“An Unkindness of Ghosts” is a science fiction novel by Rivers Solomon which also serves as some sort of social commentary.
It takes place aboard a colony ship called the Matilda. Aster Grey lives in the bowels of this ship where she is an amateur botanists and physician’s assistant among those that deemed different or undesirable. The ship is supposed to symbolize the southern plantations of the past. There is brutal oppression aplenty in this one.
Solomon is apparently transgender and prefers to use the pronoun of “they”. Of course, this is designed to reflect how people are discriminated against due to skin color and sexual preference and place it in a futuristic setting that is supposed to be unique.
Solomon isn’t necessarily a terrible writer, however I just struggled with really caring about the characters or their plight. Of course, if anyone wonders why I put myself through trying to read something that failed to maintain any significant interest, I am in a book club which chose this book, and I am somewhat obsessive about trying to finish whatever I start reading. Anyway, this one probably wasn’t my cup of tea so I won’t go out of my way to read another of Rivers’ works.
I will be returning to more familiar literary territory for me with a new Sherlock Holmes novel by Philip Purser-Hallard in which the great sleuth tries to ascertain the whereabouts of “The Vanishing Man”.
Reviews, Musings, and Other Things... 