A review by anam_ali
Ancillary Justice, by Ann Leckie
5.0
Seven Issa frowned, and made a doubtful gesture with her left hand, awkwardly, her gloved fingers still curled around half a dozen counters. “Ships have feelings.”
“Yes, of course.”
And that's it, that's the book.
And what a glorious book, I cannot even begin to describe my love for it. I'm pretty sure this is going down as a SciFi space opera classic, and I think it'd be criminal if it doesn't win the Hugo Award.
Because come on! Where else would you get a ship who likes to sing?
I had to calm myself. Had to clear my mind. I thought of songs I knew. My heart is a fish, I thought, but when I opened my mouth to sing it, my throat closed. I swallowed. Breathed. Thought of another one.
Oh, have you gone to the battlefield
Armored and well armed?
And shall dreadful events
Force you to drop your weapons?
A ship with strong opinions:
"...No, you escaped somehow. I can bring you back. I’m sure I can.”
“You can kill me, you mean. You can destroy my sense of self and replace it with one you approve of.”
Strigan didn’t like hearing that, I could see.
...
“Virtue is not a solitary, uncomplicated thing.” Good necessitates evil and the two sides of that disk are not always clearly marked. “Virtues may be made to serve whatever end profits you. Still, they exist and will influence your actions. Your choices.”
And a ship capable of breaking your heart:
She laughed, as though I’d said something moderately witty. “If that’s what you’re willing to do for someone you hate, what would you do for someone you loved?”
I found I was incapable of answering.
...
And also a big FU to gender binary. Everything is a she and it's glorious, hell yeah!
Re-read 30/10/2017: Still amazing!
Re-read 18/05/2021: Gosh, I fkn love this book!
“Yes, of course.”
And that's it, that's the book.
And what a glorious book, I cannot even begin to describe my love for it. I'm pretty sure this is going down as a SciFi space opera classic, and I think it'd be criminal if it doesn't win the Hugo Award.
Because come on! Where else would you get a ship who likes to sing?
I had to calm myself. Had to clear my mind. I thought of songs I knew. My heart is a fish, I thought, but when I opened my mouth to sing it, my throat closed. I swallowed. Breathed. Thought of another one.
Oh, have you gone to the battlefield
Armored and well armed?
And shall dreadful events
Force you to drop your weapons?
A ship with strong opinions:
"...No, you escaped somehow. I can bring you back. I’m sure I can.”
“You can kill me, you mean. You can destroy my sense of self and replace it with one you approve of.”
Strigan didn’t like hearing that, I could see.
...
“Virtue is not a solitary, uncomplicated thing.” Good necessitates evil and the two sides of that disk are not always clearly marked. “Virtues may be made to serve whatever end profits you. Still, they exist and will influence your actions. Your choices.”
And a ship capable of breaking your heart:
She laughed, as though I’d said something moderately witty. “If that’s what you’re willing to do for someone you hate, what would you do for someone you loved?”
I found I was incapable of answering.
...
And also a big FU to gender binary. Everything is a she and it's glorious, hell yeah!
Re-read 30/10/2017: Still amazing!
Re-read 18/05/2021: Gosh, I fkn love this book!