Raven Stratagem
by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris, 2017)
Book two of the ‘Machineries of Empire’ trilogy is strangely engrossing, given it mostly comprises a series of abstruse machinations, and one of the three viewpoint characters (Brezan) contributes almost nothing. Lee’s prose, too, is workmanlike. Still, the reader is pulled along.
Hexarchate Stories
by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris, 2019); audiobook read by Emily Woo Zeller & Brian Nishii (Recorded Books, 2019)
A handful of longer pieces showcase the rich SF complexity of Lee’s Hexarchate universe (though even these suggest he should stick to novels). The collection’s remainder is unconscionable filler: random bits of prose—not even especially good prose—masquerading as short stories.
Ninefox Gambit
by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris, 2016)
A wonderfully immersive piece of military SF. Lee dumps the reader—not unkindly but without exposition—into a universe where mathematical patterns matter and where physics is subject to the forms and fluctuations of religious calendars. Strong characters emerge amidst the maelstrom.