In 2017, I picked up and thoroughly enjoyed Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty, so it was an easy decision to choose Station Eternity for my next science fiction book. It seems Lafferty has once again put together a scifi whodunnit that will keep readers guessing, set in a future where humans have made contact with other intelligent life forms and are still figuring out how we will all coexist in the same universe.
The Situation: Murder has followed Mallory around all her life, and she has often known or been close to the victims. There was her teacher, her guidance counselor, even her uncle and her own mother. And at a certain point, Mallory discovered she has an incredible talent for solving the cases. Authorities are not too fond of having someone they do not trust and are highly suspicious of be the one to be able to solve the crimes. And while Mallory's bizarre history has given her a pretty great career as a mystery writer, it has made for an otherwise anxious and lonely existence. So it is not surprising she sought asylum on Station Eternity, where only two other humans live.
The Problem: As soon as news hits the Station Eternity has agreed to allow more humans on board, Mallory knows there will be trouble. Even if those humans are little more than tourists, Mallory knows that chances are high someone will die simply because of their proximity to her. When the chaos begins before the shuttle from Earth has even docked properly, Mallory has to choose between running away again, or sticking around and doing what she does best. Aboard the shuttle is a motley crew of people, all with their own reasons for braving space travel to visit Station Eternity. While most everyone has something to hide, some in this particular group hold information that could cause more death. If Mallory does not figure out what is going on, that past will repeat itself on a scale she has yet witnessed.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel set in the not-so-distant future of somewhere in the middle of the 21st century. Humanity has made first contact with alien life, but it is still early enough where the wrinkles have not been ironed out. The U.S. government has gone so far as to send an ambassador to live aboard Station Eternity, a sentient space station where several alien species all live together in relative harmony. If the ambassador does their job, human beings could be invited to join. This is where Mallory Viridian has sought asylum from her chaotic history, while hoping it does not simply follow her. Unfortunately, even a sophisticated and sentient space station is subject to volatile politics, prejudice among species, and beings acting with hidden motives.
My Verdict: Readers were promised an intergalactic whodunnit, and Lafferty certainly delivered. The story opens with Mallory doing her best to exist as only one of three humans on Station Eternity, while dealing with the news that her worst nightmare has come true, and more humans will be coming. Where the story begins to veer into the absurd (and not necessarily in a bad way) is when these other humans arrive, and the reader begins to learn more about them. It would be wild enough to follow one human being, who seems to have death follow her everywhere she goes, around a space station with other alien species. The introduction of the other humans quickly makes the story messy, a little hard to follow, and somehow, also less interesting. The book is subtitled The Midsolar Murders #1, which would indicate there are more to come. Maybe the next mystery will be cleaner and more streamlined.
Favorite Moment: The ambassador, Adrian, is not the worst person ever, but he is annoying, and clearly does not like Mallory. He eventually takes a massive risk, but the consequences are beyond his human abilities.
Favorite Character: Everyone on this station can be hard to deal with (including the station herself), but I will pick Xan. He has been placed in a wide array of unfortunate circumstances, but he does his best to face the situations head on, while also helping others.
Recommended Reading: Lovers of murder mysteries that bend more towards science fiction may enjoy Six Wakes, as well as Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
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