I very much appreciate being gifted this copy of The Necessity of Stars by E. Catherine Tobler, and the opportunity to read & review it. Thanks to the publisher.

Normally my reviews are formatted in a way so that I can go into detail about why I wanted to read this book, what I liked, what I didn't like about it, but I can't do that for this review. The reason for that is because I forget so much of this story, which is ironic considering the protagonist suffers from memory loss, and I didn't write any notes to help me remember. The only thing I have written down is something I didn't like about this novella, which was that there were two competing storylines, about memory and environmentalism, and the author didn't do a sufficient job of meshing the two. I don't hate this book or think it is awful, because I would remember if I did, but clearly there wasn't anything about this story that was decent enough to stand out in my memory.

Interesting and intelligent, but more of an experience than a story, and not one I can say I enjoyed reading.

The Necessity of Stars explores memory as a concept through Bréone, an aging diplomat with dementia. She encounters an alien, Tura, in her garden, and struggles with her memory of the encounter.

Story—★★★☆☆ (2.5 Stars)
Characters—★★★☆☆
Writing Style—★★★★☆
Themes and Representation—★★★★☆ (3.75 Stars)
Enjoyment—★★☆☆☆ (2.25 Stars)

(Thank you to NetGalley and to Neon Hemlock Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

I loved the concept and many elements within, but struggled with much of the execution. As a narrative, The Necessity of Stars is in a uncomfortable middleground: it's a literary examination of a concept that functions as if it's on the edge of becoming a full story. By this, I mean Tobler mentions things like a possible alien invasion and/or escape in Britain and how Bréone is the most amazing negotiator ever and after years of ignoring her, her boss has called on her again.

But The Necessity of Stars is technically not about any of those things, it's about about Bréone wrangling memory--both her own and the idea of what memory is (word, and so, while most of the book contributes to this higher cause, it's often downright dull to read. Bréone's reflections on her first memory of meeting Tura are an excellent example of this: they contribute perfectly the concept of a memory as what we tell ourselves it is, but it's also just Bréone repeatedly waxing poetic about Tura half a dozen times. Part of this is the distinct lack of clarity on what exactly The Necessity of Stars is from the outset, part of it Tobler's handling of the narrative, and admittedly, part of it is my own expectations being unmet.

The Necessity of Stars is told in first person, something tense from Bréone's point of view. (Bréone is an unreliable narrator.) Tobler's writing is above average and. Tobler's writing is strongest and arguable most poetic when dealing with the passages most directly dealing with the concept of her novella; Bréone's and Tura's discussions of memory were downright brilliant. However, I felt the descriptions of Tura's galaxy body and Bréone's remarkable garden were unmemorable; they functioned more like adjective dumps than anything.

Something easy to appreciated about The Necessity of Stars is the representation: not only is Bréone an elderly protagonist struggling to live with a debilitating health condition, but the novella is strictly about these things. (Bréone is also sapphic; her neighbour and friend Delphine is also her former lover.)

The Necessity of Stars is definitely one of those stories where it's more fun to discuss than to actually read.

Overall—★★★☆☆

Recommended For...
Readers looking for intelligent, thoughtful short fiction; readers looking for works examining memory as a concept; readers who enjoy unreliable narrators; readers looking for older protagonists.

Not a fan of this one! I really didn’t connect to the story or characters and the plot felt confusing and kinda pointless.

Bréone Hemmerti is a diplomat living in France with her long-time friend and companion Delphine. She knows she can’t trust her memories and when she meets Tura, an alien in her garden one night, she doesn’t know if she imagined the interaction or if she’s losing her mind.

The Necessity of Stars is an atmospheric novella about friendships, memory and perception. Bréone and Delphine both are older women and I liked how the author discussed how women are often discarded when they are not seen as useful anymore.

Delphine is a retired scientist who used to work for the United Nations. Her entire career she tried to make people face inconvenient truths just to be ignored by politicians. And now that the end of humanity is here, now that Earth is unhabitable, it’s too late to do anything. Humans are spectators to their own demise.

This story had a dreamlike quality. The main character is slowly losing sense of what’s real and what’s not. She sometimes confuses memories with stories she was told, sometimes she thinks Delphine’s children are her own and days and days sometimes pass without her realizing it. The mental health of the character affects the narrative structure of the novella. Some parts appear to be missing while others are repeated which allows the reader to feel what Bréone is experiencing.

The non-linear structure also means that some parts of the book were a bit confusing. Like Bréone, I sometimes didn’t know how much time has passed, if some interactions were real and if Tura existed or not. The ending left me with a lot of questions but I think it suited the story. Also, for a story about a possible alien invasion and the end of the world, it was strangely hopeful. I’m now very curious to read E. Catherine Tobler’s future works.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. My thanks to Netgalley and Neon Hemlock Press for the ARC.

There are lots of high-rating, helpful reviews of the short tale. I liked it too. I don't have anything additional to add to the reviews other than recommend it to scifi fans. Tobler writes well too.

Thanks very much for the free review copy!!

I looked back at the synopsis of The Necessity of Stars when I sat down to write this review, and I’m not certain what drew my attention to it. It’s a short book which explodes with a lot of important messages, but I can’t say for sure I understood everything.

The Necessity of Stars is hard to define. On the surface, I’d class it as science-fiction. There were aliens involved, which, in my mind, makes it science-fiction. But there’s politics, climate-change, undercurrents of an LGBT+ relationship (only undercurrent because the romance is a side-note more than anything) and dementia.

There’s a lot packed in here.

I can’t write this review in my normal structure. Why? Because – and I hate to admit this – I don’t really know what happened?

It’s a short book, following a woman struggling with dementia, fighting to remember who she is. She’s an important diplomat but lives out retirement in a quiet island, next door to her friend/lover (the women are close, and romance is involved, but their relationship isn’t defined). I thought the dementia was handled well, although at times it felt like a plot device. I also wasn’t certain about the playful references to being tapped on the temple to ‘restart’ – I feel that would only invoke more frustration.

The political elements were forceful. The messages about climate-change were pushed on the reader in a not-so-subtle way, which left me with the impression the author was determined to get their point across. It was important, and it worked to set up this world, but it came on too strong for me, personally.

Then there were aliens. Disguised as trees. Fleeing from other aliens, who may or may not also be on the planet, and may or may not be a politician in disguise. I didn’t understand this aspect of the book. The prose was poetic while describing the alien, but I got no sense of origin or purpose, other than they were fleeing. I couldn’t get to grips with what was actually happening.

The writing had a certain grace to it, with poetic tendencies in the descriptions. This may be due to the focus being on nature, the planet or something other-world-y. I enjoyed the images it created and the world that was built, even if I was lost in the actual plot.

As a result of the writing, I was left with the impression I misunderstood something. That there was a deeper layer, a message whose true meaning escaped me. I feel like the dementia and the aliens are linked, but I can’t tell you how. There is also every chance that me reaching for something more is me missing the point of the book.

So, I don’t know with this one. It was by no means a bad read. The writing was delightful and the length and pacing of the book worked to make it an enjoyable read. I can’t say if I recommend it or not, because I didn’t fully understand it.

I found this an interesting take on an alien invasion. The world is gripped in the death throes of climate change. Aliens offer a solution.

Tobler is definitely someone I would want to take writing lessons and world-building lessons from. Masterfully told, The Necessity of Stars is a lyrical tale, albeit short, but also has so much emotion and feeling while not forgetting the ever-important world-building, especially in a science fiction-esque world. The way Tobler told about our main character's memory decline was so raw and beautiful. I loved all the politics and the history as well. I really enjoyed the sci-fi/alien sort of aspect as well.
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC

There is a statement at the beginning of chapter three of this lovely novella that encapsulates how one can look at memory: "Memory is a form of fiction—a story that keeps the days threaded together in proper order."

Main character Bréone Hemmerli is losing her memories. She sits in her enclosed garden, and enjoys the quiet, safety and beauty with her neighbour Delphine, aware that much of the world is in the grip of big fires or floods. She is a UN diplomat, and her boss wants her to travel to the site of a problem, while she worries that there is something wrong with her garden, as something has eaten the fish in the pond, and her trees may not be trees.

I loved that Bréone is an older woman, a figure not usually featured as a main character in fiction. Also, there are several themes at work here, which author E. Catherine Tobler works beautifully into the narrative:
-the climate is changing rapidly and destructively, and millions are displaced. Governments chose to do nothing in the past, and continue to do little.
-the older one gets, particularly as a woman, the less respect one elicits from others, and Bréone’s boss’ dismissal of hers and other respected professional women’s opinions is emblematic of society’s dismissal of older women’s voices.
-how to hold onto one's self as one's memories fray and disappear
-a planet inimical to humans may be attractive to aliens comfortable with other types of climates.

This is a beautifully written story about loss, on a big and on a personal scale.
Except for me being a wee bit puzzled by part of the resolution to this tale, I liked this story a lot.

Thank you to Netgalley and Neon Hemlock Press for this ARC in exchange for a review.

The Necessity of Stars was a beautifully written prose on global warming, ageing, and dementia. Like a lot of books, this story is not for everyone. Specifically, this book is for readers who are okay with not finding out answers to all their questions.

3 stars! (came out July 20th)

**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
#TheNecessityofStars #NetGalley

Pros
+ Setting: eco-dystopian set at Irislands, a remote UN-owned house and garden
+ Breone (MC): older diplomat suffering from bouts of memory loss who lives at Irislands
+ Delphine: Breone's neighbor, long-time friend, and past lover
+ rep: f/f relationship (in the past), pansexual/bisexual rep (both Breone and Delphine were married to men then got together after divorces), neuro-atypical (dementia/Alzheimer's)
+ The alien elements were very cool. Extra points for the weirdness.

Cons
- I didn't really connect to the main character. A lot of her life revolves around reminiscing about how great of a UN moderator she was... but now she's an old woman clinging to past glory.
- I wish the world had been better developed. We get hints of the worldwide ecological collapse, but mostly we just spend time in the Irislands garden.

TW: Alzheimer's/dementia

#TheNecessityofStars is a lyrical exploration of decline: of the environment, of memory, of relationships, of human bodies. It's a short novella and there isn't much in the way of plot, which in my opinion would have detracted from its core. It is also a first contact story, a woman in her twilight meeting an alien being. But most of all, it is a feminist and environmentalist meditation, set in a future world where humanity is past fighting to save the environment and just enjoys the pockets of unaffected land as they slowly disappear.

3.5 stars. This is a gentle little novella about aging and dementia and climate change, and also about love and friendship and diplomacy. The setting – an ancient stone house in a garden in Normandy – was beautifully painted. I loved the narrator, an older woman and semi-retired diplomat whose memory is starting to crack, and her musings on memory and relationships. The science fiction first-contact element was very well done, and the prose was lovely.

I only didn't care for the plot! There was, frankly, none to speak of. Which would have been fine, except that a little bit of plot was alluded to: a mysterious accident in a foreign country, a suggestion that our narrator might journey to that country to negotiate between various parties, a twist regarding an antagonist. But all of this turned out to be ancillary to the novella, which was really extremely internal. These little plot seeds felt to me like they were never really seen through, and so they felt like a bit of a bait-and-switch.

I received an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[5 Stars]

This really surprised me. I found the writing at first to be a little disorienting which made it hard to get into the story. But eventually, this truly swept me away. There were so many quotes that I ended up highlighting and I found the conclusion to be a great mix of intrigue and beauty.
This is a really short book so I'd definitely recommend you pick it up and give it a shot

Bréone Hemmerli is a diplomat, working for the UN, in a world that rapidly has no need for her as it tears itself apart under the influence of climate change and isolationist policies. She’s also struggling with the encroaching loss of her memories, which bends reality and leaves her sometimes incapable of remembering how to open a door, while sometimes still clear enough to understand international politics.

And there’s an alien in her back garden; it looks like a tree, it’s eaten the fish in her pond, and it needs to communicate with humanity. It needs to communicate, for a start, with Bréone.

The description of the dementia is vivid, and frankly, something that I personally could have done without right now. I can’t blame the book for being vivid, but for personal reasons this aspect of the plot was just… it just wasn’t the right time for me. It did leave me wondering how the narrator could possibly be so clear, given the state of her memories and general cognition; I promise to the sticklers like me that there is a reason for that, and it does get revealed.

I think I enjoyed this less than I would’ve sometimes because of the aforementioned personal reasons, but as a novella (or maybe a long short story?) it works quite well, offering us a glimpse of a moment in time and a critical choice, an opportunity to change things for the better. It’s not super-conclusive — the world isn’t saved all in a second — and instead it feels personal, giving us that moment in Bréone’s skin, in her failing mind. It works beautifully.

This was a really interesting read, very carefully constructed and tackling big themes of time, memory, climate anxiety and womanhood. It's sort of quite well done, I was really interested the whole way along (I really like trees so I suppose I may be biased to that extent) but I think my real concern came from the portrayal of the UN. I think, though the author attempted to give nuance to aims and ethics of the organisation, the ending of the book most definitely positied the organisations fault as of the 'bad apple' variety, which is a bit of a cop out in my opinion (and also demonstrably false, the UN has never purported to be anything beyond the international protector of Western imperialism) . I generally have issues with nature being divorced from indigenuity (I understand it's set in France, but still!), and it always feels like Muhammad Ali talking about Tarzan whenever white people come upon some wonder of the natural world and are imbued with some sort of unique understanding. Also, the whole "Kingdom" was very tongue in cheek and I thought it was funny, I think the writing was really quite good and overall I'm not in the least regretful that I read it despite my qualms.

(ARC received in exchange for honest review at www.netgalley.com)

E. Catherine Tobler cut her teeth in Sci-Fi and Fantasy in the realm of short stories, published by the likes of Apex and Lightspeed. ’The Necessity of Stars’ is a departure from that trend, then, a novella following the diplomat Bréone Hemmerli as she strives for peace on a fractured world. She tends her gardens, her safe haven on a planet beaten down by climate change. Alas, Bréone isn’t immune to the effects of old age, and as her memory begins to fail her, she finds herself in the presence of a most unusual creature who might be able to help preserve what is almost certainly about to be lost…

‘The Necessity of Stars’ is primarily contemplative in nature, it’s world a mere backdrop to the deeper thematic issues it tackles. That’s not to say the world isn’t well constructed - it is, and Tobler uses delicate, lyrical prose to build it, an effective parallel to Bréone‘s herself. Tobler’s exploration of theme is truly astounding, exploring the nature of memory, the importance of shared burdens and the necessity of change. Bréone is a poor narrator, the tapestry of her mind unravelling before the reader’s eyes, which Tobler illustrates by weaving her story on the strength of Bréone‘s emotions and friendships as her memory becomes the enemy. It’s interesting to compare Bréone‘s personal struggle with the ecological collapse of the world she inhabits, as the interior threat begins to mirror the exterior threat - both Bréone and the Planet are disintegrating. By offering Bréone a chance of salvation in the form of her friend and the creature she meets, Tobler implies that co-operation and unity must also play a role in healing the world itself. It’s this meta-commentary that cements ‘The Necessity of Stars’ as one of the pinnacles of it’s genre, a gentle, thoughtful narrative with implications far beyond the boundaries of pen and paper.

At this point, I’d usually introduce some critique, but I truly have nothing negative to say. ‘The Necessity of Stars’ is art, the condensation of helplessness, struggle and heart into a cohesive narrative that will live with the reader long after they close the book. Tobler is masterful in her integration of themes, never lecturing or obscuring the plot, but placing faith in the reader to feel the hidden narrative. ‘The Necessity of Stars’ is a must-read, a rare masterclass in subtlety, and leaves me wanting more.

“Memory tells us not to stray from the path and into the woods, for wolves linger there.”

Definitely not your regular science fiction/alien invasion story. This novel had a surreal, dream-like quality that suited the main character’s struggle with dementia. Set in Normandy, France, UN diplomat, Breone, shelters from a world in ruins. Why is her garden still alive while the rest of the world drowns or burns? Is anything she sees or remembers real? What will she do when given the chance to effect change? There is so much in this relatively short story that you could probably read it again and again and get something new out of it each time. Much deeper and more poetic than my regular fare. An intriguing read.

We are 100% here for having older, queer protagonists. And this was such a fascinating perspective both on cli-fi (2021 is the year of very intriguing and relentless cli-fi, y'all) and the transience of memory.

However, the main character's memory problems serve to muddy the story significantly. If she doesn't know the order of events and whether they happened at all, neither do we. Personally, that kept me at a bit of a remove because the whole time I was like "is this real? Are there more interactions happening off-screen? How much time has passed?" I was also a little taken aback by how "old" both Bréone and Delphine are described when they're only 63. Because people are living so much longer and this takes place in the (near) future. They're younger than my parents and both seemed very infirm in a way that didn't feel entirely true to me.

I was intrigued, especially by Bréone's childlike fascination and her insistence that "even old women" can be fascinated and weird and interesting and joyful. But I had trouble following the story.