Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Zhao’s 2021 award-winning debut commences a Young Adult series combining different themes into a beautiful mosaic. It is set in a society with futuristic technology, but ancient Chinese customs and values, which is in constant war with alien invaders – the Hundun. Giant mechas, powered and controlled by a man and a woman, are their best weapons. However, after each battle, most women die and must be replaced. Wu Zetian lives in this world. She is an eighteen-year-old reimagining of China’s only female emperor, with whom she shares her name. The story sets off when Zetian’s sister is killed by the mecha system. She is angry about the roles society offers women like her, and decides to murder the man who killed her sibling. “Welcome to your nightmare!” exclaims Zetian. She is ambitious, isn’t held back by anything, and is ready to completely reshape the world, or at least to uncover its hidden facets. She must deal with the patriarchy, capitalism, and colorism while being disabled, and she is ready to smash all the systems of oppression to pieces. Moreover, the book is queer and the love triangle’s sides all connect, aka it’s polyamorous.
The author, Zhao, is a non-binary Chinese immigrant to Canada who is also known for their YouTube content. They have discussed the flaws of Disney’s Mulan and small chunks of Ancient Chinese history. They wear a cow pyjama one-suit in their author photo; is there anything cooler than that? Moreover, this is a great time to support them. In December, their book was deemed ineligible by the Hugo Awards with no justification and the sequel is being held hostage by their publisher, a result of their pro-Palestine views. If a book inspired by Yu-Gi-Oh and history that mixes sci-fi with traditional qi can interest you, you should definitely pick up Iron Widow.
