Ammonite.

Ammonite starts slow and thoughtful, exploring interesting and surprising ideas about its science fiction universe. And then it builds to an engaging plot-driven story that’s hard to put down.

I almost wish I had read Griffith’s explanation of what she was trying to do first (in my edition this was an afterword) because I think it would have made me more attuned to some really compelling aspects of the book more quickly. But this is not to say it doesn’t succeed. It absolutely does.

I loved the world, the people, and then fictional science here. It was original, fascinating, and really fun to read. And I especially loved the complex and diverse cast of female characters. 

The strengths of this book were ideas, character development, and atmosphere. The biggest weakness was pacing. I don't quite know if it was a weakness, really, but this is not a book that sucked me in, which is something I've come to expect from contemporary novels. I had to choose to keep reading rather than getting pulled along. Maybe then the fault was mine for expecting light reading, and getting something a bit closer to literary fiction.

It's hard to write a review without giving too much away. I'm normally not shy about spoilers but this is the kind of book where uncovering the ideas is a big part of the pleasure. Anyway I do recommend it, if for no other reason than that it's quite different from the kind of sci fi you'll find out there normally.