Customer Reviews

Nekropolis

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Most if not all of what has already been written about this book is true, so I will not even attempt to reiterate all of it. I will simply add one commentary for those not familiar with Maureen McHugh's work. While Ms. McHugh is an excellent writer with distinctive and elegant prose, and while exciting things do happen to characters in her books, her books are virtually entirely character centered rather than plot centered. Frequently the "action" part of the plot will be ignored in favor of following what is more personally important to the character being followed. This is particularly evident in her endings, which can be confusing to those of us used to plot-driven novels. Her novels end (and Nekropolis is no exception) at the point where the character makes a fundamental change, rather than at any given point of plot. In China Mountain Zhang, the book ends just when the most interesting plot parts would be starting. Here, the book goes on for a while after a plot driven book would have stopped, and then ends when the main character gets a hair cut - an insignificant point of plot, but a very significant step of assimilation for our protagonist. This isn't a fault in the books particularly, just something to be aware of if you haven't read her stuff before.

In a future Morocco, slavery is legal, an institution deeply ingrained into the fiber of society. Slaves are jessed, given mind-altering drugs that make them loyal and eager to please their master. Hariba, born into poverty in the NEKROPOLIS, actually lived with her family in adjoining crypts until her brother was caught in the sin of adultery. He was flogged and sentenced to thirteen years in prison.

Hariba fearing any deep emotion sold herself into slavery and was jessed to her new master Mbarek. She becomes a housekeeper in his home where she meets the biological construct Akhmim. Despite herself, and knowing any relationship between them is illegal, she falls for him. When she is resold, she runs away from her new masters, taking Akhmim with her. Unless they can find a way to be smuggled into a country where slavery is illegal, even for Chimeras like Akhmim, the two risk capture and death at the hands of the authorities.

Maureen F. McHugh has written a literary science fiction novel that will be enjoyed by fans of Ursula LeGuin. The story line is riveting, but what makes this work so very special is the way slavery is accepted by both slave and master alike. The subcultures of the biological constructs raise interesting social and ethical issues, especially what constitutes humanity. This is a novel that makes readers think and ponder their own values system. Ms. McHugh is going to be a giant in the science fiction genre.

Harriet Klausner

_Nekropolis_ is an excellent novel. It's about a young woman in near future Morocco, Hariba, who becomes "jessed": her brain chemistry is altered to make her more loyal to a given person -- and she is "sold" as a house servant to a rich man to whom her loyalty is transferred. There she meets a "harni", or "chimera" (the term "harni" turns out to refer to chimeras with a specific function, and to have a derogatory aspect, but Hariba doesn't know this), named Akhmim. "Harnis" are genetically engineered humans, who have been bred to be loyal and compliant to their masters. In a sense, then, they are bred to be "jessed". After some resentment of the harni, Hariba falls in love. After that she is sold to a new, poorer, owner, and her desperation at losing Akhmim leads her to run away, which in turn makes her very ill, a side effect of resistant the compulsions of her "jessing".

The story is told from four POV's, serially, beginning with Hariba, then Akhmim, then Hariba's mother, then Hariba's best friend, then returning to Hariba. The plot follows the consequences of Hariba's running away, and of Akhmim feeling compelled to join her in this escape. Eventually they must try to leave Morocco altogether. But the plot is not the point of the book -- rather, McHugh is mainly showing us the characters of Hariba and her mother and friend, who are all from the slum area of Fez called the Nekropolis, and how their lives, and those of their families, have been constrained by poverty; and then, even more importantly, the character of Akhmim, and the ways in which he is and is not human, and how that affects his relationship with Hariba. It is at times a very sad novel, yet also quite full of hope -- the future Morocco portrayed is not a particularly wonderful place, but the future Europe portrayed seems quite nice, really. The characters are beautifully realized, and always people we believe in, and want to know better. This is definitely one of the best SF books of 2001 - probably really a 4.5 star book.

Nekropolis is an excellent novel though painful to read. The story of two misfits wanting to belong is made more powerful by McHugh's minimal prose; the sad emptiness of Hariba and Akhmim resonating in the author's sparse language.

Hariba tries to escape her lonely life through "jessing," a chemical alteration of a servant's mind that enhances loyalty to the person they are sold to. She hopes the artificial loyalty will satisfy her needs of acceptance and belonging, but finds it isn't enough.

"I learned the sad fact that I couldn't give my life away, that anywhere I went, there I was."

Instead, her loneliness lurks under her manufactured happiness, drawing the attention of the harni , Akhmim. The Harni are an artificial intelligence designed to satisfy the needs of humans. Akhmim can't help but respond to Hariba's sadness and in doing so, is impressed upon her. Being able to sense all her unspoken needs, he creates in himself the ideal lover. Beneath his programmed love for her lies his longing for the completion and comfort of others like him, only with other harni does he feel true happiness. These lives of artificial loyalty and love left me feeling empty, unsatisfied and extremely sad. But that is the wonder of Maureen McHugh's books. She creates beauty from despair. Her stark and penetrating prose pierces the reader's bubble of self satisfied comfort and makes them wonder if they are truly happy. Nekropolis is a story you can never forget.

Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before somebody had to go and write a "deeply moving" love story featuring a human and an AI, while throwing in for good measure the "tough-break" story of a woman's (in general?) lot in life in the world of Islam.

In general, the novel presents a parable of one woman's "jessing" to her master (man in general?) and her struggle to be released from it (the control of her master) in order to "follow her heart " (even if her heart belongs to a life-like AI human replica).

But I am being ungracious here.

Ms. McHugh is obviously a very talented writer: her sparse but incisive prose makes for enjoyable reading even when the plot-line threatens to become hackneyed or the overall symbolism cloying.

Having lived for some time in Egypt, I can sympathize with the humanistic (and gender) issues addressed in this volume. Even so, since I do find these issues of considerable importance, I would prefer to read about them in a more empirical format.

Looking at the author's intentions rather than my own personal preferences, however, it is clear that the social issues raised in this volume are well worth thinking about and are seamlessly incorporated into the story.

As for the issue of love, the novel displays a certain shift from earlier works concerning AI and emotion: rather than focussing on the AI as such, the work concentrates upon the secondary effects of an emotional mismatch as it comes to bear on the human person. The descriptions of the main protagonist's emotional situation are extremely effective, and seemed in places reminiscent of the brilliant prose of Naguib Mafouz.

All in all, a very well-written book.

You may not like the story, or simply have reservations about it, but, unlike many Science Fiction works, this one has substance.

"Nekropolis" is a short but moving book set in a future Morrocco governed by a repressive neo-Islamic order. However, the exotic location is almost (but not quite) beside the point, since the true focus of the book is on questions of love, choice, and the divergent natures and needs of the lovers.

The two main protagonists, Hariba and Akhmim, are unlikely pair, since neither one is truly free to love without compulsion. Hariba is a "jessed" servant in a rich man's house. The "jessing" is a psychosurgical procedure that fixes her loyalty on her master. If she leaves, she will sicken and die. Akhmim is a genetically engineered being, a "harni," designed to be the ultimate lover, but unable to be truly happy separated from his own kind. His nature dictates that he will bond irrevocably to a single person and will, if neccesary, sacrifice his own needs and desires for that person's happiness. Hariba's naive love for Akhmim prompts her to leave her master when they are separated, and, because he has bonded to her, Akhmim's love compells him to follow when she runs away. But their new-found freedom cannot give them happiness, and therein lies the sadness of the book.

Much of the action takes place in the characters' psyches, and the narrative focus switches from chapter to chapter between Hariba, Akhmim, and other important figures in Hariba's life. The alternating perpsecives can be disconcerting at first, but they widen the angle of the lens focused on the lovers. This is not the book to read if you're in the mood for space opera or other plot-driven genres of SF. But if you're interested in a more philosophic look at the nature of love then McHugh's novel is a rewarding read.

I've been a fan of McHugh's since her first novel, "China Mountain Zhang," but have felt as though she hadn't written the book I've been wanting her to write. Well, with "Nekropolis" she has delivered that book. This is an engaging, extremely well-written view of the future, from a perspective that most science fiction writers simply don't give us -- the perspective from the 'have-nots' in a more technologically sophisticated time. She explores issues of class, gender, sexuality and power in an emotionally accessible, even compelling, fashion. There is not a trace of didacticism in this book, yet it is an extremely serious look at important sociological issues. For fans of LeGuin, Russ, Tepper, I would immediately and highly recommend this novel.

This is the first book I read from this superb author. Not only is the story beautifully crafted, the situations keep you connected and tense until the end. The book is constructed in five chapters, each narrated in first person by one of the main characters. I will not bore the reader explaining what the story is about (read the other previous reviews), but I will say that the author has found a very unusual, touching and profoundly unsettling way to approach delicate issues, such as prejudice, fear of rejection, genetic engineering of beings and its consequences, social stigma, sex and love among different sub-cultures. It's magnificent in every way, the proof that a good sci-fi book doesn't need a huge amount of complicated paraphernalia to be interesting and powerful, or to keep the reader involved. As a matter of fact, it would be extremelly limiting to classify it as a "sci-fi" book; instead, let me just say it is an incredibly well crafted book, by an undeniably gifted author. A must read for book lovers.

Maureen McHugh has written some of the best short stories of the 21st century. The first chapter of this book, Nekropolis, was first published as a short story, and you should also look out for "The Cost to Be Wise," which you can read in Gardner Dozois's collection The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction.

In my opinion, her previous efforts to expand stories into novels haven't always worked. But in Nekropolis there are enough strong, powerful characters that McHugh can advance the plot while also exploring radically different points of view. As others have written, the story concerns a poor woman who must agree to a form of indenture in order to make a living as a housekeeper. The twist is that her contract is enforced by making her love her employers. This device echoes the poignant truth that bonds of affection form even between people who oppress each other. In this respect, McHugh's Nekropolis explores some of the same ground as Octavia Butler's novel Kindred. While the Butler is in some ways more powerful, Nekropolis is more subtle and more beautifully written. It's a haunting book that will make you think differently about why you joke with your boss--or with your employees, if you're the boss.

With the same gritty reality Mission Child and China Mountain, Nekropolis lets the reader experience life as a believable person in a future world gone wrong. In clean and vivid first person narration, we hear of the courage and compassion of seemingly ordinary people as they struggle with the bizarre cirumstances of their lives.