North Continent Ribbon

by

Paperback, 172 pages

English language

Published Aug. 20, 2024 by Neon Hemlock Press.

ISBN:
978-1-952086-84-7
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5 stars (1 review)

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.

1 edition

reviewed North Continent Ribbon by Ursula Whitcher

North Continent Ribbon

5 stars

This novella is a sequence of character-driven science fiction short stories all set around the same planet. Unlike something like How High We Go in the Dark which has interconnecting characters, North Continent Ribbon's story cycle takes place over longer periods of time. It slowly layers its worldbuilding with each story, along with themes of machine intelligence, unions, responsibility, and promises.

I had a lot of fun with these stories. I love the idea of promises and commitment in this world being explicit physical ribbons that are worn (and hidden) in hair; how much more binding promises feel in a world where they are physical objects; also, the vulnerability and privacy around sharing promises with others.

Subjects

  • Fiction, science fiction, general
  • Fiction, lgbtq+, gay