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The Stars Change
On the brink of interstellar war, life (and sex) continues. Humans, aliens, and modified humans gather at the University of All Worlds in search of knowledge... and self-knowledge... but the first bomb has fallen and the fate of this multicultural, multispecies mecca is in question. A thought-provoking work on sexuality and the connections between people--whether male or female, human or alien--The Stars Change is part space opera, part literary mosaic of story, poem, and art. The Stars an erotic science fiction novel-in-stories. On a South Asian-settled university planet, tensions are rising, and as they reach the brink of interstellar war, life (and sex) continues. Humans, aliens, and modified humans gather at the University of All Worlds in search of knowledge... and self-knowledge... but the first bomb has fallen and the fate of this multicultural, multispecies mecca is in question. Some people will seek solace in physical contact, some will look for spiritual answers, while others will find their strength in community, family, and love. Some will rush home to make love to their wife. Or wives. Or husbands. Or indeterminate gender human and/or alien partners. Others will be forced to decide where they stand -- what is worth fighting for, or maybe even worth dying for. In The Stars Change, author Mary Anne Mohanraj presents a multi-layered, thought-provoking, and far-reaching work on sexuality and the connections between people--whether male or female, human or alien. The Stars Change is part space opera, part literary mosaic of story, poem, and art. It is fitting that a book that emphasizes the power of community was funded through Kickstarter. Begun as a project entitled "Demi Monde," The Stars Change is the result of the money raised by supporters that went to pay for not only the art and illustrations in the book, but the author's time, allowing her to focus on writing for that crucial interval. About the Mary Anne Mohanraj is the author of Bodies in Motion, Sri Lankan-American linked stories (HarperCollins), as well as Silence and the Word, The Best of Strange Horizons (ed.), Aqua Erotica (ed.), and The Poet's Journey (a children's fantasy picture book). Bodies in Motion was a finalist for the Asian-American Book Awards and has been translated into six languages. Mohanraj received an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship in Prose (2006). Mohanraj lives in Chicago, where she teaches creative writing and post-colonial literature at the University of Illinois; she also taught at the Clarion workshop in 2008. She is a graduate of Clarion West, and holds an MFA and a Ph.D. in creative writing.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2013
25 people are currently reading
1761 people want to read
About the author
Mary Anne Mohanraj
76 books160 followersMary Anne Mohanraj is author of A Feast of Serendib, Bodies in Motion, The Stars Change, and twelve other titles. Other recent publications include stories for George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards series, Perennial: A Garden Romance (Tincture), stories at Clarkesworld, Asimov’s, and Lightspeed, and an essay in Roxane Gay’s Unruly Bodies.
Mohanraj founded Hugo-nominated and World Fantasy Award-winning speculative literature magazine Strange Horizons, and serves as Executive Director of both DesiLit (desilit.org) and the Speculative Literature Foundation (speclit.org). She is Clinical Associate Professor of fiction and literature at the University of Illinois at Chicago. www.maryannemohanraj.com
Mohanraj founded Hugo-nominated and World Fantasy Award-winning speculative literature magazine Strange Horizons, and serves as Executive Director of both DesiLit (desilit.org) and the Speculative Literature Foundation (speclit.org). She is Clinical Associate Professor of fiction and literature at the University of Illinois at Chicago. www.maryannemohanraj.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
October 14, 2015
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This was a book club read with Boston Radical Women of Color Book Club. I couldn't make the actual book club to discuss it, so I can't speak to what others thought. This was a unique read with a under developed plot, but the colorful characters and different alien species more then made up for that. Kimsriyalani, Amara, Narita, Gaurav, and Chieri, were beings thrust into difficult situations while in turmoil within their personal life. As this peaceful academic haven is threatened, we learn about different species in this world and their struggles to come together past any culture differences. The illustrations were also very well done and placed within the novel (Illustrations by Jack Kotz).
The erotica took a back seat while reading to me, which puzzled me because it is marketed as a erotic sci-fi novel. The sex described was done tastefully. I did wonder how different species would adapt to have sex with humans, but the author didn't go there. Instead most of the novel described relationships, no matter the gender or species,the emotions described were relateable and familiar. This book explores alot about identity and how love can have a huge impact on how you look at yourself and trust others. The characters have all been deeply affected by their love for someone else, and have to come to terms with that.
The novel explores alot of concepts but same gender relationships wasn't a conflict with the characters. Class divides, human modification, religion and non-humanness were the points of division that were explored, but done so in a way that shed light on all sides. Although there were many concepts and ideas brought up they were not explored for more then a chapter. The short length of the book and focus on characters more than plot, made the flow and organization disjointed. Despite any downfalls, if you are a sc-fi fan, who appreciates memorable characters I would definitely recommend this book for you. There are definitely passages that make you think and recognize some of yourself in the pages, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
This was a book club read with Boston Radical Women of Color Book Club. I couldn't make the actual book club to discuss it, so I can't speak to what others thought. This was a unique read with a under developed plot, but the colorful characters and different alien species more then made up for that. Kimsriyalani, Amara, Narita, Gaurav, and Chieri, were beings thrust into difficult situations while in turmoil within their personal life. As this peaceful academic haven is threatened, we learn about different species in this world and their struggles to come together past any culture differences. The illustrations were also very well done and placed within the novel (Illustrations by Jack Kotz).
The erotica took a back seat while reading to me, which puzzled me because it is marketed as a erotic sci-fi novel. The sex described was done tastefully. I did wonder how different species would adapt to have sex with humans, but the author didn't go there. Instead most of the novel described relationships, no matter the gender or species,the emotions described were relateable and familiar. This book explores alot about identity and how love can have a huge impact on how you look at yourself and trust others. The characters have all been deeply affected by their love for someone else, and have to come to terms with that.
"Old Friends meet/in the house of God/seeking clarity amidst the shouting."
The novel explores alot of concepts but same gender relationships wasn't a conflict with the characters. Class divides, human modification, religion and non-humanness were the points of division that were explored, but done so in a way that shed light on all sides. Although there were many concepts and ideas brought up they were not explored for more then a chapter. The short length of the book and focus on characters more than plot, made the flow and organization disjointed. Despite any downfalls, if you are a sc-fi fan, who appreciates memorable characters I would definitely recommend this book for you. There are definitely passages that make you think and recognize some of yourself in the pages, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
December 27, 2019
Well, there were some good ideas such as discrimination against species, colonies and different sexual orientations, the prompt was interesting too, however, I didn't care about the characters, the story was anticlimatic and honestly, quite boring.
November 21, 2013
I liked The Stars Change a lot, but I wanted to love it. There's a large cast of characters-- Kimsrialyani, Narita, Guarav, Rajiv, Amara-- and they're all ordinarily decent people thrust into indecent situations which have nothing to do with sex. If anything, their sex lives are among the most decent aspects about them. They find themselves in the midst of chaos tasked with stopping it from getting even worse.
The beautiful parts of this book come from Mohanraj's willingness to share with us what she's lived of South Asian culture, of the beauty and sensibility of it overlaid onto an SFnal, colonial setting. (She's understandably the editor of Jaggery, a magazine of South Asian literature.) Glimpses of family life among different groups, and how they interact, are true treasures to be found within this book. Mohanraj's grasp of sex and love are vibrant and real, and the way they connect with her cultural world-building made this book a pleasure to read.
The story has a classic problem of our age: too much erotica for mainstream, too much story for erotica. Explicating the external conflict, which is really more of a MacGuffin to get the characters into closer proximity, doesn't start until almost a third of the way into the book. There's a loss of focus: the book concentrates almost entirely on ordinary people called to heroic deeds, but Mohanraj never seems quite sure just how much she wants the reader to devote to getting to know these people. Does Kim matter? Does Narita? Yes they do, but it's hard to know that until well into the last chapters. As the book goes along, the narrator moves along the different, deeply personal and highly emotional subplots playing out, without ever signaling just how much we should care. It leads to a Whedonesque ending that doesn't quite have the impact it could have had.
The beautiful parts of this book come from Mohanraj's willingness to share with us what she's lived of South Asian culture, of the beauty and sensibility of it overlaid onto an SFnal, colonial setting. (She's understandably the editor of Jaggery, a magazine of South Asian literature.) Glimpses of family life among different groups, and how they interact, are true treasures to be found within this book. Mohanraj's grasp of sex and love are vibrant and real, and the way they connect with her cultural world-building made this book a pleasure to read.
The story has a classic problem of our age: too much erotica for mainstream, too much story for erotica. Explicating the external conflict, which is really more of a MacGuffin to get the characters into closer proximity, doesn't start until almost a third of the way into the book. There's a loss of focus: the book concentrates almost entirely on ordinary people called to heroic deeds, but Mohanraj never seems quite sure just how much she wants the reader to devote to getting to know these people. Does Kim matter? Does Narita? Yes they do, but it's hard to know that until well into the last chapters. As the book goes along, the narrator moves along the different, deeply personal and highly emotional subplots playing out, without ever signaling just how much we should care. It leads to a Whedonesque ending that doesn't quite have the impact it could have had.
July 16, 2014
This fast-paced short novel about a crisis in an inter-species nation is deeply academic – not in the sense of being hard to understand, but in the sense that it advocates formal knowledge as a basis for universal peace. Latin sayings, each the slogan of an actual university somewhere in the world, serve as chapter headings.
In the first scene, a lonely female graduate student in weapons technology propositions a human male who teaches English literature. She has fur and claws, but he finds her attractive, especially compared to his indifferent human wife. Little do the temporary lovers know that their encounter will start a chain of events that will send each of them into the arms of others.
The characters in this novel are off-worlders from other planets, human descendants of the first settlers to arrive on the planet Pyroxina Major from South Asia, and “humods,” humans with modifications that make them beautiful (according to their standards) and immune to most diseases. They are all connected in some way to the University of All Worlds.
The physical and cultural disparity among species gives rise to distaste, which can be fanned into hatred. Subtle class differences contribute to misunderstandings. When a “Humans First” movement arises, it threatens the whole planet. Knowledge and co-operation are shown to be more than luxuries; they are absolutely crucial to general survival.
The sex in this fantasy world is as varied as the characters, and a devadasi (temple courtesan, for lack of a clearer term) plays a crucial role in rallying a grass-roots coalition to cope with an immediate political threat. When a long-estranged pair of female characters comes back together at last, one of them says to the other: “’I love you. Don’t understand it, can’t explain it. But there it is.’” Against the odds, at least for the present, love conquers all.
In the first scene, a lonely female graduate student in weapons technology propositions a human male who teaches English literature. She has fur and claws, but he finds her attractive, especially compared to his indifferent human wife. Little do the temporary lovers know that their encounter will start a chain of events that will send each of them into the arms of others.
The characters in this novel are off-worlders from other planets, human descendants of the first settlers to arrive on the planet Pyroxina Major from South Asia, and “humods,” humans with modifications that make them beautiful (according to their standards) and immune to most diseases. They are all connected in some way to the University of All Worlds.
The physical and cultural disparity among species gives rise to distaste, which can be fanned into hatred. Subtle class differences contribute to misunderstandings. When a “Humans First” movement arises, it threatens the whole planet. Knowledge and co-operation are shown to be more than luxuries; they are absolutely crucial to general survival.
The sex in this fantasy world is as varied as the characters, and a devadasi (temple courtesan, for lack of a clearer term) plays a crucial role in rallying a grass-roots coalition to cope with an immediate political threat. When a long-estranged pair of female characters comes back together at last, one of them says to the other: “’I love you. Don’t understand it, can’t explain it. But there it is.’” Against the odds, at least for the present, love conquers all.
October 28, 2015
I can't help but really like this book. This is a book for a progressive reader. It connects racism with speciesm. It challenges normal ideas of gender and sexuality.
The characters and love stories are awesome as well. Narita and Amara <3
I also enjoyed the Southeast Asian descriptions and culture. Very interesting read!
The characters and love stories are awesome as well. Narita and Amara <3
I also enjoyed the Southeast Asian descriptions and culture. Very interesting read!
October 19, 2017
3.5/5. Sci-Fi with a touch of erotica. A little lazy to review this one, though. It's worth noting that it was funded on Kickstarter, which is awesome!
Tidbits:
Tidbits:
"The stars change but the mind remains the same."
"Retract, retract, that was the rule, and she could manage it, almost—oh, there was a small scrape, and on one level she was sorry, but on another level she was a nova, and the nova had a name, and it was Kimsriyalani! and she would never ever ever be fucking Kimmie again."
November 5, 2013
Disclaimer: I was a Kickstarter backer of this project and a friend of the author. This eBook was provided to me as one of my backer rewards.
Perhaps you are familiar with the author Mary Anne Mohanraj from her work as an editor on the erotica e-magazine Clean Sheets or the speculative fiction e-magazine Strange Horizons, but didn't know she was also a writer. Or Perhaps you are a fan of her work from her wonderfully poignant and moving Bodies in Motion: Stories and are coming here looking for some Desi representation. From any route, fans of Mary Anne will be pleased that she's returned to the pages we can read.
The Stars Change was originally a Kickstarter project, as Mary Anne had discovered she did not have a lot of time to write between her teaching and her two children. And also because what publisher would really draw up an advance for a collection of interwoven short stories, featuring explicit (And hot!) sex that didn't even have the decency to limit itself to M/F but explored M/F, M/M, F/F, M/F/O [O = other] as well as Human/Alien [twice!!!] and Human/Humond. Oh right, this also takes place on a far away planet in a far away future with aliens. And the humans aren't your normal scientific white men. No, they are descendants of Indian immigrants and brown skinned vegetarians (mostly). Which may explain why someone is trying to kill them, and why their world is on the brink of war.
Either that above paragraph totally made you go "Yes I want to read this." or your mouse pointer has crept to the "close tab" button quietly. If the former, go forth and buy & read. If the latter, well you are are missing out but I understand. But I am sad for your loss.
Perhaps you are familiar with the author Mary Anne Mohanraj from her work as an editor on the erotica e-magazine Clean Sheets or the speculative fiction e-magazine Strange Horizons, but didn't know she was also a writer. Or Perhaps you are a fan of her work from her wonderfully poignant and moving Bodies in Motion: Stories and are coming here looking for some Desi representation. From any route, fans of Mary Anne will be pleased that she's returned to the pages we can read.
The Stars Change was originally a Kickstarter project, as Mary Anne had discovered she did not have a lot of time to write between her teaching and her two children. And also because what publisher would really draw up an advance for a collection of interwoven short stories, featuring explicit (And hot!) sex that didn't even have the decency to limit itself to M/F but explored M/F, M/M, F/F, M/F/O [O = other] as well as Human/Alien [twice!!!] and Human/Humond. Oh right, this also takes place on a far away planet in a far away future with aliens. And the humans aren't your normal scientific white men. No, they are descendants of Indian immigrants and brown skinned vegetarians (mostly). Which may explain why someone is trying to kill them, and why their world is on the brink of war.
Either that above paragraph totally made you go "Yes I want to read this." or your mouse pointer has crept to the "close tab" button quietly. If the former, go forth and buy & read. If the latter, well you are are missing out but I understand. But I am sad for your loss.
March 6, 2019
I.....liked this? It was short. It was like a short story told by six other short stories that hand off to each other but come back around and connect. Which I liked.
The writing was well done and I enjoyed the characters and setting. The plot wasn't anything special or new, but I feel like the plot wasn't the point at all.
What keeps this from 4 stars for me is the shortness. I would have liked it to have been more in depth on everything. There are some great characters here and I feel like we only get to know them about as much as you do strangers at a bus stop.
The writing was well done and I enjoyed the characters and setting. The plot wasn't anything special or new, but I feel like the plot wasn't the point at all.
What keeps this from 4 stars for me is the shortness. I would have liked it to have been more in depth on everything. There are some great characters here and I feel like we only get to know them about as much as you do strangers at a bus stop.
November 6, 2019
An interesting novella that mixes mild NSFW erotica and sci-fi-world-saving adventure in 100-something pages. It jived in some places but in other places you may raise your eyebrow a bit in confusion.
Note: each chapter there is a different character in focus. It is a bit jarring at first when the view switches so often (like a easily distracted puppy in a sea of treats) but it kinda works?
Note: each chapter there is a different character in focus. It is a bit jarring at first when the view switches so often (like a easily distracted puppy in a sea of treats) but it kinda works?
March 30, 2015
This was a fairly interesting but very short novel — a fiction experiment of sorts, mashing together erotica with science fiction.
The plot (a community of intellectuals rallies in the aftermath of a terrorist attack) and the setting (a university town on a planet populated by humans and aliens) were great; but they played second fiddle to the exploration of a spectrum of sexual and romantic relationships. This book had a lot of sex: between humans and humans, and far more interestingly, between humans and aliens. It also had a lot of flashbacks and family drama. The sex was more interesting.
I cared for some characters more than others. I wasn't too absorbed by the two leads, Amara and Narita; but the supporting characters (especially the saurian alien, Gaurav, stoic after the death of his human lover) were interesting.
The book has a number of excellent black and white illustrations, one accompanying each chapter, which add to the quality of the package.
3.25 stars.
The plot (a community of intellectuals rallies in the aftermath of a terrorist attack) and the setting (a university town on a planet populated by humans and aliens) were great; but they played second fiddle to the exploration of a spectrum of sexual and romantic relationships. This book had a lot of sex: between humans and humans, and far more interestingly, between humans and aliens. It also had a lot of flashbacks and family drama. The sex was more interesting.
I cared for some characters more than others. I wasn't too absorbed by the two leads, Amara and Narita; but the supporting characters (especially the saurian alien, Gaurav, stoic after the death of his human lover) were interesting.
The book has a number of excellent black and white illustrations, one accompanying each chapter, which add to the quality of the package.
3.25 stars.
July 18, 2021
A beautiful little novella!
I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with a science fiction story that is also categorized as erotica, and while the book certainly doesn’t shy away from sex, it is mostly used carefully as a tool to develop the characters and the theme. Although it seems a bit gimmicky in a few places during the first part of the book, most of these vignettes make sense in hindsight.
My only tiny qualm is that the short italicized POV entries from one-off side characters were a bit too confusing. I spent more time than I would have liked trying to understand who each of them was.
Overall, the book was clever and charming, and it continued to surprise and impress me literally to the last page.
I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with a science fiction story that is also categorized as erotica, and while the book certainly doesn’t shy away from sex, it is mostly used carefully as a tool to develop the characters and the theme. Although it seems a bit gimmicky in a few places during the first part of the book, most of these vignettes make sense in hindsight.
My only tiny qualm is that the short italicized POV entries from one-off side characters were a bit too confusing. I spent more time than I would have liked trying to understand who each of them was.
Overall, the book was clever and charming, and it continued to surprise and impress me literally to the last page.
April 5, 2016
Besides a few (moderately explicit) sex scenes and frank discussion of sex from nearly all the characters, this didn't seem like an "erotic SF novel" to me. Sex was something that impacted the characters' storylines and development, certainly. But it was a character-driven book, not an erotica-driven one, imo... a reader in search of titillation would be pretty disappointed on that front. On the other hand, a reader in search of a desifuturist, character-driven, sex-positive narrative with a likeable ensemble cast? This is totally going to make your day.
February 19, 2017
This is a great book if you want diverse, queer, sexy sci-fi - something I'm a big fan of. Set in a post-earth human-dominated university planet with a predominantly South Asian culture. Set sometime in the far future, the story follows a handful of human and alien characters in the aftermath of a bombing by "humans first" terrorists. The story makes a lot of important points about diversity, tolerance, and love but it's also a really, really good read - particularly if you like genre fiction.
July 14, 2019
3.5 - "The Stars Change" impressively tackles forbidden love, grief, racism and terrorism with few pages and a surprising amount of emotional depth. The story feels like two disparate parts: the first half smut, the second a grassroots effort to curb violence in war. There were hinted-at romances I was disappointed did not come to fruition. Overall very enjoyable, and I look forward to reading this author again.
April 8, 2021
This is my review for The Stars Change by Mary Anne Mohanraj
I intend to use the ***ASPECT method for my discussion and will not spoil the ending.
Atmosphere/Style/Plot:
I am starting with style because it feels important. This book is more of a novella than anything else with an ensemble cast of characters who take turns being our protagonist as the chapters unfold. Not only are they interconnected, but they are also all brought together over the course of one horrible night at the start of a war. So yes… there is a general tone of tension in the air… and the air is on an alien planet.
I love Mohanraj’s voice. It is real and the way she weaves the chapters together to tell a complete story is masterful. I believed every sentence even though this was very much an alien world full of aliens.
One note about content. There is a lot of sex in this book. A Lot. Human sex, alien sex, human with alien sex… queer sex, interspecies sex… And I enjoyed it. No shame. Just heads up.
Another note about the style of this book: there are drawings. Now… I am not averse to drawing per se, but for my money, they didn’t actually add anything to the book itself. This book was primarily funded through Kickstarter and I sort of think that those drawings might have been better suited as perks for the funders rather than added into the text.
Another note about style: (Sorry) Most of the book is presented in chapters with shifting protagonists. (This was great and I will touch on this in the Characters section of my review.) But a few bits were presented as… shorter non-chapters… and formatted in italics. These italics interludes also shifted perspectives and I was hard-pressed to figure out why there was a distinction made. At first, it seemed that the italics were saved for one particular voice… the antagonist terrorist… but that did not hold true over the course of the story. I honestly don’t know why Mohanraj made this stylistic choice… sadly it was distracting rather than helpful.
I want to say something else about Atmosphere and Plot. The story could have happened on earth with a full cast of humans. It could have happened as an episode of sci-fi TV like Star Trek or Doctor Who… but it could have also been a more routine adventure story with no sci-fi elements. The fact that it uses the backdrop of a diverse university planet instead really ups the specialness of the story. Yes, this is a story about people trying to work together for a greater good… but the fact that they are a mix of species/aliens/etc that chose to work together… is really really cool. It isn’t necessarily the plot that makes this book so good… it is who is moving through the plot, and how.
Characters
I really enjoyed all the characters. A few got a bit short-changed, which is understandable in a novella with such an ensemble cast. The main characters take a few beats to really surface, but that was actually nice rather than annoying. At first, I wasn’t sure who our main characters were going to be and I found myself really caring about all of them. The fact that there was some very hot lesbian sex did NOT hurt my appreciation of the characters either.
I actually think that character building is where Mohanraj really shines. Yes, the world-building is interesting and complex (thankfully we are given the exact right bit of information so that we can follow along and care without getting overly bogged down), but it is the characters who will stay with me. I loved that not all of the characters were human or even humanoid. I sadly don’t read enough sci-fi that features non-human main characters. Creating an ensemble cast of characters that the reader can differentiate and care about is no easy task… doing all that without the easy default of “at least they are all human” is much harder and Mohanraj really excels. I love how the exposition of each alien race was woven into the character seamlessly… I never felt like I was getting a big info dump of “the biology and mating habits and social structure of Alein X.”
Another aspect of her characters (that is not as common, at least for me,) was that the human characters were not white. Now, that might not phase some people… and it might bother the bigots amongst us, but I really enjoyed it. I hope I enjoyed it in a respectful and not “oh how exotic sort of way.” I just really like that, again, Mohanraj threw out the default “humans in space are either white, white presenting, or non-racial because we have all moved on past such things….” trope and made her characters South Asian while at the same time not getting up on a soapbox and preaching diversity. She just wrote these cool complicated characters and let the diversity exist part and parcel.
Maybe I am overly sensitive having recently read NK Jemison’s introduction to Parable of the Sower where she talked about the lack of BIPOC voices in sci-fi, but I am pretty stoked to read an unapologetic BIPOC voice in sci-fi who is clearly writing for everyone with special emphasis on the BIPOC characters.
Entertaining
Oh my yes. I wanted more… and at the same time the story is completely contained and I think that sometimes it is ok for things to end. But damn, I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Ursula K Le Guin a bit.
My only quibble would be italics style choice as mentioned above and then there was one chapter that didn’t seem to really fit into the larger narrative. It was a beautiful chapter, don’t get me wrong (and actually was the most Le Guin for me as it reminded me of one of the stories in Changing Planes) but it did take me out of the actual story for a bit… which is doubly disappointing because the book itself is so short that I was greedy for the characters I already cared deeply about.
Those two things aside (and your mileage will vary I am sure), I loved this book.
This: Why THIS book?
Ok… so I was planning on reading Circe this week, but then my Facebook memories started to blast me with FOGCon memories.
FOGCon, or Friends of Genre Con, is a great small convention of readings and writers of speculative fiction that happens every year in March. I was supposed to help plan and work the conn last year but my eyes had other plans and I ended up having to resign from my position. Which… sucked for a myriad of reasons… but one of the most disappointing bits about having to step down was that Mary Anne Mohanraj was going to be there as a featured author and I was going to get to meet her. To prepare I ordered a few of her books fully planning on reading them so that I could sound maybe halfway intelligent once in her presence.
Alas… again, my eyes and their infernal glaucoma ruined my reading and volunteering plans… and then covid ruined any hope I had of going to the conn.
This book, like so many other FOGCon books got shuffled off to other piles of books in my house… but when those FB memories started to resurface, I felt compelled to revisit my original plan and do some reading. I am so glad I did!
Would I recommend this book?
Yes! With the caveat of the sex. I like sex and I like sex in books, but if that isn’t your cup of tea, well maybe this isn’t the book for you. Really though, it is a fast read that is about a community coming together… a community of average regular not overly special people… who come together to make a huge positive change in the world. That message is never out of style and seems even more precinct today. Plus a happy ending for the lesbians! So yes, I highly recommend this book.
More reviews at www.kayliametcalfe.com
***
A Atmosphere: How did it make me feel? What was the world like? This might include overall tone.
S Style: What was the writing style like? Simplistic or sophisticated? Clunky or beautiful?
P Plot/Pace: Was it engaging? Were there holes? Did it feel too rushed or too long?
E Enjoyment: Was it a chore to finish or compelling enough that I picked it over other fun activities?
C Characters: Were they believable, sympathetic, interesting?
T This: Why did I read *This* book?
I intend to use the ***ASPECT method for my discussion and will not spoil the ending.
Atmosphere/Style/Plot:
I am starting with style because it feels important. This book is more of a novella than anything else with an ensemble cast of characters who take turns being our protagonist as the chapters unfold. Not only are they interconnected, but they are also all brought together over the course of one horrible night at the start of a war. So yes… there is a general tone of tension in the air… and the air is on an alien planet.
I love Mohanraj’s voice. It is real and the way she weaves the chapters together to tell a complete story is masterful. I believed every sentence even though this was very much an alien world full of aliens.
One note about content. There is a lot of sex in this book. A Lot. Human sex, alien sex, human with alien sex… queer sex, interspecies sex… And I enjoyed it. No shame. Just heads up.
Another note about the style of this book: there are drawings. Now… I am not averse to drawing per se, but for my money, they didn’t actually add anything to the book itself. This book was primarily funded through Kickstarter and I sort of think that those drawings might have been better suited as perks for the funders rather than added into the text.
Another note about style: (Sorry) Most of the book is presented in chapters with shifting protagonists. (This was great and I will touch on this in the Characters section of my review.) But a few bits were presented as… shorter non-chapters… and formatted in italics. These italics interludes also shifted perspectives and I was hard-pressed to figure out why there was a distinction made. At first, it seemed that the italics were saved for one particular voice… the antagonist terrorist… but that did not hold true over the course of the story. I honestly don’t know why Mohanraj made this stylistic choice… sadly it was distracting rather than helpful.
I want to say something else about Atmosphere and Plot. The story could have happened on earth with a full cast of humans. It could have happened as an episode of sci-fi TV like Star Trek or Doctor Who… but it could have also been a more routine adventure story with no sci-fi elements. The fact that it uses the backdrop of a diverse university planet instead really ups the specialness of the story. Yes, this is a story about people trying to work together for a greater good… but the fact that they are a mix of species/aliens/etc that chose to work together… is really really cool. It isn’t necessarily the plot that makes this book so good… it is who is moving through the plot, and how.
Characters
I really enjoyed all the characters. A few got a bit short-changed, which is understandable in a novella with such an ensemble cast. The main characters take a few beats to really surface, but that was actually nice rather than annoying. At first, I wasn’t sure who our main characters were going to be and I found myself really caring about all of them. The fact that there was some very hot lesbian sex did NOT hurt my appreciation of the characters either.
I actually think that character building is where Mohanraj really shines. Yes, the world-building is interesting and complex (thankfully we are given the exact right bit of information so that we can follow along and care without getting overly bogged down), but it is the characters who will stay with me. I loved that not all of the characters were human or even humanoid. I sadly don’t read enough sci-fi that features non-human main characters. Creating an ensemble cast of characters that the reader can differentiate and care about is no easy task… doing all that without the easy default of “at least they are all human” is much harder and Mohanraj really excels. I love how the exposition of each alien race was woven into the character seamlessly… I never felt like I was getting a big info dump of “the biology and mating habits and social structure of Alein X.”
Another aspect of her characters (that is not as common, at least for me,) was that the human characters were not white. Now, that might not phase some people… and it might bother the bigots amongst us, but I really enjoyed it. I hope I enjoyed it in a respectful and not “oh how exotic sort of way.” I just really like that, again, Mohanraj threw out the default “humans in space are either white, white presenting, or non-racial because we have all moved on past such things….” trope and made her characters South Asian while at the same time not getting up on a soapbox and preaching diversity. She just wrote these cool complicated characters and let the diversity exist part and parcel.
Maybe I am overly sensitive having recently read NK Jemison’s introduction to Parable of the Sower where she talked about the lack of BIPOC voices in sci-fi, but I am pretty stoked to read an unapologetic BIPOC voice in sci-fi who is clearly writing for everyone with special emphasis on the BIPOC characters.
Entertaining
Oh my yes. I wanted more… and at the same time the story is completely contained and I think that sometimes it is ok for things to end. But damn, I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Ursula K Le Guin a bit.
My only quibble would be italics style choice as mentioned above and then there was one chapter that didn’t seem to really fit into the larger narrative. It was a beautiful chapter, don’t get me wrong (and actually was the most Le Guin for me as it reminded me of one of the stories in Changing Planes) but it did take me out of the actual story for a bit… which is doubly disappointing because the book itself is so short that I was greedy for the characters I already cared deeply about.
Those two things aside (and your mileage will vary I am sure), I loved this book.
This: Why THIS book?
Ok… so I was planning on reading Circe this week, but then my Facebook memories started to blast me with FOGCon memories.
FOGCon, or Friends of Genre Con, is a great small convention of readings and writers of speculative fiction that happens every year in March. I was supposed to help plan and work the conn last year but my eyes had other plans and I ended up having to resign from my position. Which… sucked for a myriad of reasons… but one of the most disappointing bits about having to step down was that Mary Anne Mohanraj was going to be there as a featured author and I was going to get to meet her. To prepare I ordered a few of her books fully planning on reading them so that I could sound maybe halfway intelligent once in her presence.
Alas… again, my eyes and their infernal glaucoma ruined my reading and volunteering plans… and then covid ruined any hope I had of going to the conn.
This book, like so many other FOGCon books got shuffled off to other piles of books in my house… but when those FB memories started to resurface, I felt compelled to revisit my original plan and do some reading. I am so glad I did!
Would I recommend this book?
Yes! With the caveat of the sex. I like sex and I like sex in books, but if that isn’t your cup of tea, well maybe this isn’t the book for you. Really though, it is a fast read that is about a community coming together… a community of average regular not overly special people… who come together to make a huge positive change in the world. That message is never out of style and seems even more precinct today. Plus a happy ending for the lesbians! So yes, I highly recommend this book.
More reviews at www.kayliametcalfe.com
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A Atmosphere: How did it make me feel? What was the world like? This might include overall tone.
S Style: What was the writing style like? Simplistic or sophisticated? Clunky or beautiful?
P Plot/Pace: Was it engaging? Were there holes? Did it feel too rushed or too long?
E Enjoyment: Was it a chore to finish or compelling enough that I picked it over other fun activities?
C Characters: Were they believable, sympathetic, interesting?
T This: Why did I read *This* book?
August 3, 2015
This wasn't what I thought it was going to be. The plot was weak.
August 28, 2016
Hot alien sex + serious contemplation of prejudice + propulsive mystery and wonderful storytelling throughout.
July 15, 2018
Gorgeous mosaic novel about a community pulling together to make a difference
January 13, 2019
Ten pounds of ideas crammed into five pounds of book. Multiple species come together to stop a xenophobic attack in a University town. Characters either learn about themselves or die in the attempt.
June 8, 2021
The galaxy is on the brink of war, intensifying every so slightly each day.
The conflict explodes when a terrorist attacks, a South Asian settled colony planet known for it's multicultural and multispecies university.
After the attack Narita and Amara reunited as they try to prevent another attack.
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It was an alright listen. What I ended up listening to, wasn't what I expected?
There was erotica but not a lot, and the book tried weaving in heavier themes, such as classism, imperialism/colonialism and species discrimination.
But the erotica elements at times took a back seat to the plot and felt out of place at times.
I think that Mohanraj tried tackling too many things at once, and maybe if the book was a little longer the end wouldn't have read so anticlimactic. There were a lot of POVs in this book, but the focal point/couple were Narita and Amara.
I honestly was a little more curious about the aliens so I was a little disappointed in the lack of POVs.
I really did enjoy the world, how Mohanraj mixed in South Asian elements in it. It was so fascinating and the world was so vibrant.
The conflict explodes when a terrorist attacks, a South Asian settled colony planet known for it's multicultural and multispecies university.
After the attack Narita and Amara reunited as they try to prevent another attack.
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It was an alright listen. What I ended up listening to, wasn't what I expected?
There was erotica but not a lot, and the book tried weaving in heavier themes, such as classism, imperialism/colonialism and species discrimination.
But the erotica elements at times took a back seat to the plot and felt out of place at times.
I think that Mohanraj tried tackling too many things at once, and maybe if the book was a little longer the end wouldn't have read so anticlimactic. There were a lot of POVs in this book, but the focal point/couple were Narita and Amara.
I honestly was a little more curious about the aliens so I was a little disappointed in the lack of POVs.
I really did enjoy the world, how Mohanraj mixed in South Asian elements in it. It was so fascinating and the world was so vibrant.
October 26, 2023
Just finished listening to The Stars Change by Mary Anne Mohanraj on audible, and it was an incredible and unique listen.
When I was first dipping my toes into audiobooks, and asking people I knew for recommendations, this book was suggested.
It holds a special place in my heart because it's the first time I'd listened to an audiobook sample and felt riveted, hanging onto every word and upset that the sample was now finished. Even if some of its themes - such as erotica being a central part of the story and how it communicated its core messages - weren't my primary interests, I wanted to keep listening; and so I did.
Very heartfelt in many ways, exquisitely written, with various plot threads and characters converging into a satisfying conclusion. I absolutely loved the structure, short yet increasingly interconnected snippets and character/relationship studies.
The novella also explores a lot of themes that are unfortunately still resonant; war and bigotry and intolerance, social divisions, radicalization, overwhelming odds. Its ending message of people from all backgrounds coming together to help and try to make a difference is one I definitely needed to hear.
The Stars Change manages to be funny and profound and grieving and celebratory in 4 hours and 15 minutes. Highly recommend the story, and especially the audiobook version.
July 11, 2017
This little book is big on universe-building despite coming in at under 150 pages. The universe it builds is galactic, multi-species, sex-positive, intimate, and really engaging. I would compare it favorably with Becky Chambers' The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. That book can tell a deeper, more-episodic story because it is much longer, but Mohanraj's little illustrated sci-fi book gives you the same diverse, troubled ensemble cast to fall in love with.
The story itself: a university town becomes the epicenter of of an intergalactic power struggle. Each chapter enters the story from the perspective of one of the characters, and each character struggles with their own baggage, but they also all work together to solve a mystery. There are many little "aha" moments when you see a character struggling with their own prejudices or recognizing when they don't understand others. Even characters you don't like end up acting likable. The book manages to both moving the story and the mystery at its center forward with ease and make you like and empathize with several protagonists. I would love to read more stories set in this universe.
The story itself: a university town becomes the epicenter of of an intergalactic power struggle. Each chapter enters the story from the perspective of one of the characters, and each character struggles with their own baggage, but they also all work together to solve a mystery. There are many little "aha" moments when you see a character struggling with their own prejudices or recognizing when they don't understand others. Even characters you don't like end up acting likable. The book manages to both moving the story and the mystery at its center forward with ease and make you like and empathize with several protagonists. I would love to read more stories set in this universe.
May 16, 2018
I honestly can't remember how I came to have a copy of Mary Anne Mohanraj's novel The Stars Change. It's been sitting on my to-be-read pile for a long time, and I finally took it off. I'm glad I did.
This novella is set on a human-colonized world, but focuses on the world's university, which is host to a number of alien species. These species and the humans, unmodified and otherwise, are interacting and having sex with each other, as one does. But there's also a war brewing - a war in which some human-ruled worlds have decided to attack aliens. A group of humans and aliens are tossed together over one long night in an attempt to stop one attack in that war.
Besides the idea of mixing erotica, war and science fiction, what makes this book unique is Mary Anne's heritage. Her humans came from India and its environs, which gives a much different and refreshing spin on the action. Also, despite being a war story, the body count is surprisingly small. I truly enjoyed this book.
This novella is set on a human-colonized world, but focuses on the world's university, which is host to a number of alien species. These species and the humans, unmodified and otherwise, are interacting and having sex with each other, as one does. But there's also a war brewing - a war in which some human-ruled worlds have decided to attack aliens. A group of humans and aliens are tossed together over one long night in an attempt to stop one attack in that war.
Besides the idea of mixing erotica, war and science fiction, what makes this book unique is Mary Anne's heritage. Her humans came from India and its environs, which gives a much different and refreshing spin on the action. Also, despite being a war story, the body count is surprisingly small. I truly enjoyed this book.
February 17, 2018
It felt like the story was perpetually on the brink of being really great, instead of just good. Maybe it was an issue of scope vs. narrative focus?
It's essentially a condensed space opera, and I'm not sure how well that works in spite of the elegant writing and world-building. For something this compact it has a lot of characters, and unfortunately the two main ones, thorough virtue (or fault?) of predictability, aren't as compelling as some of the supporting (although they're compelling enough to make me root for them ).
The best parts happened in the intimate moments between characters, sexual or otherwise. There's a lot of sex, hence the somewhat misleading "erotic" label, but most of it pulls its story weight, so kudos to Mary Anne Mohanraj for that. She deftly creates a vibrant sense of desire, longing, and love.
It's not enough to bring it all together, but it has to do.
It's essentially a condensed space opera, and I'm not sure how well that works in spite of the elegant writing and world-building. For something this compact it has a lot of characters, and unfortunately the two main ones, thorough virtue (or fault?) of predictability, aren't as compelling as some of the supporting (although they're compelling enough to make me root for them ).
The best parts happened in the intimate moments between characters, sexual or otherwise. There's a lot of sex, hence the somewhat misleading "erotic" label, but most of it pulls its story weight, so kudos to Mary Anne Mohanraj for that. She deftly creates a vibrant sense of desire, longing, and love.
It's not enough to bring it all together, but it has to do.
March 17, 2019
The plot was...weak. The characters were semi-interesting, but the plot just served to get the characters together to have sex, which was OK I guess? I appreciate the exploration of genders and sexualities but it felt kind of clumsy, like the plot was just connecting the dots between "character A and B have sex," "character A and C have sex," "character B and C have sex" etc. I guess if interspecies/furry sex is compelling to you, the book will draw you in, but I was looking for more of a story. And some of the dialogue was painful, like all the characters were play-acted by the same personality (i.e. the authorial voice was overwhelming).
Even in the sense of exploring alternative family structures or societal norms, I think books like The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin, or Steel Beach by John Varney have much more going for them.
I bailed after two-thirds through.
Even in the sense of exploring alternative family structures or societal norms, I think books like The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin, or Steel Beach by John Varney have much more going for them.
I bailed after two-thirds through.
February 27, 2017
This book begins promisingly enough, with a wide cast of characters reacting in personal ways to a terrorist attack that follows a declaration of war. However, it goes off the rails about halfway through when the plot of the book finally takes shape; the events are wildly implausible in both major and minor ways -- ranging from a completely ridiculous overall plan of action to defeat the remaining terrorists, to a policeman who casually reveals nonpublic information to a few random civilians, to a character who literally fails to notice that one of the people in the room with him is someone he had sex with earlier that night. I wish it had stuck with the personal portraits and never had a real plot at all, because it did those quite well.
August 19, 2018
A good solid story and characters that seems to ask for sequels chronicling the war to come, probably with some different characters leading the way.
Some nice erotic bits (apparently this publisher specializes in F/SF erotica?). Overall a story more about character than about sex or about the plot. I would have liked more time with a lot of the characters, and with the world/universe that the author created.
Some nice erotic bits (apparently this publisher specializes in F/SF erotica?). Overall a story more about character than about sex or about the plot. I would have liked more time with a lot of the characters, and with the world/universe that the author created.
December 20, 2018
A complex, thoughtful treatment of a terrorist attack in a college town of the future. It's nice to see sf on the small scale like this: No massive clashes of galactic empires, no threat to human life on all the planets, just a few people in a very different future trying to make their lives work in the face of loss, fear, and pain.
July 18, 2019
Enjoyed this on so many levels. The relationships, the worldbuilding, the plot, the frankness about sex, the wordsmithing (which, as it should be, just feels natural and effortless).... good to remember why I enjoy this author so much.
April 29, 2020
I really really liked this. I loved the notion, the south Asian culture aspect, the setting, the characters, how positive everything was.... I just wish it had been longer - everything was in place. Maybe one day there’ll be a longer book set in the same universe? (she says hopefully)
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