Translation State
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4.3 • 191 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The mystery of a missing translator sets three lives on a collision course that will have a ripple effect across the stars in this powerful novel from a Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke award-winning author.
"There are few who write science fiction like Ann Leckie can. There are few who ever could." —John Scalzi
Qven was created to be a Presger translator. The pride of their Clade, they always had a clear path before them: learn human ways, and eventually, make a match and serve as an intermediary between the dangerous alien Presger and the human worlds. The realization that they might want something else isn't "optimal behavior". It's the type of behavior that results in elimination.
But Qven rebels. And in doing so, their path collides with those of two others. Enae, a reluctant diplomat whose dead grandmaman has left hir an impossible task as an inheritance: hunting down a fugitive who has been missing for over 200 years. And Reet, an adopted mechanic who is increasingly desperate to learn about his genetic roots—or anything that might explain why he operates so differently from those around him.
As a Conclave of the various species approaches—and the long-standing treaty between the humans and the Presger is on the line—the decisions of all three will have ripple effects across the stars.
Masterfully merging space adventure and mystery, and a poignant exploration about relationships and belonging, Translation State is a triumphant new standalone story set in the celebrated Imperial Radch universe.
"Leckie’s humane, emotionally intelligent, and deeply perceptive writing makes this tautly plotted adventure feel fundamentally true while also offering longtime fans a much anticipated glimpse into the Radch’s most mysterious species. Readers will be thrilled." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Another of Leckie’s beautiful mergings of the political, philosophical, and personal." —Kirkus (starred review)
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this imaginative science fiction novel, the brilliant Ann Leckie uses a futuristic world of aliens and interstellar bureaucracy to explore the human condition. Enae is a diplomatic investigator on a hopeless search for a fugitive. Reet is a mechanic who was adopted, and he hopes that learning about his roots might explain why he’s always felt so different. And genderless Qven was created by the alien Presger race to serve as a translator between Presgers and humans…so it’s kind of a big deal when they choose to defy their destiny. Leckie intertwines her three main characters in unexpected ways. All each of them really wants is to define their identities for themselves, and the story’s complex world-building lets them explore familiar concepts like race, gender, and sexual relationships from fresh, new angles. As usual with Leckie, Translation State is heady and heartfelt.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hugo and Nebula award winner Leckie (Ancillary Justice) returns to the Imperial Radch universe in a staggering standalone novel that follows three people brought together by the mysterious disappearance of a translator. After Enae's Grandmaman dies, diplomat Enae finds a welcome distraction in an impossibly open-ended assignment to track down a fugitive who disappeared 200 years before the start of the book. Aboard the station Enae is headed to, diplomatic liaison Reet searches for answers about his past as an orphan and adoptee, but finds only further questions. Meanwhile, an attack on juvenile Presger translator Qven, part of a spectacularly weird alien race designed to translate alien Presger into human, derails Qven's life and ruins their prestigious prospects. When Qven understands what their clade has planned for them as punishment, Qven decides to flee, putting them on a collision course with the other protagonists. It's exhilarating to see the way these seemingly disparate story lines knit themselves together as all three protagonists become embroiled in a political mess that threatens the treaty that safeguards interspecies coexistence in space. Leckie's humane, emotionally intelligent, and deeply perceptive writing makes this tautly plotted adventure feel fundamentally true while also offering longtime fans a much anticipated glimpse into the Radch's most mysterious species. Readers will be thrilled.
Customer Reviews
Top shelf space opera, casually gender bent as always
It got a little silly after a very strange start, but stuck the landing. I do adore the sci-fi world building of this series and the societal structures the author has invented. If you haven’t read the Ancillary series, you should. There are lots of different ways of being invented and explored here.
Stand-Alone Novel in the Imperial Radch Seriea
“Translation State” is a stand-alone novel in Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch Series, and shows a completely different side to this complex and interesting universe.
It only peripherally involves the culture and civilization of the Radch, which were the stars of the original trilogy. Instead, this novel focuses on a once human species known as the Presger Translators. These human-appearing beings were created by the very powerful and alien species known as the Presger out of the remains of humans they had encountered and disassembled. While these beings appear human, they are not, and can be very dangerous, especially when young. Their purpose is to act as a liaison between their creators, humans, and the other two alien species.
The Presger themselves remain off-screen in this novel, but we actually get to meet representatives of the other two alien civilizations. The Geck and the Rrrrrr are both described and have roles to play in the latter part of the novel. We also see what has become of the Artificial Intelligences (AIs) that were the protagonists of the original trilogy. They seek recognition as independent beings, and wish to join in the community of species and the Treaty with the Presger.
There are really three point of view characters to this novel: Enae, a mature human woman who finds herself at a life-changing time; Reet, a thirty year old orphan who is seeking his place in the universe; and Qven, a young Presger Translator who comes from a powerful Clade. These three have alternating chapters that allow the reader to experience very different parts of the universe Ms. Leckie has developed.
This novel is definitely different from the original trilogy, but I found it interesting on its own. What remains the same is that vast amounts of tea are consumed! Tiny cakes and dumplings also have significant roles to play. Like the other independent Imperial Radch novel, “Provenance” it shows anther part of this very compelling literary universe. I’m hoping Ms. Leckie has more stories to tell us in this setting.
Not her finest work
This is another story set in the Imperial Raadsch universe that looks more closely at the Presger (an idea only touched on in the Ancillary Trilogy). There’s some good stuff here and the core theme of identity is well intended and her point is well made but in the end it’s just not entertaining.