Library Journal - Audio
12/01/2022
Listeners' enjoyment of Robson's (Hearts of Oak) latest will depend on their patience for the protagonist's initial dullness and slightly snarky musings on society. A certain draggy feeling is to be expected, as Lydia is isolated, overworked, lacking in self-esteem, and her job duties translating the telepathic Logi language makes her (and all other humans) feel constantly drunk. When her boss, the Logi cultural attaché, is found murdered in their secure facility, however, the action begins to heat up. Listeners may be reminded of Emma Newman's After Atlas, with its focus on mental health and an oppressive future society. There is also a dash of Arkady Martine's A Memory Called Empire, as the ensuing murder investigation is complicated by aliens, diplomacy, and language. Delivered with a pleasant British accent, Amy Scanlon's narration strikes the right note, conveying Lydia's drunkenness with startling acuity. The increasing pace and complexity of the plot allow Scanlon to show off more voices and emotion, and the story becomes satisfyingly engrossing. The conclusion will please listeners who make it to the end and make them hope for more stories of the alien Logi. VERDICT Recommend to Robson's fans and anyone who delights in bizarre but thoughtful sci-fi.—Matthew Galloway
Publishers Weekly
03/07/2022
Robson (Hearts of Oak) spins a murder mystery into a memorable exploration of the power of language and technology in a post first-contact world. Human Lydia serves as the translator for Fitz, the Logi cultural attaché to Earth. While Lydia’s not the best translator at her agency, she and Fitz work well together. Communicating in the telepathic Logisi language leaves humans effectively drunk, a side effect Fitz is sympathetic to, even standing up for Lydia after a few public debacles. Then Fitz turns up murdered in the home the two share, leaving Lydia a suspect. To clear her name, she plunges into an ever-thickening web of intrigue around Logisi language and technology—and humanity’s extraterrestrial xenophobia. Robson mines the situation for both tension and humor, and Lydia owns her story, coming across as a brash, compassionate, and incredibly persistent heroine readers will root for. Robson has a subtle touch with the futuristic technology, steering clear of excessive exposition to focus instead on how the presence of the Logi effects life on Earth. Readers looking for thoughtful, fast-paced sci-fi should check this out. (June)
From the Publisher
Oprah Daily's #1 Science Fiction Book of 2022!
The RUSA Science Fiction Novel of the Year!
A Polygon Most Anticipated Summer Read!
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Summer Read!
A CrimeReads Most Anticipated Selection!
“Perfect for anyone looking for a fun, thought-provoking and unintimidating foray into sci-fi, this book will have readers smiling on every page, drunk on Robson’s clever words.” —BookPage
“With a darkly tongue-in-cheek comedy and soft science-fiction premise, Drunk on All Your Strange New Words is a conspiracy theory gift wrapped up as an exploration of our own culture’s obsession with ourselves. As Robson develops the mystery, honing in on the whodunnit at the center of the book, he also expands outwards, translating small truths about our own world through Lydia’s filters. And, in some cases, without any filters at all.” —iO9
“Eddie Robson is an exciting new fixture in British SFF, with a perspective that's charming, humane and witty. He's going to be around a long time. Read him now before you have to start lying about having done so.” —Paul Cornell
“A hell of a lot of fun for fans of locked room mysteries and near future sci-fi.” —Gareth L. Powell
“Drunk on all Your Strange New Words is a twisted murder investigation through a post-contact future full of world-building in fascinating detail.” —Django Wexler
“The truth in this story is both far simpler and far more interesting than the many lies people would like to believe, and Lydia is just the right kind of inquisitive character to keep the narrative entertaining.” —Booklist
“A memorable exploration of the power of language and technology in a post first-contact world... thoughtful, fast-paced sci-fi.” —Publishers Weekly
“The book packs in oodles of dry wit and droll self-mockery, the sort of profound and lacerating laughter that Robson's countrymen Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett perfected.” —NPR on Hearts of Oak
“Drunk on All Your Strange New Words... offers something fresh and engaging for fans of many genres.” —Toronto Star
“Drunk on All Your Strange New Words…is a surprising and compellingly eccentric narrative that integrates elements of science fiction, with aliens and futuristic technology, into a murder mystery format, filled with dysfunctional characters and red herrings.” —Aurealis
Library Journal
★ 05/06/2022
In the latest from Robson (following Hearts of Oak), Lydia works as the resident telepathic translator for the alien Logi in near-future, post-First Contact New York City. The presence of her boss and his people are providing economic uplift after climate change cataclysms, which gives them outsized influence on human culture—at least according to the traditionalists who fear change and the conspiracy theory adherents looking for someone else to blame. When her boss is killed inside their secure, locked embassy, Lydia is the obvious suspect. In her amateur investigation to clear her name, she is drawn into a cat-and-mouse game of faked evidence, wild-eyed academic theories, selectively incompetent police, and the ghost of her boss giving her clues from beyond. VERDICT Fans of John Scalzi's Lock In and Brandon Sanderson's Legion will be enthralled with this deft blend of murder mystery and science fiction. In the end, the motives for the crime are all too human, while the means, methods, and opportunities are all firmly part of this futuristic setting. Highly recommended.—Marlene Harris
