Just read: The Lesson

First, what a great book by Cadwell Turnbull. It’s a debut novel to be remembered. This was a pleasure to read. Each section, each chapter fed like a river into the next. Second, any comparisons to Clarke’s “Childhood’s End” are justified in that it’s a memorable science-fiction classic by a great writer. The premise of “The Lesson”—aliens calling themselves “Ynaa” land on Earth bearing gifts—is about where the similarities end. The story is less about the next step in humanity’s history as it is about the life, culture, and history on the US Virgin Islands. It’s told through the lives of several different characters—most of them islanders—representing a few different generations. The aliens themselves wear a human appearance, but give off an unearthly vibe. They are also well-drawn from a cultural perspective and that is where they clash most deadly with the humans of the islands. There’s so much that is deftly revealed throughout the book that it’s difficult to say much more about it, frankly. I don’t want to spoil anything that’s not in the promotional copy.

It’s a wonderfully modern take on first contact and the personal repercussions that follow while humanity is still a fledgeling race, incapable of representing themselves on equal footing. The book’s secrets and timeline reveal so many hidden layers of the story that it almost feels like it’s being told forward and backward at the same time. I was desperate to learn what “The Lesson” was, as it is mentioned by the Ynaa’s ambassador to humanity, but it’s never spelled out. Turnbull trusts the reader to suss out the lesson for themselves, by the end. So pay attention! I think this book deserves even more than it has received as a debut novel (lookin’ at you, Hugos) and for its uncommon location and characters. This book is a highly worthy addition to history’s sci-fi body of work and I hope the book and its author finds its way to significantly more success.