James Nicoll Reviews

S. B. Divya’s 2023 Meru is a stand-alone science fiction novel whose publication date I only just noticed. ARCs (Advanced Review Copies) — the perks of being a reviewer.

The Constructed Democracy of Sol provides stratified equality to all in accordance with their capacity, with constructs and human-derived cyborgs (Alloys) at the top and bumbling humans somewhat lower down the scale. For the last five centuries, humans have been assisted by their superior cousins to embrace appropriate roles — Earth-bound, limited in numbers, and unambitious — but now a new discovery may change that.

Exo-planets are hardly rare but until now, all of the known worlds have been such that a baseline human would perish without significant technological assistance. Meru may be an exception, a world where humans could survive, even prosper. Should they be allowed to do so? Human history suggests not.

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S. B. Divya’s 2021 Machinehood is an upcoming near-future thriller. Yeah, it’s not due out until spring 2021, but who can say if any of us will be around then? Also, I have the author’s permission to review the book immediately. 

Welga Ramirez, former American special forces agent turned bodyguard, faces mid-life retirement. At thirty-five, she is getting too old to appeal to her established online audience; a well-filled social media tip jar is a vital component of any gig-based occupation. It’s vital she find some new, age-appropriate niche. Her plan is to become an online cooking maven. Fate has another career in mind: counter-terrorism.

Protestors attacking the Funders (the wealthy who finance pharmaceutical research) obey certain rules. They commit flashy, news-friendly attacks resulting in minor wounds but not media-unfriendly deaths. This grabs attention without alienating potential supporters. Slaughter followed by suicide is considered a losing game. 

The previously unknown group calling itself Machinehood appears not to have read the memo. In fact, Machinehood appears determined to kick the board over entirely. How rude! Welga barely survives the first Machinehood attack. Her client is not so lucky. 

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S. B. Divya’s 2019 Contingency Plans for the Apocalypse And Other Possible Situations is a single-author collection of short science fiction and fantasy works. It includes the Nebula Award nominee ​“Runtime.”

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