchist-flavored sci-fi novella.

The world-building is what's most interesting here, but there's enough plot to keep you engaged. There's some really interesting ideas about ecology, society, and politics throughout the narrative.