Tag: Universe of Xuya

The Universe of Xuya is the universe in which Aliette de Bodard writes most of her space operas.

This universe is a universe, where the Vietnamese are the rulers. They have developed mindships – run by artificial intelligences grown in human wombs.

The societies are based upon old Vietnamese and Chinese traditions and societies, which makes for a fascinating and strange (to a Westener like me) backdrop and gives Aliette de Bodard the possibility of writing space operas that are quite different from the usual ones based on Western military backgrounds.

Done with the beautiful and precise prose of Aliette de Bodard this makes for mind bending reading on top of the author’s very human and personal characters.

At the moment the author has written approximately 30 stories of varying length in this universe – and she is working on her first novel in the Universe of Xuya. 

Published separately at the moment are the three novellas above:

1. On a Red Station Drifting
2. The Citadel of Weeping Pearls
3. The Tea Master and the Detective

In September 2019 a collection of her short works (with lots of Universe of Xuya stories and Dominion of the Fallen stories included) will be published by Subterranean Press. Press the button below to read more.

 

 

If you want to see some covers without disturbing text, please press the button below.

 

The Turtle’s Golden Claw, Bach Cud’s masterpiece, diving into the furthest deep spaces, seeking traces of something that had vanished many years ago.

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls – and, with it, its founder and ruler, the Empress’s eldest and favourite daughter, Bright Princess Ngoc Minh.

This novella in the Universe of Xuya takes place later than Aliette de Bodard’s earlier novella “On a Red Station, Drifting” and the main character of that novella (Lê Thi Linh) plays a role in this one.

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls disappeared thirty years ago and was never seen again. Now the Empress tries to find it, as she is desperately in need of its weapons. This is a desperate move that may have dire consequences.

Once again the Universe of Xuya is a fascinating setting in the hands of Aliette de Bodard and as always this novella is a must read. 

At the moment Aliette de Bodard is working on her first novel in this universe – I can hardly wait. 

She stood silent and unmoving as he dragged her into the trance: she got a brief flash of his credentials as Keeper of the Outer Gates for Prosper Station, and an even briefer flash of his family tree, the line of his greater ancestors lighting up in red, warm tones, all the way up until it intersected her own lineage. A cousin, somewhat removed. Hardly surprising, as most of Prosper Station came, ultimately from the same stock that had bred her: Lê Thi Phuoc, who had borne in her womb the Honoured Ancestress and Her four human siblings.

Lê Thi Linh arrives at Prosper Station as a fugitive from the war that has come to the Dai Viet Empire.

The Honoured Ancestress – the artificial intelligence born of a human womb – has guided and protected its human relatives on Prosper Station. Now, her mind is faltering, and the future of the station itself hangs in the balance.

This novella is part of Aliette de Bodard’s Universe of Xuya, where the Vietnamese rules the universe with their mindships. The combination of space opera and a universe based on old Vietnamese and Chinese society is both new and fascinating.  The vivid description in beautiful prose makes this  novella another great read by the author.

In 2019 it was published in a beautiful numbered and signed hardcover – the cover to the right of the two covers above.

That gaze again from Long Chau. The Shadow’s Child was used to respect or fear; to downcast eyes; to awkwardness, even, with people who weren’t used to dealing with a shipmind, especially one that wasn’t involved in passenger service.

The Universe of Xuya is filled with Vietnamese scholars and living mindships.

Long Chau needs to solve a problem, and she comes to the mindship The Shadow’s Child for help. They both have problems, but together they may be able to solve these as an aside to the problem Long Chau originally needed help for.

Besides being a space opera this beautiful novella is a pastiche of the Holmes/Watson pairing with Long Chau as Sherlock Holmes and The Shadow’s Child as Dr. Watson.

The Universe of Xuya is a fascinating construct. To a Westener like me, the idea of a universe dominated by Vietnamese makes for very interesting reading. I have no real knowledge of how the Vietnamese or Chinese cultures worked. Aliette de Bodard manages to bridge the gap of understanding and give at least a very interesting insight into Eastern societies of old. As usual her nearly poetical use of language makes her stories a delight.

Aliette de Bodard has written about 30 stories in her Universe of Xuya, where the Vietnamese and Chinese dominate and have created a society based on their old cultures from earth. The Tea Master and the Detective won the 2018 Nebula Award for best novella and is also nominated for the 2019 Hugo Award.

In September 2019 a collection of her short works (with lots of Universe of Xuya stories and Dominion of the Fallen stories included) will be published by Subterranean Press. Press the button below to read more.

 

 

At the moment Aliette de Bodard is working on a new novel in the Universe of Xuya, which I am really looking forward to.

Press the button below to see another beautiful cover for a trade paperback edition of The Tea Master and the Detective .