Everfair by Nisi Shawl

9/10

Nisi Shawl's 'Everfair' is a breathtakingly ambitious reimagining of history that serves as both a searing critique of colonial brutality and a hopeful testament to human ingenuity. Set against the grim reality of King Leopold II's genocidal rule in the Congo Free State, Shawl introduces a single, transformative 'what-if': what if the indigenous population had developed steam power and airship technology early enough to resist?

The narrative is sprawling, spanning several decades and a vast ensemble of characters. We follow African-American missionaries, British socialists, and local royalty as they collaborate to purchase land and establish 'Everfair' - a safe haven meant to be a utopian refuge from imperialist greed.
The Steampunk Aesthetic

Shawl uses the steampunk genre not merely for aesthetic flourish, but as a literal engine for political agency. The integration of mechanical prosthetics is particularly poignant; in a history where Leopold's soldiers infamously severed the hands of Congolese workers, 'Everfair' provides these survivors with steam-powered replacements.

The prose is dense and lyrical, requiring the reader's full attention as it jumps through time. While the sheer number of perspectives can occasionally make the emotional pacing feel fragmented, the payoff is a rich, multicultural tapestry that feels far more grounded than typical Victorian-era fantasies. It is a story where the 'punk' in steampunk actually stands for revolution.

'Everfair' is a vital addition to the genre. It successfully decolonises the brass-and-goggles trope, replacing Eurocentric adventure with a complex study of race, sexuality, and the messy friction of building a new society from the ashes of the old. It is a heavy read, but a necessary one for anyone who believes that speculative fiction should do more than just entertain.