Among Others by Jo Walton
One of the books John Rennie has chosen in the TEBS* book group I belong to is Among Others by Jo Walton. I’d never have bought it for myself – a teenage girl sent, reluctantly, to a boarding school and she can ‘see’ fairies. What the heck? However, it is beautifully written and a compelling page turner for any SF book fiend. The damned protagonist, Mori, reads armfuls of SF books every week – far more than I can – and can glibly analyse them. A contrived element is that she is lame, thus excused from the extensive games activities in the school and so has oodles of time for reading. Her character is a particular fan of Ursula le Guin, who ironically provides a puff for the back cover. Every other page an SF book is mentioned that I have to note down to check my shelves and if I don’t have it, I’ll have to cycle off to that huge secondhand bookshop in Llangollen. Problem is that while Among Others is recently published it is set in 1979 so many of the books are out of print. Interestingly, John and I are alone in the group as readers who relished this name-dropping aspect. Others found the continual referencing to early science fiction works and authors as ‘grating’. That hadn’t occurred to me until the meeting and it rather shocked me.
Just in case the hard-nosed SF readers (no offence) object to this novel which is outwardly focussed on a coming-of-age girl and her seeing fairies, this book is a Hugo and Nebula Award winner. To be honest, I ought to be in here urging you to buy my own books, but this one is definitely a must read for any SF fan – in spite of the fairies. This girl analyzes her motives and others in terms of concepts she meets in her SF reading – brilliant. Well, to me and John. To others her references are fleeting and too superficial to have relevance to the narrative unless you’d read those books. Fair point and again, one I hadn’t spotted. Maybe because John and I are old enough to have read those books decades ago and the others in the group are young, carefree and delightful – of course!
About the magic used in Among Others. Others in the group, such as Kyle, agreed with me and John that it is subtle and unlike aspects of magic used in most fantasy books., Mori suspects she can exert some magical influence over events. For example the karass (a Vonnegut term) she belongs to in a weekly SF book group (In Chester we were a SF book group discussing a book about a SF book group – haha – a self-referential event!) might not have existed before she wanted it to. I like that. It’s like being late for a train, wishing it to be late too so you can catch it. It is, then you wonder if it was you that did that somehow. Slipped into a parallel universe perhaps. Again, most of the group didn’t like that. Our esteemed leader even went on to say this philosophical ponderings by the protagonist on whether their ‘influence’ is real or not is common in fantasy novels. It was my first encounter with such a debate within the narrative but not for him. He didn’t give an example. Come on Graham, example please.
Nick, our resident grounder, who likes nothing we like but is always worth listening to, compares Among Others pithily to Pans Lybrinth but with all that’s good about Pan’s Labyrinth taken out. Funny but although there are similarities I can’t agree becasue the writing style is so compelling. And the protagonist is already from the underworld – a princess, no less – even though she suffers amnesia (Hey may be ARIA affects mythic creatures!)
Shelley didn’t much like the book. She has read many books set in girl’s boarding schools and says it’s not much different to them. She says it’s an easy read. Yes it is, but what many readers don’t realize is that it takes a skilled writer a lot of hard work to make the writing easy! Nick even compared Among Others to some of Enid Blyton’s girls’ school novels – aaarggh!
Kyle was upset that the setting wasn’t as geographically true as he’d like. He knows the Oswestry area and Gobowen well, and couldn’t find the White Hart pub used for the fictional SF book group in the story. Ironically, I know Gobowen well too. Several times I’ve cycled to the only B&B in the town, which happens to be a CTC (Cycling Touring Club) place and still has the old plaque on the wall. (Or did on my last visit a few years ago). I like to write my stories with authentic geography, but I will invent names of buildings and create new features if it suits the plot. Hope I haven’t upset readers!
We all agreed that the ending is the weakest aspect of the book. ***Spoiler alert*** Her nemesis is her own mother – a witch – and she fights her out on the mountain in South Wales torn pages from a book turn into spears. The ‘fairies’ want Mori to go ‘into the hill’ to join her deceased yet not passed over twin sister. John thinks their reason is just for completeness. Kyle thinks it is to add their combined strength so the magic is increased and so do I. However, Mori wins and goes off with her erstwhile estranged father and bookish grandfather. Umm. I wonder if Jo Walton didn’t really know how to end the book. We meet this phenomenon so much and I know the feeling.
My list of SF books to find and read has tripled thanks to this one book. You are all more widely read than I and will nod and smile knowingly as you read Among Others. Go for it.
Additional notes made while reading
In some ways the style is like The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Protagonist is a young girl facing danger and uncertainties in life, loves reading but it’s not so much the plot as the writing.
Mori, the protagonist, refers to a karass, a Kurt Vonnegut term for a group of like minds – with a connection.
P 365 “Funny how nobody teaches ancient prohibitions any more” As does Mary Renault in her historical novels.
Great turnaround after worrying boyfriend Wim wouldn’t want her knowing it might be magic that brought them together, or even himself into existence for her, now worries he only wants her for the magic!
She doesn’t mention Star Trek (1960s) Star Wars (1977) or Dr Who (1963)? Even to hate them. I didn’t bring this up in the meeting because it might be such a trite observation. Mori has limited access to TV and cinema. Even so I would have expected all SF-obsessed teenagers to be aware of those films.
HG Wells and other classical authors also aren’t mentioned – forgivable considering her age I suppose. Priest, Dick and some more are rushed in near the end.
Author intrusion on p345 but then it is a diary. Ie declares a sentence needs a line on its own – And then he kissed me.
She wants to write a poem, “Hitler give me back my cousins” LOL
I can recommend it and wish I’d written it.

Aside:

I’ve lost one of my hearing aids and the meeting had been transferred to a longer table so I had difficulty hearing from individuals at the other end. Lip reading and telepathy helped. However, to my right from halfway through our meeting a woman spoke at her table on a wavelength I could pick up too easily. Thongs in this hot weather was their topic. Not easy to focus on SF books and films in those circumstances, especially when during a lull, she announces she was without underwear tonight!
* TEBS = The Esoterical Bibliophila Society – a group discussing Science Fiction and Fantasy books and film in Chester, UK

Nelder News

The second book in the ARIA Trilogy, Returning Left Luggage is not out in paperback in the US Amazon at

http://amzn.to/16qksds

It’s also around on Kindle both in the US and UK

The first book ARIA: Left Luggage is now represented by publicist Substance Books here

I am working on ASK – ARIA Survival Kit. Where real or fictional people can purchase a kit to help them cope with infectious amnesia. I had myself photographed as Dr Antonio Menzies in a lab yestersday. More later.