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The Best of All Possible Worlds A Novel Karen Lord 9780345534057 Books

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The Best of All Possible Worlds A Novel Karen Lord 9780345534057 Books

This is one of those books that are becoming more common these days: thoughtful; slow-moving and mostly low-tension, with occasional bursts of action; good-hearted characters who are essentially early-21st-century liberals in their worldview; beautifully written and impeccably edited; fresh in premise; masterful in execution. Into this nameless and assorted category I would group Ann Leckie's Ancillary series; The Goblin Emperor; A Natural History of Dragons; and Chalice, among books I've read relatively recently.

It's also the kind of modern planetary romance that, say, Sherri S. Tepper or Julian May wrote; not a space opera, because it's not in space, and technically science-fictional, but with psychic powers playing a prominent role. It's even more reminiscent of Ursula K. Le Guin, and I would be astonished if Le Guin was not a huge influence on the author.

Now that I've set it in a context of other books and authors, what is it about? Well, one of the most prominent and highly respected races of humans, in a galaxy with several of those, have lost their planet and most of their people to enemy action. Because, for sociological reasons, more men than women spent time off-planet, there's now a shortage of women among the survivors, and they want to find ways to preserve their culture as well as their genetic heritage. (It turns out late in the book that, because of the way their psychic powers work, they actually don't do well at all if they're not pair-bonded, and they may even become dangerous; but this isn't developed very much.)

Accordingly, on a planet which for various reasons has become a destination for many groups of refugees and displaced people, the proud and self-disciplined race are looking among the cultural groups descended from those of their people who left their planet or were pushed out in the past, in the hope of finding brides. The main character, a local civil servant, is assigned to help them in this quest, and ends up having the universe's least romantic romance with the leader of the search.

Even though I call it an unromantic romance, it was still quite sweet, just as the civil servant was interesting (and wryly funny). The pace is unhurried, but it doesn't feel too stretched out; I wasn't bored, it just wasn't a constant barrage of plot incidents. There are certainly moments of tension, but if tension, passion, conflict and drama are what you mainly look for in a book, you shouldn't look here. They all occur, but, like the events of the plot, they're widely spaced and not, for the most part, built up to any great heights. It's more a thoughtful book than it is a spectacular one, and the overall tone is of warm-hearted maturity.

The title, of course, is from Voltaire's satire Candide, and he took it from Leibnitz; I'm afraid I didn't quite get the significance of the reference. The refuge planet is neither utopian nor dystopian, though it's peaceful, and with a few notable exceptions the people living there are well-disposed towards others.

It took me a while to figure out what the deal was with Earth, and where we were in the timeline. Earth is under a ban, meaning that nobody is meant to interfere with it or make open contact, but I wasn't sure until late in the book whether this was at our time or after it (it appears to be more or less at our time, though it could easily be some time before or after). Various groups have been rescued from disasters on Earth at different times, though, by mysterious guardians, and brought to the planet of refuge, which justifies - I suppose - the fact that most of the cultural references are to Earth culture. It's a bit of a worldbuilding shortcut, if not accompanied by any cultural references to any of the other cultures, and that, for me, was the most noticeable weakness in the book - if you don't count the missed opportunities to build up tension, conflict and drama, and I think that was a deliberate and understandable choice by the author rather than a failure of craft. (I also want to reiterate that those elements were present, just not front and centre.)

I do find, though, that I mostly respect these books more than I love them. Tension and conflict are the salt and fat of literature, and if you have a book that's all salt and fat, then you have literary junk food - meaning that it will be popular, comparatively easy to produce, and profitable, but not critically acclaimed or respected. But there are haute cuisine ways to use salt and fat to enhance the flavour of fine food, and sometimes these more languid books do miss opportunities to bring out their philosophical flavour with better seasoning. It's a tricky balance to strike. You don't want to distract from the reflective, insightful nature of the book by setting off fireworks all the time, but you also want to engage your audience emotionally as well as intellectually. For me, The Best of All Possible Worlds walked that line well, but for other people's taste it will fail.


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The Best of All Possible Worlds A Novel Karen Lord 9780345534057 Books Reviews

I will admit, this wasn't a snappy read for me. It took some time to understand that this book was more about the depth of its character's, rather than the excitement of the plot. Which is a-ok with me!

There's a lot here to unpack, it touches on some hard issues around spousal abuse, PTSD, gender issues, feminism, sexuality, treatment of refugees, class.. The list keeps going, and even though it is steeped in the awareness, and exploration of these issues, it doesn't drown out the voice, development, and personality of the main protagonist, and is all well integrated into the narrative.

I very much enjoyed learning how each of the races, and sub races (split races? I'm not sure how to word it!) on the planet have evolved, adapted and changed over time. The depth of Lord's imagination when it comes to cultures is just amazing!

So, even though though the pacing isn't quite as frantic as I'm used to in sci-fi, Lord has instead filled the novel with a wonderful depth of character and creation, to keep me hooked and intrigued.
While the premise of the story was captivating, the book itself moved too slowly for me. Additionally it felt more like a romance novel than science fiction. With that said, it appears to give an interesting perspective of a woman finding herself through a number of trials and tribulations.
The Best of All Possible Worlds"--Indeed!

Captain Kirk and I explored the final frontier when I was young, so I guess futuristic science fiction is a naturally-favored genre of mine. Add in time-travel twists, mysterious Caretakers who reach in and meddle at opportune, species-saving moments and yes, The Best of All Possible Worlds is aptly titled.

Is it a love story? Definitely, especially if readers expand their previous conceptions of love story to include ones that begin in the mind--curiosity and respect meet and meld as the two protagonists journey together. Two hands touch, and the world opens up.

Is it a science-fiction, adventure story? Yes. Grace is a linguist, chosen to work side-by-side with Dllenahkh, one of the few survivors of a terrible tragedy, one that wiped out most of his race, the Sadiri. Counselor Dllenahkh works with Grace and the rest of the team to find a pathway for the Sadiri to continue, somehow. Their journey across the planet, identifying other groups with bloodlines similar to his own, reveals much about the peoples they discover and the team themselves. Anthropology meets sci-fi, along with a hefty dose of mind powers that include telekenesis, emotional projection, mind reading and the like. What's not to like?

It is also a World Mythology, hinting answers to the age-old questions about higher beings who craft a future, paternalistic beings who reach out a helping hand--followed by a memory-wipe chaser.

Karen Lord's background as a Physics teacher is evident, not only in various teacher-student scenarios, but also in her scientific descriptions and reliance on math. One might assume, given the genre and the writer, that the science is heavy-handed, but that is not the case. Instead, her prose crafts images, even as she uses scientific terminology and practices that might otherwise overwhelm.

At moments, particularly when Grace addresses her audience directly--Dear Reader--this novel reminded me somewhat of Frankenstein, A Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelly. After all, each of the four human races--Sadiri, Ntshune, Zhinu and Terrans, each has been given different gifts to help the human race survive. Each race has the same creator, and in various ways, the races reveal the journey of self-discovery common to the Creature in Shelly's classic novel.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the story was the element of language. The Sadiri have ten ways to say "the right thing to do" and throughout the story I felt as if Ms. Lord was doing the same thing. We have Grace who effusively tells us, the Reader, everything in a manner similar to a bubbly friend. Then we have Dllenahkh who say things obliquely, shrouded in science, and who without saying the words showcases his love for Grace by simply living it. Language weaves, tells stories, and plays with point of view, so-- Whose story is this?

The foremost voice is Grace's, and so it is natural to assume that this is her story. But, it is not--at least not entirely. Time is noted before Dllenahkh's entries, always as "Zero hour plus...," indicating the importance of the end of Dllenahkh's world as he knew it--Zero Hour. And yes, the best of all possible worlds is the one the two of them discover, with each other, as they become best friends--soul mates if you wish. He finds his best possible world, as does she, and together they find it for the Sadiri. After all, the best possible world is the one we create for ourselves, letting go of presumption and assumption, to find what is "ours"--not just "yours" and "mine."
This is one of those books that are becoming more common these days thoughtful; slow-moving and mostly low-tension, with occasional bursts of action; good-hearted characters who are essentially early-21st-century liberals in their worldview; beautifully written and impeccably edited; fresh in premise; masterful in execution. Into this nameless and assorted category I would group Ann Leckie's Ancillary series; The Goblin Emperor; A Natural History of Dragons; and Chalice, among books I've read relatively recently.

It's also the kind of modern planetary romance that, say, Sherri S. Tepper or Julian May wrote; not a space opera, because it's not in space, and technically science-fictional, but with psychic powers playing a prominent role. It's even more reminiscent of Ursula K. Le Guin, and I would be astonished if Le Guin was not a huge influence on the author.

Now that I've set it in a context of other books and authors, what is it about? Well, one of the most prominent and highly respected races of humans, in a galaxy with several of those, have lost their planet and most of their people to enemy action. Because, for sociological reasons, more men than women spent time off-planet, there's now a shortage of women among the survivors, and they want to find ways to preserve their culture as well as their genetic heritage. (It turns out late in the book that, because of the way their psychic powers work, they actually don't do well at all if they're not pair-bonded, and they may even become dangerous; but this isn't developed very much.)

Accordingly, on a planet which for various reasons has become a destination for many groups of refugees and displaced people, the proud and self-disciplined race are looking among the cultural groups descended from those of their people who left their planet or were pushed out in the past, in the hope of finding brides. The main character, a local civil servant, is assigned to help them in this quest, and ends up having the universe's least romantic romance with the leader of the search.

Even though I call it an unromantic romance, it was still quite sweet, just as the civil servant was interesting (and wryly funny). The pace is unhurried, but it doesn't feel too stretched out; I wasn't bored, it just wasn't a constant barrage of plot incidents. There are certainly moments of tension, but if tension, passion, conflict and drama are what you mainly look for in a book, you shouldn't look here. They all occur, but, like the events of the plot, they're widely spaced and not, for the most part, built up to any great heights. It's more a thoughtful book than it is a spectacular one, and the overall tone is of warm-hearted maturity.

The title, of course, is from Voltaire's satire Candide, and he took it from Leibnitz; I'm afraid I didn't quite get the significance of the reference. The refuge planet is neither utopian nor dystopian, though it's peaceful, and with a few notable exceptions the people living there are well-disposed towards others.

It took me a while to figure out what the deal was with Earth, and where we were in the timeline. Earth is under a ban, meaning that nobody is meant to interfere with it or make open contact, but I wasn't sure until late in the book whether this was at our time or after it (it appears to be more or less at our time, though it could easily be some time before or after). Various groups have been rescued from disasters on Earth at different times, though, by mysterious guardians, and brought to the planet of refuge, which justifies - I suppose - the fact that most of the cultural references are to Earth culture. It's a bit of a worldbuilding shortcut, if not accompanied by any cultural references to any of the other cultures, and that, for me, was the most noticeable weakness in the book - if you don't count the missed opportunities to build up tension, conflict and drama, and I think that was a deliberate and understandable choice by the author rather than a failure of craft. (I also want to reiterate that those elements were present, just not front and centre.)

I do find, though, that I mostly respect these books more than I love them. Tension and conflict are the salt and fat of literature, and if you have a book that's all salt and fat, then you have literary junk food - meaning that it will be popular, comparatively easy to produce, and profitable, but not critically acclaimed or respected. But there are haute cuisine ways to use salt and fat to enhance the flavour of fine food, and sometimes these more languid books do miss opportunities to bring out their philosophical flavour with better seasoning. It's a tricky balance to strike. You don't want to distract from the reflective, insightful nature of the book by setting off fireworks all the time, but you also want to engage your audience emotionally as well as intellectually. For me, The Best of All Possible Worlds walked that line well, but for other people's taste it will fail.