The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain
Ratings7
Average rating3.9
15
Ratings7
Average rating3.9
Named a Best Sci-Fi Book of 2024 by Esquire
“I am in love with Sofia Samatar's lyricism and the haunting beauty of her imagination. Her stories linger, like the memory of a sumptuous feast.”—N. K. Jemisin
A Most Anticipated in 2024 Pick for Goodreads | LitHub | Book Riot | She Reads | The Nerd Daily | New Scientist
Celebrated author Sofia Samatar presents a mystical, revolutionary space adventure for the exhausted dreamer in this brilliant science fiction novella tackling the carceral state and violence embedded in the ivory tower while embodying the legacy of Ursula K. Le Guin.
The boy was raised as one of the Chained, condemned to toil in the bowels of a mining ship out among the stars. His whole world changes—literally—when he is yanked “upstairs” and informed he has been given an opportunity to be educated at the ship’s university alongside the elite.
Overwhelmed and alone, the boy forms a bond with the woman he comes to know as “the professor,” a weary idealist and descendent of the Chained who has spent her career striving for validation from her more senior colleagues, only to fall short at every turn.
Together, the boy and the woman will embark on a transformative journey to grasp the design of the chains that fetter them both—and are the key to breaking free.
Reviews with the most likes.
A novella - about class division and suppression on generation ships cruising through space - that could have been a short story. While the prose was initially intriguing with its poetic quality, the world and the premise at its core felt rather old school.
There's a message here that you either get or you don't. I wonder if that's the difference between 1* and 5* ratings.
The prose is really sharp, but the (end) message does not punch me as forcefully as I was expecting it to. Maybe I'll have to reread this again some day, and maybe then I'll add the final star.
I do know I'll have to dive into more of Samatar's work. And if that isn't the best outcome, I don't know what is.
I’ve just finished this (as in, in the last five minutes) so I might come back and revisit this review in a few days once I’ve had time to ruminate on it, but I absolutely bloody loved this. Beautifully written, I loved the Boy and the Woman and thought they extremely well drawn, the world building was fantastic, the plot was engaging and the message really struck a chord. Highly recommended from me!
