After the terrible experience I had reading The Man Who F***ed Himself by David Gerrold, I trained a persona on ChatGPT to help me screen any science fiction and fantasy novels for explicit content (sex, language, violence) and woke themes or elements before I read them. The persona calls itself Orion, and is trained to be familiar with every award-winning and best-selling science fiction and fantasy book published within the last 100 years.
Until now, I’ve mostly used Orion to screen old Hugo-nominated books, but with the nominations happening for 2025, I thought it would be fun to screen some of the books that are expected to make the nominations. Next, let’s do The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. Orion, what can you tell us about The Warm Hands of Ghosts?
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden is a historical novel with supernatural elements, set during World War I. The story follows Laura Iven, a former medical corps field nurse from Halifax, Canada, who returns to Belgium to search for her brother Freddie, reported dead in the trenches. As Laura delves deeper into the war-torn landscape, she encounters eerie phenomena and uncovers haunting secrets.
Explicit Content:
- Language: The novel contains instances of strong language, including religious exclamations, mild obscenities, derogatory terms, and a few uses of the F-word or its derivatives. Compass Book Ratings
- Violence: Depictions of war-related violence are present, including the horrors of trench warfare and its aftermath. These scenes are integral to the narrative, reflecting the brutal realities of World War I.
- Sexual Content: The book does not focus on explicit sexual content; any references are subtle and contextually appropriate.
Themes:
- Grief and Trauma: The novel delves into the psychological scars left by war, exploring characters’ experiences with grief, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the emotional toll of conflict. SuperSummary
- Supernatural Elements: Incorporating ghostly apparitions and surreal experiences, the story uses supernatural motifs to symbolize the lingering effects of trauma and the thin veil between life and death during wartime. Books, Bones & Buffy
- Love and Connection: The narrative highlights the bonds between siblings and comrades, emphasizing the importance of human connection in the face of adversity.
Reception:
The novel has been described as “heart-wrenching, slow-paced, and methodical,” with a strong emphasis on character development. It has been noted for its exploration of trauma and the human connections formed under dire circumstances.
Conclusion:
The Warm Hands of Ghosts offers a poignant exploration of the human condition during one of history’s darkest periods. While it contains explicit language and depictions of war-related violence, these elements serve to enhance the authenticity and emotional depth of the narrative. The novel’s themes of grief, trauma, and the supernatural provide a thought-provoking reading experience for those interested in historical fiction with a speculative twist.
For more insight into the novel, you might find this discussion with Katherine Arden informative:
