Null States by Malka Older

[lightreads]

Null States

4/5. Sequel to Infomocracy. More political scifi, this time about the establishment of microdemocracy in the former Darfur.

This series is growing on me. Mostly because I realized how rare this kind of political speculative fiction is. The sort that centers the political theory, I mean, and where that theory isn't just yes, that's a dictatorship with spaceships, yawn. This speculative form of government is genuinely and radically different from anything practiced at any point in my knowledge of human political history, and I'm having a hard time coming up with other books that can claim that. Too Like the Lightning, sort of. No, Leckie doesn't count, that's dictatorship with clones, yawn (admittedly we haven't done that yet, but it's the glaringly obvious extension of monarchy by dissent, and not that interesting).

Comments

[thefourthvine]

Huh. Do you think it would be possible to start this series at book two? I’m interested in political speculative fiction!

[lightreads]

Yes definitely. It overlaps a few characters with the first book, but centers different people. I also think the second book is better as a piece of fiction. Though tbf the first book is also deeply concerned with political specfic, and it may do a better job introducing the worldbuilding.

[jesse_the_k]

I liked both, but the second one spent less time explaining all the details. So I think it's a more focused story.

After you read two, one might be more interesting.