Zima Blue and Other Stories

Gollancz (2009)
ISBN: 9780575084568
$35.00
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Reviewed by Lorraine Cormack Oct 2009


Like the Alastair Reynolds’ novels I’ve read to date, this collection of short stories is hard, often fairly technical science fiction. It’s extremely readable and powerful, however, as Reynolds explains his science with clarity, and provides empathetic central characters to engage the reader.

This is a collection best read in order. Although each story can be read alone, and will work, there are at least three sets of linked stories in here, and they’ll be that little bit more enjoyable and understandable if you read them in order. In the collection they’re published in the internal chronology of the story timelines – not necessarily the order in which they were written. I often dip in and out of collections, but this one I worked through from cover to cover, and I’m glad I did.

There are no real duds in this collection. It’s not exactly a best of, but the commentaries after each story suggest that Reynolds had a fairly decent collection of published stories to choose from in putting this book together, and consequently it is a strong collection. In general, each story features one or more strong characters that readers will understand, be interested in, and often empathise with. Many of these stories are quite hard science fiction; where there are technical explanations to be made, Reynolds incorporates them into the flow of the story and makes them palatable. Looking back at the table of contents, however, few of the stories depend to a significant degree on the science – it’s important, but the characters and the plot usually trump them. And in fact there are some stories here that aren’t very technical at all. It can be difficult to write science fiction that is strongly based in science and make it both credible and enjoyable for the reader; Reynolds finds this balance well.

This is a varied collection. There probably isn’t a story I’d describe as particularly light, or humorous, but there is certainly humor in some of the stories. There are also some quite dark stories. Most, in fact, would tend at least a little towards the sadder or more frightening side of life, but the majority also have something hopeful about them.

Reynolds is a strong writer. His characterisation is a real strength, as is his capacity to come up with interesting plots. His writing also flows well; stories are well-paced, with enough action – physical or mental – to keep the reader interested and sometimes lost in the story. The writing style is unobtrusive and I found most of these stories to be ones where I barely noticed the language or style. I was more engaged by the characters and plots.

Perhaps my favourite story was “Cardiff Afterlife”, a tale of an alternate universe in which there’s been a successful terrorist attack. It seemed particularly relevant to a lot of issues in the news every day, and very thought provoking, while at the same time having a lighter touch that made it very readable. I liked the ending.

I also enjoyed the two stories featuring Carrie Clay, a news reporter out to get the biggest scoops and the best stories (“The Real Story” and the titular “Zima Blue”). The stories featuring Carrie had some great world-building, very human aspects to the plot, ideas to think about, and satisfying endings.

Few readers will enjoy every story in a collection. The story I liked least in Zima Blue was “Minla’s Flowers”. It was a particularly bleak story, and a large part of the plotting and events were very predictable – you could see it coming from the first few pages. The approach Minla took to preparing her people to escape destruction was depressingly predictable, as was the way she eventually succumbed to her own self interest at the expense of others (and her responsibilities). In fairness, that was integral to the point Reynolds was making. The bulk of the story was deliberately depressing, bleak, and predictable. Nevertheless, although I understood his point and there was a satisfying twist at the end, I still didn’t find it a very enjoyable story to read.

This is a collection I recommend highly. The stories are of high quality, and although you might find one or two you don’t particularly like, there’ll probably still be something about them that you appreciate. Most of these stories will provide you with enjoyment, and something to think about.