Et que désirez-vous ce soir

by Premee Mohamed, Marie Surgers (Traduction)

« Et que désirez-vous ce soir est une lecture puissante : une histoire brève et somptueusement écrite sur l’injustice, les choses que nous devons faire par nécessité, et les ami·es qui s’unissent pour survivre à des temps sombres. » — Marissa Van Uden

Genres: Novella, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopia, Horror, Fiction, Short Stories

112 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2021

About the author

Premee Mohamed is a Nebula award-winning Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author based in Edmonton, Alberta. She is an Assistant Editor at the short fiction audio venue Escape Pod and the author of the 'Beneath the Rising' series of novels as well as several novellas. Her short fiction has appeared in many venues and she can be found on Twitter at @premeesaurus and on her website at www.premeemohamed.com.

Reviews

[aly ☆彡 (on vacation) · Rating 2 out of 5]

And What Can We Offer You Tonight commenced in a dystopian society about the inner struggle against the unseen chains of psychic enslavement as well as resistance against the oppression. It happened when the narrator, Jewel started to question about the House of Bicchieri that she grew in when one of her friends were killed.

The book started with too much foreshadowing, it’s either I’m too dumb for this or the writing is confusing. I think it has an interesting plot but the writing of this book kind of dry that I took quite a time to finish an 80 pages of a novella. I love the character though!

Not bad of a book to be honest, I would rate this a solid three stars if not for the overwriting style that is rather off putting.

[2.5/5]

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever read a book where you loved the concept & the plot but the writing didn’t connect with you? That’s me with this little novella.

Story:

Somewhere in the far future, where life is as dystopian as you can imagine, there lives a “courtesan” named Jewel. Her world is shattered when a close friend and fellow worker named Winfield is murdered by a client, but she is left even more bewildered when Winfield returns from the dead. To get vengeance, each of them has to decide how far they can go against the status quo and the establishment.

Within its meagre 80 pages, this story packs a powerful punch. The main characters are interestingly crafted. Jewel, as a prostitute who is beyond her shelf life at 30 and struggling between her loyalty towards her friends and her dependence of the House where she works. Winfield, who is the most intriguing undead character I’ve ever come across; she’s neither a zombie nor a spirit but just someone who is “dead but not dead.” Nero, a fellow worked who aims at the oddest of accessories to further his uniqueness. Each of these trio make a mark.

The plot is also attractive. Working from within a dystopian establishment and trying to take it down with the help of an ‘undead’ is a different take on the typical gloomy futuristic tales. I was almost hooked onto the narrative from start to end. But what created the biggest hurdle for me was the writing style. Quintessentially stream of consciousness, the writing is flowery and lyrical, both of which aren’t attributes I enjoy while reading any kind of thriller as they take away from the pace of the narrative. I did enjoy the story but I am sure I would have loved it were it written in a more ‘regular” style.

3 stars for the writing, 4 for the characters, 5 for the plot. And hence, the book gets 4 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Neon Hemlock Press, for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[K.J. Charles]

Disturbing short tale of a future world without law or justice or anything but money, where people are bought and sold. Jewel is an exclusive, expensive courtesan mostly resigned to her lot and clinging on to the little solidarity she can have with her co-workers, until one of them is murdered, but refuses to stay dead.

Very much a story about exploitation: greed and cruelty and injustice, and how those things warp people, and the fragile connections we try to build to shore up defences against them. Bleak, vivid, and elegantly conveyed in a short space.

[Alexis Hall]

**Somehow received from NG**

Well this was bleak, but powerful nonetheless. Set in a far-future Dystopia without law, where the world appears to have dissolved into some kind of toxic floodscape, and the government culls its citizens for the slightest infraction, this is a story about power, greed and privilege.

It’s heroine, Jewel—a courtesan in a House that exists to profit its owners, and indulge the perversities of the wealthy—is mainly preoccupied with safety and survival, and the moments of connection she shares with her fellow courtesans. At least until one of them gets murdered, and then refuses to stay murdered.

The book (well, novella really) is narrated in a kind of stream of consciousness that gives it a dreamlike quality. I can see why, as a stylistic choice, this might not work for all readers, but to me it felt very much like the right choice. Jewel’s world is regulated and controlled—her sense of safety has come at the cost of her freedom and her selfhood, even her humanity—and the narrative reflects that: her psychological need to detach herself from the realities of her position, coupled with her ultimate inability to do so. It is a conflicted voice, at once beautiful and bitter, self-deceiving and perceptive, hopeful and despairing, for a conflicted heroine.

As ever with short stories and novellas, I found myself wishing nebulously for “more”. But this is a wonderfully dark fable of power, corruption, vengeance and the limitations of freedom.

Also, just to be shallow for a moment: the cover is exquisite.

[Fiona Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

She tosses her hair impatiently and I wait, cringing, for a clump to fall to the floor, she is dead after all, but nothing happens; and she looks radiant, not alive, something else, brimming with light. The light of vengeance, I think with a little twist of envy. The light of fury. In my aubergine-wallpapered room with its inkily figured ferns, the bloodred duvet, the sepia headboard and floors, she is the brightest thing.

I've been having the worst time getting into books and actually reading them this year - and Premee Mohamed just came along and blew me right out of the slump with this novelette. It's short and it's deep, and it stings like a scorpion if you let yourself get hooked in - this is a future world with no safety net, a world not quite visible from our own, but all too easy to imagine lurking just over the horizon at our current rate. Maybe the worst part isn't being exploited but to be made complicit in your own subjugation.

It got me thinking, regardless, and I sped through it all too fast, but it's too good not to devour.

[Amy Imogene Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll keep this review super short, because this story is—this novella is worth your attention.

With a singular narrative voice and an unbelievably rich setting and emotional palette, And What Can We Offer You Tonight stands strong behind its stunning cover.

This is a novella about personhood, about reclaiming space. It's about the world's oldest profession in the world's futuristic dystopia. It's about a murder; it's about a vengeance wreaked.

This slim novella (under 100 pages) packs a heavy punch.

Looking forward to more work from this author.

Blog | Instagram | Libro.fm Audiobooks

[Zana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those "all vibes, no plot" books, which honestly isn't my thing.

I loved how the worldbuilding is very lush and immersive. You really feel like you're in a dark, Gothic, dystopian city along with the MC, especially since it's written in first person.

But other than that, I had no idea what was going on. I don't remember any of the characters except for the MC and some dude with wings? It felt like I was dropped halfway into a story, so I had no time to develop any connection with the either the characters or plot.

I loved the writing and it made me want to check out more of Premee Mohamed's work, so I guess that's a positive.

Thank you to Bespeak Audio Editions and NetGalley for this arc.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very readable novella set in a far future city, told from the point of view of Jewel, a courtesan in a House where only the richest can afford what’s on the menu. It’s fairly bleak as the opening of the story is at the funeral of Winfield, murdered by a client with no consequences for him. A tale of revenge and justice in a society where there is no real justice. I would’ve liked to know more about the society in this short, interesting read.

[Susan Atherly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will read anything Premee Mohamed writes. This is kind of a paranormal tale that takes place in a dystopian future earth. Very unusual. Strong plot with well drawn characters.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5/5

Novella Hugo Ranking Video: https://youtu.be/qJ2EdO2_Kig

This was a very unique reading experience. Its a dystopian world with magical elements and we follow a vigilante revenge justice story of someone who use to work at this brothel. In this world if you don't have a job you will be killed but there are also no jobs which adds to complexity of our main character who is not the vigilante but use to be friends with them and is worried that their antics would risk their job and safety. Its an interesting way to view a "typical" fantasy story of revenge and revolution. I also loved how this world was described and how much was squeezed into 70 pages. Cannot wait to read this again and explore other works by this author.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

C/W:murder, discussions of sexual violence, intimate partner violence, gaslighting

And What Can We Offer You Tonight is part revenge story and part character study of Jewel as she tries to make sense of her role within the House of Bicchieri. The writing style is very stream-of-conscious, which didn't work for me personally but was very well executed. This novella packs a gripping story into a short page count.

[Ruxandra Grrr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very into this when I started it - it's about two sex workers, one alive, one 'dead' (in an ambiguous, still here sorta way), who want to get revenge on the killer -, but it was way too short and I wanted more more more. The world was absolutely fascinating and the labor conditions (my pet cause) were so interesting. I feel like the storyline skips some moments that could have been engaging to read. And the characters could have had a bit more development. Still, beautiful writing, intriguing world and a pretty great ending!

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A vaguely dystopian setting in a flooded city. The poor bury their dead by sinking them in the canals surrounding their dwellings. Our MC Jewel is an enslaved courtesan, living a relatively comfortable, if restricted and not entirely safe life in a luxury brothel. One of the other women in her house is beaten to death by a client. But she doesn‘t stay dead. She comes back to life, looking for revenge and taking Jewel along for the ride.

80 pages, pretty odd, with a rambling and overloaded prose. The actual plot could have fit into a much shorter story. The rest didn‘t really work for me. It was just a lot of fluff, with the odd shocking bit in between. I skimmed through the last part. The ending was quite nice, at least for Jewel. But the mystery of the dead girl coming back to life was never explored and the world could have done with a little more background. I didn‘t really like this, sorry.

The cover looks nice, but is as overloaded as the prose.

Nebula Award Winner, Best Novella in 2021
Author‘s website at http://premeemohamed.com

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

[Chantaal · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/11/22: What a strange, lyrical, vibe-heavy little novella.

8/1/22: DNF @ 22%, but definitely coming back to this in the future. It's intriguing, but it's a very specific sort of writing style that I'm not feeling right now.

[Kiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesus Christ. #ReviewComing #Honest #GiveMeAMinuteImCrying

[Caitlin Starling]

Exquisitely grotesque, with a voice to die for. A quick but gut-punching read, not quite horror but not quite not horror. It takes a setting that feels familiar (a future dystopia with dramatic wealth differences, a glittering brothel) and adds: a corpse that is somehow alive again, a narrator who really wishes this didn't involve her, and a world that can stand a small revolution in one tiny corner.

[S.A Reidman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books that just come out of nowhere and knock you right in the emo chemical dispensing center of the brain .

The prose alone had me inlove with this story. Not too lyrical, comfortable and deeply gothic - and it's still scifi. It's painful, dark and oh so beautiful. Oh and the fact that the canal in this Venice-like watered city is filled with the bodies of the dead (not a serial killer but willing water burials) just gives it a hopeless and helpless dire feel to it.
4.75 ⭐ not to worry, the .75 shows up on my Storygraph.

Plot/Storyline/Themes:
Somebody said the dead need to stay dead. But I think there must be a caveat - dead stay dead except for vengeance. I love a good vengeance plot.
Maybe a god said: Not everybody deserves to be alive. But you do. And he doesn't. - Winfield

Two Sentences, A Scene or less - Characters:
I started out pitying the Jewel, Winfield, Nero but how insensitive and condescending of me. The courtesans/prostitues who live in the brothel House Biccheiri who've had no voice, no agency, aren't allowed to scream, or cry must only submit. And yet, they possess a strength, some indomitable spirit to have survived, endured this long and man are they resilient.

Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Scene: :
A couple of stellar moments:

☆Winfield's Resurrection. It was moody and dark and the trauma of the courtesans is so great they felt no fear they just rolled with it.
☆Winfield's deciding moment: He can try to unmake me," she says. "But he cannot unperson me. I will always be who I am.

Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Quotes:
🖤 “We have not even given our god a name. Maybe in another thousand years.” (Funeral procession to a watery Church)
🖤 “Imagine Beowulf showing up only to discover the Danes protecting Grendel, guarding him while he eats their people..” (On the rich getting away with murder )
🖤 “she looks radiant, not alive, something else, brimming with light. The light of vengeance, I think with a little twist of envy. The light of fury. I” (on the formidable Winfield)

Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Concepts :
■ Dinoflagellates, Phlebuttons
■ The Cull: open season killing.
■ Neo-Nobility
■Planet Buying(shameful rich)

StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Short Stories by 2025

[JASARA HINES · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bizarre. I wanted to love this, however, this story definitely began in medias res which made it difficult to follow. It also referenced ideas, gadgets and social structures that were impossible to figure out without context. There was excellent commentary on very important themes like social status, class, cooperations, modern day slavery and of course knowing one's worth.

[Lucille · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5
J’ai beaucoup aimé la façon dont en un si court récit on comprends l’état déplorable de ce monde futuriste. Ça se passe dans une maison close, une des amies de la personnage principale est assassinée et lors de la cérémonie secrète d’adieu, elle se relève de son cercueil, remplie de rage et d’envie de vengeance. Plus dur à accepter pour la principale qui a peur de la vie hors de la maison close. J’ai trouvé un peu rapide par moments et je n’étais pas autant « dedans » que j’aurai cru mais sinon très bon texte

[imyril is not really here any more · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a drowned future where individuals have no value except as workers at the mercy of their employer, the courtesans of the House survive on little rebellions: friendship, grief, honouring the dead with gifts rendered useless by the act of giving. In their tightly-controlled world, the House controls everything except their love for one another.

Winfield’s murder is surprising only because she was the House’s best: the one who commanded the highest prices, the one who earned generous tips. It’s not enough for the House to seek justice from a patron shielded by wealth and privilege.

Premee Mohamed’s jagged little novella explores what happens when the overlooked and undervalued get a chance to push back against those who exploit them. The brutal challenge for Jewel is whether to believe that they can resist. I had a great deal of sympathy for her even when she made terrible choices, appreciating her perspective all the more for being unusual in a genre that typically prefers active protagonists tearing down the status quo over passive protagonists caught in its iron grip. But how do you decide what’s best when all your choices have been taken away?

I also appreciated this novella as a fuck you to all the cyberpunk novels and grim futures that casually sacrifice sex workers to show how dark and gritty their worlds are. Here, the focus is unwaveringly on the victims rather than the murderer (who is untouchably bland; not some monster, just another rich asshat) – humanising, demonising and redeeming them by turns.

Full review

[Me, My Shelf, & I · Rating 5 out of 5]

"[He] can try to unmake me," she says. "But he cannot unperson me. I will always be who I am."

Shame on me for not reading this sooner because it was excellent. And I finally feel some catharsis for all the burning anger the show Altered Carbon left me with.

This is the story of a prostitute. Of the friend and co-worker she performed a funeral for after a client killed her. Of the friend who rose from her funeral no longer wholly dead and filled with a vigilante desire to get revenge on those who wronged her.

It's also filled with numerous beautiful quotes and biting commentary about the rich elite.

"But maybe that's how you get rich or at least how you stay rich: you ignore that smell, which is given off by everyone around you. If you're rich you can always buy something nicer to smell."

A light scifi, good for her novella for anyone who can appreciate a bit of prose.

[Hirondelle (not getting notifications) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fantasy or sf (I am leaning towards fantasy) novella about sex workers in a really dystopic universe and how one of them wants revenge, after her death and resurrections.

Eh, I reread most of the ending to make sure I was getting whatever there was to get, and I do not particularly get the point. It is beautifully written, colloquial stream of consciousness, the universe is really really dystopic, but I am not sure why Win got ressurrected, the whys, and the way Jewel, our PoV character reacts to it, makes me uncertain how how unusual that was supposed to be, or the ways. I think there is a point here about religion being a refuge, safe space for the persecuted, and among the many evils of the owners is not respecting religious spaces. But like I said, I truly did not "get" this story.

[Emmett · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5.

The cover and synopsis had me hooked for this one, but it wasn’t quite a match. While I was intrigued for the first 1/3 or so, my interest dropped off after that. I didn’t feel myself connecting with the characters or the story and the element of mystery remained… an element of mystery.

It is a unique, quick read- just one that I ended up not caring much about. I wanted more from the story and the writing style didn’t grip me as I wished it would.

Not for me, but others might love it! It is short enough to be worth a try for anyone thinking of picking it up.

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick, interesting read. I never connected with the characters and really wanted to see more of Winfield. I’m just not a fan of weak characters so I didn’t care for the MC, hence my desire to learn more about Win’s powers/story. The world building in novellas is always hard and this story did a fine job of that, especially the mix of tech and squalor and wealth. That was very clear and well done.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

[Nikita Afsar · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most unique and unusual book I've read, I'm not really sure what to rate this and how to review it just yet

[Kristenelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked this. Usually, I'm bored and annoyed with stories about prostitutes. This one won me over though. The prose is beautiful and I found the storytelling really engaging. I love the cover and feel it really does capture the tone of the story.

Sexual violence? Yeah, it is about dystopian prostitutes. So, yeah. Other content warnings? Murder, slavery.

[Peter Tillman]

Lots of mentions of how bleak this future is. I've noted before the tendency of award-voters to vote for the bleakest stories on the ballot! So, maybe, if the library gets a copy -- or if A GR friend makes a compelling case for it. Sue Burke voted for this on her Nebula ballot, and didn't mention bleak. So, maybe? Won the 2022 novella Nebula.

[Cozy Reading Times · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful first taste of an author's writing. I've been interested in reading Premee Mohames for some time and am glad that this was the first thing from them that I picked up.

A melancholic yet powerful tale about patriachy, capitalism, and resistance. Morally grey characters and lush writing make this novella a true experience. I can't wait to read more from this author.

[Gail (The Knight Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always in awe of books that do so much in a limited number of pages. Sure, anyone can tell a decent story in 200 + pages but can you do so with your page count drastically decreased?! This novella was my first encounter with the author’s work and it made me a fan. It was also my second novella from Neon Hemlock. All I can say is that for all those Tor fans out there, Neon Hemlock is your new favorite press 😏

‘And What Can We Offer You Tonight’ is a dystopian tale that gets into your bones. The story begins with a dead girl who is no longer dead. Jewel, a courtesan in a very upscale house, is trying to discern exactly why her friend is no longer dead and possibly what may have led to her demise. Was it murder? Does her friend remain undead for revenge? What do those in charge know and plan to do with the remaining girls in the house? What unfolds is a fast paced story that unmasks the tragic world Jewel lives in, where her life and the lives of her friends are basically meaningless and controlled by the rich. The story is hazy at points with many frayed edges, but it is one you will read again. Heck, this is my second reading already and it is more captivating this time around. It is definitely one you will be talking about days after the story ends.

Premee’s writing style will not be for everyone. She breaks the rules of writing and makes it challenging to follow the story at times, HOWEVER, I had the most fun with this. I love that Premee did not tell everything. If you are that reader that needs every part of the story clarified, this is not the novella for you. With a small number of pages at her disposal she creates a tight and unsettling story. She wrote a novella that leaves some of the work to the reader. As one who watches twisted movies where my brain has to fill in the gaps, I am all about these stories. You will read the book again and discover many other “Aha” moments. It is a strongly thematic story that creates a narrative that feels oftentimes surreal. It is book club material for sure!

Premee is an Indo-Caribbean author based in Canada. Her parents are both Guyanese so to my #ReadCaribbean folks out there, what are you waiting for?! Follow this author and let’s read all her books!

[2TReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a Premee fan. This is my 3rd read of hers, and I am just always intrigued by the aay she crafts her stories. She tends to write in a shorter form, and I think that works for her. It intensifies the story and how her readers engage with the themes and topics she explores.

In a futuristic yet dystopic world, where no surprise, wealth grants supreme power and immunity, a courtesan is granted her wish to punish the ones who used and broke her. The world surrounding our characters isn't fleshed out wholly in the narrative, but enough detail is given for the reader to be fine moving from place to place.

What is important is each character, although told from the perspective of Jewel, her connection to Win and Nero is sufficient for is to be able to understand their friendship and position in the House where they work. I could feel the disdain and contempt held for those who are sex workers, the power that the clients so carelessly world over them, as if they are no longer of value because credits have been exchanged to indulge in their bodies and other talents.

Mohamed does a great job of presenting a story that is quite familiar in tone and place, giving us a character who has through her death taken back her power, is seeking vengeance, and freedom for those like her, who are scorned and abused; to the narrator who although aware of where and what her station garners her, still wants some semblance of safety in the familiar, who understands the hierarchy of the world, but believes she has no influence to enact change.

A lot is done in so little a package.