"When We Were Starless" by Simone Heller

[Christopher]

What did everyone think of this one?

For me I just couldn't get into it, not sure why exactly.

[Silvana]

Christopher wrote: "What did everyone think of this one?

For me I just couldn't get into it, not sure why exactly."

Oh my gosh, same!

I liked the worldbuilding at the earlier parts especially. I felt I should have been more invested emotionally but I did not.

also, the part on (view spoiler)[surprising twist from horror fantasy to straight up SF caught me off guard and not in an entirely good way. I liked it better as horror fantasy. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

I think I read this last week and wasn't the biggest fan. It was interesting world building but ultimately I couldn't really picture anything and wished there were some more details.

The story/plot I mostly enjoyed.

[Silvana]

I agree, it would make a better novella or even full length novel....

I am a bit disappointed with the current short and novelette nominations, to be frank. The last year or two years ago crops were stronger for me.

[Kaa]

Yeah, I don't have much to add to what's already been said. I felt very distant from the characters, and as Sarah noted, it was hard to visualize anything, which made it hard to feel immersed in the story.

[Rachel]

Huh I didn’t feel distant at all when I read it a few months ago when the noms were released. I remember feeling pretty moved by it... maybe I made notes hmmm

[Cheryl]

I agree that it does sacrifice substance to be so concise. There's so much going on that it's a challenge to figure out the world-building at the same time as figuring out the story and the characters. So, I read it twice, once through to get the gist, and again to see more details and get to know Mink and the others better. And I'm glad I did; I did enjoy it that way.

I still don't understand what happened to the stars though. Do any of you?

[Mareike]

I enjoyed this one, especially trying to figure out what had happened to that world and what the different things (e.g. the weavers) were.

And I really, really liked this line: (view spoiler)[ None of us had ever seen the stars, but our hearts recognized them. (hide spoiler)]

I would read this as a full-length novel, but I do think it worked well as a novella, too. Even though (view spoiler)[the tribe coming around to letting "Orion" help them (hide spoiler)] did feel kind of rushed.

[Cheryl]

I just wish I could understand the "starless" in the title. How could they not have stars, and then have them again?

[Mareike]

As far as I understood it (view spoiler)[they have never seen the actual stars, probably due to pollution. The narrator at some points mentions that "The veiled moon is a silvery blotch gliding through the upper fumes", so that's why they're "starless." And then later, when they're holed up in the dome, "Orion" shows them videos or projections of the stars, so that's how they realize that the stars exist and aren't just legends. (hide spoiler)]

[Cheryl]

Ah, that makes sense. Def. a theory I can accept. Thanks!

[Bonnie]

I like the theme, of stars/ enlightenment / dreams overcoming the darkness and pessimism and hopelessness. I struggle to understand what is actually happening though.

From Simone Heller's website?>
"My new novelette 'When We Were Starless' was published in the October issue of Clarkesworld and I wanted to provide a little bit of trivia and background for readers with an interest in such things. There may be mild spoilers..."
https://missnavigator.com/new-novelet...

[Meredith]

I recently read this and I really enjoyed it. I thought the slow revealing of information about their situation and the world they lived in was well done and I found the ending quite moving.