Postcapitalism. Jewish mothers. Dandelion networks. Aliens. Seeds. Hope.

July 28, 2022 9:53 AM

Author Ruthanna Emrys talks about the inspirations and experiences that built her latest book, A Half-Built Garden, over at John Scalzi's Big Idea series: "What looks as different from modern global capitalism as capitalism looks from god-touched emperors? ... a better future isn’t something to have faith in, it’s something to work towards, regardless of how scary or frustrating or unlikely it feels." There's a brief summary at Tor.com and another summary at Publishers Weekly. Emrys previously: her post-Lovecraftian novelette The Litany of Earth; her Winter Tide; her thoughts on Jo Walton's Thessaly (Just City) books; and some discussions between Emrys and Anne M. Pillsworth about various 20th Century weird stories.
posted by kristi (10 comments total)

Oh I love Ruthanna Emrys writing on the Reading the Weird series- no idea she wrote a book and this looks super exciting!
posted by MarianHalcombe at 11:32 AM on July 28, 2022

Postcapitalism. Jewish mothers. Dandelion networks. Aliens. Seeds.

What is, "My Weird Neighbor's Most Bizarre Conspiracy Theories", Alex?
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:21 PM on July 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

Really looking forward to reading this -- I enjoy Emrys's short fiction and her nonfiction, and the premise sounds really neat. The page about the book at Macmillan has a chunk of the first chapter available to read for free ("Read Excerpt"). Emrys's guest post at Mary Robinette Kowal's blog discusses "what it takes to work at NASA in 2083, long after the U.S. government has waned in power. Ostensibly book promo, really a love letter to under-appreciated agency career folks" (per Emrys's Twitter).

Cory Doctorow also praises A Half-Built Garden.
posted by brainwane at 12:29 PM on July 28, 2022

I always like when these threads correspond with things my library has but now I need the thread to stay open until my hold comes in.
posted by adamsc at 4:05 PM on July 28, 2022 [2 favorites]

Thanks for this - it might be the perfect antidote to the current novel I’m hate-listening-to (a friend asked for my thoughts on it!) which ties into our current crises(-es-es-es-es) and which is a stew of apathy and lovelessness and is not doing a whole lot for my current state of mind. A big downer.
This sounds like very much not-that! Huzzah!
posted by TangoCharlie at 4:20 PM on July 28, 2022

Placed a hold at my library as well. Of her works, I've only read Winter Tide and its sequel Deep Roots. I'm not that into Cthulhu mythos stuff in general, but I enjoyed both.

Excited to read some optimistic world building. The end of her essay at the Big Idea series sold me:

It was often hard, writing a hopeful future from within an inescapable present. Some days fascism and climate crisis and pandemic took up all my brain space. Others, they just made me question whether there was really a way to get from here to there. Another of my favorite quotes is Mariame Kaba’s “Hope is a discipline” – a better future isn’t something to have faith in, it’s something to work towards, regardless of how scary or frustrating or unlikely it feels. So on the days when I had brainspace, I opened my computer and tried to map out a way.

posted by the primroses were over at 4:32 PM on July 28, 2022

I bought it based on Doctorow's write-up. It's quite brilliant.
posted by signal at 5:24 PM on July 28, 2022

I finished this yesterday, and it is absolutely magnificent. It's beautifully written, rich, evocative, and humane. Absolutely recommended.
posted by prismatic7 at 5:43 PM on July 28, 2022

She read from this at Charm City Spec last night! The Ur-text of Diaperpunk! It was really exciting to hear her read from it!
posted by newdaddy at 6:08 PM on July 28, 2022

I really enjoyed Winter Tide. Going to have to look into her other works!
posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 8:42 AM on July 29, 2022