Science Fiction: The Deep by Rivers Solomon

Today's selection is one of those books that was seemingly everywhere when it first came out. It was on every recommendation list, and so many readers were talking about it. So here I am, caving in to the pressure to read The Deep by Rivers Solomon, with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes. If anything, it promised to be interesting and though-provoking.

The Situation: In the depths of the ocean exists beings that were created out of a terrible event in history, but have emerged as a strange, strong, and beautiful new thing. The wajinru, descendants of pregnant slaves who were thrown overboard during the journey back to the new world, may have their own memories and history, but they also carry the memory and history of the humans, or "two-legs," that they came from. Instead of each of the wajinru being taught that history, an appointed historian holds them inside themselves, almost as living things, sharing them with the entire population only once a year at the Remembrance. For the last 20 years, that historian has been Yetu, and she has held the position since she was 14. But as the next Remembrance approaches, Yetu is not sure if she will survive the task she has been trusted with.

The Problem: Yetu is tired, worn, and hurting. The memories she must collect and carry on behalf of her people are wearing her down and tearing her apart. It is becoming harder and harder for her to not become lost in a new memory, even when it brings her into harm's way. Even though she knows the survival of her people depends on that history, because without it they would not know who they are or where they came from, Yetu is having a hard time holding onto her sense of duty, instead becoming resentful that she should be the one to carry the burden of these painful memories. It is in the middle of a Remembrance that Yetu cannot bear the thought of continuing in her task, so she leaves her people abruptly, and to extreme vulnerability. She does not know where she will go or what she will find, but she is determined to discover who she is apart from what she has been sacrificing for the wajinru.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a novella that I have placed under the science fiction label, but has more often been labeled as fantasy. It reimagines a future for the unborn children of slave women who were thrown overboard during their transatlantic journey. Instead of being doomed to a watery death, they are born knowing how to breathe underwater, allowing for the creation of a species that can exist in the depths of the ocean. The primary difference between the wajinru and human beings is that the former live underwater. However, the wajinru also handle memory differently than we do, opting to appoint a historian to hold the entire history of their people, while everyone else lives memory free, except for the once a year ceremony in which everyone shares the memories, only to give them back before continuing on with their lives. Here, the historian is Yetu, and while she has successfully held the job for 20 years, she is not sure she can go on, and makes a break for the surface, where a different lesson awaits her. The Deep is a story inspired by a song from the band clipping., and brought to life on the page by Solomon. It explores ideas of identity, memory, and responsibility, and asks the question of whether painful memories should be held onto, even if they helped shape us and make us who we are.

My Verdict: Although it is extremely short, there is a lot to unpack in this story. The wajinru have appointed one person to remember the entirety of their painful past, so that no one else has to. They acknowledge that the memories must be kept, otherwise they lose their identity, but they also recognize that those memories hurt. Is it selfish to not want to bear a painful but essential memory? Or is Yetu selfish for not wanting to be the one who has to bear the burden? (For me it was kind of like the ever-present question of whether every black person should watch and/or read Roots at least once in their life.) While the story certainly sparks discussion around these ideas, it is also an imaginative tale containing mermaid-like creatures born from the tragedy that was the slave trade. On the pages of this novella, and entirely new species has been created with its own customs, traditions, practices, and of course, history. Being as short as it is, The Deep is certainly worth checking out for readers of fantasy, science fiction, and also history.

Favorite Moment: When the first wajinru are attempting to locate more of their kind, and receive unlikely assistance from a giant whale.

Favorite Character: Oori is gruff and not at all friendly, but given what she has been through, it makes sense for her to be that way. She unwittingly teaches Yetu about herself and her role among the wajinru.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Children of Blood and Bone, as well as the second book in the series, Children of Virtue and Vengeance, by Tomi Adeyemi.