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Nonfiction

Book Review: Station Six by S.J. Klapecki

by Aigner Loren Wilson

Published in Feb. 2023 (Issue 153) | 395 words

Station Six
S.J. Klapecki
Paperback / Ebook
ISBN: 9781849354783
AK Press, February 2023, 224 pgs

S.J. Klapecki’s debut novella Station Six is one of the first books out from AK Press’s speculative fiction series, Black Dawn. Klapecki’s book follows Max, a dockyard worker and hacker on a space station millions of miles from Earth, as they make a commitment to up their involvement in fighting against the corrupt corporation exploiting its workers on the station. When the corporation tells Max and the rest of the workers it’ll be converting Station Six into a vacation spot with automated workers and letting everyone go, they join up with the resistance movement and learn how to fight for their community and stand up for what’s right even when it’s hard or dangerous.

Max’s perspective as someone new to community activism is well done with several very relatable moments, characters, and lines. Their back and forth of what is right and what is the best way to go about fixing a system that’s so unjust was at moments gut wrenching, but also frustrating. Frustrating that they are in that situation and sometimes the frustration came from who they are working with, as not everyone fighting for change is doing it for the same reasons. Showing the differing opinions, approaches, and reasons for why each character was fighting against the corporation did a great job at creating the rest of the community surrounding Max.

Along with the frustration, though, was the feeling of vindication whenever Max was able to help. Whether that be helping with the direct activism of the other resistance fighters or by simply chipping in where they were needed because their community had a need. The world building showed how all the community on Station Six was connected, everything from the guards to the workers to activists and automations.

The frustration mixed with the wonderful character building, relationships, and world made Station Six a cathartic read. The story is nestled in an interesting science fiction world that felt familiar—without the story or characters feeling overdone or played out.

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Aigner Loren Wilson

Aigner Loren Wilson - A side profile of a Black woman staring out at the sea with the ocean, cliffs, and trees in the background.

Aigner Loren Wilson is a queer Black writer of speculative fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and games. She serves as a senior fiction editor at Strange Horizons and has guest-edited issues of Fireside Fiction and Apparition Literary Magazine. Her work has appeared in FIYAH, Anathema, Arsenika, and other publications. When she’s not writing or editing for others, she’s learning, hiking, or loving on her fur babies—both human and animal. To check out her books, games, bread bakes, and other writings visit her website (aignerlwilson.com).