The Unbalancing

Last updated
The Unbalancing
The Unbalancing by R.B. Lemberg.jpg
Cover art for The Unbalancing
Author R. B. Lemberg
Cover artistElizabeth Story
LanguageEnglish
SeriesBirdverse
Genre
Publisher Tachyon
Publication date
20 September 2022
Pages256
ISBN 9781616963804
OCLC 1319214679

The Unbalancing is a 2022 LGBT+ fantasy novel by R. B. Lemberg, set in their secondary world, Birdverse. It covers the attempts to save, and ultimate destruction of, the islands of Gelle-Geu due to the increasing instability of the magical Star of the Tides, which resides beneath the waves just off the coast of the archipelago. It includes discussion of gender and sexuality, grief, community, and consent, as well as drawing parallels between inaction surrounding the increasing instability of the Star and inaction on climate change here on Earth. Comparisons have also been drawn between the fall of Gelle-Geu and the fall of Atlantis or the destruction of Pompei. [1] The novel is an expansion of the story originally referenced in the poem "Ranra's Unbalancing", first published in Strange Horizons magazine. [1] The novel was well received by critics and was included on a list of science fiction and fantasy novels by trans and non-binary authors on BuzzFeed. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Plot

The novel is set in Lemberg's secondary world Birdverse, about a thousand years prior to the events of The Four Profound Weaves , on the archipelago Gelle-Geu, and alternates its viewpoint between the two primary characters, Erígra Lilún and Ranra Kekeri. [5] At the start of the novel, the current Starkeeper of the Star of the Tides, a star made up of magical deepnames that resides beneath the waves off the shore of Gelle-Geu, is dying. The Star, also known as the Unquiet Sleeper and the Sputtering Star, has always been fretful and possibly the cause of earthquakes on the islands. Erígra Lilún is autistic and an ichidi, or non-binary person, who has yet to discover their ichidi variation, which is explored throughout the novel. [6] They write poetry, tend an old quince grove, and prefer a quiet life, but the ghost of their ancestor, Semberí, the first Starkeeper of the Star of the Tides, pressures them to connect to the Star and become the next Starkeeper. Semberí tells them the story of the Birdcoming, when the goddess Bird came from beyond the sky and brought the twelve Stars to the world, dancing in the sky above the great Burri desert until the Stars fell from her tail to the first Starkeepers waiting below. Lilún does not wish to become Starkeeper and resists Semberí's pressure so that when the current Starkeeper passes, another is chosen as the new Keeper, Ranra Kekeri. Lilún attends the ascension party for the new Starkeeper and meets Ranra for the first time, a woman with a much bolder personality than Lilún, and who captivates them from their first meeting. Lilún and Ranra discuss the increasingly unstable nature of the Star and the growing hazard the situation presents to the islands, but have differing opinions of how it should be handled.

Lilún and Ranra's attraction to one another grows into a romance that is often challenged and interrupted by the increasing instability of the Star, which causes earthquakes of increasing frequency that rattle the islands, and they must combine their efforts to find a way to calm the Star. During one such earthquake, they discover a way to link their deepnames and increase their available power to try and stabilize the land and protect the lives of those around them. Lilún continues to visit the quince grove and learn more of the story of the Birdcoming, learning more about the Star of the Tides each time. As the stability of the islands worsens, Ranra has her advisor, Ulár, chart a way to connect many people with magical deepnames to build enough power to calm the Star. Meanwhile, Dorod, a deepname strong and friend of Lilún, explains they have a backup plan in case the islands fall. They have built large trade ships that can be used to evacuate some of the people from the islands if necessary, but they are not large enough for all. Lilún continues to advocate for healing the Star, and they research ways to go about this with Ranra, but as the situation grows increasingly desperate and the Mother Mountain begins to erupt, the connection of peoples' deepnames is determined to be the best hope. When Ranra attempts to use the power given to her by this connection, she learns the true nature of the Star, and her efforts are unable to heal it before disaster strikes.

Major themes

The novel includes a meditation on gender, particularly on the various ways one can consider non-binary identities, as Lilún explores and considers their own ichidi variation. In the culture of Gelle-Geu, ichidi display that they are such by wearing five braids in their hair, but there are several variations of ichidi, which can be indicated by weaving tokens into the hairstyle. These variations include: ichar, symbolized by a deer for "I leap sideways-to signal that one was neither a man nor a woman, but traveling sideways on one's own path"; arír, symbolized by a fish for "I frolic in a stream" or "moving gracefully between the different gendered states"; rugár, symbolized by a bear for "I am both bears" or "strength and groundedness in the worlds of women and men, belonging to neither"; and zúr, symbolized by a turtle for "when others rush to divide and declare, I carry my world" or "the distinctions between women, ichidi, and men [do] not make sense".

The novel also draws a parallel between the impending destruction of the islands with the hazards of climate change. The prior Starkeeper to Ranra, Terein, tried to sound the alarm about the state of the Star but was rebuffed and mocked so strongly, he withdrew completely and gave up any hope of intervention. Even in the face of the eruption of Mother Mountain, there are those on the islands who refuse to believe the situation is serious, saying that the mountain has erupted before and that people are just exaggerating the seriousness of the situation. The destruction of the island has also led some to compare it to the story of the fall of Atlantis.

The novel also explores grief, community, and consent. In an interview with The Fantasy Hive, Lemberg spoke about how Birdverse is inspired by their "fascination with historical linguistics, ancient and medieval trade routes, medieval and early modern Jewish history, and literally anything associated with the linguistics of gender" and several themes from Judaism have been noted by readers of the novel, including both symbolism and specific items referenced in the novel, such as a shofar. [7]

Development history

Lemberg's poem, "Ranra's Unbalancing", was published in Strange Horizons in 2015 which tells the tale of Ranra's grief at being unable to save her land and the lengths to which she went to try, as she and the survivors sailed away in hopes of starting again. [1] In the acknowledgements at the back of The Unbalancing, Lemberg talks about how the characters in the poem stayed with them and how the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden, tragic loss of their close friend, Corey Alexander, pushed them to finally expand the story of the poem into a novel. [8]

Reception

Publishers Weekly called it "bittersweet and lovely" and noted that "brisk action balances the meditations on gender and glimpses of the complex magic system". [2] Kristi Chadwick of Library Journal said it "showcases elegant and lyrical prose to create an immersive romantic fantasy". [3] A review from Booklist praised the "dreamlike" prose and character arcs, concluding that the book was "lovingly crafted with a deep and rewarding world full of complex characters who are often LGBTQIA+ and/or neurodiverse". [9] It was also included on a list of "26 Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels by Trans and Nonbinary Authors" at BuzzFeed during Pride Month in 2022 ahead of its publication, noting that "[i]n all their fiction from the fascinating Birdverse world, Lemberg centers marginalized identities: queer, trans, neurodiverse, elderly, and more". [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Prince of Tides</i> 1991 American film by Barbra Streisand

The Prince of Tides is a 1991 American romantic drama film directed and co-produced by Barbra Streisand, from a screenplay written by Pat Conroy and Becky Johnston, based on Conroy's 1986 novel. It stars Streisand and Nick Nolte. It tells the story of the narrator's struggle to overcome the psychological damage inflicted by his dysfunctional childhood in South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John M. Ford</span> American writer, game designer, and poet

John Milo "Mike" Ford was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, game designer, and poet.

Alistair Te Ariki Campbell ONZM was a poet, playwright, and novelist. Born in the Cook Islands, Campbell was the son of a Cook Island Māori mother and a Pākehā father, who both died when he was young, leading to him growing up in a New Zealand orphanage. He became a prolific poet and writer, with a lyrical and romantic style tempered by a darkness borne out of his difficult childhood and struggles with mental health as a young adult. Although he wrote about Māori culture from his earliest works, after a revelatory return to the Cook Islands in 1976, his later works increasingly featured Pasifika culture and themes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Hobb</span> American fiction writer (born 1952)

Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden, known by her pen names Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm, is an American writer of speculative fiction. As Hobb, she is best known for her fantasy novels set in the Realm of the Elderlings, which comprise the Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies, the Rain WildChronicles, and the Fitz and the Fool trilogy. Lindholm's writing includes the urban fantasy novel Wizard of the Pigeons and science fiction short stories, among other works. As of 2018, her fiction has been translated into 22 languages and sold more than 4 million copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Roth</span> Austrian novelist and journalist

Moses Joseph Roth was an Austrian-Jewish journalist and novelist, best known for his family saga Radetzky March (1932), about the decline and fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, his novel of Jewish life Job (1930) and his seminal essay "Juden auf Wanderschaft", a fragmented account of the Jewish migrations from eastern to western Europe in the aftermath of World War I and the Russian Revolution. In the 21st century, publications in English of Radetzky March and of collections of his journalism from Berlin and Paris created a revival of interest in Roth.

<i>Tailchasers Song</i> 1985 fantasy novel by Tad Williams

Tailchaser's Song is a fantasy novel by American writer Tad Williams. First released on November 21, 1985, it is Williams' first published work.

Gender has been an important theme explored in speculative fiction. The genres that make up speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, supernatural fiction, horror, superhero fiction, science fantasy and related genres, have always offered the opportunity for writers to explore social conventions, including gender, gender roles, and beliefs about gender. Like all literary forms, the science fiction genre reflects the popular perceptions of the eras in which individual creators were writing; and those creators' responses to gender stereotypes and gender roles.

<i>Night Tide</i> 1961 film by Curtis Harrington

Night Tide is a 1961 American independent fantasy film sometimes considered to be a horror film, written and directed by Curtis Harrington and featuring Dennis Hopper in his first starring role. It was filmed in 1960, premiered in 1961, but was held up from general release until 1963. The film's title was inspired by some lines from Edgar Allan Poe's poem "Annabel Lee". The film was released by American International Pictures as a double feature with The Raven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Monette</span> American novelist and short story writer

Sarah Elizabeth Monette is an American novelist and short story writer, mostly in the genres of fantasy and horror. Under the name Katherine Addison, she published the fantasy novel The Goblin Emperor, which received the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and was nominated for the Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Alliance of Women</span> International non-governmental organization

The International Alliance of Women is an international non-governmental organization that works to promote women's rights and gender equality. It was historically the main international organization that campaigned for women's suffrage. IAW stands for an inclusive, intersectional and progressive liberal feminism on the basis of human rights and liberal democracy, and has a liberal internationalist outlook. IAW's principles state that all genders are "born equally free [and are] equally entitled to the free exercise of their individual rights and liberty," that "women's rights are human rights" and that "human rights are universal, indivisible and interrelated."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lilah Sturges</span>

Lilah Sturges is an American writer of comics and fantasy novels. She is best known for co-writing with Bill Willingham the Eisner-award-nominated Jack of Fables, and other comics published by Vertigo Comics / DC Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orpheus and Eurydice</span> Ancient Greek legend

The ancient legend of Orpheus and Eurydice concerns the fateful love of Orpheus of Thrace for the beautiful Eurydice. Orpheus was the son of Oeagrus and the muse Calliope. It may be a late addition to the Orpheus myths, as the latter cult-title suggests those attached to Persephone. The subject is among the most frequently retold of all Greek myths, being featured in numerous works of literature, operas, ballets, paintings, plays, musicals, and more recently, films and video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender</span> Gender identity other than sex assigned at birth

A transgender person is someone whose gender identity differs from that typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Some transgender people who desire medical assistance to transition from one sex to another identify as transsexual. Transgender can function as an umbrella term; in addition to including binary trans men and trans women, it may also include people who are non-binary or genderqueer. Other definitions of transgender also include people who belong to a third gender, conceptualize transgender people as a third gender, or conflate the two concepts. The term may also include cross-dressers or drag kings and drag queens in some contexts. The term transgender does not have a universally accepted definition, including among researchers.

This is a list of the published works of Aliette de Bodard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal recognition of non-binary gender</span>

Multiple countries legally recognize non-binary or third gender classifications. These classifications are typically based on a person's gender identity. In some countries, such classifications may only be available to intersex people, born with sex characteristics that "do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R. B. Lemberg</span> Ukrainian-American speculative fiction author (born 1976)

R. B. Lemberg is a queer, bigender, and autistic author, poet, and editor of speculative fiction. Their work has appeared in publications such as Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology, Uncanny Magazine, and Transcendent 3: The Year's Best Transgender Speculative Fiction 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akwaeke Emezi</span> Nigerian writer and video artist

Akwaeke Emezi is a Nigerian fiction writer and video artist, best known for their novels Freshwater, Pet, and their New York Times bestselling novel The Death of Vivek Oji. Emezi is a generalist who writes speculative fiction, romance, memoir and poetry for both young adults and adults with mostly LGBT themes. Their work has earned them several awards and nominations including the Otherwise Award and Commonwealth Short Story Prize. In 2021, Time featured them as a Next Generation Leader.

<i>The Four Profound Weaves</i> 2020 fantasy novella by R.B. Lemberg

The Four Profound Weaves is an acclaimed 2020 LGBT+ fantasy novella by R.B. Lemberg. In 2021, it has been nominated in the best novella category for the Ignyte, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Locus awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism and LGBTQ identities</span>

Current research indicates that autistic people have higher rates of LGBTQ identities and feelings than the general population. A variety of explanations for this have been proposed, such as prenatal hormonal exposure, which has been linked with sexual orientation, gender dysphoria and autism. Alternatively, autistic people may be less reliant on social norms and thus are more open about their orientation or gender identity. A narrative review published in 2016 stated that while various hypotheses have been proposed for an association between autism and gender dysphoria, they lack strong evidence.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wolfe, Gary K. (2022-09-23). "Gary K. Wolfe Reviews The Unbalancing by R.B. Lemberg". Locus Magazine . Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  2. 1 2 Publishers Weekly. "The Unbalancing". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  3. 1 2 Chadwick, Kristi (2022-08-01). "The Unbalancing: A Birdverse Novel". Library Journal . Retrieved 2022-08-31.
  4. 1 2 Kingsbury, Margaret (2022-06-07). "26 Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels by Trans and Nonbinary Authors". BuzzFeed . Retrieved 2022-08-31.
  5. Goh, Jaymee (2022-09-08). "Author Interview: Queer Norms and Sexualities in R. B. Lemberg's Birdverse". Beneath Ceaseless Skies . Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  6. Hoffman, Ada (2022-04-19). "Autistic Book Party, Episode 68: The Unbalancing". ada-hoffman.com. Retrieved 2022-08-31.
  7. "Interview with R. B. Lemberg (The Unbalancing)". The Fantasy Hive. 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2022-08-31.
  8. Lemberg, R. B. (2022-09-20). The Unbalancing (acknowledgements). Tachyon Publications. p. 243. ISBN   978-1-616-96-380-4.
  9. Unbalancing, by By R. B. Lemberg. | Booklist Online.