The Language of Liars - Penguin Book Club

176 pages

Published by Tordotcom.

ISBN:: 978-1-250-40533-3

"Pitch-perfect science fiction about linguistics and consequences. This book destroyed me."—Yoon Ha Lee, New York Times bestselling author of Ninefox Gambit

A New Scientist Best of 2026 Pick and a Most Anticipated Pick for Literary Hub | Book Riot | Shelf Reflection

Speak another people's language. Know them. Become them. And discover you've destroyed them.

In his training as a spy, Ro was warned: you will always be living a lie.

Jumping into a Star Eater's mind in the first place requires a moment of perfect psychic connection, and he has studied all his life to comprehend their species. Admires them, respects them, is reverent at the idea of being one of them—the only species physiologically capable of mining the element needed for lightyear-spanning space travel. The species all others crave to know more of, but who have notoriously shared so very little. …

"Pitch-perfect science fiction about linguistics and consequences. This book destroyed me."—Yoon Ha Lee, New York Times bestselling author of Ninefox Gambit

A New Scientist Best of 2026 Pick and a Most Anticipated Pick for Literary Hub | Book Riot | Shelf Reflection

Speak another people's language. Know them. Become them. And discover you've destroyed them.

In his training as a spy, Ro was warned: you will always be living a lie.

Jumping into a Star Eater's mind in the first place requires a moment of perfect psychic connection, and he has studied all his life to comprehend their species. Admires them, respects them, is reverent at the idea of being one of them—the only species physiologically capable of mining the element needed for lightyear-spanning space travel. The species all others crave to know more of, but who have notoriously shared so very little. The species Ro's own small civilization, with its dwindling resources and withering reach, needs to know more about.

It will feel real, his elders impressed upon him. It will never be real.

But Ro's certainty runs deep: he will be different. Ro will not be an imposter hiding the truth of his past, because his heart will be one of them. He will be one of them.

To understand is to become. It never occurs to him that the mere act of understanding can destroy.

1 edition

Amber Herbert reviewed The Language of Liars by S. L. Huang

A Fun Concept Hindered By a Heavy-Handed Execution

3 stars

For a novella about languages and the lies we tell ourselves in order to justify immoral actions, this lacked incisiveness. There were intriguing visuals and species markers, but there wasn't a lot of depth. I also called the twist, if we can call it that, from the moment Ro jumped and interacted with another Star Eater. The story would have benefited from subtlety and a removal of most of the moral activist components that mirror the current political climate. The points made were obvious and generally agreed upon by the general reader, preaching where it isn't necessary.

All in all, this novella is a run-of-the-mill science fiction and will appeal to readers who enjoy wordplay and language diversity.

Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

For a novella about languages and the lies we tell ourselves in order to justify immoral actions, this lacked incisiveness. There were intriguing visuals and species markers, but there wasn't a lot of depth. I also called the twist, if we can call it that, from the moment Ro jumped and interacted with another Star Eater. The story would have benefited from subtlety and a removal of most of the moral activist components that mirror the current political climate. The points made were obvious and generally agreed upon by the general reader, preaching where it isn't necessary.

All in all, this novella is a run-of-the-mill science fiction and will appeal to readers who enjoy wordplay and language diversity.

Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for the advanced copy.