Description
Description
"Every once in a while, a book comes along that is both a comfort read and a rousing, fist-pumping adventure, and The Mimicking of Known Successes absolutely is both of those things. An utter triumph."--Charlie Jane Anders
A Barnes & Noble Best Science Fiction of the Year PickA Library Journal Best SF/F of the Year Pick
A Book Riot Best Mystery and Science Fiction of the Year Pick
An Autostraddle Best Science Fiction of the Year Pick
A Most Anticipated in 2023 Pick for Today.com Buzzfeed Polygon Book Riot Ms. Magazine The Mimicking of Known Successes presents a cozy Holmesian murder mystery and sapphic romance, set on Jupiter, by Malka Older, author of the critically-acclaimed Centenal Cycle. On a remote, gas-wreathed outpost of a human colony on Jupiter, a man goes missing. The enigmatic Investigator Mossa follows his trail to Valdegeld, home to the colony's erudite university--and Mossa's former girlfriend, a scholar of Earth's pre-collapse ecosystems. Pleiti has dedicated her research and her career to aiding the larger effort towards a possible return to Earth. When Mossa unexpectedly arrives and requests Pleiti's assistance in her latest investigation, the two of them embark on a twisting path in which the future of life on Earth is at stake--and, perhaps, their futures, together. The Centenal Cycle by Malka Older
Infomocracy
Null States
State Tectonics
About the Author
About the Author
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"Every once in a while, a book comes along that is both a comfort read and a rousing, fist-pumping adventure, and The Mimicking of Known Successes absolutely is both of those things. An utter triumph."--Charlie Jane Anders
"Older has created a wonderfully sci-fi take on the gaslamp mystery. Add in the wry depiction of academia and the warmly authentic portrayal of a relationship in the process of rekindling, and this is exactly my kind of story!"--Freya Marske
"Malka Older's The Mimicking of Known Successes mixes Holmesian mystery, Sapphic romance, petty academic politics, and post-apocalyptic speculative ecology into a delightful and unexpected concoction. The perfect book to curl up with when the wind is howling outside, even if it's only a Terran blizzard rather than a Jovian superstorm."--Ruthanna Emrys
"A magnificently imaginative setting, a nicely developed and satisfyingly resolved mystery, a beautifully understated central romance, and a lot of thought-provoking ideas make this an immensely satisfying read [that] does more at novella length than many books manage in three times as much."--K. J. Charles
"Malka Older has created a far-flung speculative winner that is as much hard science fiction as it is gritty xenobiological noir, with characters you want to see get closer. . .to the possible killer and each other. I am absolutely in love with this world and these characters."--Fran Wilde
"A quiet masterpiece, an intimate character study, a tender queer romance, a satisfying mystery, and a unique take on many genre clichés in a short form."--Ancillary Review of Books
"The writing technique is excellent, the worldbuilding interesting and poetic, the characters enjoyable to spend time with, and there's tea.--Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
"Fans of The Centenal Cycle will be astonished by the breadth of Older's range."--Book Riot
"A novella that more than lives up to the idea of cozy, it takes the literary connotations of that word further by creating a delightful mashup of science fiction and cozy mystery, with a delicious side of sapphic romance."--Autostraddle
"Reading this novella was an absolute delight . . . I can imagine further stories set in this world; if I'm very lucky, they will feature Mossa and Pleiti."--Locus
"Mystery and science fiction are rarely this satisfying when mixed, and rarely this much fun."--Hugo Book Club Blog
"Older gives us many delightful details about life on the Giant, as the inhabitants call Jupiter. . .All of these quotidian details make the novel a fascinating read."--Asimov's
"It's hard to pull off a novel that attempts to have equal footing in two genres--never mind three--and typically one of the genres ends up taking on a minor role . . . but The Mimicking of Known Successes, a work of speculative fiction, a traditional mystery, and a romance, is a walloping success."--First Clue, starred review
"This quiet yet compelling whodunit will attract fans of Becky Chambers or Connie Willis."--Booklist (starred review)
"Older packs a punch in this slim volume, delivering a romantic sci-fi mystery replete with ruminations on environmentalism and the importance of adapting to change. . . . Combining an old-timey aesthetic and a powerful message, this sapphic genre bender is a treat."--Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Recommended for readers who enjoy a bit of mystery mixed with their SF . . . and anyone who cannot resist a Sherlock Holmes pastiche."--Library Journal
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
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