Some Desperate Glory

This is a readers response (ongoing, while I read it), not a summary or a professional review for Emily Tesh's book Some Desperate Glory. It's a rough draft that I keep updating as I read the book. 

Emily Tesh:

Mostly Off Topic Introduction:

It's pride month, and a book club I've never gone to, I finally took the leap to join it, and they picked this book. Whether I even join, we will see, but this book has won awards, and seems to be of quality.

On page 18, I had the feeling that this is a direct response to Ender's Game. A wonderful novel until you read about the author's horrible views. One way to respond to a rancid artist's viewpoint is write a better novel than they wrote, and include the element that would irk them. Oh, you like that novel, well, here's a better one, with a better human being author. Better on both accounts. I don't know Emily Tesh, but she doesn't expose her rancid views. 

A note on canceling. There are so many options in the world. You pick your values and then avoid products that violate those values, to the best of your ability. Reading a book is a decision that might involve money, definitely time. I won't be watching the Harry Potter series because Rowling has doubled down on her trans hatred, which means she's heard everyone's ideas and she still wants to say what she wants to say. I read all the books, watched all the movies, but I'm done with her. And I don't think I'll be entertained by a retread of old stories I've already read and watched movies. I'm OK with you watching them, I'm not trying to persuade anyone to boycott the new show. I'm just not going to be watching it for multiple reasons, and the main one is Rowling's. I think underneath her point is that maybe sex is more important than gender, but I haven't seen her say that clearly. She seems to think transgender women take something away from her by being classified as women, and that is weird. Sex of origin seems relevant in the long sympathetic description of people, but honestly, punching down at vulnerable populations isn't cool in my book, othering people, demonizing them.

I don't cancel Paul Simon for using African and South American music and musicians. I feel like musical styles are open source, just like spirituality is, and for everyone. It's not the same appropriation as Evil Presley using black music and getting rich off it, without paying or recognizing the contribution. 

But I digress. Some Desperate Glory is about trying to save Earth, and it's militaristic. It's a hero's journey. A woman, and a lesbian at that. Doesn't bother me, makes me more curious. What can I learn about other's experience. I don't really think I learned anything about the lesbian experience in A Master of Djinn, but I also have no problem with the realism of representation. Honestly I find it weird we even have to reinforce women's equality of opportunity, and the freedom of sexuality. This novel feels in some ways like Divergent, Hunger Games, Murderbot All Systems Red, and Handmaid's Tale. 

Middle:

So many twists and turns. Then to the me the novel asks the question: What if you were a genetically engineered fighter, who leaves the war machine, after being chosen to crank out babies, and leave the resistance, and explore the universe. You've got no personality or people skills, development of the self, and now you're no longer asked to be a problem solving soldier, a killer, you've got to live a life on a complex other world after being raised to be in the military. There's going to be so much information and ambiguity, so many questions and not many answers. 

In a way, that's the dilemma the soldiers returning to civilian life are being asked, and there are high suicide rates because the adjustment is too much for some. Her name is Valkyrie. Courage and readiness of a warrior are primed, and she's got no mentor to train her in civilian life. I'm on p. 128 when I'm writing this paragraph and she hasn't been reunited with her brother and sister yet. 

In some ways we've all been trained poorly, in crucial ways. 

I suppose I would like a really important mission, her convictions are an importance need. She's been hyped up her whole life, fed a mythology and narrative she believes. 

Altering the timeline with the genocide in Gaza. Hamas exposed the desperate desire not to be bombed within their own country, as the bombs fall from outside the country. It's about survival. What could be done differently to prevent this? Of course USA withdrawing support and rebuking them would help, so that we're not complicit with the genocide. What could be changed to avoid the current regime? Lots of questions. 

Then she has memories of the other timeline, and memories of this timeline and then Cleo remembers too. Different timelines give different experiences, and simulation experiences, give different timeline experiences too. I think that's a brilliant connection, simulations aren't unreal, and there's a Rick and Morty where that happens too, Morty assumes it's consequenceless, but it's not. 

It feels complicated, and I'm just pushing to finish the novel. 

Finishing the book:

I'm reading about this horrible budget bill in the US, stealing from the poor for the rich, and I'm reading the ending of this novel where Valkrie is sort of fed up with trying to figure out how not to. 

Final Thoughts:

I read Cultish, and realized there's a neutral power in cults, and the cults of the past, maybe cult isn't such a bad word if it's used for good purposes. Like for me, I use devotion to whip up energy for meditation and study and fellowship and ethics. I use the cultic fervor for altruism. Humans need a cult of altruism, empathy, and compassion. Just because the famous cults that end in death or violent terrorism or shootouts, doesn't mean all power is wielded for evil ends. You can wield power for good, giving to others. 

I don't know about ancient cults, I don't think anyone alive does, but I've read some about Dionysus because there's a stage in mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati) where you're cultivating rapture. In Iranian poetry, they talk about drunk on wine, but I think it's mostly a spiritual feeling. In Buddhism you harness that rapture for your own spiritual ends, it doesn't hurt anyone. Getting more power in Buddhism is like the force is with you. Ignoring Ethics is the Sith path. Nobody wants to turn to the dark side, even if the freedom of lack of ethics can be intoxicating for some. We are currently going through a nihilistic phase in American politics, but it's going to rebound, as we see more people die. The evil empire gains power, but when it does, so does the resistance. 

The journey of Valkyrie in Some Desperate Glory is one of caring, compassion and empathy. It's a beautiful space opera.  

Links:

Interview by Elizabeth Tabler. "I worried I was getting too close to clanging Brexit allegory."

Interview: More about her latest work. 

Chicago Review of Books: "Some Desperate Glory is an immensely fun, compelling read, largely because of how well Tesh uses Kyr to frame the story, and how well Kyr works as a main character. One of the most striking things about her is that in many ways she’s not particularly likable; while the biggest plot-level arc is Kyr figuring out the truth about Gaea, the more significant arc is Kyr figuring out that everyone thinks she’s a jerk, and that they’re right. Extreme competence coupled with misguided moral certainty does not typically make for likable characters, and the way Some Desperate Glory is able to pit those qualities against Kyr’s personal growth and revelation—without wholly discarding them—is a quietly impressive move."

Emily Tesh on Bluesky

Golden State Valkyries. I listened to Wagner's opera too. Valkyrie on Wikipedia.