2021/049: Kalpa Imperial -- Angélica Gorodischer, trans. Ursula Le Guin

2021/049: Kalpa Imperial -- Angélica Gorodischer, trans. Ursula Le Guin

There’ve been emperors who dreamed of subjugating the South. There’ve been emperors who tried it, and some thought they’d done it. But with what? I ask, with what? With power, weapons, armies, fire, terror? Useless, all that, completely useless: all power can do is silence people, keep them from singing, arguing, dancing, talking, brawling, making speeches and composing music. [p. 184]

The Empire has always existed. It extends so far that a man can't cross it in a lifetime. The North is, generally, the seat of power: the South is uncivilised, rebellious, perhaps not quite human.

There is no map at the beginning of this book, no glossary or family tree or pronunciation guide or recurring characters, unless you believe (I don't) that the storyteller narrating each of these eleven stories is the same storyteller throughout. There is no magic, except the magic of transforming chaotic reality into coherent, specific narrative.

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