“Ancillary Justice” by Ann Leckie – The Cost of Righteousness
It seems that the practice of writing long, vast and expansive science-fiction novels is a trend that has been picking up lately, though it can be argued that few do it as well as this work of literature. (You can read the first chapter here)
To explain the story as briefly as possible (there are certainly a lot of things taking place), we are presented with a race of people who call themselves the Radchaii and believe in their own superiority over all others.
Their goal is the conquest of galactic civilizations, with their actions justified by their desire to bring true peace and unity to the world. The protagonist of this novel is a product which was manufactured by the Radchaii, an artificial intelligence that had connections to many different things and beings... an artificial intelligence which now calls herself Breq, is trapped in a human body, and is having a true crisis of identity.
Needless to say, a number of other characters populate the pages of this novel, both human and otherwise, with there being a whole slew of different subplots and moral themes to discuss.
The colorful cast of actors you'll encounter over the course of this epic adventure is one that will most certainly leave an impression on you. There are barely any cookie-cutter creations made to simply advance the story, and they are all ripe subjects for analysis (in terms of thoughts and actions) if that is something you fancy.
The only drawback to that is that the dynamics between them become rather numerous and complicated to keep track of, and though you do get used to it, from time to time you will find yourself having stop in order to recall who is who. Nevertheless, it doesn't amount to being that big of a problem.
Perhaps one of the more captivating parts about the book is the intricate world Leckie managed to put together. It is recognizable and relatable in many aspects but still manages to be very different and advanced, as if it eventually spawned from our own society.
The world descriptions are never too cumbersome nor does the book suffer from long and useless expositions. Rather, we are told what we need to in order to create the right atmosphere and quell our natural desire to know about that strange world.
When it comes to digging deeper below the surface and looking at the story from a less superficial perspective, you'll be glad to know that Leckie did leave us a whole lot of food for thought.
On the whole, it deals with what it means to make the right decision, whether it's only worth doing something when our actions will make a difference, if we can possibly know whether or not a difference can be made, if one's life is worth giving up for change, at least from the sufferer's perspective.
All in all, despite being extremely vast in its scope and ambition, Ancillary Justice remains an undeniably solid effort in the world of science-fiction, a grandiose journey where all elements come together superbly and take us on an unforgettable adventure. I recommend it to literally all fans of the science-fiction genre.
Favourite quote: "Luxury always comes at someone else’s expense. One of the many advantages of civilization is that one doesn’t generally have to see that, if one doesn’t wish. You’re free to enjoy its benefits without troubling your conscience."
 | Ann LeckiePersonal site Ann Leckie is an author of American origin specializing mostly in science-fiction and fantasy literature and is best known for her 2013 debut novel, Ancillary Justice, which earned her a host of awards including the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the Nebula Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award as well as the BSFA Award. |
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