Nebula Nom: Shipbirth, by Aliette de Bodard

[Candiss]

Let's discuss Shipbirth by Aliette de Bodard, nominated in the Short Story category for the 2011 Nebula Awards.

[Nikita]

This was an interesting read. What would an Aztec based future society by like? It's also nice to have non-caucasian/Western characters for a change.

[Sarah]

I'm having trouble concentrating on this one. I need to give it fuller attention.

[Jasmine M]

i'm not sure what to think of this one, I think it's due to the fact that I'm not familiar with the mythology and the customs expressed in it, though i'd like to...

I still like it though and I admit it to read, just like Sarah said, it needs concentration, and my first attempt lacked that:)

[Sarah]

I just tried again and liked it a little better, though I'm disturbed by the womb vs. weapon dichotomy. I'll just chalk that one up to cultural differences.
Here are the author's notes on the story:
http://aliettedebodard.com/2011/01/02...

[Shel, Moderator]

I just read this, and I think I have to mull over it for a while. Chilling...

[Renee]

Interesting story. I didn't really care for it. I understand that the Aztec's believed that a mother's death while undelivered meant she kept a captive. But what was the sinifigance of the brother having a sex change. I feel I missed something

[Jasmine M]

Renee wrote: "Interesting story. I didn't really care for it. I understand that the Aztec's believed that a mother's death while undelivered meant she kept a captive. But what was the sinifigance of the brother ..."
you should check the link Sarah Pi offered, it explains the writer's thoughts about the story and how she wrote it

[Renee]

I confess to only skimming the link. Thats where I got the part on the mother death. Maybe I need to do an indepth read,

I just did a reread. I still don't get the signifgance. I think this author is just not for me.

[Stefan, Group Founder + Moderator (Retired)]

I've read a few things by Aliette de Bodard now, and my problem is always that I can't seem to feel any connection to her characters. The world-building is fascinating, and the concepts and the plots are great, but the people just don't feel like people to me. It may be a personal thing for me; I don't know. For me this was my least favorite from this batch of stories.

[Nick]

I liked the first sentence. A lot. And the rest of the story didn't disappoint either. The story had a lot of things in it I remember from the first science fiction I read back in the '70's: Mythopoetics, Psychosexuality, Sociosexuality, all caught up in a hard science framework. I loved the world-building, and the story appeared to do everything "right."

If there is a "BUT" here, I think I would echo Stefan's sentiment that the characters sometimes don't feel like real people. Except for that newborn screaming its way into existence. That is chilling, and real.

I've never read this author before, and , though I enjoyed this story, I'm not sure I want to continue. Maybe, though. As Shel says, maybe some more "mulling"....

[Renee]

I also agree with Stefan. I don't feel any connection to the chars.

Their is something important about the reason the brother changed his gender.Its part of who he is. I can't quite get it. Its not really writtin into the story. Yet its the whole point of the story. So you have this incredible world but the main point is not their