Review: The Departure

Title: The Departure
Author: Neal Asher
Series: Owner #1
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9780230708730
Source: ARC provided by publisher

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Visible in the night sky the Argus Station, its twin smelting plants like glowing eyes, looks down on nightmare Earth. From Argus the Committee keep an oppressive control: citizens are watched by cams systems and political officers, it's a world inhabited by shepherds, reader guns, razor birds and the brutal Inspectorate with its white tiled cells and pain inducers.

Soon the Committee will have the power to edit human minds, but not yet, twelve billion human being need to die before Earth can be stabilized, but by turning large portions of Earth into concentration camps this is achievable, especially when the Argus satellite laser network comes fully online...

This is the world Alan Saul wakes to in his crate on the conveyor to the Calais incinerator. How he got there he does not know, but he does remember the pain and the face of his interrogator. Informed by Janus, through the hardware implanted in his skull, about the world as it is now Saul is determined to destroy it, just as soon as he has found out who he was, and killed his interrogator...

I’m a huge Neal Asher fan and after reading his Cormac series he has firmly cemented a place amongst my top five favorite science fiction authors. When the guys at Pan Macmillan South Africa wanted to know if I wanted an ARC of his forthcoming novel, The Departure, I thought they were kidding. They were serious! I couldn’t believe my luck and jumped at the chance of getting my hands on something the rest of the world will have to wait two months for.

Waiting for the package to get here was pure torture especially since it also contained a review copy of China Miéville’s Embassytown. When it finally arrived I was ecstatic, but it also meant I had to make a tough decision. Which one do I read first? I opted for Embassytown and left The Departure on my bookshelf, planning on reviewing it in August. Each and every day its beautiful Jon Sullivan cover called out to me. With a huge amount of willpower I managed to resist its sirens’ call until just a few days ago when I finally caved and decided to read just the first page. One page couldn’t hurt right?

The Orwellian intro had me utterly hooked right from the start. I simply couldn’t stop reading until I reached the end. Like an addict trying to ration out a limited supply I forced myself to take things slow and over the course of four days I completely lost myself in the far too plausible 1984-esque future Neal brings to life.

This is not a Polity novel even though much of the technology seems familiar (albeit in a more primitive form). The Departure, the first novel in the Owner trilogy, is set in the twenty-second century and Earth is not a pleasant place. The world is controlled by the Committee, a totalitarian world government, who rules with an iron fist. Personal ownership is a pipedream. Everything belongs to the state. Access to food and other resources are severely restricted. Zero Asset citizens, those deemed useless to the state, starve while the upper echelons of the Committee live in luxury. The Committee has the population under constant surveillance. Say the wrong thing or act in the wrong way and you’ll find yourself sent for ‘readjustment’ using pain inducers and other, more painful, methods. Those who are earmarked as dissidents or those who are no longer deemed useful are simply killed and recycled in digesters so no resources (and food sources) go to waste.

The protagonist, Alan Saul, is born in darkness. He’s woken by a mysterious voice inside his head while inside a crate bound for incineration. He has huge gaps in his memory, and aside from his name, the only thing he remembers clearly is the face of his interrogator. In order to discover more about himself and the reasons for his interrogation he has to go up against the might of the Committee and its enforcers, the Inspectorate. He vows that he’ll destroy them and all that they stand for.

Meanwhile on Mars, Var discovers that she and the other residents of the Antares base are viewed as disposable. The Committee has decided that the Mars missions are a waste of money. The spacecraft necessary for returning them to Earth have already been recycled and they are essentially left to die. Under her leadership they must band together to overthrow the current leader of the Antares base and find a way to make the base self-sustaining in order to survive.

Unlike with the Cormac novels, where the supporting characters were often much more likeable and important than Ian Cormac, Alan Saul is a well-fleshed out central character that you quickly grow very fond of. He is a very strong character that takes center stage and absolutely dominates events with his brutal ruthlessness. He reminded me a bit of Mr. Crane from the Cormac novels. He is just as deadly (maybe even more so) and he doesn’t hesitate to take lives if he feels it is warranted. As events unfold you get a better understanding of his motivations and while his methods might be harsh it’s never done out of malice. He almost acts like an avenging angel for the common people. It is interesting to witness his growing abilities and his metamorphosis from a comparatively ordinary man into the Owner (which features in some of Neal Asher’s short stories). Not having read any of the short stories I’m particularly interested to see what he ultimately becomes.

As a counterpoint, Var is a much more gentle character. She is put in a very difficult position where she has to fight to survive. The scenes on Mars are superbly done and you really get the sense of what a future Mars colony could be like. I’m sure that Mars will play a much larger role in the second novel, so it will be very interesting to see where things go from here.

The ending gives a good sense of closure while still setting things up nicely for the next novel. Since it’s not a cliffhanger ending the yearlong wait for the next installment will be slightly more bearable.

The verdict:
The Departure makes Orwell’s 1984 look like a utopia in comparison. The future Neal imagines is far more disturbing due to the Committee’s absolute disregard for human life. They possess both the technology for constant surveillance as well as the weaponry to extinguish human lives by the millions, something the government in 1984 never had.

This is an absolute must for all Asher fans and would also be an excellent introduction for those new to his work. I was engrossed throughout and cannot wait to read the next novel in the Owner trilogy.

A word of warning: This is not a novel for the squeamish. People are killed in horrific and brutal ways, so be prepared for blood and gore - lots of it!

The Departure is currently available for pre-orders and will be released on the 5th of September. Order your copy now!

The Rating: 8/10

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Review: Embassytown

Title: Embassytown
Author: China Miéville
Pages: 405
ISBN: 9780230754317

Buy it from The Book Depository

Embassytown: a city of contradictions on the outskirts of the universe.

Avice is an immerser, a traveller on the immer, the sea of space and time below the everyday, now returned to her birth planet. Here on Arieka, Humans are not the only intelligent life, and Avice has a rare bond with the natives, the enigmatic Hosts - who cannot lie.

Only a tiny cadre of unique human Ambassadors can speak Language, and connect the two communities. But an unimaginable new arrival has come to Embassytown. And when this Ambassador speaks, everything changes.

Catastrophe looms. Avice knows the only hope is for her to speak directly to the alien Hosts.

And that is impossible.

My first introduction to China Miéville’s work was Perdido Street Station. It was unlike anything I’ve read before, so when I heard that Embassytown was going to be a science fiction novel I just had to see what magic he could bring to the genre. Embassytown is everything you would expect from a Miéville novel and so much more. Describing it to someone is almost like telling a blind person about a color. It’s not really possible and you’ll quickly find yourself at a loss for words. Each person will experience it in a different way and on a different level, but I’ll try my best.

Miéville delivers a weird and wonderful world that is dazzling in its scope. Embassytown is populated by truly bizarre aliens, begging automa and biological technology that makes the city and its buildings an actual living breathing place in the truest sense of the word. Initially it is this complete and utter strangeness that makes it difficult for the reader to comprehend what’s going on, but as the story progresses, things slowly start to make sense.

Embassytown is located on the planet Arieka situated at the edge of the known Immer (equivalent of space). The native population of Arieka is known as the Hosts since they allow the human colony to exist and provide for the colony. The Hosts speak Language. For them speech is thought and they are unable to say something that is untrue. Due to their physiology Language needs to be spoken simultaneously with two mouths, but by one mind. In order for the humans to communicate with the Hosts special Ambassadors are needed. These Ambassadors are human twins (doppels) that have been trained since birth to think as one mind which gives them the ability to speak Language.

The story is told in the first person through the eyes of Avice a human immerser (the equivalent of an astronaut with the ability to traverse the Immer). We first get to know her as a child growing up in Embassytown where she is enLanguaged by the Hosts (used to act out a simile to allow the Hosts to speak it). Later after travelling the Immer, she returns home and is present when a new type of Ambassador arrives. She witnesses the utter chaos which ensues when he speaks Language for the first time. In order to save Embassytown itself Avice must find a way to communicate directly with the Hosts, a seemingly impossible task.

Language and communication is the core of Embassytown. Everything revolves around language - its definition, its use and misuse, the power it has and how it shapes and controls thought. Throughout the novel there is a slow progression and transformation in how the Hosts think. Language slowly evolves into language and it is this transformation, and the subsequent changes in thought, that ultimately saves Embassytown.

The characters are well fleshed out and although the aliens are truly alien you empathize with their plight. The horrific downward spiral of addiction and slow decay of both the Host population and their biorigged buildings and livestock evoked a visceral emotional response in me. You could feel the escalating sense of despair and anxiety as the situation deteriorated. The final act of desperation, when the Hosts mutilate themselves, affected me deeply. It was heart-wrenching to see the sacrifice they were willing to make in order to ensure a better future for their children.

I enjoyed Miéville’s crafting of words. His own creations are both memorable and apt (exots, immer, automa). I’m sure floaking could, in time, experience the same cult status as grokking. His descriptions of the world and its inhabitants, while somewhat vague, provided just the right amount of impetus to have my imagination working overtime picturing the Hosts and their biorigged buildings, farms, transport and other technologies.

The verdict:
Embassytown is a challenging but rewarding read. It was slow going for the first hundred pages, but once the new Ambassador appears on the scene the pace picked up considerably. I was so engrossed in the later chapters that I actually lost track of time and found myself reading into the early hours of the morning.

People with an interest in language and how it shapes thought will absolutely love this, but you definitely don’t need to be a linguist to enjoy it. Don’t expect a quick and easy read though. Embassytown has many layers and requires an attentive mind to unravel all the hidden meanings and complexity. I’m sure even subsequent rereads will reveal something new each time.

Rating: 7.5/10

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Interview: Amanda Coetzee

Amanda Coetzee, South African based author of Bad Blood, was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule as writer, deputy principal and mother to do a quick interview.

Bad Blood is published by Pan Macillan SA and is currently available at all good bookstores. If you haven't done so already be sure to read the review of Bad Blood posted earlier.

Firstly, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Would be delighted! Am 43 years old, originally from England and emigrated to RSA when I married my South African husband 13 years ago. We have a 2 year old son and four dogs. I am the deputy principal of a busy school in Rustenburg and love (almost) every second of my chaotic life.

Bad Blood is your debut novel. What has the experience been like of having your first novel published?

It has been a long time dream to see my work in print and that’s probably the best way to describe it. A dream shared and fulfilled. The process of publishing a book is more complex than I imagined, and there are a lot of people/systems involved in getting it from a draft form to finished product. I have yet to get over the thrill of seeing my book on the shelves, although most local book stores are long over me hanging around like a potential shop lifter…

How would you describe your work to someone who might see Bad Blood on the shelves and wonder if it would be something they would like.

It is a crime thriller that focuses on the why rather than the who in the crime. I hope it grabs your attention and keeps you reading avidly to the last page. It contains violence and love in equal measure and is based around the secretive and nomadic Irish Travelling community.

Where do you get your ideas? What is your writing process like?

I start with a topic that interests me and then research much more information that I could ever use or need. I normally choose a title before I start planning and writing and spend hours thinking about possible plotlines and characters. Eventually I draw a flow chart for the basic storyline and then I start to write. I often plan chapters, dialogue etc in my head before I put it on paper, so by the time I begin to write, I have a pretty good idea of what I want to say. I am also fairly disciplined. I set myself targets in terms of daily word counts, as I think it is a lot easier to edit poor writing than stare at a blank page.

Bad Blood is set in Bedford, England, but you are a South African author. Why the choice of an overseas setting rather than a local one?

I have written a locally set novel too but Pan Macmillan decided to go with the English story. I do feel I have a more authentic voice when I write about England as I lived there for the first 26 years of my life. South Africa still thrills and shocks me in ways that quickly identify me as an immigrant but I love my adopted homeland and read a great deal of local fiction.

The dialogue in Bad Blood really stands out. Did you put extra effort into getting it sounding just right or is it something that comes naturally?

I studied Performing Arts and although my ability to speak in different accents is notoriously appalling, I have a good ear for tone and inflexion. The Irish Travelling dialect is almost impossible to understand by outsiders, so research was an essential tool in trying to make their communication accessible but realistic.

The depiction of the Traveller (gypsy) community, their lifestyle and customs seems very authentic. Did you spend any actual time with them or is it based purely on research?

There was a great deal of research involved, but pretty much everyone in England has an experience or opinion of Travellers. My initial interest was piqued by my Aunt who spoke of our Romany blood and my grandmother’s clan, the Seths. The Travellers are seen as less romantic than traditional gypsies and are often associated with general lawlessness and crime. My father worked with them on the farm as a young man, which we had never spoken about until he read a draft of the book and asked how I knew about Shelta (their language). I also met a group that attended our high school for a short period and many of the descriptions of Mikey and Seamus stem from that brief interaction when I helped them read in a special group during register period.

Children, and more importantly missing children, play a huge role in the book. Is that something that’s of particular importance to you?

Definitely. The innocence of a child is so fragile and the world is unforgivably careless with our children. I know I would kill to protect my son and expect my husband to avenge anyone who tried to hurt him. I think that’s the Badger in me.

The protagonist, Harry O’ Connor is a flawed and conflicted character with a huge amount of emotional baggage. Why did you choose to go this route instead of just having a run-of-the-mill hero swooping in to save the day?

I wanted to create a character who was a paradox and whose layers would be revealed throughout the novel. I never wanted his personal story to overwhelm the plot, but I wanted him to be interesting enough to exist past Bad Blood. I love Harry, his doubts coupled with his uncompromising character really appeal to me. I wanted the male antagonist to combine ruthlessness and tenderness and be capable of both.

You’ve signed a three-book deal. Will we see some more of Harry or will your next novels be unconnected to Bad Blood? When can readers expect the next one?

Redemption Song features Harry and is due for release in 2012. The third book is currently undergoing potential construction in my head, but ultimately Pan Macmillan will decide if Harry O’Connor will be part of a trilogy.

Who are your favourite authors? Any that inspired/influenced you as a writer?

I love Karin Slaughter, Lisa Gardner, Lee Child and Harlan Coben for the intriguing characters that form the backbone of their series. I like good storytelling, with damaged characters and a dose of humour and/or love to counter the violence.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Do not give up. Rejection letters are great firelighters for the braai and necessary scars for an author to temper their talent and stamina upon. Let people read your work and be prepared to learn from their comments. Keep trying, keep writing and find the story you really want to tell, then you are far more likely to tell it really well.

Anything else you’d like to add or say to your fans?

Thanks for reading Bad Blood and I’d love to hear what you think on the Facebook page.

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A huge thank you to Amanda for doing the interview. I know I will definitely be picking up Redemption Song as soon as it is released. I can't wait to see what Harry gets up to next, hopefully there will be some more unusual dialogue involved!

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