Lately, I’ve noticed a fascinating split in genre fiction. While there’s still no shortage of lighthearted space adventures, a lot of science fiction novels are exploring a scary post-climate-change future. Meanwhile, the best recent fantasy books have abandoned George R.R. Martin-style darkness, embracing a gentle sweetness instead. This month’s books provide some outstanding examples of each trend.
Let’s start with a couple of dark visions of the future.
In “Lost Ark Dreaming” by Suyi Davies Okungbowa, climate change has devastated Nigeria, and the survivors live in a massive offshore building that is segregated by class. Upper-class people dwell on the top floors while the literal underclass tries to get by at the bottom, below sea level. After a disaster, an upper-level bureaucrat has to join with a mid-level analyst and a mechanic from the bottom floors to investigate — which leads to an encounter with an intruder from the ocean.
The strength of “Lost Ark Dreaming” lies in Okungbowa’s careful attention to the details of how the systems in this huge, isolated building function. As Okungbowa’s three heroes peel away the lies they’ve internalized, they uncover a deep layer of grief for the people they’ve lost. In the end, “Lost Ark Dreaming” takes a left turn into the supernatural, and some of the earlier social realism is blunted. Despite that, the story of three characters from different social classes learning to work together remains compelling.
“Escape Velocity,” by Victor Manibo, has an even stronger focus on inequality in a world ravaged by climate change. The planet’s elites gather for a boarding-school reunion on board a luxury space station, where they compete for a place on a ship that will colonize Mars (and abandon a dying Earth). But they don’t realize that the station’s service workers have an agenda of their own.
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Manibo works hard to make the reader sympathize with his wealthy characters as much as the underlings — though it’s immediately clear where his own sympathies lie. Targets of his satire include a rich Filipino who takes pains to set himself apart from the Filipino waitstaff, the fake meritocracy that determines who will go to Mars and a domineering boss who wants to be sexually humiliated. The class warfare in space stays at a low simmer until the end of “Escape Velocity,” but when it begins to boil, it’s immensely satisfying.
And then there are a few new fantasy books that embrace cuteness and humor.
Beloved author Peter S. Beagle is back with “I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons,” set in a world where small dragons nest inside people’s walls. Robert, a dragon exterminator, secretly sympathizes with these beasts and tries to adopt them instead of killing them. When Robert is hired to clear out a castle full of dragons, he gets recruited into Prince Reginald’s quest to prove his heroism and win the hand of Princess Cerise — by killing a much larger, much scarier dragon.
Most of the time, “I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons” is sweet and whimsical, and Beagle sees the humanity in everyone from kings to their Machiavellian valets. But that genial quality only amplifies the horror and shock when the big dragons flap into frame. Beagle complicates the age-old tale of the hero from humble origins who achieves greatness, and he resists the urge to throw the handsome prince under a magic bus. It’s a bit of a disappointment when a villain finally shows up, especially since he’s the least interesting character in the book, but Robert’s love of dragons remains infectious.
Last year, I praised “Mammoths at the Gates” by Nghi Vo, and now she’s back with another novella about the traveling Cleric Chih and their eidetic magical bird. In “The Brides of High Hill,” Cleric Chih joins a lovely young bride named Nhung who is on her way to marry the mysterious Lord Guo, a man whose previous wives seem to have come to bad ends.
Cleric Chih remains a lovable hero, and Vo’s world is as immersive as ever. But “Brides of High Hill” depends heavily on a twist ending that I won’t spoil here, and you might need to read this one twice to catch all the hints you missed the first time. Fortunately, it’s a quick, enjoyable read.
My favorite book of May is “How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying,” by Django Wexler. Davi is the chosen one, kidnapped from Earth to save a magical world from the evil Dark Lord. Every time Davi dies, her quest starts over from the beginning — until, after 1,000 years of failure, she decides to change sides. Instead of defeating the Dark Lord, Davi will become the Dark Lord.
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Wexler’s tone is cute and irreverent, with a side of bawdiness and a sprinkling of pop-culture references. (At one point, he writes, “Kenny Loggins will never lead you astray.”) But this is no mere fantasy spoof: Wexler crafts realistic battles and ratchets up the tension with care. And Davi is a top-class protagonist: Her snark conceals a wellspring of anger and trauma built up through death after death, and though she tries to become the Dark Lord as a lark, she grows to care about her minions as a family. When a twist arrives late in this book, it lands better than most.
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