Throne Price

Douglas Barbour is a professor of English at the University of Alberta.
He is the author of Lyric/anti-lyric : Essays on Contemporary Poetry,
Breath Takes, and Fragmenting Body Etc.

Alison Sinclair has already written three fine sci-fi novels in which
she has constructed widely different worlds and their various cultures.
Now, she and her collaborator, Lynda Williams, have created a far-future
stellar empire that has used genetic manipulation to construct a society
that is studiedly mediaeval in its class structure and its attitudes.
Such a move is not new to science fiction, but is not usually so
carefully tied to technological advances in genetic engineering.

Because the rigidly hierarchical culture of the genetically modified
Sevolites in Throne Price is so complex, the novel moves slowly at
first, as the various characters from its imperial world, Gelion,
interact while trying to deal with the computer-regulated, democratic,
normal humans of the breakaway worlds of Rire. There was a terrible war
some centuries ago, and neither side wants to repeat that; yet some
Gelion ruling families want to re-conquer the “perverted” Reetions.
Two young Sevolites, one a Pureblood and the other an orphan who
doesn’t really know his status, seek to prevent such a disaster, but
they seem to be at odds with one another.

Slowly Sinclair and Williams take us into the complicated society of
Gelion, and into the frightening sexual power games of some of its most
powerful people, who are battling for Sevolite leadership. As the reader
becomes accustomed to the subtle power relations of this multi-layered
society, the various narrative lines take on an ever more desperate
tone, and the suspense ratchets up.

Despite how strange the Sevolites seem from our perspective, the
authors achieve a fine depth of characterization, subtly and movingly
tied to all the hints about how enculturation works in both societies.
Both a political thriller and a clear-eyed view of how science might
create a wholly biological social hierarchy, Throne Price is thoughtful
entertainment at its best.