"The January Dancer" by Michael Flynn (Tor)

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The January Dancer
Michael Flynn
352 pp. Tor. $24.95
Pub. Date: 10/14/2008
ISBN-13: 978-0765318176

Reviewed by Paul Stotts

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“Myths, you mean. Legends, fables. I’ve heard them. If any two of them describe the same creatures—if any two stories even fit together logically—they’d be the first two. We don’t know when the prehumans were around, or for how long. We don’t know if they ruled this quarter of the galaxy or only roamed through it. There’s probably a tall tale to cover every possibility. People can’t tolerate the inexplicable. So they tell a story or sing a song.”—Michael Flynn, “The January Dancer”

When “Eifelheim” received a Hugo nomination last year for best novel, I immediately inserted author Michael Flynn on my “to-read-someday” list. Unfortunately, it’s a long list and most of the names never get Sharpie-d off. It’s like my own personal Siberian gulag for speculative fiction writers, cruel and gruel galore. Luckily Flynn avoids this fate worse than death by securing an early parole with his latest novel “The January Dancer.” And I’m ecstatic he did.

“The January Dancer” is presented as a story-within-a-story. A harper comes to the Bar on Jehovah, searching for the story of the Dancer which she plans to transform into her master-work. There she discovers “a man of remnants and shadows” who indulges her with the tale of the Dancer.

Captain Amos January and his crew discover an artifact on one of the outlying planets while mining for metals. They believe this twisting, dancing brick-like artifact (referred to as the Dancer) to be prehuman in origin, and therefore, extremely valuable. The crew trades the Dancer with the administrator of the planet New Eireann in exchange for maintenance and repair on their ship, New Angeles.

But the Dancer is not only a valuable museum piece. It’s an artifact of potentially mythological power if the fable about the Twisting Stone is to be believed. And it could be the salvation of Earth. This promise has attracted the attention of a mysterious individual known as the Fudir. The Fudir enlists the help of the outcast New Eireann leader Little Hugh O’Carroll in retrieving the Dancer.

But before they can reel the artifact in the Dancer has changed hands once again. So begins a long chain of possession as the Dancer travels amongst various worlds, constantly switching hands, with Hugh and the Fudir always a step behind in their search. Can they get to it before the true value of the Dancer is discovered?

“The January Dancer” is a revelation, a rousing space opera that’s brilliantly crafted and executed. Unlike the cotton-candy space opera out there which is yummy but essentially fluff (John Scalzi, I’m looking at you), “The January Dancer” displays a brain, placing substance behind the entertainment. This isn’t a frivolous entertainment injection filled with snappy dialogue and a flat cookie-cutter setting (once again Scalzi, eyes your direction). Characters in Flynn’s novel ponder serious ethical questions related to governing and the abuse of power. The mythical MacGuffin the characters search for in “The January Dancer” acts as a measure for each of them, revealing more about their own attitudes and beliefs.

Space opera is often hindered by lackluster settings; the worlds seemingly transplanted Earth-like societies. No planet is unique. This lack of uniqueness is difficult to believe since it’s so unlikely. A planet’s position in the universe should affect its political and social circumstances. There should be social evolution, however often there’s not. This reflects back on the quality of the story as the best science-fiction provides memorable locations. Who wants to explore an uninteresting universe?

“The January Dancer” avoids this trap with a fecund setting. Flynn imbues the various worlds with their own personalities, making each planet distinctive and detailed. The different societies go beyond setting, beyond a cutout world. They make sense from an evolutionary standpoint; trade planets are different than outliers. Flynn’s rich universe acts as another character in the story, making the adventure of Fudir and Hugh feel fuller and more robust.

The learning curve in the novel is steep at the beginning as Flynn introduces the various plotlines, characters and worlds. There are multiple starting points and the novel can feel overwhelming, like quickly jumping from subtraction to abstract algebra, but the initial effort is richly rewarded. Once Flynn has introduced the major players, the pace of the novel accelerates, twisting and turning more than the Dancer itself.

Flynn also proves himself a master wordsmith. The interludes between the harper and the storyteller in particularly are beautifully written as they comment on the tale of the Dancer.

Last Word:
“The January Dancer” is a novel that improves the longer one reads, reaching ever greater levels of entertainment as the story progresses. Michael Flynn has written an intelligent, lush novel filled with memorable characters and an unforgettable universe. A superior work that places Flynn securely on my “must-continue-reading” list.

Final Grade: 85 out of 100

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