Minla’s Flowers is the second short story in the chronology of the Merlin series by Alastair Reynolds. Where the first story, Hideaway, was plot heavy, Minla’s Flowers is more philophical - covering issues around influence, interference, and self determination in a society.
Merlin’s ship is damaged, and he seeks help on a nearby little-known planet, Lecythus, which was colonised by humans in the distant past, but has been out of touch with broader human society ever since.
The two factions on the planet have been at war for decades - with a technology level equivalent to early 20th century Earth. On top of this, Merlin identifies an extinction level event that will occur in about 70 years - an event that he knows they will not have the technology to avoid.
The story that unfolds explores the morality of interference, and follows similar themes used in, for example, Star Trek’s “Prime Directive” (a directive against interference with non-spacefaring peoples). The technology to avoid extinction could also swing the balance of power in the war, and the story touches on what actions can be justified in order to achieve a greater goal.
This makes for a thoughtful reading experience, and I enjoyed the moral ambiguity throughout the story, and in the ending.
My rating: ★★★★☆
(Side note: This story could probably be read stand-alone, but the first short story, Hideaway, did a lot of world building that this story uses as background and context for Merlin. It can be read as part of the collection “Beyond the Aquila Rift”, where it is presented stand-alone. It can also be read in the “Zima Blue” collection, where it is presented alongside Hidaway and Merlin’s Gun).
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