The Undefeated

by Una McCormack

As a journalist she exposed corruption across the Interstellar Commonwealth, shifting public opinion and destroying careers in the process.

Long-since retired, she travels back to the planet of her childhood, partly through a sense of nostalgia, partly to avoid running from humanity’s newest - and self-created - enemy, the jenjer.

Because the enemy is coming, and nothing can stand in its way.

• ISBN10: 0765399253
• ISBN13: 9780765399250
• Publish Date: 1 July 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 5 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tor.Com
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 112
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of The Undefeated through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Undefeated by Una McCormack is an interesting study on human nature, and the way we process the world around us. This was my first foray into Una McCormack’s writing, but I have to say that I’m impressed with her writing style.
The Undefeated is a scientific novella, but one that explores so much more than the science at hand. It’s beautifully written, and manages to tell a lot in such a short amount of time.
The novella follows retired journalist Monica on her journey to the outer reaches of explored and habituated space. There’s a reason for her journey, even if she doesn’t fully understand the reason herself. But her compulsion to head out is strong, even as everyone else around her flees inward.


Warnings: The Undefeated is a science fiction novel that covers both hardcore science fiction elements, as well as some very human elements. There’s mention of domestic abuse, but the details are fairly limited thankfully. There is an android race in the series as well, but they are owned and dependent on bonds and drugs to survive. It’s actually quite horrific if you think about it.
The Undefeated was a fascinating read. It was beautifully written, with a delicate understanding and an even more delicate way of handling the plot and prose. The tale seemed to just flow along as I read, and while it explored some very real and heavy subjects, it felt oddly relaxing.
I really enjoyed this novella and Monica’s exploration into her past. It was not written in a way I would have expected, but I think that just made me like it all the more. Part of the reason I say this is because it doesn’t immediately start out looking like a deep dive into a person’s past.
Monica is an interesting character, with a very interesting past. She’s made some strange (and some would say selfish) decisions along the way, but she’s also done a lot of good in her time. The most interesting plot point, and really focus of the novella itself was Monica’s childhood.
The novella explores misconceptions and buried memories that come with childhood. Using these elements as a way of obfuscating the full story, everything unfolded in a sort of organic manner. It was fascinating, and gave us a chance to know Monica even as we unraveled the truth that was happening around her.
And of course then there was the whole jenjyr plot. It’s impossible not to be curious – and a bit horrified – by their nature. And when I say horrified I of course mean about the situation they’ve been put into. It’s a trope we’ve seen again and again in science fiction, yet this one felt oddly human. I really enjoyed the newer perspective.
I really enjoyed The Undefeated, and can honestly say that I’m looking forward to seeing what the next story from Una McCormack will be.


For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

This is going to be a short review, since it is a short book. I mean goodness, I don't want to tell you everything, right? Right. So I am basically going to break it into two parts: The World, and The Characters. Because one was mostly a hit and one was rather a miss, and that sums up my feelings on this one. Let's do it! 

The World:

The world was really interesting, and I was eager to learn more about it. Our main character, Monica, is trying to get back to her childhood home at basically the end of humanity. An enemy is coming, threatening to wipe out whatever is left of humans. And apparently, they have the chops to do it. The concept of the jenjer, the modified humans who are enslaved and treated as "less than" is intriguing and I do wish we got more of their story. If I have one complaint about the world, it's that I'd want a bit more of it, but perhaps that's an unfair complaint for a novella, though it's more to say, I enjoyed this aspect.

The Characters:

I just felt nothing for Monica, and that basically is my biggest issue with this story. I wanted to understand where she's coming from, but to me she read rather unlikable. And that is okay I suppose, except when she is one of the only characters we encounter, it makes it hard to actually care if she survives the end of the human race. She doesn't seem to have a lot of sympathy for the jenjer, even though one is currently her companion. To be fair though, she doesn't seem to have much sympathy for anything, and seems quite apathetic about the end of humanity, too. 

Bottom Line: Certainly a cool world and concept, perhaps needing a bit more emotional pull to feel fully immersive.