by A. D. Sui
Erewhon, 2026. 383 pages. Sci Fi / Horror.
Vessel Iris has devoted himself to the Starlit Order as a death monk, performing funeral rites for the dead across the galaxy. The spaceship Counsel of Nicaea has been lost for more than a thousand years, its passengers reduced to dust and bone. A relic of Earth’s dying past, its sudden appearance has attracted a team of academics eager to investigate its archaeological history, and Iris has been assigned to bring peace to the crew’s long-departed souls. Carpeted in moss and intertwined with vines, Nicaea is more forest than ship, but the plant life isn’t the only thing to have survived the centuries. Something aboard is stalking the explorers one by one, and Iris may be their only hope for survival.
I resonated with the remarkably contemplative tone regarding prejudice, religious doubt, and the ethics of AI, all in the context of essentially a cosmic horror tale. The use of sentient AI as an implanted companion creates an interesting dynamic between Iris and his friend/helper/abuser, and it raises the question of AI rights: can personhood be defined by any physical criterion, or is sentience sufficient? The characters were well-rounded, especially the protagonist Iris, and the atmosphere was immersive. At times, the plot slowed enough to enjoy this lush landscape that Sui has created (and to give the reader a reprieve from the traditional intensifying pace of horror). This book is well-primed for a sequel without being a cliffhanger, which seems to be a difficult balance to strike.
A heads up to those who struggle with disordered eating that this occurs throughout the work (a lot).