/lit/ - Literature

>>20289444
Bannerless, The Bannerless Saga #1 - Carrie Vaughn (2017)

This is the story of Enid as a child, teenager, and adult. The story alternates between them, though it's mostly the latter two. As a child she experiences a storm and reaches puberty. Her teenage years are a tale of infatuation and wandering. As an adult, she's an Investigator.

In the foreword Vaughn gives thanks to Paolo Bacigalupi, though it's much more hopeful and brighter than his works. The setting is post-Fall and there exists a collection of mostly agrarian communities called the Coast Road which are the lone known civilization in an otherwise Fallen world. Bartering is the basis of their economy. Their overriding ethos is one of moderation, cooperation, and restraint. The basic unit of society isn't the family, but rather the household, which is a privilege and not a right. Biological parents aren't necessarily more important than the other household parents. As long as you fulfill your obligations to your household, you're otherwise free to do as you want, or with whomever you want.

Dysfunctional and failed households are disbanded and their members are reallocated elsewhere. There aren't any prisons, members are instead shunned, relocated, or exiled. The goal of almost every household is to earn a Banner, which allows for a sanctioned pregnancy. After their first menses, women are injected with a birth control chip that can only be legally disabled after a Banner is earned. There seems to be a permissive culture regarding sex, however the worst possible crime is a Bannerless pregnancy. Those born from it suffer severe disapproval although they had no choice whether to be born as such.

The investigation is of a lesser crime, a potential murder, though the villagers are reluctant to cooperate as they believe that everything should be handled at the community level. That's a common sentiment and many communities would prefer to do without the regional government's meddling in their affairs. Investigators travel with an enforcer, who ensures their safety with their staff and tranquillizer patches. Sometimes they have access to a solar car. Hoard, Waste, and Surplus are some other wrongdoings.

I would've liked even more of an exploration of their society, similar to LeGuin. In an interview, Vaughn said, "I was influenced by LeGuin’s novel The Dispossessed". Walter M. Miller’s A Canticle For Leibowitz is also mentioned. Aside from that, my main complaint is this seems to have a identity crisis where it doesn't know if it wants to a be meandering slice-of-life, a social commentary, or a murder mystery. Since I don't think the latter holds up that well as one, I would've preferred more of a focus on either of the former. I preferred the investigatory approach taken in her prior short fiction work, "Bannerless". Overall, I think I enjoyed this Philip K. Dick Award winner somewhat more than the average reader would.

Rating: 4/5