The Power

A great what-if question gets my mind turning.

What if X historical figure had lived instead of died? What if X historical act hadn’t happened–what might the world look like? That kind of thing.

Naomi Alderman’s book The Power builds an entire universe around a big what if: What if women suddenly developed the ability to harness electricity and use it as a tool–or a weapon?

And what would happen if society tipped from a patriarchy to a matriarchy in just a few years? Who would benefit? How would those with new power adapt? How would those whose power was diminished respond? How would this miracle–because it sure seems like a miracle–be interpreted by religious-minded people? And how would opportunists and conspiracy theorists capitalize on all this to further their own ends?

That’s a lot to unpack. And yet, it’s all there. It’s quite a story.

Beyond the central hook, what I appreciate about this book is that Alderman is an efficient writer. She draws out her characters and explains this new world with a deft touch. Every word matters. This book easily could have been 1,000 pages if Alderman was prone to over description. Instead, it’s a tight 400-page novel that offers a smooth and absorbing ride. Alderman is an impressive writer because she blends creativity and craftsmanship.

I’ve noticed the books I enjoy most jump between different character perspectives. Alderman uses this technique well. In one chapter we’re inside the mind of Allie, a young woman who emerges from a traumatic childhood to become Mother Eve, an important new religious figure. In another chapter we see how Roxy, a strong young woman made even stronger by The Power, navigates her new status. We also follow Tunde, a young man who seizes the moment to become a well-known freelance journalist covering all angles of this whiplash moment in history. This tapestry of character perspectives provides a comprehensive understanding of this world.

Connections: The Power reminded me of two other pieces of culture–one is straightforward, the other is a reach.

The straightforward connection is A Canticle for Leibowitz. In that book, humanity is stuck in a cycle of destruction. When a certain level of technical sophistication is achieved–i.e. civilization-killing weapons are invented–it’s only a matter of time before those weapons are used. Over thousands of years of post-apocalyptic recovery, subsequent generations of survivors (because there are always survivors) evolve along the same well-worn paths as their ancestors, trudging toward inevitable oblivion. Leibowitz is more of a satire than The Power, but the notion of “absolute power corrupts absolutely” runs through both books.

The second connection is the kind of thing that only makes sense in my pop-culture-addled brain. The “voice” that guides Allie/Mother Eve through most of the story reminded me of “Battlestar Galactica” (the 2004-2009 version). [SPOILER] At the end of “Galactica,” we learn that the mystical versions of Six and Baltar that have appeared throughout the series are employees of a higher power. What that higher power is and wants is never explained. I got the same vibe from the undefined voice that comforts and catalyzes Mother Eve.