Book Review: Inversion

 

Image: the cover of the book is an illustration of a circular multicolor background surrounding a sphere in the center with a dark border. Inside the sphere is a lush landscape with a waterfall, trees, a blue sky, and a bird flying across the horizon. Outside of the circle is a large hand reaching over top. Across the top in Orange letters is the author's name and below that inversion is in blue letters. Below that in small white letters is the quote Aric McBay's inversion is a masterpiece of utopian resistance by Octavia Cade. And the lower right corner in Orange letters is blacked on series with the symbol of an a inside two circles.

Inversion took me way longer than it should have to get through and review, but not for the usual reasons. You should know that it is indeed impossible to wash, sanitize, and dry a paperback ARC after dropping it in a flushed hospital toilet. I guess I was driven enough to finish it that I tried not to just throw it away. Eventually, I found a way to make a pdf slightly readable on my ereader and started over from the beginning despite being halfway through. I'm glad I did, as I realized how much I had missed in the spaced out world of stress I started it in.

Sometimes when nonfiction writers try their hand at fiction, it's just bad. I often go in expecting this so I can be surprised if I'm wrong. Aric Mcbay's book was indeed a pleasant surprise. I found it to be well written and structured and to fulfill the goals of AK Press' Black Dawn series well. 

The book involves a clash of cultures and authoritarianism across multiple universes, being representative of both utopian imaginings and the realities of colonialist and fascist rule. While I can't say for sure without asking the author, I saw a lot of Ursula K Leguin influence in this book. This is entirely unsurprising for an anarchist author, but far left anti-authoritarianism isn't my main reasoning for the comparison. There is this way that Leguin, and more recently writers like NK Jemisin with the Broken Earth trilogy, straddle the blurred borders between fantasy and sci-fi that invokes a specific feeling that I struggle to explain. I often avoid fantasy books because they're so often about an old timey kingdom with a few impossible humanoids and dragons or whatever. I tend to lean into science fiction because my brain is more able to fall into a world that feels more possible and I am more attracted to things that seem to be from the present or future rather than the past for whatever reason. There are some authors that draw me into stories outside of my usual preferences and this book did well with that. We have the more stereotypical sci-fi elements of multiverse travel, nonlinear time lapses, and advanced technology mixed with that of fantastic reincarnation and birth, low/no-tech nature dwelling peoples, and old school conquerors. 

The book is centered on the points of view of two characters, one from each side of a violent invasion, but both of whom come from a place outside of the authoritarian regime seeking to occupy and claim territory. The location being attacked and colonized is also home to several separate cultures who are different in many ways but who coexist cooperatively. I especially liked this touch because often in these stories you have two sides generally, the invaders and the indigenous. This book has multiple groups on both sides. And anyone who's ever sat through a long anarchist meeting will relate to some of the ways they work things out together. It also shows that the idea of "utopia" is not really a one dimensional perfect goodness, but a continued effort by all parties to sustain a collective and cooperative society which unfortunately sometimes involves figuring out what to do when you are attacked by a group that shares none of your values.

I think the book could have handled the inclusion of other animals better. I'm always surprised when a book written by an eco-leftist type that includes an indigenous or other group immersed in a more earth centered life uses everyone else on the planet as a sort if story prop or occasional meal. The obvious symbolism of the buffalo is overshadowed by seeing other animals as less-than, especially when our two protagonists have a discussion about procreation. The various human cultures though were interesting and well explored. 

I'm going to keep it vague so as not to spoil anything. McBay definitely shows us that he's able to tackle both nonfiction and fiction writing with this book. I appreciate AK's effort with this series to expose readers to bigger, better worlds in science fiction.

This was also posted to my goodreads.