Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Black Library (6 May 2008)
ISBN-10: 184416473X
ISBN-13: 978-1844164738
Copy: Bought online
Reviewer: Cara
From the back cover:
It takes an alien race to show us our humanity.
When a mysterious alien race known as the Kethani make contact with the people of Earth they bring with them the dubious gift of eternal life. These enigmatic aliens will change the course of the human race forever but also touch people’s lives on a personal level, not least in a small town in the English countryside. But do the Kethani have a hidden agenda and will the human race choose to evolve or turn in on itself in the face of this momentous revelation?
Kethani is a superbly crafted novel that examines the consequences of first contact with an alien race, and the choices faced by those whose lives are touched by these visitors from the stars. This is science fiction at its powerful, literary best.
I read Kethani when it was first released 2 years ago and it had an immediate impact, so much so that I devoured it in one go. I just couldn’t put it down. Yet this is a quiet, introspective book which focuses almost completely on a group of friends who meet in a local pub every Tuesday night. Over a few pints they discuss life, the universe and everything. And this is how Eric Brown tells us of the Kethani and their miraculous gift of immortality, shown through the filter of ordinary, everyday people like you and me. After reading a lot of action-packed fantasy, I decided to re-read Kethani as a kind of literary ‘chill-out’to current world events, and I remembered why I loved it so much first time around.
Kethani is basically a “what if…” scenario that examines life, immortality and contact with an alien race. The plot is straightforward – Earth is given the technology for immortality by benign aliens who do not ask for anything in return. What makes this book so interesting is how humanity reacts to the Kethani’s gift. Some embrace it wholeheartedly, others reject it outright and religious ideology is severely threatened. Who needs the promise of heaven when the Kethani offer the reality of life everlasting? But instead of presenting us with a narrative about the Kethani and their motives, Brown chooses to use a group of friends in a small Yorkshire town as the vehicle for his book. And this, for me, is what made Kethani special.
I found out long only recently that Kethani is really a collection of short stories, first published in magazines like Interzone and in anthologies, linked together by Interludes. In parts, this shows as there is some annoying repetition, but overall works well as each story explores a different aspect of the Kethani’s impact on Earth and human society by telling us of a real example. As a book, it is a beautiful tale of humanity being 'helped' by seemingly benign aliens to achieve immortality and venture out into the stars. It reminded me of the Uplift series by David Brin in that respect, but the Yorkshire small town setting surprisingly softened the tone.
The use of everyday people discussing world events and relating personal experience drew out the ethical and moral implications of the first contact through discussion. This was a fascinating approach as it made the situation a lot more realistic for me. What I personally recall about major world events is flavoured by where I was and who I was with when they happened; it is the same here. Each member of the group has their own opinion and life experience to bring to the discussion. For example, Khalid is a doctor so he has a scientific and medical bias. He was my favourite character and we find out most about what happens to people who choose reincarnation after their death through his experience, or at least as much as he is willing to recount. For the Kethani’s gift is a choice, one that many people elect to forgo, for religious or other personal reasons.
We never actually ‘meet’ the Kethani. We learn they are an advanced species, with enemies both on earth and elsewhere in the universe, but they remain mysterious, seemingly benign benefactors. Human mistrust of the unknown or alien is clearly demonstrated through characters commenting on news reports or religious edicts, and at times I found myself wondering ‘do they [the Kethani] have an ulterior motive?’ I liked that the book made me ponder the human reaction to an alien race that ‘comes in peace’ and I did ask myself if I would accept the Kethani implant that provides the technology that kick starts the reincarnation process at point of death. Would I want to go to the Kethani home world and be re-educated? How would I be changed by the experience? Would I want to return home to my family and friends or travel around the universe promoting the Kethani version of immortality? These questions are covered by many of the stories in the book, but much is left to the reader to consider.
As a straightforward science fiction first contact novel, Kethani has little in the way of plot, and the aliens only really appear as shadowy background influences. Instead we get a philosophical debate presented in a series of interconnected short stories and this is what made Kethani great for me. It is not a style that everyone will enjoy, indeed some of the reviews I have read online really slate the book for that very reason. While I loved Kethani and got a lot from it in an ethical sense, I consider it a “Marmite” book… you will either love it or hate it. But there are some challenging issues raised and for an unusual take on the first contact trope, I think Kethani lives up to the recommendation from Stephen Baxter quoted on the front cover:
“Vivid, emotional, philosophical, this is a work to feed the mind, heart and soul.”
I would recommend Kethani to anyone who is despairing of the human race and the mess we are creating of our home. A utopian get-out clause maybe, but a hopeful dream of human potential is one worth holding on to.
Plot: 6
Characters: 8
Style: 7
Overall rating 7/10
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