Forget “The Little Mermaid.” My favorite fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen is his lengthy story “The Snow Queen.” I’ve already alluded to one book that was loosely based on that story: Anne Ursu’s Breadcrumbs. Today I’m recommending another book inspired by the same fairy tale: The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge.
The Snow Queen is among the best science fiction books I’ve read. The cover blurb from Arthur C. Clarke says “it has the weight and texture of Dune.” While I don’t think The Snow Queen quite reaches the level of Dune, I understand what Clarke means. Vinge has created a complex universe filled with different creatures and cultures. This novel is worth reading and re-reading.
Most of the action takes place on Tiamat, a watery planet situated near The Black Gate, a black hole that allows members of the eight-planet Hegemony to travel from one planet to another. Unlike the Hegemony’s other worlds, Tiamat is situated so close to the Black Gate that it is inaccessible to interstellar travel during the planet’s summer, which lasts for 100 of every 250 years. According to the planet’s customs, its tech-loving Winter clan holds sway during the years it is open to off-worlders, while the more “primitive” Summer clan rules during its years of planetary solitude.
This cycle benefits wealthy and powerful off-worlders who want access to Tiamat’s valuable resource: the Water of Life, distilled from the blood of an indigenous life-form, the mer. Off-worlders barter for the Water of Life with technology. They withhold technological secrets from Tiamat’s citizens, going as far as destroying all technology on Tiamat when they abandon the planet at winter’s end.
The book begins toward the end of the reign of the latest Winter Queen, Arienrhod. Arienrhod has used the Water of Life to preserve her youth, ruling for the entirety of winter. Desiring to end Tiamat’s dependence on the rest of the Hegemony, Arienrhod has implanted Summer women with her clones. Once one of her clones has grown to maturity, Arienrhod plans to teach her to be a worthy successor who will further Tiamat’s growth during the summer season.
One of Arienrhod’s clones does survive — a perfect replica of her. Moon grows up in Summer with her cousin, Sparks. The pair are practically inseparable, but their different callings drive a wedge between them. Sparks leaves for Carbuncle, Tiamat’s largest city and the seat of government. Arienrhod, who has kept track of her clones through the years, brings Sparks to the palace and sends a message to Moon: her cousin needs her. Moon sets out for Carbuncle, but she is waylaid, complicating Arienrhod’s plans and frustrating her own desire to quickly reunite with her cousin and lover.
Beyond the overarching story of Moon (Gerda), Sparks (Kay), and the Snow Queen, there are few direct parallels between Vinge’s story and Andersen’s, though one character who shows up late in the story is clearly the Robber Girl from Andersen’s tale. Instead, Vinge introduces us to a rich array of characters from different worlds. Virtually all of them are morally complex with different goals and beliefs. Arienrhod is one of the villains of the story, but one can’t help sympathizing with her desire to liberate her planet from its dependence on off-worlders.
Only Moon confines to fairy-tale stereotypes, the perfect heroine who wins over everyone who meets her. That’s a relatively small flaw in a wonderful book. And even if you know Andersen’s story, Vinge complicates things just enough to leave readers feeling uneasy about the ending. Moon’s perfection aside, this is no fairy tale.
Vinge has written more books set in the Hegemony. I’ve only read The Summer Queen, The Snow Queen‘s sequel. I remember being disappointed with it when I read it, but when I recently looked at others’ reviews of it, I wondered if I was being unfair. If anything, The Summer Queen is even less of a fairy tale than The Snow Queen, and I think I was looking for something more cheerful and straightforward when I read it. So read The Snow Queen, and if you’re not ready to let go of the characters when you reach the last page, know that Vinge has got you covered.