“Somadeva: A Sky River Sutra” by Vandana Singh
Read in
Year’s Best SF 16 (2011), edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer
Originally
published at Strange Horizons (2010)
“Somadeva”
begins with the revival of a centuries-long dead writer whose magnum opus, an 18
volume compendium of stories arranged in a complex web of interlocking stories.
He’s not sure if he’s come back to life or he’s the echo of his former self
revived in the present or even if he’s an entirely new being created by the
books of his life work so cherished by Isha, a woman travelling in space. Together,
they continue to travel the stars in search of new stories. Isha gathers them
together in the hopes of better understanding the origins of the alien cultures
they encounter. Along the way, Somadeva, the revived writer, contemplates the
essence of stories and their mysterious relationship to all things living.
Unsurprisingly,
I’ve never read of this author before. I’m glad I’ve just discovered Singh because
this story was masterfully told. “Somadeva: A Sky River Sutra” is nothing short
of excellent. Mirroring the fictional 18 volume work of Somadeva, this short
story includes stories within stories along with interlocking stories.
Together, they all form an intricate web of narratives that all support and embellish
each other. The story deals with primal and universal themes of being and it
asks big questions. Do stories create the world or are they ways for us to
understand the world around us by passing down the knowledge acquired through
the ages? Some answers might be found within
the text. In fact, one of the main ideas of this story is that all stories have
multiple interpretations resulting from the life and experience of the person
analysing it.
One of
the keys to understanding this story can be found in the title. When looking up
the definition of a sutra, I learned that it’s a particular form of text meant
to impart truths and observations in a concise manners. Sometimes they are so
concise that companion texts are written to share the most common explanations
and the interpretations of the sutras. In “Somadeva”, the shorter stories, mere
paragraphs long, can be considered sutras as they hold the secret to specific
aspects of life. On one planet, three very short stories provide the key to
their planets arrival in their solar system and the knowledge that their society
used to travel the stars, but have since lost that technological ability.
This story
is greatly impressive. As a whole it seems compressed because it contains so
many deep and important ideas such as identity, creation, languages, and naming.
I’m surprised so much depth could be included in so few pages. It’s presented in
a circular and labyrinthine way but it never loses any clarity in the telling. The
ambition of this story is a joy to behold but it’s the skilled execution of
that ambition that makes this such a masterful narrative.
Rating:
5 stars
It's a
complex idea, executed with a lot of skill and precision. The result is a
profoundly moving and meaningful story. The main subject is stories and the
power they have on entire societies and for hundreds of generations. Any
enthusiast of fiction should give this story a read. This is a masterpiece
waiting to be studied and unravelled.
Art by Richie Pope. |
“Tear Tracks” by Malka Older
Read at
Tor.com (2015), edited by Carl Engle-Laird
This
story has a straightforward and familiar plot. Two highly trained astronauts
are sent to make first contract with the Cyclopes, the first sentient alien species
that Earth has discovered. Their mission, along with collecting various
samples, take pictures, and make observations, is to have an agreement,
formalizing mutual peace, signed.
This is
a familiar kind of story. Humans meet alien culture and things aren’t what they
seem. Older gives her story a melancholic tone that is linked to the story’s
main theme. The problem with this is that that tone serves to slow down the
plot and give everything an overly sentimental feel. The theme is an
interesting one, however. The Cyclopes have an interesting idea that suffering
and wisdom share a connection and their society is organized in a way that
highlights this belief. I don’t want to say anything more about it because it
might spoil the story’s ending, but I can say that our main character, Flur, is
affected by her time among the Cyclopes. The effects of this initial meeting
with another species are clear. Whether we expect it or not, our mutual
encounter will affect the way humanity thinks and behaves in the future and it
might, it just might, impart additional wisdom to Earth’s population.
Ranking:
2 stars
It’s a
nice story, if perhaps too melancholic. There isn’t anything overly original
here but it’s told in a way where the tone of the writing fits well with the story’s
subject which is nice to see. Your mileage will vary based on how well you
enjoy the tone. You should check it out though since it’s available for free at
Tor’s website.
Next week, the fantasy genre takes over Short Story Sunday for a few weeks. I will continue my exploration of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories which started this past Wednesday.
Next week, the fantasy genre takes over Short Story Sunday for a few weeks. I will continue my exploration of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories which started this past Wednesday.
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