As a lover of The Expanse, I recently picked up The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey and ended up binging it in a day while waiting for work. Spoilers ahead.
The book is set on a world inhabited by two competing forms of life: carbon-based organisms introduced by humans around 4,000 years ago, and the native crystalline lifeforms. Just as a team of scientists makes a genetic breakthrough—enabling these very different life forms to coexist—they detect a gravity anomaly that functions as an “Outside Context Problem.”
Now, as a newly subjugated species, the scientists must prove to their new overlords that humanity still has something to offer to the vast, interconnected web of civilizations that make up the alien polity.
As a soft science fiction space opera, I really enjoyed the book. The Carryx, with their striking orange-and-blue morality, are fascinating, and humanity’s attempts to "humanize" them predictably fall flat. I do wish it had been longer—the 400 pages flew by—and the “science” that drives the plot remains mostly hidden, despite being the central pivot of the story.
A lot of the drama—and even the action—comes from the clash of two different moral philosophies: Is it better to cooperate with an oppressor to save everyone, or should you refuse, knowing it could damn everyone to death? It’s a brutal choice, weighing the survival of humanity, and living to fight another day, against the cost of submitting to tyranny.
Each section opens with a quote from the Carryx perspective, often hinting at how humanity eventually contributes to their downfall. I’m really looking forward to seeing that play out.
Solid 8/10. Bring on the sequel—and the fall of the Carryx.
I still run a lot of my games off of spinning rust. Boot times are a little bit longer, but at least i can store a ton of games.