I went into this novella knowing little about it other than the description on Netgalley - I didn’t even know it was a novella until I was approved for it. But how could I resist a book about sapphic detectives on another planet? In this sci-fi mystery, when Earth became uninhabitable, humans began to settle on the rings of Jupiter. Flash forward however many generations, and a man is found to be missing from the edge of a platform. Did he jump? Was he pushed? Or was his fate something else entirely? Investigator Mossa is on the case, but she’ll need all the help she can get from university scholar Pleiti… her ex-girlfriend.

To me, the most compelling part of “The Mimicking of Known Successes” was not the mystery, but the relationship between the characters. I was drawn in by the amount of pining and “slow burn” between Pleiti and Mossa. Though the book itself and timeline within it were short, I felt very invested in them and the world they lived in. I was very intrigued with the logistics of living on a gaseous planet like Jupiter, and loved how the author used descriptions of their daily lives to normalize worldbuilding.
Again, I didn’t really care much about the mystery of the missing man himself until later on in the book when the stakes were raised, in which case the conclusion felt rushed. I would have liked to see the story flushed out more thoroughly in a full novel. Even though the main mystery was revealed, I was left with questions regarding the “how” of it all. Thankfully, it looks like there will be more books about Mossa and Pleiti’s adventures, so perhaps some of these questions will be solved in the future. If you are looking for a quick and enjoyable “cozy mystery”, consider investigating this book for your next read.

Thank you to Tor for providing me with an eARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

The Mimicking of Known Successes is a new novella from author Malka Older, whose novel Informocracy managed to garner a bunch of nominations at awards (including a Hugo Nomination for Best Series). To be honest, I kind of hated Informocracy, which I found to be both ridiculous in characters and concepts and in themes. But Older's social media presence and other work on SciFi/Fantasy kept me interested in her, so I was willing to give her another try in this shorter work, a novella, that takes place in a different setting altogether.

And I'm really happy I gave it a chance, because the Mimicking of Known Successes is a terrific novella, one which carries interesting themes, a Sherlock Holmes/Watson-esque setup that I'm always a sucker for, and a pair of central neurodivergent protagonists with an understated lesbian romance that work incredibly well. The story takes place in a distant future in which humanity fled the Earth and now, living on platforms built around what is essentially a gas giant, where humanity struggles to survive while also longing for their home planet...and that longing leads to research into the old Earth's ecosystem back when it was healthy and functional, so that the researchers can come up with a way to restart that ecosystem for humanity's long-sought return. This setting makes for a fascinating backdrop to a mystery featuring neurodivergent investigator Mossa and her ex, Scholar Pleiti, as they investigate the disappearance of another Scholar. Really Really liked this one and would be surprised if it's not on my 2024 Hugo Award Nomination List.


Quick Plot Summary: A man is reported as arriving at a distant platform, the furthest east one could go, and then disappearing. Investigator Mossa arrives at the platform, expecting to find proof of a suicide by jumping to the planet below, only to find that the man was a scholar at Valdegeld University and that he was man incredibly proud of his work there. And so Mossa returns to the university she once attended and seeks the aid of her ex, Scholar Pleiti, in navigating the politics of Valdegeld and discovering what might've happened to the disappeared man.

Pleiti has accomplished much since she broke up with Mossa, now an established Classics Scholar looking into the ecosystem of old Earth and how it worked, so that they could one day return home and restore that ecosystem. She never expected to get invovled with Mossa again, but finds herself caught up in Mossa's singleminded determination to come to the truth, as the two of them discover a plot that involves the Institute charged with preserving old Earth species, another dead man, and perhaps that the two of them might fit together now like they didn't back then...assuming the investigation doesn't get them both killed first.

Thoughts: The Mimicking of Known Successes is essentially a riff on Sherlock Holmes and Watson stories to a certain extent, with Mossa playing the role of Sherlock and Pleiti playing the role of Watson - and Pleiti narrating all but the prologue from her own first person viewpoint. And it works extremely well in just that fashion, as Mossa tries to discover the truth of what's happened, comes to brilliant conclusions sometimes that need to be explained, and sometimes requires Pleiti to help her stumble upon the truth. But there's more than that here, and the combination is what makes this special. So for example, there's the relationship between the two protagonists - Mossa is clearly on the Autismm spectrum, with her struggling to handle anything other than her singleminded determination to find answers to her current investigation, even as she does still want there to be more with Pleiti...it's a type of relationship she struggles to express and for most of the book, Pleiti has to guess whether Mossa might even want that. Meanwhile Pleiti once broke up with Mossa because that singleminded determination left her feeling abandoned, but in the end here discovers that the two of them have both changed and that it might actually work out, with Pleiti herself being somewhat focused upon her own work to an extent that probably suggests her own level of neurodivergence. And the way the relationship plays out along the way is just done oh so so well.

And this gets combined with the story's ideas about science in this setting, where post destruction of Earth's ecosystem there are different sciences that have evolved to adapt: you have the prestigious classics, which seek to research the ways Earth's ecosystem, animals, plants and all, worked at one time in order to use those lessons to recreate a new successful ecosystem (the titular "Mimicking of Known Successes") and the "Modern", which instead studies the planet "Giant" upon which they now orbit and is disdained for it (presumably because it suggests giving up on Earth). And within the classics, there are questions the book poses, like are they really actually doing anything useful in all their tedious slow research and planning, and is there collection of animals and plants in both cells and in real life in the Mauzooleum really doing any good? Or are they just making excuses by putting off the concept that they're never going to be able to go back because they never will find the perfect mixture? These ideas are really interesting, and they work reall well amidst the story's mystery and romance, to combine for a novella that is its own tremendous success.

I'm not entirely sure I liked this much. The scope of the mystery seemed deeper than the book gave space for since it was treated like a cozy mystery novella instead of a sweeping sci fi novel. I did enjoy the world building and the ideas behind it but for once I don't think brevity helped. Too much was cut out and I barely caught onto the world before the book ended (which the world was neat! Living on giant tracks built like rings around Jupiter? Amazing.) I suppose if you treat it like a prequel novella it's fine, but I really wish there was more depth.

Side note, one thing that really bugged me was the prologue was in third person and the rest was in first person. It was unnecessarily confusing to do this especially without a chapter header saying whose POV we had switched to in Chapter 1. I spent far too long trying to figure it out.

This is a plot-forward science fiction novel that I wish we had more of. It's short and fun, but I came away from the book wanting more. The ending felt rushed, as did the relationship development. I can't exactly tell you how the plot was resolved, I just know that it was. The worldbuilding was intriguing and I liked the casual establishment of the world though I am confused as to how the system works. The plot was good, a murder mystery novel with just enough twists to keep the readers guessing. In conjunction with the science-fiction element, I had no clue where it was going because I didn't know how the world worked. Overall, it was a quick science fiction sapphic murder mystery that had a good message about the importance of biodiversity.

I was intrigued by the Sapphic Sci-fi Sherlock Holmes-esque feel. This was a good read, quick, and I loved the description of the world we were brought into. The only con i really found about this book was that due to word choice it was a little hard to get into, but considering most of the POV was a scholar it did make sense.

When a scholar disappears from a remote station on the platforms orbiting Jupiter, investigator Mossa is called in. It seems obvious that he has – like so many before him – simply stepped from the platform into the depths of Jovian atmosphere below. But, Mossa needs more proof and so, with reservation, she approaches another scholar, Pleiti, with whom she has shared some past – hinted at and further revealed over the course of the book. Pleiti becomes our narrator, our ‘Watson’ to Mossa’s Sherlock, as the pair traverse humanity’s most remote outpost in a post-apocalyptic future.

Pleiti and the missing man work in the university, where scholars of all disciplines work towards the common goal of one day re-populating the lost Earth, from microbes to flora to fauna, eventually recreating a habitat that can sustain human life. This orbital of Jupiter is a poor substitute – but, a wonderful setting! It’s stark and spare, yet fascinating; alluring despite the privations and dangers.

The Mimicking of Known Successes is marketed as a ‘cozy Holmesian murder mystery’ – just, set on (or rather, around) Jupiter! That sounded oh so appealing, and reader, I was not disappointed. It’s a short book – probably just a novella, really – and yet it feels full and complete in both world-building and the mystery. Indeed, the latter grows to be much bigger than the book’s length, or the story at first, led me to think it would become.

I’m not sure ‘cosy’ is the word I’d use for this, as that does suggest that there might be pets and scones and unrequited romance, but it’s not that at all – well, apart from the (sapphic) romance, which is a really lovely former-partners-working-together discovery of old feelings and new circumstances, but with a tender warmth rather than any of the usual tropes. For both the romance and the mystery, let me suggest gentle as a much better description than ‘cosy’.

Overall this was just a lovely book, on all fronts. The mystery is solved, the environment is sketched more than enough to make me want to explore further, and the characters are a wonderful mix of pragmatic and real and just a pleasure to spend time with. I am thrilled to see this is getting a sequel, and hopefully many more, and I’ll be delighted to revisit Jupiter, Mossa, and Pleiti when I can. Very recommended.

I tried to get into this one twice but it's just not for me, unfortunately. I loved the concept of a cozy mystery set in a colony on Jupiter, and the setting was definitely the best part. I struggled with the characters and the writing style, everything was just a bit too cold for me. I decided to DNF this one.

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older, author of the remarkable The Centenal Cycle, is a many-layered book that becomes more and more interesting upon closer examination. On the surface, it is a very good mystery about the search for a missing man. It is also a fine relationship story about the investigator, Mossa, and her friend from university days, Pleiti. The setting is remarkable, for in this story humans have for centuries been living on a series of platforms constructed in the upper reaches of the atmosphere of Jupiter, here called Giant. And it is about human daring and imagination of what the hoped-for and long-delayed return to Earth might look like. At the same time, it is about the question of reconstructing a failed relationship or trying for something new. That’s a lot to pack into a short novel, but it succeeds brilliantly on every level.

To start with the mystery that drives the story, a strange man gets off a train on one of the most remote platforms in the atmosphere of Giant and soon disappears. In a prologue, told from the point of view of Mossa, we learn that she reluctantly takes the case, which is likely only to confirm a suicide. Since the unidentified man could well have come from the university, called Valdegeld, where her ex-lover Pleiti lives, she decides to seek her help. The rest of the story then switches to a first-person narrative by Pleiti, who has mixed feelings about the sudden visit of Mossa, but agrees to work on the case with her. They soon discover that the missing man is a scholar in Pleiti’s department, the pompous and self-centered Bolean Trewl.

I couldn’t get very far into The Mimicking of Known Successes without marveling at the engineering of human residence on Giant and the intrusive nature of its atmosphere, which pervades every scene. After a period of living on stations in orbit around the planet, people constructed a series of steel rings around Giant which provided the substructure for railroads and platforms on which cities and institutions could be built. Though people were initially protected completely from the atmosphere by impermeable atmoshields, they soon came to prefer a porous shield, supplemented by atmoscarfs, which everyone wears outdoors. These allow people to go about despite the frequent “eerie, unfurling howl of winds” and driving storms they have to live with. The strangeness of the external setting, however, is offset by the cozy, comfortable quarters at the university where many of the scenes take place and where a lot of tea and scones are consumed. It’s a strange contrast, but it works.

............
In a sense, The Mimicking of Known Successes is about human daring. Having expunged, apparently, the earlier drive to exploit and profit from all resources, which led humans to destroy the Earth, what should people be striving for in their dream and ultimate goal of returning to their home planet? Should it be a restoration of things as they had been, that is, the “known successes” of the past growth of life, or a going back to first principles to foster something different? That idea is also applicable to the relationship between Mossa and Pleiti. Should they try to rekindle the love they had in university days, which did not end well, or should they try for something new that is adapted to who they are now? That’s a beautiful blending of parallel themes in this deeply charming and involving novel. Highly recommended.

The book started out a little slow and I just couldn't get into the story. As the mystery picked up though I was decently invested. The past relationship between the characters was not very fleshed out and I think that definitely hurt the overall story.
This is primarily a mystery novella and the mystery felt realistic, It was easy to follow along as the characters pieced things together and a the reader could pick up a few clues that were left throughout the story.
The world building was pretty good and I know that it is a novella, but I do wish that we got to know the characters a little better.
Overall, it is a good book, perfect for a lazy day.

The prologue of this standalone novel is told in the past tense (see footnote 1), from the point of view of Mossa (whom, we are told in the blurb, is enigmatic), while the rest of the story is told in first person past tense by Pleity, a tenured academic at Jupiter (called Giant in the story).

Now, as a rule, I’m not a fan of this kind of switch in narrative voice, but it works very well here–not in small part because Dr Older’s writing voice is very engaging.

I am delighted that, as much detail as is given about the world, there’s a lot that is left for the reader to infer; both about the events leading to humans colonizing Jupiter (for starters, why Jupiter and not another planet–say, one not all gas?), and about Pleiti’s and Mossa’s relationship.

From the very first paragraph of the prologue there’s a rich sense of place–not Earth, not now–that only gets more absorbing with each page. (see footnote 2)

I savored the author’s use of language, from the inclusion of the occasional word in Spanish, to the dialogue. Like here, as Pleiti shares with Mossa what she knows about the missing man:

“I’ve never wanted to spend this much time analyzing him before…I think he research is vestigially important to him; that is, I think he chose his area because *he* believed in it, but by this point it’s important because he believes in it, rather than the other way around.”
(emphasis in the original, location 180, epub ARC)

While the plot takes our protagonists all over the human habitats on Jupiter, there’s a lot of time spent on the politics of academia, in a way that reminds us: wherever you put humans, you have the whole of humanity. In this case, the politics of the university and the wider politics of the human colony in Giant, both obvious and hidden, run under and through the investigation.

And of course, there’s also quite a bit of social commentary throughout (to add a classical quote: “why are men?”)

It’s immediately evident why the publisher went for the Holmes comparison (though my own brain went first to Poirot and Hastings, but that’s likely because I was introduced to them before Sherlock and Watson), but the differences in the protagonists’ thinking do not, in fact, denote one brilliant mind condescending to a mediocre one at best, but equals.

The way Pleiti interacts with Mossa, and how she thinks about her, we can conclude that Mossa is neurodivergent, while Pleiti is not (or perhaps not in the same way). Maybe this is why the pining is, is, shall we say, uneven; perhaps even a bit one-sided for a good chunk of the story. Eventually, the characters work through their issues, and am quite happy with the very promising HFN ending.

The last line is perfect.

I enjoyed the mystery thread, even though it’s not, to my mind, one the reader can fairly be expected to solve fully, even as it raises several of the thorny issues we face today. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and characterizations immensely; I mentioned on social media that I had that feeling of not wanting to stop reading even to eat, that’s how deep I was in the world.

The Mimicking of Known Successes gets 8.75 out of 10.

1 --Book two has been announced, and there's a book three in the works too! ::flails in joy::
2 --There's a podcast (Tales from the Trunk) where the author mentions the Victorian feel of the worldbuilding, which I didn't mention, but is fantastic; the atmosphere is alive in this world.

Set in a fascinating human future where we’re living on a Jupiter-esque planet while trying to reshape the Earth and make it habitable once more, Older weaves a compelling mystery with understandable motives and enjoyable characters. The romance at the heart of the story has lovely chemistry. It’s the sapphic Sherlock and Watson of your dreams, I’m sure of it.

Despite all this, I was not grabbed by this story, nor do I think I’ll continue in the series. I will recommend it, though, as it’s a fun and quick read with a lot of intrigue and heart.

This novella is basically Sherlock Holmes, if they were both women, it was set on Jupiter, and Watson was still in love with his ex-gf Holmes. It’s also about second chances and how to approach them. Do you try to recreate the same relationship as before or do you try something completely new? Or is there a way to find a balance between them?

Investigator Mossa is great at uncovering and analyzing often incongruous bits of information but not so good at interpersonal relationships. So when her latest victim is traced to Valdegeld University her first stop is calling on her college ex-girlfriend, Pleiti, now a Classics Scholar at the same institution. While Mossa’s the more stereotypical genius with no time for small talk or tact, Pleiti’s also got all the usual social awkwardness of the professor-type who just wants to read their books and write their papers. Drawn into the murder investigation, though, bit by bit, what initially looked like a simple suicide turns out to be something with far wider and worse consequences.

Part of the fun of this novella, I think, is not knowing exactly what being a Classics scholar means, in this context – or really knowing much about the whole concept. Suffice it to say that it’s a fascinating take on gaslamp sci-fi with lots of moody fog, a couple of libraries, and copious amounts of tea and scones. The setting, its history and how it affects the story all read as plausible to me, as well as being highly unique while simultaneously paying homage to Holmes. The mystery itself is also well-crafted. I think, though, that my only criticism is that this isn’t the type of mystery where the reader’s given enough clues to figure out what’s going on. Key bits of information are only revealed as they’re necessary, sometimes in a way that leaves Pleiti in the dark as much as the reader. Given the confines of a novella, though, I can understand why working in all the detail that goes into figuring out the mystery would be, well, not very mysterious.

And sure, the setting and the mystery itself are great, but what I really loved were the characters. Besides a quick third-person prologue, the novella is told from Pleiti’s first-person POV. From the moment Mossa turns up on her doorstep, even without being told, we know that they have history, and as the novella progresses the pining practically drenches their every interaction. But Pleiti never outright clarifies to their reader their past relationship or what broke them up or whether she still has feelings – it’s all dropped bit by bit in conversation, in the way they interact, and how Pleiti’s willing to drop everything to help Mossa. It’s second-chance romance as one of those Picasso line drawings, and I loved it so much.

Overall, I was beyond excited to realize this was the first in a planned series as it was almost everything I want in a sci-fi murder mystery. I can’t wait to settle down for the next one with some tea and scones!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Normally I find the "x movie meets x media" to not be very accurate when I finish a book, but this genuinely was a Sherlock Holmes mystery set in space! It takes place in a future where humanity has taken refuge on Jupiter after a climate disaster. Mossa is an investigator, and Pleiti is a scholar who is working on a plan to fix the Earth. The atmosphere of the book was very rich and cozy, and I enjoyed seeing glimpses of Mossa and Pleiti's relationship. The ending of this book felt like there is going to be more installments in this series, which I look forward to.

The Mimicking of Known Successes is a gentle, Holmesian mystery, underpinning a tender, reserved sapphic romance. Oh, and it’s set in a future in which humans have decimated Earth and resettled on Jupiter, where they live on platforms connected by a complex of train tracks. So, that’s fun. And I really loved the cozy, foggy setting of this story, with all the tea-drinking and scone-eating, rattling of trains, telegraphs, and stormy weather.

I had some trouble settling into this book, though, and at times reading it required…effort. Or, at least, more effort than it should have required. This, I’m sure, was very much a me problem. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, and haven’t been as captivated by books that should otherwise thoroughly engage me. TMOKS had all the ingredients of a book I’d like, and has lots of accolades from other readers I trust, so I intend to revisit this novella in a few months and see if my mood changes how I feel about it.

Thanks, NetGalley and Tor, for the ARC!

Delightful speculative fiction with a sapphic romance and a delicious mystery. Very Watson and Holmes, with kissing. This short novel brings to mind P DJeli Clark along with the Sherlock sensibilities and all the best short form genius of Philip K Dick. I certainly hope we get to see more of Giant and our intrepid Investigator.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

I would give this a 3.5-stars. I think this is a perfectly good book, but not quite to my personal taste. I think in terms of plot and world-building, this does a good job. I thought the world was really cool and well described enough for me to picture and understand. There definitely was no info-dumping for world-building which I know is a big pro to many readers. I think the mystery is satisfying enough for the length of the novel, although I felt the pacing was bit off in the middle. I think what took this down for me a little bit was the character development and pre-established/previous relationship between Pleiti and Mossa. I just didn't buy their relationship and I think part of that's because so much seems to be based on this relationship they had a while ago/previous to this story taking place and yearning to be back together. I just didn't get why they wanted to be back together so much. So for me, I didn't really feel connected to the characters or their romantic feelings. What I wanted was a flashback to establish their previous relationship and Mossa's point-of-view, but it obviously isn't possible to add all that into a little novella (then it becomes a novel and something different), so I think this is just a personal preference thing. Perhaps the writing style was bit distant and made me feel not connected to the characters? I can't quite put my finger on it, but something related to the characters and romantic element of this story didn't work well for me. If the premise sounds interesting to you and you like a mystery plot engine, then this could really work for you though I think! Also, I think this is accessible for people who aren't normally sci-fi readers. I don't think people going in for the romance will necessarily be satisfied though.

If more of this novella was Mossa and Pleiti talking to each other and less very stilted and wordy narration, this would have been honestly amazing. It felt too much like Older wanted Pleiti (and Mossa as well, but in dialogue where it’s a bit less cumbersome) to just ooze intellect, so a lot of the prose is just leaden with big, unnecessary words and the requisite worldbuilding words that don’t get a definition or explanation but you kind of learn to accept as time goes on because they’re simply part of the scenery. But between those two groups, it was kind of hard to get used to the rhythm and tempo of the book.

The characters and the mystery were both awesome. I loved the complex relationship between Mossa and Pleiti that we understand right away but also unravel further as they acclimate to each other after time away.

Would I read another book in this series? Maybe. But I probably wouldn’t want to pay full price for it

I was really excited about this book, because it has so many elements that are right up my alley!

Some things I loved:

✨ The book had a very “old British crime novel” feel to it that reminded me of a Sherlock-esque mystery.

✨ The setting was unique and I enjoyed the commentary and ethical quandaries presented through it.

✨ The relationship between the two main characters is awkward and delightful, and I loved how well they clearly knew each other’s quirks despite having been separated for a long time.



Some things I didn’t love:

✨ The language was overly erudite, in that the author used many esoteric words and phrases. I’ve got at least a fairly decent vocabulary, but I had to use context clues (and even my dictionary a few times) to figure out what was being said throughout much of the book. The formal language of the past mixed with the futuristic sci-fi setting felt a bit jarring, and it took me out of the story more than a few times.

✨ The ending felt very “tell instead of show,” and it felt a bit incongruous with the style of the rest of the book.



Overall, there were elements I did enjoy, but the premise was more exciting than the actual execution for me.

Do you like Sherlockian British mysterious? Have you ever wanted one set in space? Than this is the book for you!

This novella is reminiscent of all the classic British mysteries, with its investigative approach and respect for a tea break. The Mimicking of Known Successes takes an interview approach O solving the disappearance of an academic.

While I enjoyed the premise of this novella, the fuddy duddy and at times over the top caricatures of English folk made it hard to connect with the characters.

It felt like at times large words were used simply to sound smarter when all it did was make me feel constantly pulled out of the world. Not to mention the jarring sensation of going from 1800's Britishisns to new sci fi words.

Overall the idea was fun, the characters were enjoyable but the execution really just wasn't there.

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Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

I've seen other reviewers describe THE MIMICKING OF KNOWN SUCCESSES as "speculative cozy" and I think it's apt. Which... is unfortunate, for me, as a reader! "Cozy" is not my preferred narrative style, but I love Malka Older's work.

I think where it fell a little flat for me is that I found Jupiter so much more compelling than our Holmesian leads: Pleiti and Mossa have something interesting between them, but it's so much quieter than the world that Older builds around them. As a reader, being dumped in media res can be a little offputting, but Older has such a mind for technology and world-building that I wish I could have had a novella.... all about this alternate future-Jupiter. (which I have to say is an outlier! I tend to prefer character over place, but Older just does it So. Damn. Well.)

I don't know that I would recommend this book for readers looking for a true mystery, but I think folks looking for an atmospheric sci-fi read will enjoy a brief jaunt with Mossa and Pleiti on Jupiter.