Review: 'Stations of the Tide' by Michael Swanwick
Pub. Date: 01/23/2024 (1991)
Publisher: Tor Books
Tor Essentials presents new editions of science fiction and fantasy titles of proven merit and lasting value, each volume introduced by an appropriate literary figure.
From author Michael Swanwick—one of the most brilliantly assured and darkly inventive writers of contemporary fiction—comes the Nebula award-winning masterwork of radically altered realities and world-shattering seductions.
The "Jubilee Tides" will drown the continents of the planet Miranda beneath the weight of her own oceans. But as the once-in-two-centuries cataclysm approaches, an even greater catastrophe threatens this dark and dangerous planet of tale-spinners, conjurers, and shapechangers. A man from the Bureau of Proscribed Technologies has been sent to investigate. For Gregorian has come, a genius renegade scientist and charismatic bush wizard. With magic and forbidden technology, he plans to remake the rotting dying world in his own evil image-and to force whom or whatever remains on its diminishing surface toward a terrifying, astonishing confrontation with death and transcendence.
This novel of surreal hard SF was widely compared to the fiction of Gene Wolfe when it was first published, and Swanwick has gone on in the two decades since its first publication to become recognized as one of the finest living SF and fantasy writers.
With a new introduction by John Clute, author of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy
A while back I first read City of Bones by Martha Wells, a fantasy book from the '90s, now rereleased. As someone who adores Fantasy and Sci-Fi, and especially as someone who tells themselves that they know quite a bit about the genres, I was amazed at the new worlds and inventiveness that had already been brought to this genre and, which still felt incredibly fresh and new. In the case of Stations of the Tide it was especially the freedom of the narrative, of the way in which Swanwick takes the reader by the hand and simply drags them through his world, which amazed me. Swanwick never overexplains, and for some readers he might not give enough information, but I enjoyed the confidence he placed in me by assuming I would follow. Also, Swanwick seems to be the kind of author who knows when to tell you something, so if he doesn't want you to know something, you won't know it. Not because he is tricking you or trying to trip you up, but because he wants to take you on a particular journey with moments and milestones he has planned for you. It is incredibly rewarding to follow Swanwick on this journey as you explore the marshes of Miranda, discover new technology, and experience the thunder of the Jubilee Tides.
The bureaucrat, never known by any name, arrives on Miranda, hoping to settle this issue with stolen technology ASAP so he can get out before the Jubilee Tides come in and cover the planet under the Ocean for the coming century. But the bureaucrat isn't entirely prepared for what he is about to face. Miranda is rife with beliefs, superstitions, traditions, and secrets, none of which he is clued in on. Supported by his trusty suitcase, which can create the things he needs for him, and an on-planet partner, Chu, the bureaucrat begins tracing the footsteps of Gregorian. Gregorian promises eternal life and transformation to his followers, but whether he is really a magician or just a conman is unclear. So begins the bureaucrat's race against time, but it is really the reader who is in for the wildest journey. If you pare it all the way down, Stations of the Tide is a mystery story in space. The bureaucrat has a mission, finding Gregorian, and everything he does is technically in the service of that. And yet, it is also a story which engages with questions about control, power, who gets access to what, love, nature, and more. Like the bureaucrat, we sometimes lose sight of the mission, but Swanwick will confidently guide you back to the main trail, when necessary. I will say that because of this you are not necessarily invested in any of the characters themselves. The bureaucrat purposefully doesn't have a name, I think, as we never really know him enough. As the reader you'll be fascinated by him, you'll be intrigued, but you're not empathizing, per se. Similarly, the characters around him are all so intriging and so individual, and yet almost function like masks or figures which appear and then disappear almost like in a dream.
As I said above, I really enjoyed Michael Swanwick's writing. His descriptions of Miranda are brilliant, at once giving you a clear picture and yet also transmitting a certain kind of ambience. What got me most, however, was the way he seamlessly switches between describing flora and fauna, the grounded reality of the lives lived on Miranda, to the high-abstract technology and concept of the non-planetary lives. The bureaucrat can visit oracles, for example, or can seemingly project his consciousness into agents or surrogates elsewhere, and he has a suitcase that seems intelligent. Swanwick fills his story world with all kinds of fascinating details which give the world a lot of depth. There is a game of "Suicide", for example, which is never fully explained and which still manages to tell you a lot about the characters. As the reader, you're entering this story world unprepared and once the novel ends, you'll have learned a lot, without necessarily understanding everything, or anything. This might not work for all, but it is a thrilling experience. It is also worth mentioning that Stations of the Tide is rather explicit when it comes to sex and sexuality, which never bothered me but may surprise some readers.
I give this novel...
4 Universes!
Stations of the Tide is a thrilling Science Fiction novel which feels like a free fall, but is incredibly well-structured. Swanwick will have you following him down each and every path he chooses, taking in the sights and being astounded.
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