Can y'all help me with comp titles for my novel?

[labingi]

Because I've been trying to figure out how comp titles work for fifteen years, and it ain't happening.

Can anybody name me fairly recent science fiction novels (ideally decent sellers but not top award winners) that have any of the following characteristics or something along similar lines:

* A colonized protagonist who's been indoctrinated to

Comments

[ext_4593413]

First book of Arkady Martine's Teixcalaan series series sorta fits first and last...

Protagonist is from a station that's at the edge of a larger empire prone to conquering and colonizing, and there's already a bit of cultural colonization and trade dependence... But not actually currently colonized by them.

There's definitely "high tech" present, but really only one piece of that is at acore to the story. Goes into intercultural conflict, politics, protecting home from becoming colonized, etc...

But it did win a 2020 Hugo, so maybe too prominent for your needs?

[labingi]

Man, LJ actually let me log in! Thanks for the rec. I've been told we shouldn't reference things that are too prestigious, but I don't know how absolute that is, especially if you're writing in a rather unusual niche, as I feel I am. I'll definitely check the book out though. Thanks!

By the way, I'm almost entirely on Dreamwidth these days. I don't know if you have an account there, but I just automatically cross post to LJ.

[s_ubaquatic]

Have you tried upon RF Kuang's Poppy War series? One of my absolute favorites. It has most, if not all the bullet points you mentioned, and is also quite recent (the last book was published only in 2021, if I'm not mistaken). It's grimdark military fiction based off Sino-Japanese relations in WW2 and the British colonization of China. Magic in the story has a distinct relationship to colonial trauma. The series is low-tech but starts to have steampunk elements at the end, prompting the main character to question the nature of modernity and its relationship with Christianity. And though the main character Rin isn't indoctrinated to identify with the colonizers, she starts to identify more with the elites of her country because of the institution that trains her; thus, the relationship between class struggle and colonialism is also a prominent theme in the story.

[pinkfunerals]

Whoops, look like my account s_ubaquatic got suspended when I posted my comment earlier. Have you encountered the Poppy W*r (censoring the word in case that's the reason my account was suspended last time) series by RF Kuang? It's very recent; the conclusion to the trilogy was released only 1 or 2 years ago. It's got most (if not all) of everything you listed. Grimdark military fiction with magic and low tech (they introduce steampunk elements at the end but it's not much). Very much about colonial trauma, unflinchingly so. Story follows the protagonist from ages 16-20/21 as sacrifices everything to attend her country's prestigious military academy, only to be sucked into a w*r. Let me know if you ever pick it up; it's one of my favorites!