The City We Became

by N.K. Jemisin

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

If you’ve scrolled down the homepage, you’d know that N.K. Jemisin is my favorite author. She has been for a while, but, until recently, I had only read her short stories. I love them, particularly “The City Born Great”. I read it in my sophomore year fiction class (where I also read The God of Small Things). I loved it, and I mean I loved it. It made me feel like a kid again, when I was so excited about what I was reading that I couldn’t stop talking about it. Or thinking about it. So I was ecstatic, when, months later, I was listening to Levar Burton Reads heard her announce that she was writing a book based on the same premise. This book is The City We Became.

Me, documenting the Moment

In Early 2021, I finally bought a copy (and one for a friend). I began it while sitting out by the lake, on one of the first nice days of the year. I wore my cactus shirt and documented the moment because it was a Special Occasion. Unfortunately, I am an Adult™ now, so I can’t just read for six straight hours and then do it again the next day. I have to, like, clean my bathroom and decide what I'll have for dinner. So, instead of a few days, it took about two weeks to finish it.

The book rests on the premise that cities are living beings, which, when they reach a certain point, are “born”. When this happens, a person becomes the cities avatar, the living embodiment of what that city is. They can feel it coming to life, and it’s their job to help it with its birth. They’re not just their to tell it to push- there’ an ancient Enemy which seeks to destroy the city when it’s at its most vulnerable- at the moment of its birth. The avatar must use their power- that of the city- to fight off the Enemy.

The City We Became begins with the avatar of New York City, a young, black, gay, unhoused man. With his help the city is born successfully, and, as it has for the thousands of years, the Enemy shouldn’t be able to attack. But something goes wrong. The avatar collapses, and the Enemy begins to infest the city. Meanwhile, five more avatars awaken, with little understanding of the cosmic war in which they are now soldiers. But they understand one thing: They need to find each other, and the need to stop the spreading infection.

If my description seems general, it’s because part of the plot is them parsing out what it means to be a city’s avatar and what exactly they must do. Over time, they come to understand the phenomenon they are a part of- in a manner entirely suitable for a three-time Hugo award winner.

1895 Map of NYC

The narrative jumps between the avatars, allowing glimpses into each of their pasts and their relationship to the city. Part of what makes the book so interesting is that they are not simply parts of a whole. Rather, they are individuals who, though possessing an instinct to remain together, are no less concerned with their personal responsibilities- to their families, jobs, and communities. They never chose to become avatars, so they never chose to give up these ties. They do, however, have to decide to work with the others- and this is the main tension of the book. They may quickly identify with their new role, while others will refuse to be a part of New York at all.

This book fits into the recent wave of diverse sci-fi and fantasy, but I hate to label it as simply “diverse” and move on. It makes me feel like I’m saying “oh, yeah, and there are some non-white, queer character, who happen to be there”. Yes, it’s important for people in marginalized groups to see themselves in all genres, and there’s not reason for a sci-fi or fantasy book to be all-white, all-straight, all-cis, etc. just because those are the unmarked categories in or society. And Jemisin does include characters from different races and backgrounds, but, more importantly, it is both these identities and their personal histories which contribute to the nature of their power. As a result, race, ethnicity, sexuality, etc., is undeniably a part of their identity- but it is not the entirety of it. The varying identities of their avatars also makes a statement about who “belongs” in the city. From a black woman who’s loved in Brooklyn her entire life to an Indian girl living in Queens on a student visa, they embody the quote of the dedication page:

"One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years" -Thomas Wolf

With these characters, facing off against an ancient entity, alien to their dimension, Jemisin makes a statement about who belongs to the city and who does not. The Enemy takes over alt-right and white nationalist groups. Her point is not subtle- but who cares about subtlety? Jemisin looks at something more interesting. Jemisin examines the psychology of such racism and xenophobia- exposing it directly within the minds of one of the avatars. Overall, Jemisin deftly handles the ideological implications of her decisions. Those whom the Enemy controls are often misogynist and always out-right racist, but Jemisin never implies that these views came entirely from another dimension. Their views are their own- the Enemy amplifies them for her gain. The struggle is between these cosmic forces, but it also plays out along the ideological divisions in our society, in much the same manner and with much the same tools. Even the fights occur on both the physical and metaphysical levels.

To be clear, this is still a sci-fi book, but it’s one that utilizes one of the most basic possibilities of science fiction- it uses an impossible world to reveal our own reality to ourselves. This is a book for fans of sci-fi who like to contemplate psychology, philosophy, and politics.

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My Copy: Jemisin, N. K. The City We Became. Orbit, 2020. Get it Here!

Banner Stock Photos:

"Ariel Photography of City Buildings Photo" by James Haw. 2019.

"Brooklyn Bridge, New York" by Chris Malloy.

"New York City", Unknown.

"New York City", Unknown.

"Photo of New York Cityscape" by Frederik Sørensen.

"Staten Island Ferry" by Stephanie Corona. 2020.

"Teal and Green Staircase Near Plant Photo" by Roy Rafael. 2019.

"Vintage Coupe Car in Brooklyn" by Paul Povoroznuk. 2018.