I am recording a few thoughts on the book How Long ’til Black Future Month by NK Jemisin. Recently, I finished listening to the story The Narcomancer, and it stands out as one of my favorites. I could sense that Jemisin invested more in this story, making it feel more fleshed out with a well-developed world and characters, creating meaningful connections between them. Interestingly, I discovered that The Narcomancer was one of NK Jemisin’s attempts to build a world before developing an entire novel. As I immersed myself in this narrative, the thought crossed my mind that it would be visually captivating, possibly as a movie rather than a graphic novel. To my surprise, I later learned that she indeed expanded this story into a full novel. What resonated with me about it? (2024 Update: I’ve since read The Killing Moon, which this story was developed into and I’ve even used AI to create images based on this world.)

As I mentioned, the intricately set up world caught my attention. The characters were intriguing and well-crafted. One notable theme explored in the story was the protagonist’s struggle with his sense of duty. On one level, there was the external perception of others regarding his worth and what he should be doing. Simultaneously, there was his internal conflict, his own perception of his duties, and then the underlying truth. Each layer brought him closer or farther away from the reality of his true purpose. The narrative revolves around an alternate world rooted in Egyptian mythology and Egyptology.

So essentially, the protagonist possesses a unique gift – the ability to manipulate the dream world. Along with this capability, he has the power to induce eternal sleep, a form of ending someone’s life. In the land where he resides, maintaining peace is crucial, and disturbing it often leads to severe consequences, including death. However, his method of putting someone to sleep seems comparatively humane. Interestingly, there’s an order to which he belongs, and one of the fundamental principles is dealing with matters of death to preserve peace and order.

During a conversation about his purpose and duty within the order, someone remarks that he deals with death. In response, he corrects them, emphasizing that his role is not merely about dealing with death but rather maintaining peace. However, when he joined the order, he took a vow of celibacy as part of his commitment to serving the order. This vow was his understanding of his duty within the order.

As the story unfolds, he embarks on a mission that challenges his preconceived notions. He discovers that his duty extends beyond adhering to vows and involves helping people and maintaining peace at any cost. In this particular case, fulfilling his duty meant breaking the vow of celibacy. The mission involves assisting a woman, a widow, who, in order to secure her position in the town hierarchy, needs to bear a child. The complexity arises because, unlike the other wife, she is unable to conceive.

In aiding this woman to improve her circumstances and make her life more bearable, the protagonist recognized that helping her have a child was essential. As he embarked on the mission alongside another individual, the companion, possessing special abilities, revealed that the woman was indeed fertile. However, it seemed the gods disapproved of her having a child with just anyone. Interestingly, the woman favored the protagonist, who also held a priest-like role. This circumstance indicated that he would be the one to fulfill the task of giving her a child. Despite the act potentially breaking his vow of celibacy, he justified it as a means to better her situation while maintaining his commitment to the deity he worshipped.

Even though he explained the situation to his superiors, it appeared that, according to the order’s beliefs, he had violated his vow. The penalty for this transgression was facing eternal sleep. This nuanced and intricate story explores the protagonist’s dilemma and the clash between his commitment to his vow and the potential consequences imposed by the order.

Original draft written in August 2019.