I am a SciFi/Fantasy nerd. Star Trek, Star Wars, Ursula K. LeGuin, Heinlien, Asimov, Dune, Lord of the Rings - I love all that shit. My son knows this about me. About six weeks go, he said, "Hey have you read N.K Jemison?" I had not. Shame, shame shame on me.
I bought The Broken Earth trilogy. It sat on my kitchen table for a couple of weeks. I am a linear reader - I focus on one book at a time. I was wading through a light-weight beach book that was occassionally funny but insubstantial. NKJ had to wait until I was done with that trifle. I picked up the first book of the trilogy, "The Fifth Season," three days ago. I just finished it. I inhaled the 468 page quickly; I could have binged it in a day but I had a life to live, unfortuately.
I am late to realize N.K. Jemison's greatness. I won't talk about the book - if you haven't read it, do yourself a favor and get it today! What I will say is that this author has constructed an alternative reality that is incredibly rich with detail and emotional weight. Her life shapes how she thinks about science fiction and fantasy. That world is still dominated by one demographic (yup, white males). She has pumped out the best work in this genre that I have read in years because she is outside of that demographic.
Many others recognized her towering creativity years ago (three Hugo Awards in a row, for each book in the Broken Earth Trilogy!!!). I add my puny voice to the chorus of priaise. I know how I will be spending the next few weeks - reading her entire bibliography.
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