Translation State

Ann Leckie utilizes a lot of different pronouns for the characters in Translation State. How does the confusion produced affect the characters? How does it affect the reading experience?

Why does Qven switch from they/them to e/em pronouns part of the way through the story? What does this say about the story’s themes?

Invent a moment from Qven’s childhood and write a short story that creatively explores what life is like for Presger Translator juveniles.

Reet, Qven, and Enae are all dynamic characters. Choose one of them and write an essay exploring who they are at the start of the story versus who they are at the end.

Although Leckie is writing fiction, her works draw on real-world politics. Compare the Radch, the AIs, the Chirra, or the conflict between the Hikipi and the Phen to a real-world counterpart. How are they similar? How are they different?

Consider the role of food in Translation State. How do food and drink connect or disconnect characters from their cultures or homes? How do descriptions of food and drink enrich the story?

Since Reet and Qven would die if they do not match, is the choice to match ever truly consensual? How do the different presented cultures understand consent?

Explore the novel’s depictions of multi-bodied species. How are Translators different from AI ships’ use of ancillaries? How are they the same?