Farewell Speech, by Shannon Eichorn

Heya gang, long time no see. I think it’s kind of ironic that the last post I made led with talking about all the stress and craziness. It turns out, that hasn’t gotten any better, and will probably not get better any time soon. But I have a new backlog of books I’ve read this year (not nearly as many as I’d like, but oh well) so I figure I better get started. And this one was a doozy (in a good way).

If you’ll recall, I reviewed book one of Project Black Book by Shannon Eichorn, titled Rights of Use in the past. It was a sweeping sci-fi adventure story about alien abduction, body snatching symbionts, and a wide-reaching alien war arriving on Earth’s doorstep. This novella is the follow-up.

The story picks up a few years after Rights of Use, focusing on a new character named Ilene. She is a new widow, and still recovering from a stroke that has left her with aphasia (she can understand language, but she can’t speak). She and her son Matt have been struggling along in the wake of a series of family tragedies, when suddenly she’s approached by Project Black Book with an opportunity: host an alien symbiont, start working for Black Book, and regain your powers of speech.

So Ilene will be able to recover from her stroke and solve her financial issues. The downside, of course, is being host to an alien symbiont. Ilene is not sure “parasite” isn’t the better word. She’s nervous about giving up her bodily autonomy, afraid to join a war, but most importantly, she’s terrified the choice will lead to Matt being left alone.

My favorite scene in Rights of Use was the section where the protagonist decides whether or not to take on her own symbiont. Farewell Speech is that scene under a microscope, with even more depth of feeling, more internal struggle, and more soul. Eichorn takes a sci-fi concept like “Would you host an alien symbiont?” and humanizes it until it feels perfectly real.

This is no Joseph Campbell “refusal of the call.” Ilene is suspicious specifically because it seems like it will solve all her problems. This is no Luke Skywalker “I can’t wait to start the adventure” story. This is “what’s the catch?” seen through the eyes of a woman who has experienced plenty of catches. From Ilene’s perspective, there is no right answer, and I found myself agonizing over what I felt Ilene should do.

The book isn’t without its issues. It’ll be hard to understand if you’ve never read Rights of Use. Simultaneously, if you’re expecting adventure like we got in book one, you won’t find it. But you should still give it a go. My advice is to think of it as a “bottle episode.” The story makes you slow down and engage with its premise in a very personal way. It gives you the time to ask yourself “What would you do?” It’s a more interesting question than you might think.

Anyway, it’s fun, it’s engaging, and I got through it in one evening. I couldn’t put it down. Definitely recommended!