Welcome back to Back Shelf Sundays, where I review backlist titles I didn’t get a chance to read when they were first published. I do this every week to ensure I’m reading more than just newly released and forthcoming titles.
This week’s title is Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky, which was nominated for the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Novella and the 2022 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize. I’m a long-time fan of Tchaikovsky’s writing, and the novellas I’ve previously read of his have worked well for me. I was ecstatic to find Elder Race on Kindle Unlimited, where I rarely find great sci-fi. I can’t believe I missed this gem of a novella in 2021, but I’m so glad I discovered it through these backlist reviews.
Synopsis:
In Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Elder Race, a junior anthropologist on a distant planet must help the locals he has sworn to study to save a planet from an unbeatable foe.
Lynesse is the lowly Fourth Daughter of the queen, and always getting in the way.
But a demon is terrorizing the land, and now she’s an adult (albeit barely) and although she still gets in the way, she understands that the only way to save her people is to invoke the pact between her family and the Elder sorcerer who has inhabited the local tower for as long as her people have lived here (though none in living memory has approached it).
But Elder Nyr isn’t a sorcerer, and he is forbidden to help, for his knowledge of science tells him the threat cannot possibly be a demon…
Review:
If you’re looking for a novella with elements of science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction, Elder Race is a must-read. The novella has dual points of view, with Lyn, a lowly fourth daughter of the queen, and the Elder, a mysterious figure she seeks help from, each having alternating chapters. The Elder is either a magician, a sorcerer, or a scientist, depending on who you ask, and Lyn seeks his help to defeat a demon terrorizing part of their kingdom.
What worked best for me was the commentary regarding the difference in the words we say versus the meaning those same words may have to other people. Many times throughout the story Lyn and the Elder cannot understand each other, regardless of how hard they try. They can’t understand each other because they literally do not have the words the other will understand. There’s one particular chapter where we see side-by-side comparisons of what the Elder says and what Lyn hears from the conversation. This chapter was exceptional to read and remarkably thought-provoking.
“There is no magic. I am not a magician, but a wizard.” He grimaced. “Not a wizard but a sorcerer, a magus. A …” And he said a word she had never heard, sharp and alien sounding, unsettling as metal on a tooth.”
Adrian Tchaikovsky, Elder Race
The Elder is old – much older than the other characters in the book. This imbalance creates thoughts and conversations unlike those you’d see in a typical fantasy quest/romp. Themes of youth, wisdom, and aging are frequent and make even small thoughts and conversations engaging. In particular, Elder Race juxtaposes the wisdom that comes with age with the ignorance that comes with arrogance. The Elder isn’t always right, regardless of his intelligence, wisdom, and age.
“How much worse to think yourself wise, and still be as ignorant as one who knew themselves a fool.”
Adrian Tchaikovsky, Elder Race
Final Thoughts: I loved the characters. I loved the themes. I loved the book altogether. This is, by far, my favorite Tchaikovsky novella to date (and the first to get five stars).
Rating: 5/5 stars.
Leave a Reply