Ann Leckie returns to science fiction with Radiant Star, a novel set in the familiar Radch universe. This time, the author places us on a planet where the population lives underground, a setting she uses to offer a detailed characterization of her characters and meticulous world-building, far from the usual genre clichés.
Underground Technology and Its Impact on Society 🌍
Leckie develops a society that has adapted technology to underground life, from bioluminescent lighting systems to seismic communication networks. The author explores how the lack of a visible horizon alters the perception of time and social hierarchies. There are no great spaceships or epic battles; the focus is on how tunnel engineering and hydroponic crops define power relations among the clans inhabiting the subsurface.
Living Underground: When Sunlight Is a Luxury 🌱
The best part is that Leckie manages to make you miss the sun without ever having lived underground. The characters complain about the constant humidity and never being able to hang laundry outside. One even misses the crowds of the subway, though in this case the subway would be the sky. In the end, the novel makes you wonder if you would trade your apartment with a view for a cave with stable wifi.