In a world where a primitive human tribe must survive among vicious yet intelligent monsters who’re hungry for their flesh, Stopmouth and his family must volunteer the weakest of their tribe as offerings to those they have treaties with and fight the ones they don’t. Overhead are the globes which float through the sky (or “roof” as they call it) which at the beginning of the book, are a mystery to those below.
This is the first audiobook I’ve reviewed for this blog. Though The Inferior was published in 2007, the audiobook was released in October 2024 and is narrated by Nathaniel Priestley.
As far as sci-fi goes, I think this is an interesting concept. The human tribe are primitive in many respects. They hunt with spears and eat the flesh of their kills. It appears farming and growing vegetables is not an option in this world and Ó Guilín builds the culture of the tribe around this fact, with the appointment of chiefs, tattoos to mark hunters’ bravery, and the marrying of many wives by men is not uncommon.
However, the globes in the sky show the universe which the main character, Stopmouth, lives is not as primitive as one might believe. When the globes start attacking each other, debris of advanced technology are discovered by the humans, along with a woman named Indrani. The tribe don’t know what to make of her dark skin and perfect looks.
This juxtaposition between a primitive caveman like tribe with the advanced technology of flying spheres makes for an interesting universe for the story to take place. I’m not sure if this story counts as “stone-punk”, maybe that’s an article all to itself, but I think it would be a good way to describe this book.
But with any book of any genre, characters are king, and Ó Guilín has created an engaging cast. Stopmouth has a speech impediment and is considered a dullard among the tribe. But he’s fast and a good hunter, and later shows he has a much more honest character than his more articulate and intelligent brother, Wallbreaker. He’s an easy character to root for throughout the book and anchors the story well.
One of my favourite characters is Rockface, a fantastic hunter with many tattoos. Brought alive by Priestly’s narration, his voice is portrayed as rough and spirited, but there’s a soft side to his character too, a genuineness which matches Stopmouth’s.
What I like about this story is it examines what it means to be civilised. Indrani is said to have come from “the roof” and detests the primitive tribe which takes her in. The beasts which they eat are intelligent beings and she views this the same as cannibalism. But in the absence of other sources of food, she soon realises they have no other choice if they want to survive.
These are the type of questions this book asks throughout. What does it mean to be civilised? What makes someone a savage? The more Indrani gets to know Stopmouth, the more she wonders what he would be like if he had the same advantages as she. Would he revert to her idea of cannibalism should he have another source of food?
But this book isn’t all philosophical. It is littered with action scenes and death-defying battles with the many alien monsters Ó Guilín has concocted. The imagery makes these scenes easy to imagine, although I would’ve liked for the monsters to be described in more detail.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and it’s perfect for those who’re looking for a sci-fi which is different. Priestley brings this book alive and expertly acts out the characters, giving them each a unique voice. Given Stopmouth’s speech impediment, I can only imagine this was a challenge to portray; however, I believe Priestley executed his character very well. I definitely recommend reading this, but I more so recommend giving this story a listen.
Find out more about Peadar Ó Guilín by visiting his website and by following him on social media.
This book review is part of a new #Octobooks series. #Octobooks are books associated with authors/guests/members (past and present) of #Octocon, the National Irish Science Fiction Convention. Find out more about Octocon on their website and their socials: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, BlueSky, and Mastodon.
MARK KIELTY 