Acclaimed Sci-Fi Series Returns with Story Inspired by One of Earth’s Holiest Sites

Image: Orbit

Ann Leckie ascended to science fiction stardom with her 2013 debut, Ancillary Justice, a celebrated novel that swept the Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke, and BSFA awards. The story—a gripping space opera centered on an artificial consciousness inhabiting a human frame to avenge her destroyed ship—launched a seminal trilogy that continued with Ancillary Sword and Ancillary Mercy.

Following the conclusion of her trilogy in 2015, Leckie returned to the expansive universe of the Imperial Radch with the standalone novels Provenance and Translation State. Now, she further dissects complex themes of gender, cultural assimilation, and political intrigue in her latest work, Radiant Star, arriving May 12.

The Temporal Location of the Radiant Star serves as an ancient, sacred site for the people of Ooioiaa. As their civilization faces integration into the Radch Empire, they are granted the opportunity to designate one final living saint. Leckie explained to Polygon that the narrative was sparked by a pilgrimage to Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

“The religious fervor on display was dialed up to eleven,” Leckie noted. “Pilgrims traveled immense distances to visit this hallowed space. While the expressions of devotion were inherently familiar to me—given my Roman Catholic upbringing—viewing them as a lapsed observer gave me a certain perspective. It prompted me to reflect deeply on the mechanics of religious practice.”

In reality, the church is a fractured space, governed by multiple Christian denominations that maintain strict, occasionally volatile territorial boundaries. Maintenance within the site requires the unanimous consent of every represented sect.

“There is a ladder leaning against the church exterior that has remained in place since at least the 17th century,” Leckie said. “No one can quite recall its purpose, yet no one can agree on its removal, so it simply persists. That stalemate is fascinating. The more I dwelled on it, the more I saw it as the perfect foundation for a compelling story.”

Radiant Star releases on May 12; below is an exclusive excerpt detailing life on Ooioiaa.

Source: Polygon