#The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

[betterbooksandthings]

"Romances in space are just out of this world. Love in the dangerous, endless expanse of space isn’t easy. Traveling far distances in ships that you often cannot leave is challenging in the best of conditions. In space, the door is locked and you have to make it work. Interplanetary travel, adventure, and romance are not for the faint of heart. Good thing I have some entertaining books to pick up instead of making the trip yourself.

My favorite romances in space involve a level of mystery, political intrigue, and danger. There is just something about a romantic pairing in trouble that really sells me on their mutual respect, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. When you are in space and in trouble, sometimes love is part of the answer, and I think that’s fun."

[torpublishinggroup]

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The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu

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For the friend with the SHUDDER account…

Piñata: A Novel by Leopoldo Gout

For the burned-out chosen one who’s so, so tired…

The Saint of Bright Doors by @adamantine

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For the gamer who fondly remembers their confrontation with Rayquaza atop the Sky Pillar…

Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

For the “smash first, questions later” friend in your life…

Ebony Gate by Julia Vee & Ken Bebelle

For a tragic superwholockian in dire need of restorative sapphic fiction…

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

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Not enough books? We agree. Check out our other GET BOOKT guide.

[murderbot-moodboard]

Found an Easter egg in the book The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older!

It's the second (and latest) book in her mystery series The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti. I can highly recommend both it and the first book, The Mimicking of Known Successes.

The simplest way to describe the series is that it's very similar (I'd say intentionally so) to the Sherlock Holmes stories, but if Sherlock and Watson were reimagined as lesbians with chemistry that was more than just potential subtext, and they lived in a future post-apocalyptic colony in space with definite Victorian-type/steampunk world building, but with a healthy amount of foods and other cultural aspects from many different cultures around the world.

In fact, one thing that surprised me at first was that the books' vocabulary commonly uses not only formal/older English words, but also words and expressions from many different languages, only some of which were familiar to me, but most of which can be understood from context. It's a choice that makes sense, though, for a society that's been removed from Earth for a long time, and what it would look like for different Earth cultures to synthesize into totally new cultures and groupings of people over time.

Anyway, these are the kind of books that you're likely to enjoy if you like TMBD. As a matter of fact, in the first book's acknowledgments, Malka Older listed Martha Wells first among the other authors she was thanking for their writing and how it impacted her. So if you're looking for a fun and interesting scifi read, these books are worth it! :)

[evenaturtleduck]

I just read The Mimicking of Known Successes and I can't believe more people aren't posting about it because Oh. My. God. I love this book. It's a mystery so I'm not going to talk about the plot, and the protagonists are VERY Arthur Conan Doyle-style Holmes and Watson in all the very best ways (and they're in love ❤️), so I'm going to rave about the worldbuilding.

A lot of times when people want to do sci-fi-but-vintage, it feels like the decisions of how to do it are just based on vibes, yk? And that's not necessarily a bad thing--I'm always weak for a good space western--but I really love how this book puts the Victorian gaslamp setting on Jupiter and it makes perfect sense. The settlements are all on rings around the planet so the most reasonable way to get around is railcars! Of course most signals would have trouble traveling through the atmosphere--the best solution is definitely something more like a telegraph than a cell phone! It's cold and foggy and windy all the time and there's an abundance of interesting gasses everywhere so all the indoor spaces would naturally be kept warm and cozy with gas fires! And everyone would want to have their serious conversations about murder and relationships while sitting by those fires drinking tea. 

And that's before getting into Pleiti's research, which also is so interesting and well thought out--yes, if you were trying to understand what animals and plants were expected to be together in the same extinct ecosystems for purposes of someday recreating something similar in an Earth restoration project, studying what Earth authors and audiences expected to see together in literature is something I would expect an academic to do! 

Anyway, I love everything about this book.

[sapphicbookoftheday]

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

Today's sapphic book of the day is The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older!

Summary: "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."

[haveyoureadthisscifibook]

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[groveofbones]

I love that I live in a world where I can read sci-fi mystery books where Holmes and Watson are in love and yes this is about The Mimicking of Known Successes but the fact that there is more than one of these is amazing.

[ilikereadingactually]

The Mimicking of Known Successes

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

i will happily admit that i had a long Sherlock Holmes phase precipitated by the BBC's Sherlock. that phase ended fairly abruptly when the Sherlock show and fandom simultaneously crashed and burned, or at least that's how it felt to me; i was so turned off by the whole thing that i didn't revisit ANY Holmesian books or media for years afterward, even though i liked quite a lot of it. i've dipped back in a bit since then (because it's hard to resist the charms of Enola Holmes), and am slowly remembering what i loved about the original stories.

this book has all of that charm and then some. honestly what could be more up my alley than wlw Holmes and Watson in a post-environmental-collapse-of-Earth future in space?? literally nothing, it's a perfect book for me. Malka Older really captures everything that makes the original Sherlock Holmes so delightful to me! the first person narrative, for one, which is pitch-perfectly Watsonian in vocabulary and tone, both nostalgic and totally readable. the excellent chemistry and dynamic between Mossa and Pleiti is also spot on, pleasantly messy and immediately fond and entirely satisfying. and the mystery! i loved that the mystery was driving the plot but that the emotional story was the more important arc, and i loved that i had a sense of how the pieces connected but didn't understand it all until Mossa put it together, which is just how a Holmesian story ought to feel.

a fantastic read, and a quick read too, and i'm DYING for the next one (already requested it on NetGalley even though it comes out pretty soon...)

the deets

how i read it: @digger1649 literally put the hardcover into my hands as i was picking up other books at the library and said "you should read this," and he was correct. thanks for all the absolute banger recommendations lately!!! this is one i will definitely buy for myself and recommend at work.

try this if you: are a Holmes fan of any stripe, dig a queer mystery, love sff that imagines what we'll do after running the Earth into the ground, or just delight in the interesting combo of old-fashioned gaslamp language/tone and a futuristic setting!

some bits i really liked: i just love them and also the references so much

Mossa waved that aside. "But you also know me, and how I work. Explaining it to someone else would take too long." I could not restrain a feeling of warmth as if that were praise or even affection and not merely a statement of fact. Believing in signs of affection from Mossa was a trap, because it led to expecting signs of affection.

---

"And you were saying about your specific project?" "Ah yes. I study the British Isles, in the mid-twentieth century. At the moment I'm working on a very useful book about rabbits and their adventures. There's a wealth of descriptions of the flora and fauna in a highly circumscribed, clearly-identified area."

---

Mossa's expression was like the one she had worn in theoretical forestry class when the professor had offered successively more difficult elimination problems until Mossa, alone, had comprehended the final paradigm: as though I were as fascinating and satisfying to grasp as her most difficult questions. But then she shook her head. "Pleiti," she said, "I haven't changed."

---

Mossa responded simply with a Classical quotation: "'Why are men?'"

[shsenhaji]

📚 August Reading Round-Up 📚

I'm very happy that I was able to read (and finish) quite a few books this month! My reading selection was also perhaps a bit more varied, with a non-fiction book thrown in. I began reading the Tea Princess Chronicles by Casey Blair (very good, so lovely), continued with the next volume of Spy x Family, and read books newly published as well as older.

- The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older (very good, loved the worldbuilding, interesting plot)

- Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (really enjoyed it, definitely cried a bit toward the end, a lot of interesting tropes and themes, good worldbuilding, liked how many of the themes were handled)

- Batman: Wayne Family Adventures Volume One by Payne and Starbite (lovely, so happy I get to have a physical copy, can't wait for volume two)

- A Dance with the Fae Prince by Elise Kova (liked it a lot, loved the themes and the romance, good character growth)

- Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (re-read, well-written, interesting and illuminating, difficult subject matter, felt the narration treated the subject material well for the most part, interested in seeing the movie adaptation)

- A Coup of Tea by Casey Blair (amazing, lovely, binged it in almost one sitting, loved the themes and characters and how it was all put together, as well as the focus on tea, diverse in a good and welcoming way)

- The Physicians of Vilnoc by Lois McMaster Bujold (loved it, tough subject matter however, Penric and Desdemona as lovely as always, enjoyed the philosophical themes and questions)

- Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (great, loved it, missed Seivarden a bit though, great themes and characters, made me want to re-read the first book)

- Spy x Family Volume 6 by Tatsuya Endo (Cute, funny, engrossing, more of a tight one-arc story which I liked, has the famous lullaby Yor and Loid scene, Nightfall was hilarious, a key moment finally occurred!)

- Tea Set and Match by Casey Blair (loved it, a lot of communication, loved the themes and how it was handled, cathartic, interesting understanding of the MC's privilege (and how she can use it)

- The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (re-read, interesting, the narration was amazing and really sold the story, liked the back half of the book more, some very dry and funny and witty parts, wanted more things to be fixed/dealt with, Maia's internalized racism is never really questioned by him)

- Outlaw Mage by KS Villoso (had backed the Kickstarter, very good, read it in a few sittings, enjoyed the characters and themes, tried to figure out how the book connected to the other series in that world, enjoyable and thought-provoking, not too subtle, want to know what happens next)

[contracat25]

Ok we are solidly into April, but so many interesting books came out last month so I thought I would post this list anyways. As always there are way more books then I can fit in here so I have def missed some. What were your favorite or the books you are most excited about that were released in March? Also these don't include sequels becase I have a whole set of lists for those. So with that said, here are some books from March that caught my atention:

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older

Feed Them Silence by Lee Mandelo

Lucha of the Night Forest by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Chlorine: a Novel by Jade Song

Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood

Solomon's Crown by Natasha Siegel

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles

Rose/House by Arkady Martine

[abookishidentity]

Books read in April 2024

-A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen started March 29, 2024 and finished April 2, 2024 - 4/5 stars. This is a time loop story with love in it. Time loops are always so angsty and devastating. I like how the main character initiated the love story. Its very interesting how the only way to stop the loop from repeating again is to go back in time to fix mistakes. Its devastating that the main character doesn’t end up with the man she likes but she makes it so her past self can end up with him. Did not see that coming 

-Light Years from Home by Mike Chen started April 2, 2024 and finished April 5, 2024 - 5/5 stars. Oh man what an amazing book. Imagine having such an estranged relationship with your family that when you and your dad are abducted with aliens you are like “Yeah, I’ll fight this alien war but I’ll send my dad back though” I don’t know what I would do if my twin was abducted by aliens and then returned years later. Such good family drama in this book. Lots of “Why didn't you come back?” and “It’s your fault that dad died!” 

-The Afterlives by Thomas Peirce started April 5, 2024 and finished April 8, 2024- 4/5 stars. Man dies and comes back and sort of has a crisis about not seeing anything. Interesting characters and plot. This was going to be 3 stars but the part with the main character going through the machine was interesting. Main character was a tad annoying but I have read worse. 

-The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey started April 9, 2024 and finished April 10, 2024 - 4/5 stars. What do you do when you find out your husband essentially made a clone of you and marries her? I’m so glad the clone murdered the abusive husband. It sounded like the main character and her husband were toxic to each other. I was thrown a bit when the clone and the main character decided to make a clone out of the asshole cheating husband but whatever. Asshole husbands are buried in the garden it seems. Interesting ending. 

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older started April 11, 2024 and finished April 12, 2024- 4/5 stars. Cozy murder mystery in space with lesbians. What’s not to love? The dynamic reminded me of Sherlock Holmes and Watson a bit. This was a short book so I read it pretty quickly. 

-The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older started April 12, 2024 and finished April 15, 2024- 4/5 stars. The sequel was a tad longer but it was still pretty good. I would be interested to see where this series goes. 

-The Devil You Know by Mike Carey started April 15, 2024 and finished April 19, 2024- 4/5 stars. Now this is the urban fantasy that I really fucking love. It makes me think what the hell Felix was doing before this book took place. It amuses me to no end that Felix plays the tin whistle to do stuff with ghosts. Imagine going about your business and see a man playing a flute and playing popular british songs. Anyway good book. I need to read the entire series. Felix Castor is an interesting man living in an interesting world. 

-The Veiled Masters by Tim Pratt started April 19, 2024 and finished April 22, 2024- 5/5 stars. Oh man what an excellent book. It’s the third book of a trilogy. There’s just something about mind controlling spores that I just fucking love. It actually works in this book. I also love the mind control is added with feelings of bliss and happiness when a task is completed. This trilogy was entertaining as hell and I love the diversity of characters. It’s also queer which is good. I think I ought to look into Tim Pratt books more. 

-Vicious Circle by Mike Carey started April 22, 2024 and finished April 28, 2024 -5/5 stars. Holy crap I think I like this series as much as the Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey. Felix is incredibly interesting. He inserts himself into certain situations though as if he’s the only one that can fix things but whatever. I’m a little confused as to why a certain dude injected him with truth serum. Didn’t even get to read if it actually worked or not. It’s very interesting to see how Felix will get out of situations and or fights. He can get hurt and has to recover like any normal person. It makes a lot of sense that at the end of the book his landlady/friend is like “Yeah you aren’t living here anymore” 

-dhalgren by samuel r. delany started April 28, 2024- I am half way through this book at the current moment. I am unsure if I’m going to finish it. The main character doesn’t seem particularly picky with things including where he’s sleeping and who he is sleeping with. I hope protection still exists. Like the main character will sleep with women and men and there isn't any mention of protection. Like fucking hell I just got to the part where he does stuff with the 15 year old boy. I'm pretty sure it's considered rape. This book was written in the 70s and I have to remind myself with that. This book doesn’t always make sense but I guess that’s fine. Perhaps I’m reading it for a change in scenery. Sometimes you got to read things that make you uncomfortable.

[betterbooksandthings]

“There are so many wonderful new science fiction and fantasy books to read in March 2023. The science fiction and fantasy novels and novellas have not come to play this month.

They say March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. The month is in-between the roar of winter and the bleat of spring. I cannot help but place these new releases in the same category. This exciting mix of new science fiction and fantasy novels will help you finish off the worst of the winter.

First and foremost: excellent cover designs all around. The colors, fonts, and overall designs are chef’s kiss, no-notes level brilliant. Let me tell you, I greatly appreciate the latest developments in cover design. I love the string of bright colors and richly painted images. You really cannot ask for more.“

[living400lbs]

"Demand better than back to normal"

- dedication from The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

[flameintobeing]

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

and its upcoming sequel: The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles (out Feb. 13, 2024)

[rhetoricandlogic]

A Cozy Sci-Fi Mystery: The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

Alex Brown Tue Mar 7, 2023 2:00pm

Between Martha Wells’ Fugitive Telemetry and Malka Older’s The Mimicking of Known Successes, detective mysteries set in space in the distant future are quickly becoming one of my favorite science fiction subgenres. Murder, mayhem, and the infinite expanse of space. What’s not to love?

On a remote platform high above the swirling gasses of Jupiter on the edge of civilization, a scholar vanishes. Was he pushed? Did he jump? Investigator Mossa is tasked with figuring out what happened, but to do that she’ll have to go to the man’s home platform of Valdegeld. He was a scholar there at the same institute as Pleiti, Mossa’s ex. Pleiti is in the Classics field, studying the Earth humans fled centuries before, while the missing man was in the Modern department, studying life as it is now, bound to metal platforms and gazing at Earth animals forever trapped in a zoo.

At first, Pleiti agrees to help Mossa work her way through the scholars and get her access to facilities and researchers she might not otherwise be able to find. Soon, Pleiti is as deep into the mystery as her ex is. Our missing man may be part of a larger conspiracy that threatens life on the platforms and the future of humanity. Past, present, and future collide miles above Jupiter. As the two women follow trails and leads across the platforms orbiting Giant, they must also chase their own feelings for each other.

I went into this novella expecting a sapphic space mystery and was delighted to discover it also had Sherlock Holmes and John Watson vibes. Mossa is the emotionally distant investigative intellectual who picks up on the tiny discrepancies that will eventually break the case wide open. Pleiti is the science-leaning assistant who may not be a genius but can still figure things out. But here the romance between our Holmes and Watson is not just a headcanon.

Mossa and Pleiti begin the story as ex-girlfriends who haven’t seen each other in ages. We spend most of the novella in Pleiti’s perspective, so we don’t fully know what’s going on in Mossa’s head. However, both seem to feel like they themselves have changed but worry the other hasn’t. Or, more accurately, worry that the other still thinks they’re the same unyielding people they were before. Mossa flirts but doesn’t push, as if she worries Pleiti is still nursing old wounds. Pleiti treats Mossa with kid gloves like they used to, so much so that they can’t see the person Mossa’s become.

Like with Older’s Infomocracy series, The Mimicking of Known Successes explores alternate forms of governance: the failures, the ideals, and the practicalities. From Pleiti’s perspective, the whole point of her job as a Classical scholar is to analyze the past so they can create a better future. Turn the past into datasets, pluck out the flaws while reinforcing the benefits, and then apply the results to what’s left of Earth. Pleiti and Mossa live in a utopia, but one that is stuck in stasis. Most people are simply living their lives within the parameters they’re given—from the farmers clustered together on agricultural platforms to the commuters riding free public transit to talented cooks in outposts in the middle of nowhere—while others want more. Scholars like Pleiti want to recreate and perfect the past, but others want to force a new future, whether by destroying the past entirely or by, well, mimicking known failures.

Malka Older’s cozy little sci-fi mystery was a delight in every way. The Mimicking of Known Successes blends a sort of Western/Victorian/Edwardian feel with speculative flair and mystery and romance tropes. I yearn for a 10-book novella series of Mossa and Pleiti’s romantic adventures.

[bookishlyvintage]

cr: The Mimicking of Known Successes, Malka Older (out 03/07/2023)