The Years of Rice and Salt

Kim Stanley Robinson, best known for his Mars trilogy Red Mars, Green Mars and Blue Mars, is a fascinating author, capable of challenging readers to think not about what it means to be human, but what it means to exist altogether. In The Years of Rice and Salt, he rises to majestic heights and delivers a story worthy of much praise.

The Years of Rice and Salt is an alternate history unlike any other. Re-imagining how the world would have progressed if Europe had been wiped out by the Black Death in the fourteenth century. The most amazing aspect of the novel, however, is how it tries not to present itself like an alternate history. Instead, Robinson allows readers to live in an entirely different world, where Europe has different names, like Firanja and Al-Andalus, instead of Spain, England or France. He also allows readers to easily understand the locations of a story by using names that are familiar from ancient history, like Mecca, Inka, Burmese and Arabia. But the world Robinson has created is entirely believable, and educational.

In The Years of Rice and Salt, Kim Stanley Robinson challenges his readers to reexamine their viewpoints on many topics: life and death, reincarnation, religion, philosophy, science, and even the place of women in society. Rarely does a work so thought-provoking come around.

Robinson uses a different method for conveying his story throughout the novel, which consists of ten ‘books'. We are introduced to many ‘characters' which all share the same souls throughout multiple lives. His jati, meet up with each other in life after life, which he details in the novel.

Though their names all begin with the same letter in each life, their situations rarely mirror their previous incarnations. Readers are treated to living the life of a tiger through the eyes of one, and on the effect humans have on the nature surrounding them. It's an interesting storytelling method seldom seen working so well. Though confusing at times, especially at the beginning, Robinson's use of the bardo separates the lives nicely.

Nevertheless, this novel takes time to ingest. Spanning over 750 pages, and having no true climax–an interesting theme in Robinson's books–the novel is not a huge page-turner. In fact, readers may find themselves rather confused in the early pages, and not very interested until the birth of science in Samarqand. The development of weaponry and combat is especially interesting, since it mirrors our own history so well. Indeed, it's intriguing to see how many things could be so very similar. Several times, readers may find themselves thinking of a character as the equivalent of our Einstein, or understanding that scientists are working on a nuclear bomb, though the terms are all different.

Robinson does an excellent job weaving together an interesting, thought-provoking journey through history, beginning with the death of a warlord, and moving through the discovery of the ‘New World' by the Chinese, who land on the west coast–which seems decidedly odd. Also interesting is the development of China into the largest power in the world.

Overall, The Years of Rice and Salt has something for everyone, but commands great respect from all. This is one of those novels that can cause some very long, very heated and opinionated discussions. It may also cause some good to come, if people act on the messages it conveys. It challenges readers' ideas of religion, society, government, and even our daily views of the world.

This book cannot be more highly recommended, and sits beside Kim Stanley Robinson's other work as continuing the very best in science fiction.