bondolo reviewed Rosewater by Tade Thompson (The Wormwood Trilogy, #1)
Lush
3 stars
It felt like it took a turn and lost the thread. Or perhaps it was two different books.
Paperback, 432 pages
English language
Published Feb. 16, 2018 by Orbit.
Rosewater is a town on the edge. A community formed around the edges of a mysterious alien biodome, its residents comprise the hopeful, the hungry, and the helpless -- people eager for a glimpse inside the dome or a taste of its rumored healing powers.
Kaaro is a government agent with a criminal past. He has seen inside the biodome, and doesn't care to again -- but when something begins killing off others like himself, Kaaro must defy his masters to search for an answer, facing his dark history and coming to a realization about a horrifying future.
It felt like it took a turn and lost the thread. Or perhaps it was two different books.
I wanted to give this another try, but I just can’t deal with this male POV and its objectification of women. It could be intentional unlikability, but I can’t do it.
Set in Nigeria some time after the year 2060, this slightly dystopian science fiction book describes a future in which an alien entity (code named Wormwood) has landed on Earth and established itself in Nigeria, forming an impenetrable dome. It neither communicates nor makes any aggressive moves, but once a year the dome opens, and those in the immediate area are healed of injuries and disease, so an encampment forms around the perimeter which eventually turns into the city called Rosewater (ironically named because of the stink of the makeshift sewage).
One of the side effects of the alien's arrival is the development of Ascomycetes xenosphericus, a fungal organism that infects the environment and allows certain "sensitives" to use the omnipresence of the fungus to pick up thoughts from other people (it is blocked by antifungal compounds). Effectively this has created a group of specialized empaths of various sorts, and …
Set in Nigeria some time after the year 2060, this slightly dystopian science fiction book describes a future in which an alien entity (code named Wormwood) has landed on Earth and established itself in Nigeria, forming an impenetrable dome. It neither communicates nor makes any aggressive moves, but once a year the dome opens, and those in the immediate area are healed of injuries and disease, so an encampment forms around the perimeter which eventually turns into the city called Rosewater (ironically named because of the stink of the makeshift sewage).
One of the side effects of the alien's arrival is the development of Ascomycetes xenosphericus, a fungal organism that infects the environment and allows certain "sensitives" to use the omnipresence of the fungus to pick up thoughts from other people (it is blocked by antifungal compounds). Effectively this has created a group of specialized empaths of various sorts, and one of these is our protagonist Kaaro. We see the story unfold through his eyes, learning both the history of Rosewater and Wormwood, and a glimpse into what will be its future.
This is a book that uses mycology as a base element of worldbuilding and a very masculine narrator, so this would be a really interesting companion book to read along side Raising the Stones by Sherri Tepper, which also uses a mycological world infection, but is told from a very female perspective.
I liked the creativity in this world and the imaginative setting; however, I found Kaaro rather unlikeable and very hard to sympathize with, which is always a problem for me. I was also annoyed by the way the author jumps backwards and forwards in time with each chapter, so it's very disorienting and takes most of the book to piece together where each part of the story is happening and how they tie together - I don't mind a little bit of this, but back and forth every single chapter seemed excessive and became just annoying after a while. So this book is definitely not for everybody, but if you're into afro-futurism, mycology, or weird alien futures in general you may enjoy it.
It's the first of a trilogy, but comes to a reasonably satisfying conclusion although it's clear the door is open for a continuation of the story.
This was an incredibly engaging, interesting read from start to finish. I have been on a New Weird kick recently, and I think Rosewater has set the standard. Everything about this book's construction was spot on. The writing was accessible, but not bland. The characters all felt distinctly human. The aliens felt "appropriately" alien. The setting across real world African locations and fictional areas was interesting to follow. If I had only one critique, it was that the story was a bit touch and go, but with how engaging it was, I didn't mind at all.
From the pitch, I was expecting an African take on Roadside picnic or maybe Annihilation. While there are shades of this, much of the book is more reminiscent of Neuromancer, but where cyberspace is more biological in nature.
This book has everything though: Allen invasions, cybernetic implants, psychic powers, anarchist communes, buildings made of flesh etc. Yet it feels rooted in Nigerian culture and the psychological impact of these things on the characters that experienced them.
My main complaint is that the lead character seems obsessed with sex, which is briefly addressed, but ultimately seems more like an excuse to introduce sudden scenes of intercourse than an actual exploration of the nature or implications of it. The side effect of this is the objectification of almost every woman we encounter, which gets tiresome.
That said, I'm not averse to picking up the rest of the series at some point as …
From the pitch, I was expecting an African take on Roadside picnic or maybe Annihilation. While there are shades of this, much of the book is more reminiscent of Neuromancer, but where cyberspace is more biological in nature.
This book has everything though: Allen invasions, cybernetic implants, psychic powers, anarchist communes, buildings made of flesh etc. Yet it feels rooted in Nigerian culture and the psychological impact of these things on the characters that experienced them.
My main complaint is that the lead character seems obsessed with sex, which is briefly addressed, but ultimately seems more like an excuse to introduce sudden scenes of intercourse than an actual exploration of the nature or implications of it. The side effect of this is the objectification of almost every woman we encounter, which gets tiresome.
That said, I'm not averse to picking up the rest of the series at some point as there is still so many interesting things going on and it feels like this book just scratches the surface of what is happening.
How was this book so under the radar? It's a phenomenal piece of SF that fits into the ongoing sense of conversation within the genre. Weird alien incursions into the heart of Africa -- it's both Vandermeer and Gibson with a fresh feel due to the setting. Do yourself a favor and read this.
On the way to 5 stars. I'll probably move on to the second book, which is more than I do for most trilogies.
Different and fascinating alien invasion story.
Rosewater is a Nigerian town grown up around a mysterious alien dome. Kaaro is a sensitive who was there from the start, the dome sending out spores which give people like him a telepathic gift. No one knows what the aliens want, but once a year the dome opens briefly, healing anyone in the vicinity. As word gets out, more and more people make the pilgrimage to Rosewater.
The story is split between 2066 and Kaaro’s past. His gift meant he could always find people’s valuables and led to his life of crime as a thief. In 2066, he is a government agent, helping a mysterious organisation with interrogations, with a part time job at a bank being part of their firewall.
It took me a while to get into, it spends time world-building before the meaty plot starts, but the reward is worth it. I liked the Nigerian setting, …
Rosewater is a Nigerian town grown up around a mysterious alien dome. Kaaro is a sensitive who was there from the start, the dome sending out spores which give people like him a telepathic gift. No one knows what the aliens want, but once a year the dome opens briefly, healing anyone in the vicinity. As word gets out, more and more people make the pilgrimage to Rosewater.
The story is split between 2066 and Kaaro’s past. His gift meant he could always find people’s valuables and led to his life of crime as a thief. In 2066, he is a government agent, helping a mysterious organisation with interrogations, with a part time job at a bank being part of their firewall.
It took me a while to get into, it spends time world-building before the meaty plot starts, but the reward is worth it. I liked the Nigerian setting, it felt like a not-too-distant future with the country finding their place in the new world, one where Britain has shot itself in the foot with Brexit and America has isolated itself completely. It had a unique take on alien invasions, but you’ll just have to read it to find out exactly what.
The spores released by the dome allow sensitives like Kaaro to enter the xenosphere. Here they are exposed to the images inside the heads of people nearby, to protect themselves, they appear as an avatar. When they would like to switch off they use anti-fungal creams to dampen their skills. But sensitives are starting to get ill. Is someone targeting them and their work?
I’m super happy that this is the start of a trilogy, because Tade Thompson has really drawn me in and I want to know more. It does work as a standalone too, so you can read it without worrying about a lot of unanswered questions.