The Mimicking of Known Successes reviewed by Maddie Erb

The Mimicking of Known Successes (Tor) by Malka Older blends cozy mystery, romance, and sci-fi in a character-driven story that evokes Sherlock Holmes in tone and structure but moves far beyond mere pastiche. Set on Jupiter—referred to as Giant—the novella’s emotional core is the subtle sapphic slow burn between emotionally distant (likely neurodivergent) Investigator Mossa and her ex-girlfriend, Pleiti, a “Classical” scholar who studies the ecosystem of pre-collapse Earth.

The mystery centers on the death (or disappearance) of another Classical scholar, believed to have jumped from a train platform. Investigating this mystery draws Mossa back into Pleiti’s world at Valdegard University, where scholars study Earth’s pre-collapse species in hopes of one day resettling the planet. 

The prose is deftly handled. Every word feels chosen, sometimes even studied, echoing the rhythms of 19th-century detective fiction while infusing them with futuristic vocabulary and scientific underpinnings. This neo-Victorian style gives the novella a sense of nostalgia. It adds to the strength of the slow burn, but can also make the pacing feel leisurely at times, with plenty of breaks taken to drink tea and consume scones. 

While the story borrows from Arthur Conan Doyle, key differences prevent this being read as simply “sapphic Sherlock.” Pleiti is more competent than Watson, and Mossa less superhuman. Mossa’s more sympathetic than Sherlock, especially through her ex-girlfriend’s eyes. Pleiti’s narration offers a lens through which Mossa’s awkwardness and detachment are seen not as flaws, but as an intrinsic part of who she is. Older handles their dynamic with a refreshing restraint. Longing simmers beneath the surface, expressed in quiet touches, sidelong glances, and words left unsaid. I’d have liked to learn more about their past relationship, but I expect I’ll find that in The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles and The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses, its sequels. 

This novella scratched an itch I don’t often turn to books to satisfy. I’ve long been a fan of lesbian subtext in television—there’s something deeply satisfying about reading between the lines of long glances and quiet touches. The Mimicking of Known Successes lets me have my cake and eat it too, offering a subtle slow burn that not only feeds my love of romantic longing, but actually leads somewhere.

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Maddie Erb is a writer and editor currently living in Charleston SC. She just graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.A. in English. Maddie likes to consider herself creatively omnivorous—she likes to write in as many mediums as she can get her grubby little hands on. You can find her on bluesky at mkellygames.bsky.social, on itch at mkellygames, and at her website, madelineerb.com.