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The Archronology of Love
Dr. Saki Jones arrives at the colony planet New Mars to find that a mysterious plague has destroyed everyone who lived there—including her lifelove, M.J. To find out what happened, Saki must dig through layers of time, slowly revealing the past. The result is a bittersweet story of aliens and human exploration; mystery and memory; and, of course, love.
88 pages, Paperback
Published March 24, 2020
283 people want to read
About the author
Caroline M. Yoachim
103 books94 followersCaroline M. Yoachim is a writer and photographer living in Seattle, WA. She is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers' Workshop, and her fiction has appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, Fantasy Magazine, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. For more about Caroline, check out her website at: http://www.carolineyoachim.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
May 24, 2020
This review is for The Archronology of Love by Caroline M Yoachim.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category and is, in my opinion, one of the strongest contender to the title.
Dr. Saki Jones arrives at the colony planet New Mars to find that a mysterious plague has destroyed everyone who lived there, including her lifelove, M.J. To find out what happened, Saki must dig through the Chronicle, a recording of the time that was, through layers of time, slowly revealing the past. The result is a bittersweet story of aliens and human exploration; mystery and memory; and, of course, love.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category and is, in my opinion, one of the strongest contender to the title.
Dr. Saki Jones arrives at the colony planet New Mars to find that a mysterious plague has destroyed everyone who lived there, including her lifelove, M.J. To find out what happened, Saki must dig through the Chronicle, a recording of the time that was, through layers of time, slowly revealing the past. The result is a bittersweet story of aliens and human exploration; mystery and memory; and, of course, love.
September 20, 2020
No big, just a wonderful, painfully romantic, melancholic meditation on the nature of love. And it really really gets it right.
Saki is an archronologist, like a time archaeologist that digs through layers of preserved moments in time. She has a job to do and she should stay professional, but the moments and locations she is investigating are also connected to her lifelove, aka her life partner, who died.
What is love anyway? It's a huge question, but I feel that this novelette finds a way to say what love truly is (to me, I guess, it's very simpatico to what I believe love to be): transformation, expansion, absence and presence, memories that are in constant entropy.
Saki is an archronologist, like a time archaeologist that digs through layers of preserved moments in time. She has a job to do and she should stay professional, but the moments and locations she is investigating are also connected to her lifelove, aka her life partner, who died.
What is love anyway? It's a huge question, but I feel that this novelette finds a way to say what love truly is (to me, I guess, it's very simpatico to what I believe love to be): transformation, expansion, absence and presence, memories that are in constant entropy.
June 10, 2020
One of the novelette nominees for the 2020 Hugo Awards.
This was a decent story, but it hasn't left much of an impact on me. As I think back on it, my main thought is about how the record must look, all covered with white lines, rather than the characters and their relationships, or even the mystery of the aliens (usually totally my jam), which were more the point of the story.
This was a decent story, but it hasn't left much of an impact on me. As I think back on it, my main thought is about how the record must look, all covered with white lines, rather than the characters and their relationships, or even the mystery of the aliens (usually totally my jam), which were more the point of the story.
June 21, 2020
Meh. OK but.... Read some of the other 3-star reviews. But, what the hey -- it's a freebie, and nominated for a major award. Especially if you are a CMY fan, give it a shot. I tried twice, didn't make much sense either time.
June 6, 2020
I am ranking it better than Emergency Skin for the Hugo Awards, and that means something since Jemisin is one of my favorite authors ever.
This story has it all: subtlety, sensitivity, creative setting, and a very relatable protagonist. It's beautiful, read it if you haven't yet.
This story has it all: subtlety, sensitivity, creative setting, and a very relatable protagonist. It's beautiful, read it if you haven't yet.
July 9, 2020
My first declared major in college was anthropology, and I particularly enjoyed the way the author wove archeology into this story. Between that and her writing style, it made me want more development of this world of archronology!
June 7, 2020
Dr. Saki Jones was on the way to the New Mars colony, to do research but also to join her lifelove, MJ, also a scientist with the colony.
On the way, first they learn that a plague has broken out, suspected to be from the alien artifacts found on the planet. They've been looking for a virus or something similar, as the cause, but without success. Then MJ, and the rest of the colony, are all dead.
Now their mission is to find the cause. And because they don't know how to protect themselves from the unknown cause, they need to do that from orbit. They will need to use the Chronicle, a complete, immersive record of everything that has happened on the colony, which, however, they can only access any given part of it once. Collecting the data means it's effectively erased from the Chronicle. So this needs to be done with care.
The other issue, of course, is that because it's an immersive experience, the possibility exists of seeing the now-deceased member of the colony. For Saki, that most importantly means MJ, but every member of her scientific team has lost someone.
That's one set of problems. However, there is also the problem that the cause of the plague is very, very different from what they are initially assuming, both in nature, and in intent.
It's a fascinating story, tied up with two fundamentally different views of the universe.
Recommended.
I received this story as part of the Hugo Voters packet, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
On the way, first they learn that a plague has broken out, suspected to be from the alien artifacts found on the planet. They've been looking for a virus or something similar, as the cause, but without success. Then MJ, and the rest of the colony, are all dead.
Now their mission is to find the cause. And because they don't know how to protect themselves from the unknown cause, they need to do that from orbit. They will need to use the Chronicle, a complete, immersive record of everything that has happened on the colony, which, however, they can only access any given part of it once. Collecting the data means it's effectively erased from the Chronicle. So this needs to be done with care.
The other issue, of course, is that because it's an immersive experience, the possibility exists of seeing the now-deceased member of the colony. For Saki, that most importantly means MJ, but every member of her scientific team has lost someone.
That's one set of problems. However, there is also the problem that the cause of the plague is very, very different from what they are initially assuming, both in nature, and in intent.
It's a fascinating story, tied up with two fundamentally different views of the universe.
Recommended.
I received this story as part of the Hugo Voters packet, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
June 20, 2020
This was a sweet story. It did not overstay its welcome. A scientist's husband, and the rest of the colonists, perished mysteriously before she and her ship could arrive. She then unravels the mystery of the vanished colony by visiting the Chronology, some sort of database of experience stored outside of time. I could have used just a tad more explanation of the Chronology in the story, but it fired my imagination and plucked at my heartstrings for a moment. A worthy Hugo finalist.
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May 23, 2020There's absolutely nothing wrong with this novelette. I didn't dislike it, but it didn't quite work for me either so I have no idea how to rate it. I think my issue, as a reader, is that I tend to find it easier to find my feet when I'm dropped into a fantasy novelette than a sci-fi novelette. I spent a lot of this story trying to figure out where I was and what was going on, so this could be a novelette I have to read again in future to figure out how I actually feel about it!
August 1, 2020
Interestingly, in retrospect, I can't say much about the world this takes place in, but it never occurred to me while reading it. It was so beautiful and lyrical that I didn't notice a larger world missing. It's deeply personal and stays focused on that. The Archronology part of it and its relationship to Archaeology is fascinating. The solution to the mystery is interesting and reminded me of This is one I'll probably continue to think about for a while.
July 20, 2020
Doesn't quite stick the landing with me, too much handwavium at crucial junctures, and the "happy ending" feels untrustworthy. But at least it's SF and is *thinking*.
August 6, 2020
Historia corta ganadora del Hugo. Esta curiosa. Es de estas que te quedas con ganas de más.
July 4, 2020
Ah! It is possible squeeze a story in in these shorter Hugo categories. I was starting to wonder. I enjoyed its beginning, middle, and end immensely - even if the aliens might not appreciate such things ;)
June 28, 2020
Read for the 2020 Hugos
Time travel is weird. And this story's world has a really weird version. It's a sort of look-but-you-can't-touch type. And touching is destructive. Neat idea.
Then there's the actual story, which revolves around someone who has lost her lifelove (I kind of like that word, by the way). Will she get a chance to see him again? What will it be like if she does?
This story has a number of excellent emotional beats, but it kind of falls over because some of the mysteries are explained easily and quickly. They're satisfying explanations, but those explanations came too conveniently. I think that the mysteries aren't really the point of the story, but that pulled me away from the emotions a little too much.
Time travel is weird. And this story's world has a really weird version. It's a sort of look-but-you-can't-touch type. And touching is destructive. Neat idea.
Then there's the actual story, which revolves around someone who has lost her lifelove (I kind of like that word, by the way). Will she get a chance to see him again? What will it be like if she does?
This story has a number of excellent emotional beats, but it kind of falls over because some of the mysteries are explained easily and quickly. They're satisfying explanations, but those explanations came too conveniently. I think that the mysteries aren't really the point of the story, but that pulled me away from the emotions a little too much.
July 17, 2020
An adult love story about grief. Well done.
June 27, 2020
A finalist in the 2020 Hugo Awards for Best Novelette. It is a decent story which for me, does not rise much above the ordinary.
Dr Saki Jones is investigating the demise of a colony on New Mars. Tragically, her life partner MJ is one of the lost colonists. But in this story, investigation is not limited to physical artifacts.
The Chronicle is the temporal equivalent of the layering of artifacts in an archaeological site. And like in an archaeological dig, the temporal observers muddy the record as they explore the layers of time, obscuring what was there for later observers.
Saki must temper her desire to find an artifact of MJ with the importance of determining the cause of the sickness which killed the colonists, and whether and how strange alien artifacts discovered on New Mars might have contributed to the disaster. If she misuses The Chronicle she might obscure evidence vital to solving the mystery. Of course, she can’t help herself.
Dr Saki Jones is investigating the demise of a colony on New Mars. Tragically, her life partner MJ is one of the lost colonists. But in this story, investigation is not limited to physical artifacts.
The Chronicle is the temporal equivalent of the layering of artifacts in an archaeological site. And like in an archaeological dig, the temporal observers muddy the record as they explore the layers of time, obscuring what was there for later observers.
Saki must temper her desire to find an artifact of MJ with the importance of determining the cause of the sickness which killed the colonists, and whether and how strange alien artifacts discovered on New Mars might have contributed to the disaster. If she misuses The Chronicle she might obscure evidence vital to solving the mystery. Of course, she can’t help herself.
December 9, 2021
"There is no objective record of the moments in your past—you filter reality through your thoughts and perceptions. Over time, you create a memory of the memory, compounding bias upon bias, layers of self-serving rationalizations, or denial, or nostalgia. Everything becomes a story. You visit the Chronicle to study us, but what you see isn’t absolute truth. The record of our past is filtered through your minds."
I read this story as part of my reading list of Hugo award books. The Archronology of Love is the winner of 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novelette and here we are. I wasn't sure what the word "Archronology" meant. There were not really any definitions for it, but the story explains everything. So here it is if you haven't read the story yet. It is going through layers of time to explore what has happened to a culture or a species, pretty much like archeology but in a context of time. What a brilliant word and amazing concept! Loved it!
I really enjoyed Yoachim's artistic descriptions of the disturbance of the Time: "He was surrounded in a semi-translucent shimmer of silvery-white, the colors of the Chronicle all swirled together where his presence disrupted it, like the dirt of an archaeological dig all churned together."
Yoachim masterfully turn the alien species (that were thought hostile), into caring and loving beings that were trying to understand us. "How can we understand something so alien before we understand it? We act out of love, but that does not erase the harm we cause. Forgive us."
Overall a brilliant creative writing in deed!
4 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read this story as part of my reading list of Hugo award books. The Archronology of Love is the winner of 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novelette and here we are. I wasn't sure what the word "Archronology" meant. There were not really any definitions for it, but the story explains everything. So here it is if you haven't read the story yet. It is going through layers of time to explore what has happened to a culture or a species, pretty much like archeology but in a context of time. What a brilliant word and amazing concept! Loved it!
I really enjoyed Yoachim's artistic descriptions of the disturbance of the Time: "He was surrounded in a semi-translucent shimmer of silvery-white, the colors of the Chronicle all swirled together where his presence disrupted it, like the dirt of an archaeological dig all churned together."
Yoachim masterfully turn the alien species (that were thought hostile), into caring and loving beings that were trying to understand us. "How can we understand something so alien before we understand it? We act out of love, but that does not erase the harm we cause. Forgive us."
Overall a brilliant creative writing in deed!
4 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 4, 2021
This novelette puts you into the head of a scientist and life of a research lab in a satisfying, realistic way, despite taking place in a very exotic locale and time(s). It also describes a fascinating extraterrestrial race that feels truly alien:
It also teases the reader with glimpses at a cool technology called the Chronicle, which can be used to dig through time the way an archeologist digs through mud and rocks and other physical space. The more you middle with the past, the more you disturb it and the more "biased" it becomes with your interaction and interpretations. It's a fun, thought-provoking concept.
However, I think the story does a little too much: the mystery that is the plot, the Chronicle, this alien race - it was hard to focus on any one of them and I am left feeling a bit unsatisfied in each category.
This is a love story, but it does not end with happily ever after. It doesn’t end at all. Your stories are always so rigidly shaped—beginning, middle, end. There are strands of love in your narratives, all neat and tidy in the chaos of reality. Our love is scattered across time and space, without order, without endings....
It also teases the reader with glimpses at a cool technology called the Chronicle, which can be used to dig through time the way an archeologist digs through mud and rocks and other physical space. The more you middle with the past, the more you disturb it and the more "biased" it becomes with your interaction and interpretations. It's a fun, thought-provoking concept.
However, I think the story does a little too much: the mystery that is the plot, the Chronicle, this alien race - it was hard to focus on any one of them and I am left feeling a bit unsatisfied in each category.
June 7, 2020
My copy of this is signed. Which makes me cool.
If you were touched by the aliens turning around and helping the people after discovering they’d killed a bunch of them, I would recommend her story “Five Stages of Grief After the Alien Invasion.” It’s in the Seven Wonders of a Once and Future World collection. (Which I also have signed, which makes me, like, really cool).
Caroline Yoachim wrote what still stands as my favorite short story ever, Carnival Nine. And it’s free! Look: http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
If you go there on your internet machine, it just straight up HAS the story. What a world.
If you were touched by the aliens turning around and helping the people after discovering they’d killed a bunch of them, I would recommend her story “Five Stages of Grief After the Alien Invasion.” It’s in the Seven Wonders of a Once and Future World collection. (Which I also have signed, which makes me, like, really cool).
Caroline Yoachim wrote what still stands as my favorite short story ever, Carnival Nine. And it’s free! Look: http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.co...
If you go there on your internet machine, it just straight up HAS the story. What a world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2023
I have never read something quite like this, I feel like I’ll be thinking about it for a while.
My favorite passages:
Pg. 19
“In our early encounters, we make our own errors. How can we understand something so alien before we understand it? We act out of love, but that does not erase the harm we cause. Forgive us.”
Pg. 55
“Each time we encounter a new love, it becomes a part of who we are. No, we do not blend our loves into one single entity—the core of us would be lost against such vastness.”
Pg. 61
“Our love is scattered across time and space, without order, without endings”
My favorite passages:
Pg. 19
“In our early encounters, we make our own errors. How can we understand something so alien before we understand it? We act out of love, but that does not erase the harm we cause. Forgive us.”
Pg. 55
“Each time we encounter a new love, it becomes a part of who we are. No, we do not blend our loves into one single entity—the core of us would be lost against such vastness.”
Pg. 61
“Our love is scattered across time and space, without order, without endings”
May 25, 2020
Interesting idea - based, I think, on studies that suggest that when memories are remembered they are also rewritten - every time we remember an event from the past, our brain networks changes in ways that can alter the later recall of the event (see The Memory Mirage) - in this case, the memory is compromised/destroyed.
June 3, 2020
I'm working my way through the Hugo shortlist and this is up for best Novelette. It's well written and sensitive, exploring a truly alien technology and a (mild) mystery involving time, love and human connection. The characters are rounded despite the limitations and it felt suitably different. I think one to read again and a strong contender.
October 23, 2020
I've only read two short works by Yoachim but both have been absolutely gorgeous! Besides the beautiful language, I was very impressed with Yoachim's creativity and originality. She's definitely an SFF writer that will do big things in the future. I'm so glad this novelette was nominated for a Hugo and Nebula and that I was introduced to a new favorite writer!
May 30, 2020
Memories can be altered by re-remembering them, but love can stand the test of time in all possible futures and through all flawed memories. Also, love can be chaotic and convoluted, without beginning or end.
June 29, 2020
Read for 2020 Hugos
A very interesting mystery, coupled with a intriguing method of time travel. This story had some great character moments, although I think they overshadowed the mystery of the aliens.
A very interesting mystery, coupled with a intriguing method of time travel. This story had some great character moments, although I think they overshadowed the mystery of the aliens.
July 2, 2020
A fascinating sci-fi novelette of how digging for clues can destroy what we are trying to discover. Saki, continuing her research into how an entire colony died, also longs to find out what happened to her partner. This volume also contains a flash story with the same characters.
July 4, 2020
Yoachim's stories are always beautiful. I love how this one uses the metaphor of archaeology and a story about alien contact to discuss memory and relationships and whether love stories ever really end. The Hugo packet also includes an interview with the author that's worth checking out.
July 8, 2020
While I have a weird weakness for space archaeology, and while I'm always in for a good 'accept and move on'-plot, ultimately this one didn't deal with the combination as well as I would like, and mostly left me shrugging.
July 14, 2020
Received this as a 'free' ebook as part of the Hugo voters pack
This is a very clever story, with a fascinating amount of world-building, and some beautiful characters. I loved the details, but I didn't find the story all that gripping.
This is a very clever story, with a fascinating amount of world-building, and some beautiful characters. I loved the details, but I didn't find the story all that gripping.
August 1, 2020
Hugos 2020. Far future SF about an archronologist, a woman who accesses visual and physical records of past moments the way one might dig through an archaeological site. Also aliens. Slick and tender, I liked it quite a bit; 3.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews