Have you ever longed for a journey that combines the intellectual rigor of a scholarly puzzle with the thrill of space opera? Look no further! The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older landed on my reading list like an unexpected comet, whisking me away on an interstellar adventure filled with intrigue and wonder. Join me as I reunite with Investigator Mossa and Scholar Pleiti, navigating the vast expanses of Jupiter’s settlements and the intricate corridors of human complexity.
Blurb
Investigator Mossa and Scholar Pleiti reunite to solve a new mystery in the follow-up to the cozy space-opera detective mystery The Mimicking of Known Successes, which Hugo Award-winning author Charlie Jane Anders called “an utter triumph.”
Mossa has returned to Valdegeld on a missing person’s case, for which she’ll once again need Pleiti’s insight. Seventeen students and staff members have disappeared from Valdegeld University—yet no one has noticed. The answers to this case may lie on the moon of Io—Mossa’s home—and the history of Jupiter’s original settlements during humanity’s exodus from Earth.
But Pleiti’s faith in her life’s work as a scholar of the past has grown precarious, and this new case threatens to further destabilize her dreams for humanity’s future, as well as her own.
My thoughts
Returning to the world of Mossa and Pleiti was like a reunion with old university friends—familiar yet full of surprises. Malka Older’s vision of life on Jupiter is an absolute treat, crafting worlds both vast and intricately detailed. The day-to-day peculiarities of Jupiter’s settlements—the railcars, the interplay of the moons, and the reconstructed diurnal rhythms—illustrate Older’s extraordinary skill in world-building.
This sequel poses an intriguing question: Why do we complicate our lives in the pursuit of simplicity? It’s a contemplative thread that weaves through the narrative, prodding us to examine our own convoluted paths to ‘better’ living. The Holmesian overlay in this installment is more pronounced, teetering on the edge of pastiche at times. While it’s a charming nod to the detective genre, it occasionally distracted from the novel’s own original voice—something I savored in the first book.
Nevertheless, the journey was worth the ride. Older’s blend of brain puzzles and cosmic exploration is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. And though the detective homage is strong, the heart of the story—questioning our self-imposed complexities—resonates profoundly.
For those who fancy a cerebral jaunt across space with a dash of detective flair, The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles is a worthy expedition. Just be prepared for the occasional echo of deerstalker caps amidst the stars. I wonder how I didn’t notice how Sherlockian their dialogue was before: did I miss it in the first book, or is it just more extreme here?
As I closed the book, I was left with a sense of fulfillment and curiosity. Malka Older has once again proven her ability to entangle the cosmic and the personal, making us ponder the universe’s mysteries and our place within it. So, if you’re ready to embark on a journey that’s as introspective as it is interstellar, grab your space gear and dive into “The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles”. Let’s unravel the universe’s puzzles together!
Expected Publication Date 13 Feb 2024 from Tor Publishing Group, TorDotCom
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