Deliberations

Foreigner #0.5

by C.J. Cherryh

A short story set on a certain night in the court at Shejidan, on the eve of a birthday...somewhat before Bren Cameron's arrival.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories, Aliens, Ebooks

50 pages, ebook

First published October 20, 2012

About the author

Currently resident in Spokane, Washington, C.J. Cherryh has won four Hugos and is one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed authors in the science fiction and fantasy field. She is the author of more than forty novels. Her hobbies include travel, photography, reef culture, Mariners baseball, and, a late passion, figure skating: she intends to compete in the adult USFSA track. She began with the modest ambition to learn to skate backwards and now is working on jumps. She sketches, occasionally, cooks fairly well, and hates house work; she loves the outdoors, animals wild and tame, is a hobbyist geologist, adores dinosaurs, and has academic specialties in Roman constitutional law and bronze age Greek ethnography. She has written science fiction since she was ten, spent ten years of her life teaching Latin and Ancient History on the high school level, before retiring to full time writing, and now does not have enough hours in the day to pursue all her interests. Her studies include planetary geology, weather systems, and natural and man-made catastrophes, civilizations, and cosmology…in fact, there's very little that doesn't interest her. A loom is gathering dust and needs rethreading, a wooden ship model awaits construction, and the cats demand their own time much more urgently. She works constantly, researches mostly on the internet, and has books stacked up and waiting to be written.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The story of Tabini becoming aji and Ilisidi handing over her regency. Some background politics-interesting though not necessary to the rest of the series.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. This short story filled in missing info in the 15+ Foreigner Universe books. :)

[Estara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short story that answers a historical question: how did the power transfer of Aiji-regent Ilisidi to Tabini-aiji work, given the fact that intrigue, manchi, numbers and the keeping of face are so important to atevi society.

There is basically no action plot, but some very fascinating insight into both young Tabini and Ilisidi's motivations from her marriage to Tabini's grandfather to that point in time. I liked the look at Tabini's feelings towards Wilson-paidhi especially (that's Bren's predecessor) - it made certain unusual behaviour in his dealings with Bren from the start much more understandable.

So if you haven't read it, it will take nothing away from the rest of the series, but if you like to know more in-depth atevi society stuff, this is the story for you.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended - a lot of questions are answered.

[Samantha (AK) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quiet evening with Tabini and Ilisidi shortly before Tabini becomes aiji.

Unfortunately, the details of Valasi's death and Tabini's accession have been written, re-written, and revised so many times in the main series that it's hard to take this as definitive. A good read, but one that amplifies the retcons.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

When atevi politics often involves sanctioned killings, the transfer of power between the regent and her grandson is pretty tense. This story adds background to characters we know well from an outstanding series.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A prequel to the first Foreigner book, we meet Tabini and Ilisidi. It's a good story for people who already know the characters, but I'm not sure how it would work if this were the first Foreigner book you'd read.

Sold DRM-free on the author's website, ClosedCircle.com (or is it .net? - I'm not sure)

[Tonya Nardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another short story, this one covering some of Ilisidi’s history and Tabini’s assumption of the aijinate. Since this is partly from Ilisidi’s POV, it’s a really nice addition to the canon; we only ever see her through the eyes of others.

[Janika Puolitaival · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight in complex relationship between Tabini and Ilisidi before Tabini seized power from her. Some insight for Ilisidi's past and her power plays, too.

[Krista D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Tabini and Ilisidi. They're so seldom together in the series, so it was quite enjoyable to see them together and scheming in this one.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.J. Cherryh’s Foreigner universe has always been a whole cosmology unto itself: intricate politics, linguistic nuance, interspecies tension, and that delicious sense of being a stranger tiptoeing through a world that doesn’t quite want you there.

Deliberations—a sort of prequel novella—distills all that Cherryh-ness into a concise, tightly controlled narrative that feels both essential and beautifully self-contained.

The story throws you straight into the Atevi psyche—formal, mathematical, dispassionate—and Cherryh revels in showing how profoundly alien their worldview truly is. Humans often pat themselves on the back for being adaptable, but in Cherryh’s universe? They’re clumsy toddlers trying to navigate thousand-year-old political dances with species whose emotional logic runs on a completely different operating system. Deliberations makes that gap uncomfortably clear.

What stands out is Cherryh’s linguistic patience. She doesn’t simplify the Atevi mind. She doesn’t sanitise the political calculations. She builds tension out of misunderstanding—not dramatic gunfire misunderstanding, but “one wrong syllable could reconfigure an alliance” misunderstanding. It’s riveting if you love sociopolitical sci-fi that treats culture as a battlefield. The novella carries the mood of a chess match conducted in a language you’re still learning.

The plot itself focuses on the slow, meticulous machinery of governance—meetings, negotiations, filtered information. Sounds dry? Cherryh makes it crackle. Every gesture carries weight. Every pause is loaded. You can almost feel the air tighten as characters maneuver around each other with terrifying grace.

Characterisation remains Cherryh’s secret weapon. Even within the formality of Atevi culture, individuals shine through: fiercely loyal, razor-smart, and subtly emotional (though never by human metrics). Watching these characters navigate “deliberations” is like watching samurai politeness rendered as speculative fiction.

The novella also amplifies one of Cherryh’s recurring themes: coexistence is fragile. Empathy is not universal. And diplomacy? It’s just weaponised understanding. In a world where the wrong assumption can spark species-level conflict, deliberate thinking becomes not just a virtue but a survival mechanism.

Deliberations is essential reading for fans of the series and a surprisingly good entry point for newcomers who enjoy dense, intelligent worldbuilding. It’s slow-burn sci-fi at its classiest—thoughtful, tense, and exquisitely alien.

[Kathy KS · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while (several years!) since I read a volume in the Foreigner series. Since I'm about to read the next, reading this short story was a great way to get back into the world of the atevi. But can we humans ever REALLY understand the atevi?

This story centers on two characters familiar to readers of the series: Tabini and his grandmother, Ilisidi. It's the night before Tabini achieves his majority and both parties make plans, separately and together, for his next political move. Our MC from the series, Bren, hasn't even entered the atevi sphere yet.

I find this series the best example of the impossibility for us humans to ACTUALLY ever understand the way an alien mind works. As much as I enjoy this series, my head hurts eventually when I'm trying to figure out what is going on (or will go on). The politics of the atevi world are extremely complex and I marvel as issues are resolved (or not). I enjoyed the story a lot and appreciated learning more about the background of the "current" political situation.

[Leif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps one of the shortest things that Cherryh has published - certainly, the shortest thing in the Foreigner universe - but also one of the most tantalizing, insofar as it takes up the perspective of a character otherwise sidelined (I do not say marginal) within the series proper: Tabini. One can immediately see why it was not further developed, but also I would personally hesitate to give it away as it provides a glimpse at fascinating topics otherwise unavailable to direct narrative. More of these would be lovely!

[Rob Hermanowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second of two short stories which predate the events of the first Foreigner novel. Like the first one, this short prequel isn't absolutely essential, but it certainly helps to deepen out understanding of the characters of Tabini (before he becomes aji) and Ilisidi, both of whom are key players in Cherryh's larger saga.

[CdnBookLover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! It certainly fills in some information gaps very nicely. :)

Be aware that the two short stories, Deliberations and Invitations are not numbered by internal chronological order. Deliberations ends with Tabini claiming his place as the Aiji. Invitations takes place when Bren Cameron becomes Paidhi-aiji after Tabini kicks out Wilson, who was paidhi to Tabini's father.

[Linda Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and delightful introduction to Tabini becoming aiji. I didn't find it until today, after having read 21 books in the series. It's probably more interesting having gotten to know the characters already.

[Samu · Rating 4 out of 5]

80/100.

[Kathryn Baron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Not surprising. A grace note. If you love the series, you'll enjoy it.

[Jessica Lerbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tiny glimpse into what life was like for Tabini and the Dowager on the day he became Aiji

[Kneesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Cherryh is such a master storyteller. It made some things make so much more sense and yet still remain mysterious.

[Babydoclaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely little short in the Foreigner universe. Anyone who loves these books will enjoy this short

[Ryofire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good short story about Tabini and Ilisidi before the main story of "Foreigner" begins. I really enjoyed it. It's not as good as the other short, but still quite good. I don't know if reading this before getting to know who these characters are in the main series is a good idea because it probably won't make much sense. The story isn't complicated, but there's some names and political references that might not make any sense without knowing the series. A nice addition, all things considered.

[Nickell · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good...