"The Effluent Engine," by N. K. Jemisin
Mar. 15th, 2019 11:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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fffridayIn a steampunk alternate universe, Jessaline, an agent for a free Haiti, arrives in New Orleans in order to secure a scientist to help Haiti with the development of rum effluent as an alternate energy source. While her original query turns her down, his just-as-smart-if-not-smarter sister, Eugenie, may be just what Jessaline needs. In more ways than one. But first, they have to dodge a group of white supremacists trying to sabotage Jessaline's mission.
Jemisin's writing is excellent as always, and I liked Jessaline a lot. The plot was as developed as it needed to be for a short story, and Jemisin's clear knowledge of history and eye for detail added an extra edge of depth and verisimilitude. The villains were what they were. You can't make white supremacists particularly nuanced, even in real life.
I enjoyed the romance for most of the story. The two women had a spark and ability to talk to one another. There was no pretense of instalove. They had just met and didn't aspire to anything but a 'maybe.' And then, there was a note at the very end which significantly soured it for me.
Right at the end, when Jessaline, Eugenie, and her brother are all setting off for Haiti, Eugenie states, casual as you please, that since a woman scientist can earn a living in Haiti, she'll be taking care of Jessaline now, and Jessaline is going to retire from her spy gig. Now, I recognize this may be a case of "I am the wrong audience." Far more eloquent and knowledgeable people than me have spoken at length about the need to show Black women being allowed to be vulnerable and taken care of. But here, Jessaline (who is our narrator) had shown no previous interest in retiring, and being a spy for Haiti clearly meant a lot to her. So for me, it read like Eugenie's (textually established) ignorance and privilege overriding Jessaline's wishes. It's better than if the same sentiment had come from a man, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I think I would have been okay with it, had the story showed an indication that Jessaline was tired and actually wanted to slow down, or at least have a safe harbor between missions.
Jemisin's writing is excellent as always, and I liked Jessaline a lot. The plot was as developed as it needed to be for a short story, and Jemisin's clear knowledge of history and eye for detail added an extra edge of depth and verisimilitude. The villains were what they were. You can't make white supremacists particularly nuanced, even in real life.
I enjoyed the romance for most of the story. The two women had a spark and ability to talk to one another. There was no pretense of instalove. They had just met and didn't aspire to anything but a 'maybe.' And then, there was a note at the very end which significantly soured it for me.
Right at the end, when Jessaline, Eugenie, and her brother are all setting off for Haiti, Eugenie states, casual as you please, that since a woman scientist can earn a living in Haiti, she'll be taking care of Jessaline now, and Jessaline is going to retire from her spy gig. Now, I recognize this may be a case of "I am the wrong audience." Far more eloquent and knowledgeable people than me have spoken at length about the need to show Black women being allowed to be vulnerable and taken care of. But here, Jessaline (who is our narrator) had shown no previous interest in retiring, and being a spy for Haiti clearly meant a lot to her. So for me, it read like Eugenie's (textually established) ignorance and privilege overriding Jessaline's wishes. It's better than if the same sentiment had come from a man, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I think I would have been okay with it, had the story showed an indication that Jessaline was tired and actually wanted to slow down, or at least have a safe harbor between missions.
