Why You Should Read The Illuminae Files!

Every once in a while, something random will remind me of a book series that I haven’t read in years. During class the other day, I was reminded of the absolute masterpiece of a young adult science fiction series by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: The Illuminae Files. I have only ever met one other person who has also read this series, and it makes me so sad! It’s absolutely incredible; more people should read it! You may be wondering what makes this series different than any other sci-fi series. Allow me to tell you! All three books—Illuminae, Gemina, and Obsidio—are epistolary novels, told through data files, emails, direct messages, and even files pulled from the brain of the spaceship AI. It’s one of my absolute favorite series, so here is a small list of reasons you should check it out!

1. Each book is about a different cast of characters in a different setting, but all three books are tied together. They take place in the same universe and have the same antagonists, but each story is unique and independent from the others. One takes place on a refugee spaceship, the second on a space station, and the third on the conquered planet our refugees are running from.

2. THE CHARACTERS! I love them with my whole heart. They’re hilarious. They’re heartbroken. They’re smart and tricky and absolutely awesome in every way. All the protagonists will draw you in and keep you wanting more of their relationship dynamics, humor, wit, and strengths. You will love them. I promise.

3. The format is awesome! The series is formatted like a dossier of everything that happened to our beloved characters. The entire story is told through emails, direct messages, software downloaded from the AI, transcriptions of video logs, and more. Some pages are sideways, some are filled with swirls of words, and some are just one word on a page of black. The unique format keeps you turning the pages, wanting to explore more. I’ve never read another series like it, so it’s worth checking out even just for the looks!

4. There’s an AI named AIDAN, which raises questions about the connection between humanity and technology. Where is that line drawn? Can artificial intelligence have emotions? Can they have empathy? Love him or hate him, it’s eye-opening to read a sci fi novel written 10 years ago and see how AI technology has grown since then. Are we closer to having AIDAN technology in our world than we thought?

If any of these reasons stood out to you at all, I highly encourage you to find a copy of this series and check it out. I will be bringing the books back to campus with me the next time I go home, simply because it’s that good. If you love it, feel free to share! Maybe you’ll even be inspired by it and can write your own epistolary science fiction story! (And submit it to Wilder Things J)