Scan barcode
nnecatrix's review
3.0
Book #39 for 2015
PopSugar Challenge Criterion Met: A book set during Christmas.
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. The opening is odd in not a good way, and there were quite a few debut-author problems that rubbed me the wrong way at times, but I actually quite liked the book. It really improved my understanding of what Saulter was going for when I read an interview where she described taking the community's journey approach rather than the hero's journey approach. Merry Anne's view of the book as a morality play more than a novel also made a lot of sense to me.
We had an interesting discussion of just how far humanity would go to save itself. I'm still not sure what the answer is, and I hope I'm never in a position to find out.
I'm mad at myself for flipping through the book and accidentally spoilering Aryel's gemsign for myself. And until it was brought up in discussion, I was still confused about the scene with the girl fleeing in the forest. So I was clearly not too on-the-ball when I was reading this, and I'm willing to give this author another try by reading the next book in the series.
PopSugar Challenge Criterion Met: A book set during Christmas.
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. The opening is odd in not a good way, and there were quite a few debut-author problems that rubbed me the wrong way at times, but I actually quite liked the book. It really improved my understanding of what Saulter was going for when I read an interview where she described taking the community's journey approach rather than the hero's journey approach. Merry Anne's view of the book as a morality play more than a novel also made a lot of sense to me.
We had an interesting discussion of just how far humanity would go to save itself. I'm still not sure what the answer is, and I hope I'm never in a position to find out.
I'm mad at myself for flipping through the book and accidentally spoilering Aryel's gemsign for myself. And until it was brought up in discussion, I was still confused about the scene with the girl fleeing in the forest. So I was clearly not too on-the-ball when I was reading this, and I'm willing to give this author another try by reading the next book in the series.
almostokay's review
5.0
I loved this book! There are so many elements that were so captivating and I feel guilty for taking so long to read it.
If you plan on reading this book and want an idea of what you're getting into, think X-men. Bear with me. The underlying story of X-Men and their plots is that there is a divide between humans and mutants and the primary reason is that they are different. Mutants are different and as such have to fight for rights to be treated as equal (an age-old tale when you think about it). I mention this branch of the Marvel universe because of the similarities of the oppressed parties. In this case, Gemsigns, a genetically engineered species of human - created by humans - have now been declared free of their "guardian" companies. In this novel, Stephanie Saulter, creates a political and social commentary with well woven science fiction elements. The story itself follows, I think, 3 major stances following this Declaration:
1. The companies and elites who want things the way they were.
2. The Gems, as they are called, wanted to be treated as human and not property.
3. And the humans who fear what they don't fully understand and feel the need to take matters into their own hand.
Somehow, these perspectives are represented amazingly without having to be told from the respective characters POV's directly. The writing in this book is so elegant and smooth from choice of words, pacing to structure of paragraphs and the voice its written in. The tension of the severity impending from every decision made is impeccable. No one character dominates the story yet you feel informed of their personalities, their motivations and their emotions throughout.
Saulter's ability to have so many subplots running concurrently and being able to transition seamlessly, made reading this book a great experience. I've become attached to so many characters and to their causes as well and intrigued by the secrets that lay ahead waiting to unearth more of this world.
Its been a while since I've been so excited to read a sequel book but now I need to have it! Just excellent!
Get an affordable copy of Gemsigns - and free int'l shipping - from Book Depository here!
If you plan on reading this book and want an idea of what you're getting into, think X-men. Bear with me. The underlying story of X-Men and their plots is that there is a divide between humans and mutants and the primary reason is that they are different. Mutants are different and as such have to fight for rights to be treated as equal (an age-old tale when you think about it). I mention this branch of the Marvel universe because of the similarities of the oppressed parties. In this case, Gemsigns, a genetically engineered species of human - created by humans - have now been declared free of their "guardian" companies. In this novel, Stephanie Saulter, creates a political and social commentary with well woven science fiction elements. The story itself follows, I think, 3 major stances following this Declaration:
1. The companies and elites who want things the way they were.
2. The Gems, as they are called, wanted to be treated as human and not property.
3. And the humans who fear what they don't fully understand and feel the need to take matters into their own hand.
Somehow, these perspectives are represented amazingly without having to be told from the respective characters POV's directly. The writing in this book is so elegant and smooth from choice of words, pacing to structure of paragraphs and the voice its written in. The tension of the severity impending from every decision made is impeccable. No one character dominates the story yet you feel informed of their personalities, their motivations and their emotions throughout.
Saulter's ability to have so many subplots running concurrently and being able to transition seamlessly, made reading this book a great experience. I've become attached to so many characters and to their causes as well and intrigued by the secrets that lay ahead waiting to unearth more of this world.
Its been a while since I've been so excited to read a sequel book but now I need to have it! Just excellent!
Get an affordable copy of Gemsigns - and free int'l shipping - from Book Depository here!
ashleybwells's review
4.0
This is a really impressive debut. The world-building is believable and fascinating, the message is inspiring without ever feeling preachy, and the reveals and twists near the end are all really satisfying and feel completely earned. Highly recommended!
bluebec's review
5.0
Wow, this book is amazing. It covers so many themes and does them well, what it is to be human, what it is to be other, the good and the bad of humanity, and how a dystopian future could play out. I'm looking forward to other books by Stephanie Saulter, and will be looking for other books she may have written.
howlsmovinglibrary's review
3.0
I have a lot of conflicted feelings about this book, that make reviewing hard. On the one hand, Gemsigns has a diverse cast, and a really strong science fiction concept that is used to effectively interrogate issues of race and otherness. I want to promote books which engage with social justice on the level that this book does. On the other hand, the incredibly dense writing and detached method of third person narration meant that I struggled to engage with any of the characters, and keep reading.
‘Gems’ are genetically engineered humans that were created to fulfil a need, namely the devastation of the Earth’s population during an epidemic known the Syndrome. From hyperspectral vision, to improved combat abilities, to enhanced childbearing, Gems were designed to help humanity survive. But as humanity gradually recovered, and the Gems became more and more exploited by Gemtechs, no longer in the name of ‘necessity’, they fought for emancipation from their former slave labour. A year on from the Declaration that gave them freedom, anthropologist Eli Walker is given the task of defining the Gems as a species, and therefore heavily influence in the decision as to whether they can become a fully emancipated people.
It’s a pretty complex concept that essentially boils down to one thing: how do you judge humanity, and what do you do with that kind of power? It is clear from the very start that, despite their altered genetic code, Gems are very, very human. But the political and commercial agendas surrounding their existence quickly serve to muddle the picture, and put Eli in a very awkward position.
Immediately, the issue of the Gems’ status identity is analogically linked to racism. They are former slaves, with the Gemtech companies that owned them now arguing that they are the ones that can best accommodate integration and assimilation into the dominant ‘norm’ culture. Furthermore, hate crime is an insistent plot point throughout this book, and the story shows that newly emancipated Gems are perceived encroaching upon the territory of ‘norms’ in a classic “they’re coming over here and taking our jobs” narrative, with the added issue that, in many cases, Gems are genuinely engineered to do these jobs better. Not only does this book use Gems as a vehicle for interrogating race, but also neurodiversity, as the demands of certain functions that Gems have been engineered to do has resulted in a portion of the Gem population being created autistic, as well as also exploring issues of trauma and PTSD that come from being former slaves. It’s a very ambitious and wide reaching concept that can be used to address many of the social injustices of the modern world.
The story is also interesting. You follow Eli Walker as he tries to negotiate the numerous insidious agendas that encroach upon his ‘objective’ report, but also Gaela, a Gem whose hyperspectral sight and synaethesia makes her a valuable, employable asset in the post-Declaration world, and her adoptive son Gabriel, an unusual child who is the centre of his own conspiracy. You also get a sinister glimpse into the ingenious mind of Zackva Klist, a high up employee of Gemtech Bel Natur, who is doing everything she can to skew Eli’s final decision to her advantage. The gradual building of tension and unease is very effective, it makes you feel like you’re on the very edge of revolution or riot. It actually felt very similar to the unease I experience when faced with the political instability in the contemporary world, and its an effective book that can make those kind of feelings real.
And yet. And yet.
I just did not like this book’s writing at all.
I didn’t feel anything for, or from, any of the characters. Eli surveys the scene with very little emotion and acts as a funnel for information, but doesn’t really have a personality, remaining the very picture of ‘objective’. Even characters like Gaela or Aryel, who have very interesting backstories, don’t have much to differentiate their viewpoint from any of the other characters and end up feeling bland. The person I actually enjoyed reading the most was Klist, because the very clinical, detached writing could then be vaguely attributed to her calculating personality and ruthless political machinations, rather than just sapping away any individuality of her voice.
There are moments when Eli, or another character, breaks down in tears in the face of the abominations and cruelty that Gems have endured. And they should have that kind of reaction – a lot of what happens in this book is terrible. But for me it would just cause a weird disconnect, where I would read a character’s emotional breakdown without feeling anything at all or even batting an eye, because I just couldn’t have that level of emotional connection with any of the writing.
In particular, the main time I felt this kind of weird detachment was whenever we inhabited the point of view of a religious fanatic. The writing would mechanically spit out cultist vocab like ‘preacher’, ‘unclean’, 'deceiver' and ‘baptised’, but ultimately remain very impassive – the words would be vitriolic, but the actual writing style would remain mostly unchanged. It was just creepy, and not in a way that felt intentional.
I think this has something to do with my inability to get on with the very information heavy, dense tone of ‘hard’ sci-fi. Large infodumps, a plot rather than character focus (despite the fact that this book deals with the trauma of individuals and the nature of ‘humanity’ itself), and a general tendency to both be over-elaborate in description, and then utterly downplay the emotional impact of large plot revelations, made this book pretty impenetrable for me as a reader. I think – in an ideal world – this novel would’ve benefitted a lot more from either being a series of first person narratives, or at least having a more colloquial tone. You feel like you’re watching everything through a thick, opaque layer of glass that muffles everything, because the narratorial voice is so dense, impassive, and utterly disconnected from anything that is happening on the page.
I'm giving this book 3/5 because I genuinely think the plot was good, and the issues it details are dealt with sensitively. Concept-wise, I think it's 5 out of 5 - but if I was to rate this on writing alone, it would probably be brought down to a 2.
If you like speculative fiction books that cleverly deals with social justice, and the particularly information-orientated 3rd person voice of traditional science fiction, this is definitely the book for you. But for me, this book was like walking uphill – a painful struggle that you know will give you pay off once you reach the top, but still not particularly enjoyable.
‘Gems’ are genetically engineered humans that were created to fulfil a need, namely the devastation of the Earth’s population during an epidemic known the Syndrome. From hyperspectral vision, to improved combat abilities, to enhanced childbearing, Gems were designed to help humanity survive. But as humanity gradually recovered, and the Gems became more and more exploited by Gemtechs, no longer in the name of ‘necessity’, they fought for emancipation from their former slave labour. A year on from the Declaration that gave them freedom, anthropologist Eli Walker is given the task of defining the Gems as a species, and therefore heavily influence in the decision as to whether they can become a fully emancipated people.
It’s a pretty complex concept that essentially boils down to one thing: how do you judge humanity, and what do you do with that kind of power? It is clear from the very start that, despite their altered genetic code, Gems are very, very human. But the political and commercial agendas surrounding their existence quickly serve to muddle the picture, and put Eli in a very awkward position.
Immediately, the issue of the Gems’ status identity is analogically linked to racism. They are former slaves, with the Gemtech companies that owned them now arguing that they are the ones that can best accommodate integration and assimilation into the dominant ‘norm’ culture. Furthermore, hate crime is an insistent plot point throughout this book, and the story shows that newly emancipated Gems are perceived encroaching upon the territory of ‘norms’ in a classic “they’re coming over here and taking our jobs” narrative, with the added issue that, in many cases, Gems are genuinely engineered to do these jobs better. Not only does this book use Gems as a vehicle for interrogating race, but also neurodiversity, as the demands of certain functions that Gems have been engineered to do has resulted in a portion of the Gem population being created autistic, as well as also exploring issues of trauma and PTSD that come from being former slaves. It’s a very ambitious and wide reaching concept that can be used to address many of the social injustices of the modern world.
The story is also interesting. You follow Eli Walker as he tries to negotiate the numerous insidious agendas that encroach upon his ‘objective’ report, but also Gaela, a Gem whose hyperspectral sight and synaethesia makes her a valuable, employable asset in the post-Declaration world, and her adoptive son Gabriel, an unusual child who is the centre of his own conspiracy. You also get a sinister glimpse into the ingenious mind of Zackva Klist, a high up employee of Gemtech Bel Natur, who is doing everything she can to skew Eli’s final decision to her advantage. The gradual building of tension and unease is very effective, it makes you feel like you’re on the very edge of revolution or riot. It actually felt very similar to the unease I experience when faced with the political instability in the contemporary world, and its an effective book that can make those kind of feelings real.
And yet. And yet.
I just did not like this book’s writing at all.
I didn’t feel anything for, or from, any of the characters. Eli surveys the scene with very little emotion and acts as a funnel for information, but doesn’t really have a personality, remaining the very picture of ‘objective’. Even characters like Gaela or Aryel, who have very interesting backstories, don’t have much to differentiate their viewpoint from any of the other characters and end up feeling bland. The person I actually enjoyed reading the most was Klist, because the very clinical, detached writing could then be vaguely attributed to her calculating personality and ruthless political machinations, rather than just sapping away any individuality of her voice.
There are moments when Eli, or another character, breaks down in tears in the face of the abominations and cruelty that Gems have endured. And they should have that kind of reaction – a lot of what happens in this book is terrible. But for me it would just cause a weird disconnect, where I would read a character’s emotional breakdown without feeling anything at all or even batting an eye, because I just couldn’t have that level of emotional connection with any of the writing.
In particular, the main time I felt this kind of weird detachment was whenever we inhabited the point of view of a religious fanatic. The writing would mechanically spit out cultist vocab like ‘preacher’, ‘unclean’, 'deceiver' and ‘baptised’, but ultimately remain very impassive – the words would be vitriolic, but the actual writing style would remain mostly unchanged. It was just creepy, and not in a way that felt intentional.
I think this has something to do with my inability to get on with the very information heavy, dense tone of ‘hard’ sci-fi. Large infodumps, a plot rather than character focus (despite the fact that this book deals with the trauma of individuals and the nature of ‘humanity’ itself), and a general tendency to both be over-elaborate in description, and then utterly downplay the emotional impact of large plot revelations, made this book pretty impenetrable for me as a reader. I think – in an ideal world – this novel would’ve benefitted a lot more from either being a series of first person narratives, or at least having a more colloquial tone. You feel like you’re watching everything through a thick, opaque layer of glass that muffles everything, because the narratorial voice is so dense, impassive, and utterly disconnected from anything that is happening on the page.
I'm giving this book 3/5 because I genuinely think the plot was good, and the issues it details are dealt with sensitively. Concept-wise, I think it's 5 out of 5 - but if I was to rate this on writing alone, it would probably be brought down to a 2.
If you like speculative fiction books that cleverly deals with social justice, and the particularly information-orientated 3rd person voice of traditional science fiction, this is definitely the book for you. But for me, this book was like walking uphill – a painful struggle that you know will give you pay off once you reach the top, but still not particularly enjoyable.
sophiebillekens's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed this book very much! A believable future, great characters, good twists and turns, and some relevant questions about society, acceptance, normality, and nature vs. nurture. Looking forward to the next part in the series.
readingtheend's review
4.0
Can we have more sociopolitical speculative fiction, y’all? Can that be a thing we ask the book gods for? Gemsigns happened to be lying around my Overdrive wishlist when I was picking out books for a long trip, and I happened to choose it out of all the books on my Nook on a train ride to Connecticut because the train was filling up rapidly with business bros and I wanted to quickly be in the middle of reading something in order to deter potential conversation-makers.
From inauspicious beginnings, what a glorious outcome! Gemsigns was so good. It was so good that although I was only using carry-on luggage for a weeklong trip, I went and bought the sequel the next day so I could read it on the plane ride home.
The premise of Gemsigns is that an electronics-related plague wiped out most of an entire generation’s labor force, and industries responded by creating genetically modified humans (GMHs, or “gems” for short) to do the heavy lifting nobody else was physically able to do. As the plague tapered off, the gemtech companies expanded their repertoire, breeding gems smarter and with specialized skills like heightened language acquisition or dramatically heightened vision. Now, gems have wrested themselves away from ownership by the gemtech companies, and Eli Walker is preparing a report for the European Union about the differences between gems and humans. The report’s findings are expected to reverberate throughout Europe and the world, setting the longterm course for gem independence and self-determination.
Gemsigns is sociological af. In a society that has all but eliminated disability as a going concern, gems who were considered failed experiments, or whose mental or physical design will not permit them to live without support, are a curiosity—and a costly one. Should taxpayer money cover their care, when gemtech companies have freely offered to pay for it (as long as gems continue to be considered their property)? Should special laws be put in place to protect regular humans from gems with modifications that could do real harm?
That the most important worry in this story is who will pay for all the infrastructure that a new class of independent, rights-having people would create is one of my most favorite things about it. In my many years of study, I have cleverly spotted that most everything comes down to exactly this: Money and power. Who has it, who wants it, and what will they do to keep or get it? Gemsigns plays these ideas out in fascinating, surprising detail.
If I’ve made it sound like there are no characters worth caring about, please believe that that’s only because I was so enthralled and surprised by Saulter’s worldbuilding that I had to put it front and center in this review. Gemsigns is full to brimming with interesting, complex characters with clashing motives and lives outside of the story. It’s just a really, really good book, and y’all should please read it.
TOGETHER WE CAN make Stephanie Saulter as famous as she deserves.
From inauspicious beginnings, what a glorious outcome! Gemsigns was so good. It was so good that although I was only using carry-on luggage for a weeklong trip, I went and bought the sequel the next day so I could read it on the plane ride home.
The premise of Gemsigns is that an electronics-related plague wiped out most of an entire generation’s labor force, and industries responded by creating genetically modified humans (GMHs, or “gems” for short) to do the heavy lifting nobody else was physically able to do. As the plague tapered off, the gemtech companies expanded their repertoire, breeding gems smarter and with specialized skills like heightened language acquisition or dramatically heightened vision. Now, gems have wrested themselves away from ownership by the gemtech companies, and Eli Walker is preparing a report for the European Union about the differences between gems and humans. The report’s findings are expected to reverberate throughout Europe and the world, setting the longterm course for gem independence and self-determination.
Gemsigns is sociological af. In a society that has all but eliminated disability as a going concern, gems who were considered failed experiments, or whose mental or physical design will not permit them to live without support, are a curiosity—and a costly one. Should taxpayer money cover their care, when gemtech companies have freely offered to pay for it (as long as gems continue to be considered their property)? Should special laws be put in place to protect regular humans from gems with modifications that could do real harm?
That the most important worry in this story is who will pay for all the infrastructure that a new class of independent, rights-having people would create is one of my most favorite things about it. In my many years of study, I have cleverly spotted that most everything comes down to exactly this: Money and power. Who has it, who wants it, and what will they do to keep or get it? Gemsigns plays these ideas out in fascinating, surprising detail.
If I’ve made it sound like there are no characters worth caring about, please believe that that’s only because I was so enthralled and surprised by Saulter’s worldbuilding that I had to put it front and center in this review. Gemsigns is full to brimming with interesting, complex characters with clashing motives and lives outside of the story. It’s just a really, really good book, and y’all should please read it.
TOGETHER WE CAN make Stephanie Saulter as famous as she deserves.
bibliotropic's review
5.0
I first heard about this book thanks to Bookworm Blues, and the high praise Sarah gave it surprised me. Sure, it sounded like an interesting enough novel, but Sarah has exacting standards and isn’t easily impressed. Could Gemsigns really be as great as she said it was?
The answer is yes. Yes it could. And then some!
Gemsigns is a novel akin to Daryl Gregory’s Afterpary or Ramez Naam’s Nexus. Utterly fantastic, sucking you in from the get-go and not letting you go even once the story’s over and there’s no more of the book to read. The world is so beautifully constructed, so fantastically real, that you swear you yourself could be living in it right now because all the little details are right there to make it all come to life in such vivid and evocative ways.
In the future, humanity has made a comeback from a crippling neurological condition caused by overexposure to so much of the technology that we take for granted today. Medical science finally found a treatment for this, using gene therapy to alter humanity just enough so that we became immune to the Syndrome. Those already affected by it stood no chance, but the next generation could live on, and the one after that, and so on. But we didn’t stop there. Once better able to alter our genetics before birth, why not eliminate chances of birth defects and genetic disease, making a stronger, better human race? And while we’re on the subject, why not create a whole new race of people, genetically modified to do whatever we want, be they people who regenerate organs so they can constantly be cut into and used for transplants, or people with enhanced strength for heavy lifting, or people with gills so they can work underwater for extended periods of time? And why bother giving them rights; after all, they’re just fleshy machines, really, created with a work purpose and will never really interact with normal human society.
This is the premise behind Gemsigns. Genetically modified humans, commonly called gems, have been freed from essential slavery at the hands of the corporations that created them, and now they have the daunting task of trying to make a life for themselves in a world that doesn’t really accept them. Even if it wasn’t for social prejudice, though, the gemtechs want their property back, want to allow gems freedom only at a cost that benefits the company. Godgangs, groups of religious zealots who believe that gems are an abomination and an affront to God and mankind, want to kill them all. And much of the outcome hinges on the results of an upcoming conference put together to settle the issue for good: can even gems be considered human?
There’s so much in the way of social and political commentary in this book that it’s hard to know where to start. Take any typical argument you might hear about racism, disability, or class prejudice and you’re going to find it in Gemsigns. Whether or not certain people are deserving of rights, whether it’s better to pass as “normal” or to be unabashedly yourself, equality versus equanimity, you name it. It’s all here, and it’s all presented in a way that doesn’t negate any of the complexities of the issues involved, but neither is it so complex as to be hard to understand for those who may not be well-versed in social issues. It’s all wonderfully accessible!
And also demonstrates that humanity can nearly be crushed under its own weight and come out the other side with even greater technological advances and yet still we’ll be arguing the same arguments, just about different people. But for all that’s a very sad notion, Gemsigns gives us hope that even though the future will still hold idiots bent on not learning anything, there are also countless people willing to learn and grow and help those in need and to strive for a better and more level playing field for all. It may seem trite, but that’s a powerful message, and one I sometimes think we all need to see more of.
Saulter’s flawless writing makes a great story into a brilliant one, and even the moments where infodumping happens, it happens in a way that’s still fascinating and doesn’t detract from the reading experience. The worldbuilding is exquisite, the characters are real and flawed and you can’t help but be interested in them, even when you may not necessarily like them. From Eli Walker’s determination to stay honest to Zavcka Klist’s ruthless pursuit of her company’s assets to Aryel Morningstar’s mysterious nature and her charismatic approach to people… It’s a beautiful cast of characters that drive the story onward. The whole thing is character-driven, rather than letting swift action fill the pages. Tension comes from wondering what the outcome of the conference will be, who will the Godgangs kill? Any sense of more physical action comes right at the end, with a series of amazing plot revelations that just floored me, which is especially impressive considering how blown away I was by the book in general.
What it comes down to is this: if you want complex social sci-fi that deals with powerful issues in a way that both entertains and educates, then read Gemsigns. If you want a superbly written future, read Gemsigns. If you want to be deeply impressed by somebody’s debut novel, to the point where you’d swear that this sort of polished refined prose couldn’t possibly be someone’s debut, then read Gemsigns. It’s more of an experience than just a mere story, a new world rather than a mere novel. It’s very possibly one of the best things I’m going to read this year. Social sci-fi just doesn’t get any better than this!
The answer is yes. Yes it could. And then some!
Gemsigns is a novel akin to Daryl Gregory’s Afterpary or Ramez Naam’s Nexus. Utterly fantastic, sucking you in from the get-go and not letting you go even once the story’s over and there’s no more of the book to read. The world is so beautifully constructed, so fantastically real, that you swear you yourself could be living in it right now because all the little details are right there to make it all come to life in such vivid and evocative ways.
In the future, humanity has made a comeback from a crippling neurological condition caused by overexposure to so much of the technology that we take for granted today. Medical science finally found a treatment for this, using gene therapy to alter humanity just enough so that we became immune to the Syndrome. Those already affected by it stood no chance, but the next generation could live on, and the one after that, and so on. But we didn’t stop there. Once better able to alter our genetics before birth, why not eliminate chances of birth defects and genetic disease, making a stronger, better human race? And while we’re on the subject, why not create a whole new race of people, genetically modified to do whatever we want, be they people who regenerate organs so they can constantly be cut into and used for transplants, or people with enhanced strength for heavy lifting, or people with gills so they can work underwater for extended periods of time? And why bother giving them rights; after all, they’re just fleshy machines, really, created with a work purpose and will never really interact with normal human society.
This is the premise behind Gemsigns. Genetically modified humans, commonly called gems, have been freed from essential slavery at the hands of the corporations that created them, and now they have the daunting task of trying to make a life for themselves in a world that doesn’t really accept them. Even if it wasn’t for social prejudice, though, the gemtechs want their property back, want to allow gems freedom only at a cost that benefits the company. Godgangs, groups of religious zealots who believe that gems are an abomination and an affront to God and mankind, want to kill them all. And much of the outcome hinges on the results of an upcoming conference put together to settle the issue for good: can even gems be considered human?
There’s so much in the way of social and political commentary in this book that it’s hard to know where to start. Take any typical argument you might hear about racism, disability, or class prejudice and you’re going to find it in Gemsigns. Whether or not certain people are deserving of rights, whether it’s better to pass as “normal” or to be unabashedly yourself, equality versus equanimity, you name it. It’s all here, and it’s all presented in a way that doesn’t negate any of the complexities of the issues involved, but neither is it so complex as to be hard to understand for those who may not be well-versed in social issues. It’s all wonderfully accessible!
And also demonstrates that humanity can nearly be crushed under its own weight and come out the other side with even greater technological advances and yet still we’ll be arguing the same arguments, just about different people. But for all that’s a very sad notion, Gemsigns gives us hope that even though the future will still hold idiots bent on not learning anything, there are also countless people willing to learn and grow and help those in need and to strive for a better and more level playing field for all. It may seem trite, but that’s a powerful message, and one I sometimes think we all need to see more of.
Saulter’s flawless writing makes a great story into a brilliant one, and even the moments where infodumping happens, it happens in a way that’s still fascinating and doesn’t detract from the reading experience. The worldbuilding is exquisite, the characters are real and flawed and you can’t help but be interested in them, even when you may not necessarily like them. From Eli Walker’s determination to stay honest to Zavcka Klist’s ruthless pursuit of her company’s assets to Aryel Morningstar’s mysterious nature and her charismatic approach to people… It’s a beautiful cast of characters that drive the story onward. The whole thing is character-driven, rather than letting swift action fill the pages. Tension comes from wondering what the outcome of the conference will be, who will the Godgangs kill? Any sense of more physical action comes right at the end, with a series of amazing plot revelations that just floored me, which is especially impressive considering how blown away I was by the book in general.
What it comes down to is this: if you want complex social sci-fi that deals with powerful issues in a way that both entertains and educates, then read Gemsigns. If you want a superbly written future, read Gemsigns. If you want to be deeply impressed by somebody’s debut novel, to the point where you’d swear that this sort of polished refined prose couldn’t possibly be someone’s debut, then read Gemsigns. It’s more of an experience than just a mere story, a new world rather than a mere novel. It’s very possibly one of the best things I’m going to read this year. Social sci-fi just doesn’t get any better than this!