Review of Translation State by Ann Leckie

Some good reviews by people I trust brought this new standalone novel from Ann Leckie to my attention. Translation State, similar to Provenance, is set in the universe of her Imperial Radch trilogy but tells a different story. This one enlightens us ever so slightly as to the nature of the Presger, but really, of course, it’s about what it means to be human.

The story alternates among three viewpoint characters: Enae, Qven, and Reet. Enae (sie/hir) is young, recently bereaved of hir grandmother, a kind of family matriarch. At a loss for what to do yet utterly free, Enae cautiously undertakes a job that will take her away from everything sie has ever known. Qven is a Presger Translator: human in appearance yet alien in physiology, eir journey is one of defection and refuge. Reet has been living an unassuming life on a space station until one day someone tells him that he might be the long-lost, last living descendant of an important autocrat. When he meets Qven, though, everything changes.

It has been years since I read the other Radch books. This one benefits from the multiple perspectives—whereas the trilogy is largely Breq’s story, Translation State is a tripartite story featuring three very different protagonists. They don’t always want the same thing, which leads to some very interesting moments as the novel approaches climax. Each has a story worthwhile in its own right. When Leckie welds them together, she creates something that is just as complex, if more understated, as her original trilogy of self-discovery and self-actualization.

I probably identified with Enae’s character the most, despite superficially having very little resemblance to hir life. I liked how game Enae is. How sie doesn’t back down from a challenge. While far from a Mary Sue in terms of capabilities, Enae is no doormat, and hir combination of compassion and perspicacity proves enchanting. It’s easy to dismiss Enae, I think, because hir story seems the least connected to the overall theme of what it means to be human. Yet I would argue that Enae’s role as investigator is crucial. We needed a third perspective, beyond Qven and Reet, for us to glimpse why their struggle is so important without getting lost in the middle of it.

Qven and Reet were a bit harder for me to love—but I loved Reet’s family dynamics, and I really like how Qven and Reet bond after they meet. The chapters where Qven is growing up as a juvenile Presger Translator are fascinating and probably some of the most original, thought-provoking science fiction I’ve read in a while.

Indeed, Leckie showcases her incredible gift for writing about aliens and alienness here. The Presger have always been a cipher and, as is our nature, readers have always wanted to know more about them. Leckie doesn’t show all her cards here—which is a good thing. Nothing ruins an ineffable race more than discovering they are, in fact, effable! It’s clear the Presger’s nature transcends space-time in a way that we mere mortals cannot grasp. However, this book does provide more insight into the Translators, and through them, the Presger.

One thing that strikes me as fascinating is that the book never fully establishes why Qven becomes so attached to the idea of being human. The Translators are part human, part Presger. Alien in their being and nature, they nevertheless must have some human qualities so that they can move among us. Yet Qven is the first (second?) Translator to rebel against eir purpose, if you will, or at least on the first or second to live and tell the tale. Though some of this is a response to trauma, it’s still interesting that Qven can’t put aside eir individuality and assimilate into the role eir clade needs. Leckie’s commenting on the inexorable nature of humanity here: it appears our genes are always bound to gunk up the works.

If you have enjoyed Leckie’s other books, you will like Translation State as well. You might miss the grand space opera and associated battles—though there is some action here and there. But it’s clear that Leckie is enjoying exploring different corners of her universe while she asks big questions, and that is truly the best use of science fiction. If you are new to Leckie, this is a fine place to start. You might feel a little out of the loop, for the book refers to events that took place in the trilogy—but understanding this book doesn’t depend on a knowledge of those events, so they might as well be backstory inserted into the background as flavour text.

I’m here for the creativity and fun that Leckie is having as she expands the universe she started with her Radch novels. From cultures outside the Radch to actual aliens to everything in between, there’s so much to see here. You won’t get all the answers, and that might be frustrating at first, but it’s so much better that way.