Fresh off our best of the year list, let’s talk a bit more about Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Shroud. A standalone survival horror science fiction story from the master biomancer himself, this book did not disappoint on any front. It’s all about learning to perceive reality in new and interesting ways. Also, it’s anti-capitalist, spooky as all hell, and generally a lot of fun.
Shroud is a nightmare incarnate. A moon nestled in the far end of unexplored space, it is perpetually dark, under enough pressure to crush anything that sets foot on its surface, and it’s a communication black box. It could only be described as an absolute disaster to end up physically on the moon for any reason. So, unsurprisingly, that is precisely where our protagonists end up after her science vessel tragically explodes, forcing her to make an unexpected visit. Forced to stage an emergency landing in a small, barely adequate vehicle, Juna Ceelander and Mai Ste Etienne are unable to contact their ship and are running out of time. What follows is a gruelling journey across land, sea, and air over hostile terrain filled with unknown lifeforms. During this time, Juna and Mai begin to understand Shroud’s dominant species. It also begins to understand them.
Shroud reminds me of one of my absolute favorite pieces of fiction by Tchaikovsky, Elder Race, as it is a story told from two very different perspectives. First, we have our two scientists who are mostly trying to survive and make heads or tails of this terrifying moon. And then we have the native Shroud biologicals, who have evolved very unique sensory methods given their environment. The story is one of two species with very different ways they move through the world, trying to find common ground, and the alternative POVs serve the story fabulously in that regard.
The book is a deeply anticapitalist rant in a very cathartic way. The inciting event that leaves our scientists trapped on Shroud is the result of comically evil, but very believable, choices from capitalist corporations. Once the Shoudians are introduced into the equation, many of the barriers to understanding stem from the aliens’ inability to comprehend the motives behind human actions. Having capitalist thinking dissected by alien entities lays the foundation for some clever and cutting commentary on how capitalism sucks, and it was an element of the story I greatly enjoyed.
Tchaikovsky also pulled in many nice horror elements to Shroud. The crash landing on the moon was particularly delicious, and the entire journey across the surface has a palatable sense of atmosphere that crushes the reader’s spirit in an engrossing way. The brilliant addition to this is the juxtaposition across the POVs as we see that what is a horrifying nightmare to one is often trivial to another. Tchaikovsky manages to play with the idea of perspective in this way without pulling away from the tension in the story. Just because we can see that something isn’t dangerous to the Shroudians doesn’t lessen the stakes for our human leads.
The book is well-paced, covers a ton of ground, and has a hard-hitting ending that leaves you reeling. All in all, Shroud was a delightful story that reads like a brilliant iteration of some of Tchaikovsky’s best previous ideas. I had a wonderful time despite being stressed at all times, and I highly encourage you to take a scenic detour to the exotic and horrifying vistas of Shroud.
Rating: Shroud – 9.5/10
-Andrew
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