A Desolation Called Peace
by Arkady Martine
A second brilliant novel, following the wonderful A Memory Called Empire and, like its predecessor, a Hugo winner. Three Seagrass is now a senior functionary in the Ministry of Information when a request arrives from The Fleet for a special diplomat to help cope with a frightening alien incursion. Bored, Three Seagrass appoints herself, and sets off to pick up the barbarian diplomat Mahit Dzmare, whom she had served as cultural liaison, en route. The problem is that the aliens appear to have no interest in talking to humans, and seem not to comprehend that “talking” is a thing. Meanwhile, the fleet’s internal politics are simmering.
Absolutely wonderful.