It’s a cerebral space opera set on a large scale with multiple protagonists and antagonists vying for control. Sometimes, the lines between protagonist and antagonist can become blurred, as can the nature of their moralities.
I want to come to recent events in another way. All of this reminds me of a story that I want do a deep dive on: “The World Science Fiction Convention of 2080” by Ian Watson (published in 1980). This is a short, very inside baseball story of Worldcon, Worldcon fandom and science fiction, and it is quite revealing.
As always, Kingfisher does a wonderful job immersing the reader in whatever environment she’s describing; I was reveling in the description of the countryside from the first page.
The style of how Parker-Chan writes all of this is vivid, immersive and striking. She uses a variety of imagery and metaphors that describe individuals, gestures, actions and maneuvers that bring the writing to life. Everywhere, the text is rich in detail.
If you loved Malka Older’s The Mimicking of Known Successes, you will almost certainly find pleasure in The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles too.
The plot and themes of Three One Eight connect with its unconventional elements of narrative and construction. These are wonderful discoveries for the reader to make without forewarning.
