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North Continent Ribbon
On Nakharat, every contract is a ribbon and every ribbon is a secret, braided tight and tucked behind a veil. Artificial intelligence threatens the tightly-woven network. Stability depends on giving each machine a human conscience--but the humans are not volunteers. In the midst of strife, individual people struggle to hold onto their jobs and protect their lovers, those trusted few who could draw back the veil.
172 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2024
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538 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
October 15, 2024
Brilliant, masterful SF of the understated Le Guin type. It's a linked short story collection, with each story about some people somewhere on the planet of Nakharat or in orbit. And they're about culture, and love, and most of all, about collective action. The "ribbon" of the title is a hair ribbon, and this society is braided together - the welfare of one with the welfare of all. I was blown away by this.
September 14, 2025
The writing in this is beautiful and evocative, never sparse but never indulgent, either. The world building is complicated and engaging, and the characters we meet to populate it are inviting and complicated and gentle and messy and I really enjoyed spending time with them. That last bit is the thing… We didn’t get to spend much time with any of them, or with any singular narrative. This is a collection of interconnected stories that span centuries, and in that time we get to see the world from different perspectives, seeing how some things change and some don’t, and you could make an argument for an emotional or poetic throughline, but there isn’t any actual narrative directly connecting the stories and, truthfully, I just wanted a little more. I enjoyed everything about this collection, except when it ended I felt like I was missing something.
In many ways it reminds me of the fifth book in Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle, which is also a collection of short stories. The difference there, though, is there are four previous books and one later book that are telling a singular (or singular-ish) narrative, and so that collection of short tales created context and history for an existing story, building off of what came before and creating a bridge to what comes next. This collection does not have any such accompanying novels, and it feels like a companion piece to something not written.
It is certainly worth reading; the world created is smart and intriguing, the characters colorful and complicated, and the stories themselves offer a quiet insight into what it means to exist in societies marked by inequality and uncertainty. I hope Whitcher continues with this world and writes a full novel (or even novella) within it, which I would read in a heartbeat.
(Rounded from 3.5)
In many ways it reminds me of the fifth book in Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle, which is also a collection of short stories. The difference there, though, is there are four previous books and one later book that are telling a singular (or singular-ish) narrative, and so that collection of short tales created context and history for an existing story, building off of what came before and creating a bridge to what comes next. This collection does not have any such accompanying novels, and it feels like a companion piece to something not written.
It is certainly worth reading; the world created is smart and intriguing, the characters colorful and complicated, and the stories themselves offer a quiet insight into what it means to exist in societies marked by inequality and uncertainty. I hope Whitcher continues with this world and writes a full novel (or even novella) within it, which I would read in a heartbeat.
(Rounded from 3.5)
August 8, 2025
Quiet, queer science fiction which seems to say that humanity, agency, personal relationships and morals will remain the core of humanity, even in thousands of years on a different planet and in the face of corporate greed
When people talk about humans taking responsibility, they always seem to mean somebody else.
Very much in the vein of Le Guin, quiet stories (sans the Kill Bill like opening) fill this bundle. Elevated by excellent writing, I happily round my 3.5 stars up for this first book I ever read of Neon Hemlock, a publisher that prides itself for being “the apex of queer speculative fiction publishing”.
More thoughts to follow!
When people talk about humans taking responsibility, they always seem to mean somebody else.
Very much in the vein of Le Guin, quiet stories (sans the Kill Bill like opening) fill this bundle. Elevated by excellent writing, I happily round my 3.5 stars up for this first book I ever read of Neon Hemlock, a publisher that prides itself for being “the apex of queer speculative fiction publishing”.
More thoughts to follow!
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September 15, 2025
I'd wanted to know who I was when I was by myself. I got it wrong, of course. Everyone does, when they're in their twenties.
A unique collection of short stories spread across several hundred years, bound only by culture.
The ties are the ribbons tied into hair, ribbons that signify oaths and obligations. It wasn't explored as much as I had hoped, but I enjoyed the themes that were explored: the use of AI and its ethical application (and overuse), the use of prisoners in labor, labor rights in general, the raising of children, and so much more.
No machine intelligence without human direction.
Mostly, I liked watching the progression of how AI is interpreted and used, a sometimes subtle, sometimes more overt thread that runs through the stories, braiding them together more thoroughly than the ribbons. The theme, overall, is that there should be "no machine intelligence without human direction," and it's part interesting, part horrifying, to watch how this is interpreted over the centuries as the Nakharat culture changes.
Anywho, a really interesting—and intensely queer—collection, and I plan on reading more of Whitcher's writing.
A unique collection of short stories spread across several hundred years, bound only by culture.
The ties are the ribbons tied into hair, ribbons that signify oaths and obligations. It wasn't explored as much as I had hoped, but I enjoyed the themes that were explored: the use of AI and its ethical application (and overuse), the use of prisoners in labor, labor rights in general, the raising of children, and so much more.
No machine intelligence without human direction.
Mostly, I liked watching the progression of how AI is interpreted and used, a sometimes subtle, sometimes more overt thread that runs through the stories, braiding them together more thoroughly than the ribbons. The theme, overall, is that there should be "no machine intelligence without human direction," and it's part interesting, part horrifying, to watch how this is interpreted over the centuries as the Nakharat culture changes.
Anywho, a really interesting—and intensely queer—collection, and I plan on reading more of Whitcher's writing.
November 13, 2025
Difficult to understand fully. The setting is the far future and customs and relationships are quite different, and not fully explained.
The story concludes with a triumph of the human spirit, and that is clear.
The story concludes with a triumph of the human spirit, and that is clear.
abandoned
November 4, 2025Read through page 68, accounting for 3 of the 6 linked stories. I picked this up because it was nominated for the Le Guin Prize, and it does seem on brand—it’s a sort of sociological sci-fi with a lot of attention to worldbuilding, and the writing is good. That said, the characters and settings bored rather than hooked me. I was also unpleasantly surprised to discover how romance-focused it is, with all three stories having a heavy emphasis on the same sorts of generic, idealized relationship arcs you can find in just about any novel (and all ending on a kiss). One thing I like about short stories is that they tend not to do that! Ah well, back to the library with it.
Read
April 8, 2025DNF on p. 70, so about halfway through. I appreciate the project but the characters, settings, and themes are not original, or emotionally engaging.
My ruder review is - Becky Chambers did this better years ago.
I read the paperback, published in 2024 by Neon Hemlock (which I didn’t realize is based in DC!). The book is really beautifully and thoughtfully illustrated by Matthew Spencer. I also like the cover design and layout, by dave ring, and cover illustration, by Danielle Taphanel, but imo the exterior and interior artistic styles don’t quite mesh.
My ruder review is - Becky Chambers did this better years ago.
I read the paperback, published in 2024 by Neon Hemlock (which I didn’t realize is based in DC!). The book is really beautifully and thoughtfully illustrated by Matthew Spencer. I also like the cover design and layout, by dave ring, and cover illustration, by Danielle Taphanel, but imo the exterior and interior artistic styles don’t quite mesh.
January 11, 2025
4.5 stars
August 28, 2025
I read this book because it was nominated for the Ursula Le Guin Book Prize. It's well-written and I like the conceit of all stories sharing the same universe, with each story taking place about 100 years after the story before it. But I don't think the author did enough with this conceit, and could have found some interesting throughlines between the stories other than just the universe itself, some kind of evolution or devolution. The other reason I didn't rate it higher is that the style and cultural angle reminded me too closely of several other sci fi novels I've read, Ancillary Justice and Arkady Martine's A Memory Called Empire and A Desolation Called Peace: The Teixcalaan Series. I wasn't in the best headspace when I read it, so I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 2. YMMV.
January 31, 2025
The prairie is guarded by wind-mills.
Their blades revolve as slowly as the motion of the stars.
Beloved, I ask, where are you?
You are the warmth that turns the world.
★★
One of my favorite things ever is an anthology of interconnected short stories where each story subtly builds off one another - the ones that you love even more on re-reads because now you're privy to the whole picture and pick up on all those little details that you never noticed before. I was hoping for a similar experience reading North Continent Ribbon but did not quite get that sadly. For some reason, I just could not imagine this world. There's something about the writing and the individual elements of the setting that don't meld together well. I can't pinpoint it exactly and so feel a little bad for giving such a low rating. There were some ideas that did have me like "ooooh yess" , but these were very rare. I often found myself yawning and ended up skimming through a lot of these stories.
December 27, 2024
The author’s roots as a poet shine through in the fineness of the language, but every part of these six linked stories is excellently done: character development, plot, worldbuilding, the lot. These stories are “linked” not by shared characters or intertwining plots but by the fact they take place within a common universe, on a timeline spanning centuries, wherein the author displays an impressive range as she acquaints us with various characters divided by class, geography, and era.
I am reminded of Le Guin in the way Whitcher builds this fictional society through a sociological lens; in addition to mysterious and terrible technologies (and the abusive exploitations they make possible and rely upon), she gifts us a clear sense of social bonds and pressures as complex as those of our own world. It is a strength of the book that its fresh and inventive worldbuilding is not allowed to overwhelm and smother the story: there are no wearisome “as you know, Professor” explanatory passages or potted histories of the Galactic Empire; we learn just enough about the world to grasp and be compelled by the stories, even as a sense lingers that there’s a great deal of iceberg left submerged.
A recurring theme of North Continent Ribbon is that of contracts and obligations—symbolised by the ribbons characters braid through their hair, ribbons which, not unlike the tattoo art of certain cultures, become markers of how one has related to others, and thus of one’s identity. Intimately intertwined is a concept of responsibility—even when systems are governed by artificial intelligence, some human or other must always bear final responsibility—and we come to see how ideals of responsibility can be co-opted into serving exploitation, as those who benefit most from the status quo succeed in shifting away from themselves any blame for its failures.
Hope for rectifying this world comes from love, from human fellow-feeling, from class solidarity, and from the courage to imagine change. In its finespun complexities, North Continent Ribbon is beautiful; in its depiction of power, hierarchy, and expropriation, it is dark; in its final allegiance to its characters’ agency, it is hopeful.
I am reminded of Le Guin in the way Whitcher builds this fictional society through a sociological lens; in addition to mysterious and terrible technologies (and the abusive exploitations they make possible and rely upon), she gifts us a clear sense of social bonds and pressures as complex as those of our own world. It is a strength of the book that its fresh and inventive worldbuilding is not allowed to overwhelm and smother the story: there are no wearisome “as you know, Professor” explanatory passages or potted histories of the Galactic Empire; we learn just enough about the world to grasp and be compelled by the stories, even as a sense lingers that there’s a great deal of iceberg left submerged.
A recurring theme of North Continent Ribbon is that of contracts and obligations—symbolised by the ribbons characters braid through their hair, ribbons which, not unlike the tattoo art of certain cultures, become markers of how one has related to others, and thus of one’s identity. Intimately intertwined is a concept of responsibility—even when systems are governed by artificial intelligence, some human or other must always bear final responsibility—and we come to see how ideals of responsibility can be co-opted into serving exploitation, as those who benefit most from the status quo succeed in shifting away from themselves any blame for its failures.
Hope for rectifying this world comes from love, from human fellow-feeling, from class solidarity, and from the courage to imagine change. In its finespun complexities, North Continent Ribbon is beautiful; in its depiction of power, hierarchy, and expropriation, it is dark; in its final allegiance to its characters’ agency, it is hopeful.
November 26, 2025
3.75
Through several stories set in and around the same planet across several centuries, Whitcher explores a unique world that blends hard science with rich culture and mysticism. She excels at making the stories feel real: the characters deal with bus commutes, bureaucracy, civil infractions, all while they encounter fantastical science fiction concepts, such as being transformed into a starship, or traversing the Deep (which I love as a name for FTL travel) as bounty-seeking sapphic assassins. Fun, touching, at times a bit heavy and unclear with its worldbuidling (some stories more than others).
Through several stories set in and around the same planet across several centuries, Whitcher explores a unique world that blends hard science with rich culture and mysticism. She excels at making the stories feel real: the characters deal with bus commutes, bureaucracy, civil infractions, all while they encounter fantastical science fiction concepts, such as being transformed into a starship, or traversing the Deep (which I love as a name for FTL travel) as bounty-seeking sapphic assassins. Fun, touching, at times a bit heavy and unclear with its worldbuidling (some stories more than others).
November 20, 2025
I loved the concept and really wanted to like this but struggled to connect with the text; seems like there were a lot of unsolved problems at the paragraph and page level.
July 22, 2025
2 1/2 stars, rounded up.
I can appreciate the Le Guin-esque ambition of this work, but ultimately it was an unsatisfying read. The prose and storytelling was at times inelegant and disjointed with characters and settings presented shallowly, making it hard to connect as a reader to the stories. Other times, it just felt derivative and falling short of its own aims. Not terrible, but could have been a lot better.
I can appreciate the Le Guin-esque ambition of this work, but ultimately it was an unsatisfying read. The prose and storytelling was at times inelegant and disjointed with characters and settings presented shallowly, making it hard to connect as a reader to the stories. Other times, it just felt derivative and falling short of its own aims. Not terrible, but could have been a lot better.
January 30, 2025
I deliberately chose this book to escape my usual reading preferences and to discover authors with limited mainstream publication whose work resonates with authors and is written by someone who is "queer". While I am likely outside the intended readership, here is my review.
The braid contract system promotes secrecy and potentially distrust, while the AI system requires a degree of trust and reliance to function effectively. How can you build trust in a system that demands responsibility for its failures when the underlying agreements governing society are opaque and potentially unfair? The AI systems are presented as vast networks, solving societal problems at a macro level. Holding individuals responsible for failures within such a complex, systemic framework feels fundamentally contradictory. Individual actions are unlikely to be the root cause of large-scale AI system failures but in this world if you accept the privilege of such a system you also bear full responsibility. I think this is a misunderstanding of technology and what the author was attempting to deconstruct.
A speed bump takes responsibility from a police officer for enforcing speeds. I kept going back to the example to remind myself how technology bears responsibility and I felt the author misunderstood this fact. It felt like an insular view of technology to present it in this way. While the author may have been trying to develop the contradiction in a society both based on trust & secrecy it did not work for me. The world outside of these contradictions was beautifully depicted. I don't know whether to describe it as pastoral futurism or eco-utopia, whatever it is it was a nice escape for a time.
The braid contract system promotes secrecy and potentially distrust, while the AI system requires a degree of trust and reliance to function effectively. How can you build trust in a system that demands responsibility for its failures when the underlying agreements governing society are opaque and potentially unfair? The AI systems are presented as vast networks, solving societal problems at a macro level. Holding individuals responsible for failures within such a complex, systemic framework feels fundamentally contradictory. Individual actions are unlikely to be the root cause of large-scale AI system failures but in this world if you accept the privilege of such a system you also bear full responsibility. I think this is a misunderstanding of technology and what the author was attempting to deconstruct.
A speed bump takes responsibility from a police officer for enforcing speeds. I kept going back to the example to remind myself how technology bears responsibility and I felt the author misunderstood this fact. It felt like an insular view of technology to present it in this way. While the author may have been trying to develop the contradiction in a society both based on trust & secrecy it did not work for me. The world outside of these contradictions was beautifully depicted. I don't know whether to describe it as pastoral futurism or eco-utopia, whatever it is it was a nice escape for a time.
December 17, 2024
(hi Goodreads friends! I still read a lot, but I post my ratings and reviews on storygraph. Message me if you want to connect over there!)
I generally enjoy interconnected story collections, and I loved this one. The writing is lovely, the whole book is generally queer, and I wanted more stories in this collection. Each story had an intriguing setting and characters; my only issue was that I wanted to spend more time in each story.
The world is fascinating - and believable. But that said, I would have loved a little bit more world-building (and/or maybe a map of Nakharat?) since I didn't always understand geographically what was happening, and it seemed pretty relevant for some stories. We mostly hear about the West Continent and the North Continent, but I wanted to learn more about the people from each, cultures that developed, etc.
It's a fun sci fi setting, and within that it also explores interesting themes. What are the relationships that define us? What role does and should prison labor play in our society? How do we create communities of collective action? etc etc etc
I'm excited to read more by Ursula Whitcher!
I generally enjoy interconnected story collections, and I loved this one. The writing is lovely, the whole book is generally queer, and I wanted more stories in this collection. Each story had an intriguing setting and characters; my only issue was that I wanted to spend more time in each story.
The world is fascinating - and believable. But that said, I would have loved a little bit more world-building (and/or maybe a map of Nakharat?) since I didn't always understand geographically what was happening, and it seemed pretty relevant for some stories. We mostly hear about the West Continent and the North Continent, but I wanted to learn more about the people from each, cultures that developed, etc.
It's a fun sci fi setting, and within that it also explores interesting themes. What are the relationships that define us? What role does and should prison labor play in our society? How do we create communities of collective action? etc etc etc
I'm excited to read more by Ursula Whitcher!
December 16, 2025
I really took my time with this one, reading a story here or there. These are short stories, set years apart (the first and last about 400 years apart) about people from various walks of life on starships and their planet- living lives, making momentous decisions, finding love, living through their history.
Probabaly the worst part is, by the end of each story, I just wanted that persons story to go on. I could read a whole novella from each of these short stories.
I liked how these were deceptively quiet stories but often about big decisions. They were also very queer in a queer-positive world and I love that so much. I love the concept of people wearing their attachments and commitments in different colored ribbons in their hair and how that cultural trait evolved through the years the stories took place.
Probabaly the worst part is, by the end of each story, I just wanted that persons story to go on. I could read a whole novella from each of these short stories.
I liked how these were deceptively quiet stories but often about big decisions. They were also very queer in a queer-positive world and I love that so much. I love the concept of people wearing their attachments and commitments in different colored ribbons in their hair and how that cultural trait evolved through the years the stories took place.
April 15, 2025
Somewhere in between ordering this book and reading it I think I got it mixed up with another book I had read about, because I went in expecting climate fiction-esque sci-fi, but to my delight it turned out to be space opera. (The cover also doesn't really say space opera to me, so maybe that's where I got confused). At any rate, it was a great read; I would happily read more set in this world. Style-wise, it reminds me of Ann Leckie's work, so if you like her books you'll probably like this as well.
As a side note, I love that Neon Hemlock includes interior art in their books, it's just a nice added touch.
As a side note, I love that Neon Hemlock includes interior art in their books, it's just a nice added touch.
February 6, 2025
This is an absolutely fascinating short speculative fiction collection, focusing on various elements of society and how they all fit together within a further framework of visualizing contracts via ribbons, and having that be an uniting element. I think there are a few characters that reappear in stories as well, but I'm not entirely sure. It still shows the arc of justice throughout, even if on a longer time scale, and also focuses on solidarity between classes. Picked this up from the library, and definitely worth your time.
May 11, 2025
Whitcher creates an interesting world through a series of short stories. Most of the stories were enjoyable, although there were 1 or 2 I didn't connect with and at times I'm not sure I fully grasped the story. Some of the stories are straightforward while others are more of an abstract nature. I'm not sure I'd recommend this, but at the same time I do want to read it again. I think it's the kind of collection that will benefit from a second read. I'll be keeping it on my shelves with an intention to reread it.
March 2, 2025
Each of the short stories in this book read like a perfect poem, lyrically beautiful and shining a light on inequality and inequity in class and society. I have to say I think the stories Closer Than Your Kidneys and A Fisher of Stars were my favorite. The science fiction piece of it all was amazing and so well thought out. I never once felt as though I wasn’t grasping a concept. I truly enjoyed these stories.
December 20, 2024
A wonderful collection of stories that actually function as a mosaic story when taken as a whole. The themes developing across time and in different contexts in the different stories add a sweep of history and social development to the tightly told, beautifully written individual stories. A real treat of a book.
June 22, 2025
Closer Than Your Kidneys - rushed romance, 1.5/5
Fifteenth Saint - cool ideas but too long, 3/5
Ten Percent For Luck - idk why this existed, 1/5
Association of Twelve Thousand Flowers - interesting premise but went nowhere, 3/5
Last Tutor - actually pretty good, 4.5/5
Fisher of Stars - had potential but didn't *really* deliver, 4/5
overall 3/5
Fifteenth Saint - cool ideas but too long, 3/5
Ten Percent For Luck - idk why this existed, 1/5
Association of Twelve Thousand Flowers - interesting premise but went nowhere, 3/5
Last Tutor - actually pretty good, 4.5/5
Fisher of Stars - had potential but didn't *really* deliver, 4/5
overall 3/5
October 22, 2024
Beautiful writing
Generally, I dislike short stories, because I prefer longer tales and continuity of characters. The writing here is exquisite and I consumed the book in an afternoon.
Generally, I dislike short stories, because I prefer longer tales and continuity of characters. The writing here is exquisite and I consumed the book in an afternoon.
November 7, 2024
A fun collection of linked short stories in a SF world; the growth and change of a society and the relationships of people in it over time. Love how things build on each other here, and also it's just great to have stories that are about how people live together. Really well done.
December 24, 2024
Exquisite writing, fascinating world-building, and very readable. I love the ribbons. It's frustrating, though, that the stories aren't more connected, it could be so much stronger and reach a bigger audience.
December 25, 2024
Nice but not great
I like to read good world building stories. I don't like lack of imagination. People 'drinking espresso from small cups' thousands years in the future, thousands light years away is just silly.
I like to read good world building stories. I don't like lack of imagination. People 'drinking espresso from small cups' thousands years in the future, thousands light years away is just silly.
July 6, 2025
I feel bad for this low review as there are so many people loving this book. I did not finish it (75%) as I didn't like the writing style and just couldn't find the reading flow. Therefore it was hard for me to capture the meaning of the stories.
Read
July 30, 2025Richer, denser stories. I enjoyed the world, but had to work a bit more than expected to finish the book. Recommended if you enjoy thinking about public transportation, relationships, consciousness and collective action, especially in smaller, very personal ways.
September 21, 2025
This was one of the most energizing works of sci fi I’ve read in a while. I’m a sucker for good worldbuilding, and this collection absolutely delivers that. But it’s also great characters and great storytelling. Plus, to sweeten the deal, everyone is gay! Truly, what not to like?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews