Nebula Awards For Best Novel Laureates

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Nebula Awards for Best
Novel laureates
Contents
Articles
Overview
1
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America 1
Nebula Award 5
Nebula Award for Best Novel 9
Laureates
19
1965 Dune 19
1966 Babel-17 30
1966 Flowers for Algernon 32
1967 The Einstein Intersection 37
1968 Rite of Passage 38
1969 The Left Hand of Darkness 41
1970 Ringworld 48
1971 A Time of Changes 53
1972 The Gods Themselves 56
1973 Rendezvous with Rama 60
1974 The Dispossessed 65
1975 The Forever War 71
1976 Man Plus 75
1977 Gateway 77
1978 Dreamsnake 79
1979 The Fountains of Paradise 82
1980 Timescape 85
1981 The Claw of the Conciliator 88
1982 No Enemy But Time 91
1983 Startide Rising 93
1984 Neuromancer 96
1985 Ender's Game 104
1986 Speaker for the Dead 112
1987 The Falling Woman 120
1988 Falling Free 121
1989 The Healer's War 122
1990 Tehanu 123
1991 Doomsday Book 128
1992 Stations of the Tide 131
1993 Mars trilogy 132
1994 Moving Mars 144
1995 The Terminal Experiment 145
1996 Slow River 148
1997 The Moon and the Sun 149
1998 Forever Peace 152
1999 Parable of the Talents 154
2000 Darwin's Radio 156
2001 The Quantum Rose 158
2002 American Gods 160
2003 Speed of Dark 167
2004 Paladin of Souls 169
2005 Camouflage 171
2006 Seeker 176
2007 The Yiddish Policemen's Union 178
2008 Annals of the Western Shore 182
2009 The Windup Girl 184
2010 - Blackout/All Clear 187
2011 - Among Others 196
References
Article Sources and Contributors 198
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 203
Article Licenses
License 204
1
Overview
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy
Writers of America
Logo of the SFWA
Formation 1965
Type Nonprofit association
Purpose/focus Writers advocacy
Headquarters New York City
Regionserved United States
Membership Approx. 1,800 members
President Steven Gould
Website
sfwa.org
[1]
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, or SFWA (/sfw/ or /sfw/) is a nonprofit association of
professional science fiction and fantasy writers in the United States. It was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight under
the name Science Fiction Writers of America, Inc. and it retains the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the
variant SFFWA.
The SFWA's stated mission is to "inform, support, defend and advocate for our members". In 2013, the association
drew public attention because of a controversy about sexism in its official publication, the SFWA Bulletin.
Membership and eligibility
SFWA has approximately 1,800 members as of 2013.
Most members live in the United States. Active membership is limited to professionally published authors in the
genres of science fiction, fantasy, or horror; the minimum qualification is the sale of one novel or dramatic script, or
three short stories, to venues with certain minimum circulations or pay rates. Associate membership is for
professionally published authors who have not yet qualified for active membership. Affiliate memberships are
available for science fiction and fantasy professionals who are not authors.
Authors, regardless of nationality or residence, must be professionally published in a qualifying market as listed by
SFWA in order to become SFWA members. At present, all listed qualifying markets publish only in the English
language.
2
Awards
Annually since 1965, SFWA members select by vote the Nebula Awards for best short story, novelette, novella, and
novel published during the previous year, where the four categories are defined by numbers of words.
During the Nebula ceremony, SFWA also presents the annual Andre Norton Award since 2005 for best young adult
novel. Not always annually there are also the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award since 1975 for lifetime
achievement in science fiction or fantasy, the Bradbury Award since 1992 for best dramatic presentation, the Author
Emeritus title since 1995 to a senior writer whose major impact was long ago or overlooked. Since 2009 the Solstice
Award which may be posthumous recognizes lifetime contributions to the science fiction and fantasy field.
SFWA Bulletin
The cover of the SFWA's official publication, SFWA Bulletin no. 203
(Winter 2014)
SFWA publishes a quarterly magazine, the Bulletin.
SFWA Members received the Bulletin as part of their
membership, but anyone can subscribe to it. The
Bulletin carries nonfiction articles of general interest to
writers, especially genre writers, and reprints one
Nebula Award-winning story per issue. It accepts
submissions, for which the pay is 7 cents a word.
The current editor of the Bulletin is John Klima (editor)
whose first issue will be #204. #203, an interim issue
published in March 2014, was edited by Tansy Rayner
Roberts and "was specially created to be used as an
outreach tool for conventions and other events." The
issue's contents and cover were welcomed by some as
an antidote to the perceived sexism of past issues
though others felt it looked "suspiciously like a woman
in a burka."
The previous editor was Jean Rabe, who was the
business manager of the Bulletin before she became the
editor. She resigned in 2013 as a result of a controversy
described below.
History
According to Todd McCaffrey, the organization immediately "acquired great status in its efforts to help J.R.R.
Tolkien get fair recompense in America for pirated sales of The Lord of the Rings."
[2]
SFWA sponsors the Writer Beware Blog, the public face of their Committee on Writing Scams, to expose problems
and pitfalls that face aspiring writers. Writer Beware also receives sponsorship from the Mystery Writers of
America. Its mission is to raise awareness of the prevalence of fraud and other questionable activities in and around
the publishing industry.
As part of this mission, SFWA members submitted an 'unpublishable' manuscript to independent publishing house
PublishAmerica, to test their claimed editorial rigor. When PublishAmerica offered to send them a contract to
publish Atlanta Nights, they revealed the hoax, and PublishAmerica withdrew the contract offer. SFWA
subsequently listed the book for sale through a Print On Demand service, with all profits to benefit their Emergency
Medical Fund.
In 2009, SFWA joined the Open Book Alliance to oppose the Google Book Settlement.
3
Controversy
In 1982, Lisa Tuttle withdrew her short story "The Bone Flute" from the final Nebula ballot, to protest what she saw
as excessive campaigning for awards and that voters did not receive copies of nominated works. Her withdrawal was
sent after voting had been completed. When informed she had won, she contacted SFWA and told them she refused
to accept it. She was told that her reasons for doing so would be announced. Her publisher accepted the award in her
place, apparently with no knowledge of her withdrawal, and there was no mention of her objection.
The cover of no. 200 (Winter 2013),
the issue that sparked the 2013
controversy.
In 2013 there was a controversy about sexism in the Bulletin which led to the
resignation of editor Jean Rabe on 5 June 2013. More than 50 authors wrote blog
posts in objection to comments by longtime contributors Mike Resnick and Barry
N. Malzberg that included references to "lady editors" and "lady writers" who
were "beauty pageant beautiful" or a "knock out", an article by C. J. Henderson
praising Barbie for maintaining "quiet dignity the way a woman should", and the
"exploitative" cover image of no. 200 of the Bulletin, depicting a woman in a
scalemail bikini (shown to the right). Several authors used the occasion to speak
out against sexism in science fiction genre circles more broadly. The controversy
continued through Bulletin #202, which contained another column by Resnick
and Malzberg, discussing the response to their earlier column. Their column
framed that response as censorship, referring to their critics as "liberal fascists".
As a result of the controversy, SFWA president John Scalzi apologized to
members, and the Bulletin was put on hiatus for up to six months to conduct a
membership survey, a relaunch and a redesign.
Presidents
Damon Knight (19651967)
Robert Silverberg (19671968)
Alan E. Nourse (19681969)
Gordon R. Dickson (19691971)
James E. Gunn (19711972)
Poul Anderson (19721973)
Jerry Pournelle (19731974)
Frederik Pohl (19741976)
Andrew J. Offutt (19761978)
Jack Williamson (19781980)
Norman Spinrad (19801982)
Marta Randall (19821984)
Charles Sheffield (19841986)
Jane Yolen (19861988)
Greg Bear (19881990)
Ben Bova (19901992)
Joe Haldeman (19921994)
Barbara Hambly (19941996)
Michael Capobianco (19961998)
Robert J. Sawyer (1998)
Paul Levinson (19982001)
Norman Spinrad (20012002)
Sharon Lee (20022003)
4
Catherine Asaro (20032005)
Robin Wayne Bailey (20052007)
Michael Capobianco (20072008)
Russell Davis (20082010)
John Scalzi (2010-2013)
Steven Gould (2013- )
References
[1] http:/ / www. sfwa.org
[2] Todd McCaffrey (1999), Dragonholder: The Life and Dreams (so far) of Anne McCaffrey, New York: Ballantine, p57. (Anne McCaffrey was
the SFWA Secretary-Treasurer 19681970, responsible for production and distribution of the monthly SFWA Bulletin and SFWA Forum.)
External links
SFWA's official website (http:/ / www. sfwa. org/ )
SFWA Bulletin (http:/ / www. sfwa. org/ bulletin/ )
Nebula Award
5
Nebula Award
Nebula Award
Nebula Award logo
Awarded for The best science fiction or fantasy works of the previous calendar year
Presented by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
First awarded 1966
Official website
sfwa.org/nebula-awards/
[1]
The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the U.S. during the
previous year. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
(SFWA), a nonprofit association of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. They were first given in 1966 at
a ceremony created for the awards, and are given in four categories for different lengths of literary works. A fifth
category for film and television episode scripts was given 197478 and 200009. The rules governing the Nebula
Awards have changed several times during the awards' history, most recently in 2010.
The Nebula Awards have been termed as one of "the most important of the American science fiction awards".
Winning works have been published in special collections, and winners and nominees are often noted as such on the
books' cover. SFWA numbers the awards by the year prior to the year the award is given in; the 2011 awards were
presented in Washington D.C. on May 19, 2012, and the 2012 awards were presented in San Jose, California on May
18, 2013.
Award
The Nebula Awards are given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) for the best
science fiction or fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year. The winner receives a
trophy but no cash prize; the trophy is a transparent block with an embedded glitter spiral nebula and gemstones cut
to resemble planets. The trophy itself was designed for the first awards by J. A. Lawrence, based on a sketch by Kate
Wilhelm, and has remained the same ever since. Works are eligible for an award if they were published in English in
the prior calendar year. There are no written rules as to which works qualify as science fiction or fantasy, and the
decision of eligibility in that regard is left up to the nominators and voters, rather than to SFWA.
Nebula Award nominees and winners are chosen by members of the SFWA, though the authors of the nominees do
not need to be members. Works are nominated each year between November 15 and February 15 by published
authors who are members of the organization, and the six works that receive the most nominations then form the
final ballot, with additional nominees possible in the case of ties. Members may then vote on the ballot throughout
March, and the final results are presented at the Nebula Awards ceremony in May. Authors are not permitted to
nominate their own works, though they can decline nominations, and ties in the final vote are broken, if possible, by
the number of nominations the works received.
Nebula Award
6
History
Nebula Award for Best Novella for
"The Green Leopard Plague," by
Walter Jon Williams
The first Nebulas were given in 1966, for works published in 1965. The idea for
such an award, funded by the sales of anthologies collecting the winning works,
was proposed by SFWA secretary-treasurer Lloyd Biggle, Jr. in 1965. The idea
was based on the Edgar Awards, presented by the Mystery Writers of America,
and hosting a ceremony to present them at was prompted by the Edgar and Hugo
Awards. The initial ceremony consisted of four literary awards, for Novels,
Novellas, Novelettes, and Short Stories, which have been presented every year
since. A Script award was also presented from 1974 to 1978 under the names
Best Dramatic Presentation and Best Dramatic Writing and again from 2000
through 2009 as Best Script, but after 2009 it was again removed and replaced by
SFWA with the Bradbury Award.
Prior to 2009, the Nebula Awards employed a rolling eligibility system. Each
work was eligible to qualify for the ballot for one year following its date of
publication. As a consequence of rolling eligibility, there was the possibility for
works to be nominated in the calendar year after their publication and then be
awarded in the calendar year after that. Works were added to a preliminary list
for the year if they had ten or more nominations, which were then voted on to
create the final ballot. In 1970, the option was added for voters to select "no
award" if they felt that no nominated work was worthy of winning; this happened in 1971 in the Short Story category
and in 1977 in the Script category.
Beginning in 1980 the eligibility year for nominations was set to the calendar year, rather than DecemberNovember
as initially conceived, and the SFWA organizing panel was allowed to add an additional work. Authors were also
allowed to use the mass-market paperback publication of their books as the beginning of their nomination period,
rather than the initial hardback publication. As a consequence of the combination of this rule and the rolling
eligibility, the 2007 awards, despite nominally being for works published in 2006, instead were all given to works
initially published in 2005. Beginning with the 2010 awards, the rolling eligibility system and paperback publication
exemption were replaced with the current rules.
Categories
Categories Years active Description
Best Novel 1966Present Stories of 40,000 words or more
Best Novella 1966Present Stories of between 17,500 and 40,000 words
Best Novelette 1966Present Stories of between 7,500 and 17,500 words
Best Short Story 1966Present Stories of less than 7,500 words
Best Script 19741978, 20002009 Movie or television episode scripts
Beside the Nebulas, several other awards and honors are presented at the Nebula Awards ceremony, though not
necessarily every year. Two of them are annual literary awards voted by SFWA members on the Nebula ballot: the
Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book, inaugurated 2006, and the Ray
Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation, which replaced the Best Script award in 2010. The others
are the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award since 1975 for "lifetime achievement in science fiction and/or
fantasy", the Author Emeritus since 1995 for contributions to the field, the Kevin O'Donnell, Jr. Award for service to
SFWA, and the Solstice Award since 2009 for significant impact on speculative fiction. All four are discretionary
Nebula Award
7
but a Grand Master, selected by the officers and past presidents, has been named every year for more than a decade.
The Solstice Award may be presented posthumously (where only living writers may be named Grand Master or
Author Emeritus); in all, twelve have been awarded in five years to 2013.
Recognition
The Nebula Awards have been described as one of "the most important of the American science fiction awards" and
"the science-fiction and fantasy equivalent" of the Emmy Awards. Along with the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award is
also considered one of the premier awards in science fiction, with Laura Miller of Salon terming it "science fiction's
most prestigious award", and Justine Larbalestier, in The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction (2002), referring to it
and the Hugo Award as "the best known and most prestigious of the science fiction awards". Brian Aldiss, in his
book Trillion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction, claimed that the Nebula Award provided "more literary
judgment" while the Hugo was a barometer of reader popularity, rather than artistic merit, though he did note that the
winners of the two awards often overlapped. David Langford and Peter Nicholls stated in The Encyclopedia of
Science Fiction (2012) that the two awards were often given to the same works, and noted that some critics felt that
the Nebula selection reflected "political as much as literary ability" as it did not seem to focus as much on literary
talent over popularity as expected.
Several people within the publishing industry have said that winning or being nominated for a Nebula Award has
effects on the author's career and the sales of that work. Spider Robinson in 1992, as quoted in Science Fiction
Culture (2000), said that publishers "pay careful attention" to who wins a Nebula Award. Literary agent Richard
Curtis said in his 1996 Mastering the Business of Writing that having the term Nebula Award on the cover, even as a
nominee, was a "powerful inducement" to science fiction fans to buy a novel, and Gahan Wilson, in First World
Fantasy Awards (1977), claimed that noting that a book had won the Nebula Award on the cover "demonstrably"
increased sales for that novel.
There have been several anthologies collecting Nebula-winning short fiction. The series Nebula Winners, published
yearly by SFWA and edited by a variety of SFWA members and renamed as the Nebula Awards Showcase series
since 1999, was started in 1966 as a collection of short story winners and nominees for that year. The sales of these
anthologies were intended to pay for presenting the awards themselves. The anthology The Best of the Nebulas
(1989), edited by Ben Bova, collected winners of Nebula awards from 1966 through 1986 officially selected by
SFWA members. The unofficial anthology Nebula Award Winning Novellas (1994), edited by Martin H. Greenberg,
contained ten stories which had won the novella award between 1970 and 1989.
References
[1] http:/ / www. sfwa.org/ nebula-awards/
Citations
Aldiss, Brian; Wingrove, David (1988) [1973]. Trillion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction. Paladin.
p.349. ISBN0-586-08684-6.
Bacon-Smith, Camille (2000). Science Fiction Culture. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN0-8122-1530-3.
Card, Orson Scott (1990-07-15). How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy. Writer's Digest Books.
ISBN0-89879-416-1.
Clute, John; Langford, David; Nicholls, Peter, ed (2011). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ( 3rd ed. (http:/ /
www. sf-encyclopedia. com)). ESF Ltd.
Curtis, Richard (1996). "15". Mastering the Business of Writing. Allworth Press. ISBN1-880559-55-2.
Franson, Donald; DeVore, Howard (1978). A History of the Hugo, Nebula and International Fantasy Awards.
Misfit Press.
Larbalestier, Justine (2002). The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction. Wesleyan University Press.
ISBN0-8195-6527-X.
Nebula Award
8
Wilson, Gahan, ed. (1977). First World Fantasy Awards. Doubleday. ISBN0-385-12199-7.
External links
Official website (http:/ / www. sfwa. org/ nebula-awards/ )
Nebula Award for Best Novel
9
The Nebula Award trophy
Awarded for The best science fiction or fantasy story of 40,000 words or more published in the prior calendar year
Presented by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
First awarded 1966
Currently held by Kim Stanley Robinson (2312)
Official website
sfwa.org/nebula-awards/
[1]
The Nebula Awards are given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) for the best
science fiction or fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year. The award has been
described as one of "the most important of the American science fiction awards" and "the science-fiction and fantasy
equivalent" of the Emmy Awards. The Nebula Award for Best Novel is given each year for science fiction or
fantasy novels published in English or translated into English and released in the United States or on the internet
during the previous calendar year. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a novel if it is 40,000 words or
longer; awards are also given out for pieces of shorter lengths in the short story, novelette, and novella categories.
The Nebula Award for Best Novel has been awarded annually since 1966. Novels which were expanded forms of
previously published short stories are eligible, as are novellas published by themselves if the author requests them to
be considered as a novel.
Nebula Award nominees and winners are chosen by members of the SFWA, though the authors of the nominees do
not need to be members. Works are nominated each year between November 15 and February 15 by published
authors who are members of the organization, and the six works that receive the most nominations then form the
final ballot, with additional nominees possible in the case of ties. Members may then vote on the ballot throughout
March, and the final results are presented at the Nebula Awards ceremony in May. Authors are not permitted to
nominate their own works, and ties in the final vote are broken, if possible, by the number of nominations the works
received. Beginning with the 2009 awards, the rules were changed to the current format. Prior to then, the eligibility
period for nominations was defined as one year after the publication date of the work, which allowed the possibility
for works to be nominated in the calendar year after their publication and then be awarded in the calendar year after
that. Works were added to a preliminary list for the year if they had ten or more nominations, which were then voted
on to create a final ballot, to which the SFWA organizing panel was also allowed to add an additional work.
During the 49 nomination years, 167 authors have had works nominated; 35 of these have won, including co-authors
and ties. Ursula K. Le Guin has received the most Nebula Awards for Best Novel with four wins out of six
nominations. Joe Haldeman has received three awards out of four nominations, while nine other authors have won
twice. Jack McDevitt has the most nominations at eleven, with one win, while Philip K. Dick and Poul Anderson are
tied at five for the most nominations without winning an award.
10
Winners and nominees
In the following table, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony, rather than when the novel was first
published. Each year links to the corresponding "year in literature". Entries with a blue background and an asterisk
(*) next to the writer's name have won the award, while use of a plus sign (+) instead indicates ties; those with a
white background are the other nominees on the shortlist.
*Winners and joint winners +Tied winners
Year Author Novel Publisher or publication Ref.
1966 Herbert, FrankFrank Herbert* Dune Chilton Company
1966 Simak, Clifford D.Clifford D. Simak All Flesh is Grass Doubleday
1966 Thomas, Theodore L.Theodore L. Thomas
(Co-nomination)
The Clone Berkley Books
1966 Wilhelm, KateKate Wilhelm (Co-nomination) The Clone Berkley Books
1966 Dick, Philip K.Philip K. Dick Dr. Bloodmoney, or How We Got Along After
the Bomb
Ace Books
1966 White, JamesJames White The Escape Orbit Ace Books
1966 Disch, Thomas M.Thomas M. Disch The Genocides Berkley Books
1966 Burroughs, William S.William S. Burroughs Nova Express Grove Press
1966 Laumer, KeithKeith Laumer A Plague of Demons Berkley Books
1966 Davidson, AvramAvram Davidson Rogue Dragon Ace Books
1966 Edmondson, G. C.G. C. Edmondson The Ship That Sailed the Time Stream Ace Books
1966 Anderson, PoulPoul Anderson The Star Fox Doubleday
1966 Dick, Philip K.Philip K. Dick The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch Doubleday
1967 Delany, Samuel R.Samuel R. Delany+ Babel-17 Ace Books
1967 Keyes, DanielDaniel Keyes+ Flowers for Algernon Harcourt
1967 Heinlein, Robert A.Robert A. Heinlein The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress Putnam Publishing Group
1968 Delany, Samuel R.Samuel R. Delany* The Einstein Intersection Ace Books
1968 Anthony, PiersPiers Anthony Chthon Ballantine Books
1968 Howard, HaydenHayden Howard The Eskimo Invasion Ballantine Books
1968 Zelazny, RogerRoger Zelazny Lord of Light Doubleday
1968 Silverberg, RobertRobert Silverberg Thorns Ballantine Books
1969 Panshin, AlexeiAlexei Panshin* Rite of Passage Ace Books
1969 Blish, JamesJames Blish Black Easter Doubleday
1969 Dick, Philip K.Philip K. Dick Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Doubleday
1969 Silverberg, RobertRobert Silverberg The Masks of Time Ballantine Books
1969 Lafferty, R. A.R. A. Lafferty Past Master Ace Books
1969 Russ, JoannaJoanna Russ Picnic on Paradise Ace Books
1969 Brunner, JohnJohn Brunner Stand on Zanzibar Doubleday
1970 Le Guin, Ursula K.Ursula K. Le Guin* The Left Hand of Darkness Ace Books
1970 Spinrad, NormanNorman Spinrad Bug Jack Barron Avon
1970 Zelazny, RogerRoger Zelazny Isle of the Dead Ace Books
11
1970 Brunner, JohnJohn Brunner The Jagged Orbit Ace Books
1970 Vonnegut, KurtKurt Vonnegut Slaughterhouse-Five Delacorte Press
1970 Silverberg, RobertRobert Silverberg Up the Line Ballantine Books
1971 Niven, LarryLarry Niven* Ringworld Ballantine Books
1971 Russ, JoannaJoanna Russ And Chaos Died Ace Books
1971 Lafferty, R. A.R. A. Lafferty Fourth Mansions Ace Books
1971 Compton, David G.David G. Compton The Steel Crocodile Ace Books
1971 Silverberg, RobertRobert Silverberg Tower of Glass Charles Scribner's Sons
1971 Tucker, WilsonWilson Tucker The Year of the Quiet Sun Ace Books
1972 Silverberg, RobertRobert Silverberg* A Time of Changes Galaxy Science Fiction
1972 Anderson, PoulPoul Anderson The Byworlder Fantastic
1972 Lafferty, R. A.R. A. Lafferty The Devil is Dead Avon Publications
1972 Bass, T. J.T. J. Bass Half Past Human Ballantine Books
1972 Le Guin, Ursula K.Ursula K. Le Guin The Lathe of Heaven Amazing Stories
1972 Wilhelm, KateKate Wilhelm Margaret and I Little, Brown and Company
1973 Asimov, IsaacIsaac Asimov* The Gods Themselves Galaxy Science Fiction
1973 Silverberg, RobertRobert Silverberg The Book of Skulls Charles Scribner's Sons
1973 Silverberg, RobertRobert Silverberg Dying Inside Galaxy Science Fiction
1973 Spinrad, NormanNorman Spinrad The Iron Dream Avon
1973 Brunner, JohnJohn Brunner The Sheep Look Up Harper & Row
1973 Effinger, George AlecGeorge Alec Effinger What Entropy Means to Me Doubleday
1973 Gerrold, DavidDavid Gerrold When HARLIE Was One Ballantine Books
1974 Clarke, Arthur C.Arthur C. Clarke* Rendezvous with Rama Galaxy Science Fiction
1974 Pynchon, ThomasThomas Pynchon Gravity's Rainbow Viking Press
1974 Gerrold, DavidDavid Gerrold The Man Who Folded Himself Random House
1974 Anderson, PoulPoul Anderson The People of the Wind Analog Science Fact & Fiction
1974 Heinlein, Robert A.Robert A. Heinlein Time Enough for Love Putnam Publishing Group
1975 Le Guin, Ursula K.Ursula K. Le Guin* The Dispossessed Harper & Row
1975 Disch, Thomas M.Thomas M. Disch 334 Avon
1975 Dick, Philip K.Philip K. Dick Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said Doubleday
1975 Bass, T. J.T. J. Bass The Godwhale Ballantine Books
1976 Haldeman, JoeJoe Haldeman* The Forever War St. Martin's Press
1976 Cover, Arthur ByronArthur Byron Cover Autumn Angels Pyramid Books
1976 Lee, TanithTanith Lee The Birthgrave DAW Books
1976 Bester, AlfredAlfred Bester The Computer Connection Analog Science Fact & Fiction
1976 Delany, Samuel R.Samuel R. Delany Dhalgren Bantam Books
1976 Zelazny, RogerRoger Zelazny Doorways in the Sand Analog Science Fact & Fiction
1976 Watson, IanIan Watson The Embedding Charles Scribner's Sons
1976 McIntyre, Vonda N.Vonda N. McIntyre The Exile Waiting Nelson Doubleday
12
1976 Russ, JoannaJoanna Russ The Female Man Bantam Books
1976 Bishop, MichaelMichael Bishop A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire Ballantine Books
1976 Malzberg, Barry N.Barry N. Malzberg Guernica Night Bobbs-Merrill Company
1976 Bradley, Marion ZimmerMarion Zimmer Bradley The Heritage of Hastur DAW Books
1976 Calvino, ItaloItalo Calvino Invisible Cities Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
1976 Anderson, PoulPoul Anderson A Midsummer Tempest Doubleday
1976 MacLean, KatherineKatherine MacLean The Missing Man Berkley Books
1976 Niven, LarryLarry Niven (Co-nomination) The Mote in God's Eye Simon & Schuster
1976 Pournelle, JerryJerry Pournelle (Co-nomination) The Mote in God's Eye Simon & Schuster
1976 Doctorow, E. L.E. L. Doctorow Ragtime Random House
1976 Silverberg, RobertRobert Silverberg The Stochastic Man The Magazine of Fantasy &
Science Fiction
1977 Pohl, FrederikFrederik Pohl* Man Plus The Magazine of Fantasy &
Science Fiction
1977 Niven, LarryLarry Niven (Co-nomination) Inferno Pocket Books
1977 Pournelle, JerryJerry Pournelle (Co-nomination) Inferno Pocket Books
1977 Randall, MartaMarta Randall Islands Pyramid Books
1977 Silverberg, RobertRobert Silverberg Shadrach in the Furnace Bobbs-Merrill Company
1977 Delany, Samuel R.Samuel R. Delany Triton Bantam Books
1977 Wilhelm, KateKate Wilhelm Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang Harper & Row
1978 Pohl, FrederikFrederik Pohl* Gateway Galaxy Science Fiction
1978 Carr, TerryTerry Carr Cirque Bobbs-Merrill Company
1978 Benford, GregoryGregory Benford In the Ocean of Night Dial Press
1978 Gerrold, DavidDavid Gerrold Moonstar Odyssey New American Library
1978 Lupoff, Richard A.Richard A. Lupoff Sword of Demon Harper & Row
1979 McIntyre, Vonda N.Vonda N. McIntyre* Dreamsnake Houghton Mifflin
1979 Reamy, TomTom Reamy Blind Voices Berkley Books
1979 Cherryh, C. J.C. J. Cherryh The Faded Sun: Kesrith Galaxy Science Fiction
1979 Vidal, GoreGore Vidal Kalki Random House
1979 Dozois, GardnerGardner Dozois Strangers Berkley Books
1980 Clarke, Arthur C.Arthur C. Clarke* The Fountains of Paradise Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
1980 Pohl, FrederikFrederik Pohl Jem St. Martin's Press
1980 Wilhelm, KateKate Wilhelm Juniper Time Harper & Row
1980 Disch, Thomas M.Thomas M. Disch On Wings of Song The Magazine of Fantasy &
Science Fiction
1980 Cowper, RichardRichard Cowper The Road to Corlay Pocket Books
1980 Varley, JohnJohn Varley Titan Berkley Books
1981 Benford, GregoryGregory Benford* Timescape Simon & Schuster
1981 Pohl, FrederikFrederik Pohl Beyond the Blue Event Horizon Del Rey Books
1981 Tevis, WalterWalter Tevis Mockingbird Doubleday
13
1981 Stallman, RobertRobert Stallman The Orphan Pocket Books
1981 Wolfe, GeneGene Wolfe The Shadow of the Torturer Simon & Schuster
1981 Vinge, Joan D.Joan D. Vinge The Snow Queen Dial Press
1982 Wolfe, GeneGene Wolfe* The Claw of the Conciliator Timescape Books
1982 Crowley, JohnJohn Crowley Little, Big Bantam Books
1982 May, JulianJulian May The Many-Colored Land Houghton Mifflin
1982 Attanasio, A. A.A. A. Attanasio Radix William Morrow and Company
1982 Hoban, RussellRussell Hoban Riddley Walker Summit Books
1982 Charnas, Suzy McKeeSuzy McKee Charnas The Vampire Tapestry Simon & Schuster
1983 Bishop, MichaelMichael Bishop* No Enemy But Time Timescape Books
1983 Asimov, IsaacIsaac Asimov Foundation's Edge Doubleday
1983 Heinlein, Robert A.Robert A. Heinlein Friday Holt, Rinehart & Winston
1983 Aldiss, BrianBrian Aldiss Helliconia Spring Atheneum Books
1983 Wolfe, GeneGene Wolfe The Sword of the Lictor Timescape Books
1983 Dick, Philip K.Philip K. Dick The Transmigration of Timothy Archer Timescape Books
1984 Brin, DavidDavid Brin* Startide Rising Bantam Books
1984 Benford, GregoryGregory Benford Against Infinity Timescape Books
1984 Wolfe, GeneGene Wolfe The Citadel of the Autarch Timescape Books
1984 Vance, JackJack Vance Lyonesse Berkley Books
1984 MacAvoy, R. A.R. A. MacAvoy Tea with the Black Dragon Bantam Books
1984 Spinrad, NormanNorman Spinrad The Void Captain's Tale Timescape Books
1985 Gibson, WilliamWilliam Gibson* Neuromancer Ace Books
1985 Shiner, LewisLewis Shiner Frontera Baen Books
1985 Niven, LarryLarry Niven The Integral Trees Del Rey Books
1985 Heinlein, Robert A.Robert A. Heinlein Job: A Comedy of Justice Del Rey Books
1985 Dann, JackJack Dann The Man Who Melted Bluejay Books
1985 Robinson, Kim StanleyKim Stanley Robinson The Wild Shore Ace Books
1986 Card, Orson ScottOrson Scott Card* Ender's Game Tor Books
1986 Bear, GregGreg Bear Blood Music Arbor House
1986 Powers, TimTim Powers Dinner at Deviant's Palace Ace Books
1986 Aldiss, BrianBrian Aldiss Helliconia Winter Atheneum Books
1986 Brin, DavidDavid Brin The Postman Bantam Spectra
1986 Malzberg, Barry N.Barry N. Malzberg The Remaking of Sigmund Freud Del Rey Books
1986 Sterling, BruceBruce Sterling Schismatrix Arbor House
1987 Card, Orson ScottOrson Scott Card* Speaker for the Dead Tor Books
1987 Gibson, WilliamWilliam Gibson Count Zero Asimov's Science Fiction
1987 Wolfe, GeneGene Wolfe Free Live Free Tor Books
1987 Atwood, MargaretMargaret Atwood The Handmaid's Tale Houghton Mifflin
1987 Kennedy, LeighLeigh Kennedy The Journal of Nicholas the American Atlantic Monthly Press
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1987 Morrow, James K.James K. Morrow This is the Way the World Ends Henry Holt and Company
1988 Murphy, PatPat Murphy* The Falling Woman Tor Books
1988 Bear, GregGreg Bear The Forge of God Tor Books
1988 Wolfe, GeneGene Wolfe Soldier of the Mist Tor Books
1988 Brin, DavidDavid Brin The Uplift War Bantam Spectra
1988 Davidson, AvramAvram Davidson Vergil in Averno Doubleday
1988 Effinger, George AlecGeorge Alec Effinger When Gravity Fails Arbor House
1989 Bujold, Lois McMasterLois McMaster Bujold* Falling Free Analog Science Fact & Fiction
1989 Shiner, LewisLewis Shiner Deserted Cities of the Heart Doubleday Foundation
1989 Turner, GeorgeGeorge Turner Drowning Towers Arbor House
1989 Benford, GregoryGregory Benford Great Sky River Bantam Spectra
1989 Gibson, WilliamWilliam Gibson Mona Lisa Overdrive Bantam Spectra
1989 Card, Orson ScottOrson Scott Card Red Prophet Tor Books
1989 Wolfe, GeneGene Wolfe The Urth of the New Sun Tor Books
1990 Scarborough, Elizabeth AnnElizabeth Ann
Scarborough*
The Healer's War Doubleday Foundation
1990 Anderson, PoulPoul Anderson The Boat of a Million Years Tor Books
1990 Card, Orson ScottOrson Scott Card Prentice Alvin Tor Books
1990 Kessel, JohnJohn Kessel Good News From Outer Space Tor Books
1990 Resnick, MikeMike Resnick Ivory: A Legend of Past and Future Tor Books
1990 Yolen, JaneJane Yolen Sister Light, Sister Dark Tor Books
1991 Le Guin, Ursula K.Ursula K. Le Guin* Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea Macmillan Publishers
1991 Martin, ValerieValerie Martin Mary Reilly Doubleday Foundation
1991 Morrow, James K.James K. Morrow Only Begotten Daughter Doubleday
1991 Simmons, DanDan Simmons The Fall of Hyperion William Morrow and Company
1991 Stith, John E.John E. Stith Redshift Rendezvous Ace Books
1991 Yolen, JaneJane Yolen White Jenna Tor Books
1992 Swanwick, MichaelMichael Swanwick* Stations of the Tide Asimov's Science Fiction
1992 Barnes, JohnJohn Barnes Orbital Resonance Tor Books
1992 Bujold, Lois McMasterLois McMaster Bujold Barrayar Analog Science Fact & Fiction
1992 Bull, EmmaEmma Bull Bone Dance Ace Books
1992 Cadigan, PatPat Cadigan Synners Bantam Spectra
1992 Sterling, BruceBruce Sterling (Co-nomination) The Difference Engine Bantam Spectra
1992 Gibson, WilliamWilliam Gibson
(Co-nomination)
The Difference Engine Bantam Spectra
1993 Willis, ConnieConnie Willis* Doomsday Book Bantam Spectra
1993 Barnes, JohnJohn Barnes A Million Open Doors Tor Books
1993 Fowler, Karen JoyKaren Joy Fowler Sarah Canary Henry Holt and Company
1993 McHugh, Maureen F.Maureen F. McHugh China Mountain Zhang Tor Books
1993 Vinge, VernorVernor Vinge A Fire Upon the Deep Tor Books
15
1993 Yolen, JaneJane Yolen Briar Rose Tor Books
1994 Robinson, Kim StanleyKim Stanley Robinson* Red Mars Bantam Spectra
1994 Anderson, Kevin J.Kevin J. Anderson
(Co-nomination)
Assemblers of Infinity Analog Science Fiction and Fact
1994 Beason, DougDoug Beason (Co-nomination) Assemblers of Infinity Analog Science Fiction and Fact
1994 Budrys, AlgisAlgis Budrys Hard Landing Fantasy & Science Fiction
1994 Kress, NancyNancy Kress Beggars in Spain Morrow AvoNova
1994 Wolfe, GeneGene Wolfe Nightside the Long Sun Tor Books
1995 Bear, GregGreg Bear* Moving Mars Tor Books
1995 Butler, Octavia E.Octavia E. Butler Parable of the Sower Four Walls Eight Windows
1995 Lethem, JonathanJonathan Lethem Gun, with Occasional Music Harcourt Brace
1995 Morrow, James K.James K. Morrow Towing Jehovah Harcourt Brace
1995 Pollack, RachelRachel Pollack Temporary Agency St. Martin's Press
1995 Robinson, Kim StanleyKim Stanley Robinson Green Mars Bantam Spectra
1995 Zelazny, RogerRoger Zelazny A Night in the Lonesome October Morrow AvoNova
1996 Sawyer, Robert J.Robert J. Sawyer* The Terminal Experiment HarperPrism
1996 Barnes, JohnJohn Barnes Mother of Storms Tor Books
1996 Kress, NancyNancy Kress Beggars and Choosers Tor Books
1996 Park, PaulPaul Park Celestis Tor Books
1996 Williams, Walter JonWalter Jon Williams Metropolitan HarperPrism
1996 Wolfe, GeneGene Wolfe Calde of the Long Sun Tor Books
1997 Griffith, NicolaNicola Griffith* Slow River Del Rey Books
1997 Hoffman, Nina KirikiNina Kiriki Hoffman The Silent Strength of Stones AvoNova
1997 McKillip, Patricia A.Patricia A. McKillip Winter Rose Ace Books
1997 Powers, TimTim Powers Expiration Date Tor Books
1997 Sawyer, Robert J.Robert J. Sawyer Starplex Analog Science Fiction and Fact
1997 Stephenson, NealNeal Stephenson The Diamond Age Bantam Spectra
1998 McIntyre, Vonda N.Vonda N. McIntyre* The Moon and the Sun Pocket Books
1998 Bujold, Lois McMasterLois McMaster Bujold Memory Baen Books
1998 Elliott, KateKate Elliott King's Dragon DAW Books
1998 Martin, George R. R.George R. R. Martin A Game of Thrones Bantam Spectra
1998 McDevitt, JackJack McDevitt Ancient Shores HarperPrism
1998 Williams, Walter JonWalter Jon Williams City on Fire HarperPrism
1998 Willis, ConnieConnie Willis Bellwether Bantam Spectra
1999 Haldeman, JoeJoe Haldeman* Forever Peace Ace Books
1999 Asaro, CatherineCatherine Asaro The Last Hawk Tor Books
1999 McDevitt, JackJack McDevitt Moonfall HarperPrism
1999 Turtledove, HarryHarry Turtledove How Few Remain Del Rey Books
1999 Wells, MarthaMartha Wells Death of the Necromancer Avon
1999 Willis, ConnieConnie Willis To Say Nothing of the Dog Bantam Spectra
16
2000 Butler, Octavia E.Octavia E. Butler* Parable of the Talents Seven Stories Press
2000 MacLeod, KenKen MacLeod The Cassini Division Tor Books
2000 Martin, George R. R.George R. R. Martin A Clash of Kings Bantam Spectra
2000 McHugh, Maureen F.Maureen F. McHugh Mission Child Avon Eos
2000 Stewart, SeanSean Stewart Mockingbird Ace Books
2000 Vinge, VernorVernor Vinge A Deepness in the Sky Tor Books
2001 Bear, GregGreg Bear* Darwin's Radio Del Rey Books
2001 Bujold, Lois McMasterLois McMaster Bujold A Civil Campaign Baen Books
2001 Goonan, Kathleen AnnKathleen Ann Goonan Crescent City Rhapsody Avon Eos
2001 Hopkinson, NaloNalo Hopkinson Midnight Robber Warner Aspect
2001 McDevitt, JackJack McDevitt Infinity Beach HarperPrism
2001 Lint, Charles deCharles de Lint Forests of the Heart Tor Books
2002 Asaro, CatherineCatherine Asaro* The Quantum Rose Tor Books
2002 Carver, JeffreyJeffrey Carver Eternity's End Tor Books
2002 Landis, Geoffrey A.Geoffrey A. Landis Mars Crossing Tor Books
2002 Martin, George R. R.George R. R. Martin A Storm of Swords Bantam Spectra
2002 McCarthy, WilWil McCarthy The Collapsium Del Rey Books
2002 McKillip, Patricia A.Patricia A. McKillip The Tower at Stony Wood Ace Books
2002 Powers, TimTim Powers Declare Subterranean Press
2002 Willis, ConnieConnie Willis Passage Bantam Books
2003 Gaiman, NeilNeil Gaiman* American Gods William Morrow and Company
2003 Eskridge, KelleyKelley Eskridge Solitaire Eos
2003 Le Guin, Ursula K.Ursula K. Le Guin The Other Wind Harcourt
2003 Metzger, Robert A.Robert A. Metzger Picoverse Ace Books
2003 Miville, ChinaChina Miville Perdido Street Station Del Rey Books
2003 Swanwick, MichaelMichael Swanwick Bones of the Earth Eos
2004 Moon, ElizabethElizabeth Moon* The Speed of Dark Ballantine Books
2004 Bujold, Lois McMasterLois McMaster Bujold Diplomatic Immunity Baen Books
2004 Emshwiller, CarolCarol Emshwiller The Mount Small Beer Press
2004 Goonan, Kathleen AnnKathleen Ann Goonan Light Music Eos
2004 Hopkinson, NaloNalo Hopkinson The Salt Roads Warner
2004 McDevitt, JackJack McDevitt Chindi Ace Books
2005 Bujold, Lois McMasterLois McMaster Bujold* Paladin of Souls Eos
2005 Doctorow, CoryCory Doctorow Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom Tor Books
2005 McDevitt, JackJack McDevitt Omega Ace Books
2005 Mitchell, DavidDavid Mitchell Cloud Atlas Random House
2005 Stewart, SeanSean Stewart Perfect Circle Small Beer Press
2005 Wolfe, GeneGene Wolfe The Knight Tor Books
2006 Haldeman, JoeJoe Haldeman* Camouflage Analog Science Fiction and Fact
17
2006 Clarke, SusannaSusanna Clarke Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Bloomsbury Publishing
2006 McDevitt, JackJack McDevitt Polaris Ace Books
2006 Pratchett, TerryTerry Pratchett Going Postal HarperCollins
2006 Ryman, GeoffGeoff Ryman Air St. Martin's Press
2006 Wright, John C.John C. Wright Orphans of Chaos Tor Books
2007 McDevitt, JackJack McDevitt* Seeker Ace Books
2007 Kushner, EllenEllen Kushner The Privilege of the Sword Bantam Spectra
2007 Ford, JeffreyJeffrey Ford The Girl in the Glass HarperCollins
2007 Walton, JoJo Walton Farthing Tor Books
2007 Bowes, RichardRichard Bowes From the Files of the Time Rangers Golden Gryphon Press
2007 McCarthy, WilWil McCarthy To Crush the Moon Bantam Spectra
2008 Chabon, MichaelMichael Chabon* The Yiddish Policemen's Union HarperCollins
2008 McDevitt, JackJack McDevitt Odyssey Ace Books
2008 Haldeman, JoeJoe Haldeman The Accidental Time Machine Ace Books
2008 Hopkinson, NaloNalo Hopkinson The New Moon's Arms Warner
2008 Buckell, Tobias S.Tobias S. Buckell Ragamuffin Tor Books
2009 Le Guin, Ursula K.Ursula K. Le Guin* Powers Harcourt
2009 Doctorow, CoryCory Doctorow Little Brother Tor Books
2009 McDevitt, JackJack McDevitt Cauldron Ace Books
2009 McDonald, IanIan McDonald Brasyl Pyr Books
2009 Pratchett, TerryTerry Pratchett Making Money Harper
2009 Schwartz, David J.David J. Schwartz Superpowers Three Rivers Press
2010 Bacigalupi, PaoloPaolo Bacigalupi* The Windup Girl Night Shade Books
2010 Barzak, ChristopherChristopher Barzak The Love We Share Without Knowing Bantam Books
2010 Gilman, Laura AnneLaura Anne Gilman Flesh and Fire Pocket Books
2010 Miville, ChinaChina Miville The City & the City Del Rey Books
2010 Priest, CherieCherie Priest Boneshaker Tor Books
2010 VanderMeer, JeffJeff VanderMeer Finch Underland Press
2011 Willis, ConnieConnie Willis* Blackout/All Clear Bantam Spectra
2011 Hobson, M. K.M. K. Hobson The Native Star Bantam Spectra
2011 Jemisin, N. K.N. K. Jemisin The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms Orbit Books
2011 Kowal, Mary RobinetteMary Robinette Kowal Shades of Milk and Honey Tor Books
2011 McDevitt, JackJack McDevitt Echo Ace Books
2011 Okorafor, NnediNnedi Okorafor Who Fears Death DAW Books
2012 Walton, JoJo Walton* Among Others Tor Books
2012 Miville, ChinaChina Miville Embassytown Subterranean Press
2012 McDevitt, JackJack McDevitt Firebird Ace Books
2012 Hurley, KameronKameron Hurley God's War Night Shade Books
2012 Valentine, GenevieveGenevieve Valentine Mechanique: a Tale of the Circus Tresaulti Prime Books
18
2012 Jemisin, N. K.N. K. Jemisin The Kingdom of Gods Orbit Books
2013 Robinson, Kim StanleyKim Stanley Robinson* 2312 Orbit Books
2013 Ahmed, SaladinSaladin Ahmed Throne of the Crescent Moon DAW Books
2013 Connolly, TinaTina Connolly Ironskin Tor Books
2013 Jemisin, N. K.N. K. Jemisin The Killing Moon Orbit Books
2013 Kiernan, Caitln R.Caitln R. Kiernan The Drowning Girl Roc Books
2013 Kowal, Mary RobinetteMary Robinette Kowal Glamour in Glass Tor Books
2014 Fowler, Karen JoyKaren Joy Fowler We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves Marian Wood Books
2014 Gaiman, NeilNeil Gaiman The Ocean at the End of the Lane William Morrow and Company
2014 Gannon, Charles E.Charles E. Gannon Fire with Fire Baen Books
2014 Griffith, NicolaNicola Griffith Hild Farrar, Straus and Giroux
2014 Leckie, AnnAnn Leckie Ancillary Justice Orbit Books
2014 Nagata, LindaLinda Nagata The Red: First Light Mythic Island Press
2014 Samatar, SofiaSofia Samatar A Stranger in Olondria Small Beer Press
2014 Wecker, HeleneHelene Wecker The Golem and the Jinni Harper
References
External links
Nebula Awards official site (http:/ / www. sfwa. org/ nebula-awards/ )
19
Laureates
1965 Dune
Dune
First edition cover
Author Frank Herbert
Coverartist John Schoenherr
Country United States
Language English
Series Dune series
Genre Science fiction, Planetary romance, Political thriller, Psychological thriller, Fantasy, Conspiracy fiction, Adventure
Published 1965 (Chilton Books)
Mediatype Print
Pages 412
ISBN NA
Followedby Dune Messiah
Dune is a 1965 epic science fiction novel by Frank Herbert. It won the Hugo Award in 1966, and the inaugural
Nebula Award for Best Novel. Dune is the world's best-selling science fiction novel and is the start of the Dune saga.
Set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which noble houses, in control of individual planets,
owe allegiance to the Padishah Emperor, Dune tells the story of young Paul Atreides, whose noble family accepts the
stewardship of the desert planet Arrakis. As this planet is the only source of the "spice" melange, the most important
and valuable substance in the universe, control of Arrakis is a coveted and dangerous undertaking. The story
explores the multi-layered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, as the forces of
the empire confront each other in a struggle for the control of Arrakis and its "spice".
Herbert wrote five sequels to the novel Dune: Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of
Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune. The first novel also inspired a 1984 film adaptation by David Lynch, the 2000
Sci-Fi Channel miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune and its 2003 sequel Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (which
combines the events of Dune Messiah and Children of Dune), computer games, at least two board games, songs, and
a series of prequels, interquels, and sequels that were co-written by Kevin J. Anderson and the author's son, Brian
Herbert, starting in 1999.
1965 Dune
20
Origins
Florence, Oregon, with sand dunes that served as
an inspiration for the Dune saga
After his novel The Dragon in the Sea was published in 1957, Herbert
traveled to Florence, Oregon, at the north end of the Oregon Dunes.
Here, the United States Department of Agriculture was attempting to
use poverty grasses to stabilize the damaging sand dunes. Herbert
claimed in a letter to his literary agent, Lurton Blassingame, that the
moving dunes could "swallow whole cities, lakes, rivers, highways."
[1]
Herbert's article on the dunes, "They Stopped the Moving Sands", was
never completed and only published decades later in The Road to
Dune but its research sparked Herbert's interest in ecology.
Herbert spent the next five years researching, writing, and revising a literary work that was eventually serialized in
Analog magazine from 1963 to 1965 as two shorter works, Dune World and The Prophet of Dune.
[2][3]
Herbert
dedicated his work "to the people whose labors go beyond ideas into the realm of 'real materials'to the dry-land
ecologists, wherever they may be, in whatever time they work, this effort at prediction is dedicated in humility and
admiration." The serialized version was expanded, reworked, and submitted to more than twenty publishers, each of
whom rejected it. The novel, Dune, was finally accepted and published by Chilton Books, a printing house better
known for publishing auto repair manuals.
Synopsis
Setting
More than 21,000 years in the future, humanity has settled on countless habitable planets, which are ruled by
aristocratic Great Houses that owe allegiance to the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV. Though many forms of science
and technology have evolved greatly since the twentieth century, artificial intelligence and advanced computers are
prohibited. Due to the absence of these technologies, humans have adapted their minds to become capable of
extremely complex tasks, including mental computing, a task undertaken by trained Mentats. The powerful,
matriarchal Bene Gesserit, which hopes to further the human race through controlled breeding, and the Spacing
Guild, which holds a legal monopoly on interstellar travel, both rely on the "spice" melange to facilitate their
advanced mental abilities. The use of melange also improves general health, extends life and can bestow limited
prescience.
As melange can be found only on the desert planet Arrakis, it is extremely valuable and is often used as currency.
The CHOAM corporation, which determines the income and financial leverage of each Great House, controls
allocation of melange. The Spacing Guild's Navigators depend on the prescience melange provides to safely plot the
travels of their ships, called heighliners, enormous freighters capable of transporting people, goods, and
non-interstellar spacecraft at faster than light speeds. The Bene Gesserit sisterhood depends on mental and physical
abilities provided by melange, powers that are found to be even more advanced in Bene Gesserit Reverend Mothers,
who have undergone a deadly ritual which unlocks their Other Memory, the ego and experiences of one's female
ancestors. Due to Reverend Mothers' inability to access the memories of their male ancestors, the Bene Gesserit have
a secret, millennia-old breeding program, with a goal of producing a male Bene Gesserit, called the Kwisatz
Haderach. The Kwisatz Haderach would be capable of accessing all ancestral memories and could possess "organic
mental powers" that can "bridge space and time". With this Kwisatz Haderach under their control, the Bene Gesserit
hope to better guide humanity toward their goals, and at the time of the novel they believe that this plan is nearing
fruition.
The planet Arrakis itself is completely covered in a hostile desert ecosystem. It, however, is also sparsely populated
by a human population of seemingly-native Fremen, ferocious fighters who have adapted to the harsh climate and
1965 Dune
21
secretly can ride the planet's giant sandworms. The Fremen also have complex rituals and systems focusing on the
value and conservation of water on their arid planet; they conserve the water distilled from their dead, consider
spitting an honorable greeting, and view tears shed for the dead a waste of water that could be used by the living.
The novel suggests that the Fremen have even adapted to the environment physiologically, with their blood able to
clot almost instantly to prevent water loss. The Fremen culture also values melange, which is found in the desert and
harvested with great risk from attacking sandworms, who are attracted to any rhythmic activity on the dunes. As they
have done on other planets with populations considered to be superstitious, Bene Gesserit missionaries have
implanted religions and prophecies on Arrakis that can be used to the advantage of any Bene Gesserit who may find
herself on the planet. This manipulation has given the Fremen a belief in a male messiah, the Lisan al-Gaib, or "voice
of the outer world." The Lisan al-Gaib is prophesied to one day come from off-world to transform Arrakis into a
more hospitable world.
Plot
Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV of House Corrino grants Duke Leto Atreides control of the lucrative spice-mining
operations on Arrakis. Though Leto and his advisors suspect the boon to be some sort of trap, it is an opportunity for
House Atreides to gain power and wealth, and politically Leto cannot refuse. The Emperor has indeed become
threatened by Leto's growing popularity within the convocation of ruling Houses known as the Landsraad, and
decides that House Atreides must be destroyed. Unable to risk an overt attack on a single House without suffering a
backlash from the Landsraad, the Emperor instead plots to use the centuries-old feud between House Atreides and
House Harkonnen to disguise his assault, enlisting the brilliant and power-hungry Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in his
plan to trap and eliminate the Atreides. Complicating the political intrigue is the fact that Leto's son Paul Atreides is
an essential part of the Bene Gesserit's secret, centuries-old breeding program. Though ordered to use her
physiological training to conceive a daughter, Leto's concubine, the Bene Gesserit Lady Jessica, had instead chosen
to give the Duke a male heir out of love for him. The Bene Gesserit leader Reverend Mother Mohiam, not used to
being defied, is wary of the potential repercussions of Jessica's choice on both young Paul's genetics and the
breeding program itself.
On Arrakis, the Atreides are able to thwart initial Harkonnen traps and complications while simultaneously, through
Leto's Swordmaster Duncan Idaho, building trust with the mysterious desert Fremen, with whom they hope to ally.
However, the Atreides are ultimately unable to withstand a devastating Harkonnen attack, supported by the
Emperor's fearsome, virtually invincible Sardaukar troops disguised as Harkonnen troops and made possible by a
traitor within House Atreides itself, the Suk doctor Wellington Yueh. House Atreides is scattered, and of its principal
retainers, Mentat Thufir Hawat is taken by the Baron Harkonnen and eventually convinced to serve him; the
troubadour-soldier Gurney Halleck escapes with the aid of smugglers, whom he joins; and Duncan Idaho is killed
defending Paul and Jessica. Per his bargain, Yueh delivers a captive Leto to the Baron, but double-crosses the
Harkonnens by ensuring that Paul and Jessica escape. He also provides Leto with a poison-gas capsule in the form of
a false tooth, which Yueh instructs a drugged Leto to use to simultaneously commit suicide and assassinate
Harkonnen. The Baron kills Yueh, and Leto dies in his failed attempt on the Baron's life, though the Baron's twisted
Mentat Piter De Vries dies with him. Paul and Jessica flee into the deep desert.
Jessica's Bene Gesserit abilities and Paul's developing skills help them join a band of Fremen. Paul and his mother
quickly learn Fremen ways while teaching the Fremen the weirding way, a Bene Gesserit method of fighting. Jessica
becomes a Reverend Mother, ingesting the poisonous Water of Life while pregnant with her second child; this
unborn daughter Alia is subjected to the same ordeal, acquiring the full abilities of a Reverend Mother before even
being born. Paul takes a Fremen lover, Chani, with whom he fathers a son. Years pass, and Paul increasingly
recognizes the strength of the Fremen fighting force and their potential to overtake even the "unstoppable" Sardaukar
and win back Arrakis. The spice diet of the Fremen and his own developing mental powers cause Paul's prescience
to increase dramatically, allowing his foresight of future "paths" of possible events. Regarded by the Fremen as their
prophesied messiah, Paul grows in influence and begins a jihad against Harkonnen rule of the planet under his new
1965 Dune
22
Fremen name, Muad'Dib. However, Paul becomes aware through his prescience that, if he is not careful, the Fremen
will extend that jihad against all the known universe, which Paul describes as a humanity-spanning subconscious
effort to avoid genetic stagnation.
Both the Emperor and the Baron Harkonnen show increasing concern at the fervor of religious fanaticism shown on
Arrakis for this "Muad'Dib", not guessing that this leader is the presumed-dead Paul. Harkonnen plots to send his
nephew and heir-presumptive Feyd Rautha as a replacement for his more brutish nephew Glossu Rabban who is
in charge of the planet with the hope of gaining the respect of the population. However, the Emperor is highly
suspicious of the Baron and sends spies to watch his movements. Hawat explains the Emperor's suspicions: the
Sardaukar, all but invincible in battle, are trained on the prison planet Salusa Secundus, whose inhospitable
conditions allow only the best to survive. Arrakis serves as a similar crucible, and the Emperor fears that the Baron
could recruit from it a fighting force to rival his Sardaukar, just as House Atreides had intended before their
destruction.
Paul is reunited with Gurney. Completely loyal to the Atreides, Gurney is convinced that Jessica is the traitor who
caused the House's downfall, and nearly kills her before being stopped by Paul. Disturbed that his prescience had not
predicted this possibility, Paul decides to take the Water of Life, an act which will either confirm his status as the
Kwisatz Haderach or kill him. After three weeks in a near-death state, Paul emerges with his powers refined and
focused; he is able to see past, present, and future at will, down both male and female lines. Looking into space, he
sees that the Emperor and the Harkonnens have amassed a huge armada to invade the planet and regain control. Paul
also realizes that his ability to destroy all spice production on Arrakis using the Water of Life is his means of seizing
control of it.
In an Imperial attack on a Fremen settlement, the four-year-old Alia is captured by Sardaukar and brought to the
planet's capital Arrakeen, where the Baron Harkonnen is attempting to thwart the Fremen jihad under the close watch
of the Emperor. The Emperor is surprised at Alia's defiance of his power and her confidence in her brother, whom
she reveals to be Paul Atreides. At that moment, under cover of a gigantic sandstorm, Paul and his army of Fremen
attack the city riding sandworms; Alia kills the Baron during the confusion. Paul defeats the Sardaukar and confronts
the Emperor, threatening to destroy the spice, thereby ending space travel and crippling both Imperial power and the
Bene Gesserit in one blow. The new Baron Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha, challenges Paul to a knife-duel in a final
attempt to stop his overthrow, but is defeated despite an attempt at treachery. Realizing that Paul is capable of doing
all he has threatened, the Emperor is forced to abdicate and to promise his daughter Princess Irulan in marriage to
Paul. Paul ascends the throne, his control of Arrakis and the spice establishing a new kind of power over the Empire
that will change the face of the known universe. But in spite of his power, Paul discovers that he will not be able to
stop the jihad in his visions. His legendary state among the Fremen has grown beyond his power to control it.
Characters
House Atreides
Paul Atreides, the Duke's son, and main character of the novel.
Duke Leto Atreides, head of House Atreides
Lady Jessica, Bene Gesserit and concubine of the Duke, mother of Paul and Alia
Alia Atreides, Paul's younger sister
Thufir Hawat, Mentat and Master of Assassins to House Atreides
Gurney Halleck, staunchly loyal troubadour warrior of the Atreides
Duncan Idaho, Swordmaster for House Atreides, graduate of the Ginaz School
Wellington Yueh, Suk doctor for the Atreides
1965 Dune
23
House Harkonnen
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, head of House Harkonnen
Piter De Vries, twisted Mentat
Feyd-Rautha, nephew and heir-presumptive of the Baron
Glossu "Beast" Rabban, also called Rabban Harkonnen, older nephew of the Baron
Iakin Nefud, Captain of the Guard
House Corrino
Shaddam Corrino IV, Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe (the Imperium)
Princess Irulan, Shaddam's eldest daughter and heir, also a historian
Count Hasimir Fenring, genetic eunuch and the Emperor's closest friend, advisor, and "errand boy"
Bene Gesserit
Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Bene Gesserit schemer, the Emperor's Truthsayer
Lady Margot Fenring, Bene Gesserit wife of Count Fenring
Fremen
The Fremen, "native" inhabitants of Arrakis
Stilgar, Fremen Naib (chieftain) of Sietch Tabr
Chani, Paul's Fremen concubine
Liet-Kynes, the Imperial Planetologist on Arrakis and father of Chani, as well as a revered figure among the
Fremen
Smugglers
Esmar Tuek, powerful smuggler who befriends and takes in Gurney Halleck and his surviving men after the
attack on the Atreides
Analysis
Environmentalism and ecology
Dune has been called the "first planetary ecology novel on a grand scale." After the publication of Silent Spring by
Rachel Carson in 1962, science fiction writers began treating the subject of ecological change and its consequences.
Dune responded in 1965 with its complex descriptions of Arrakis life, from giant sandworms (for whom water is
deadly) to smaller, mouse-like life forms adapted to live with limited water. The inhabitants of the planet, the
Fremen, must compromise with the ecosystem in which they live, sacrificing some of their desire for a water-laden
planet to preserve the sandworms which are so important to their culture. Dune was followed in its creation of
complex and unique ecologies by other science fiction books such as A Door into Ocean (1986) and Red Mars
(1992). Environmentalists have pointed out that Dune's popularity as a novel depicting a planet as a
complexalmost livingthing, in combination with the first images of earth from space being published in the
same time period, strongly influenced environmental movements such as the establishment of the international Earth
Day.
1965 Dune
24
Declining empires
Lorenzo DiTommaso compared Dune's portrayal of the downfall of a galactic empire to Edward Gibbon's Decline
and Fall of the Roman Empire which argues that Christianity led to the fall of Ancient Rome. In "History and
Historical Effect in Frank Herbert's Dune" (1992), Lorenzo DiTommaso outlines similarities between the two works
by highlighting the excesses of the Emperor on his home planet of Kaitain and of the Baron Harkonnen in his palace.
The Emperor loses his effectiveness as a ruler from excess of ceremony and pomp. The hairdressers and attendants
he brings with him to Arrakis are even referred to as "parasites." The Baron Harkonnen is similarly corrupt,
materially and sexually decadent. Gibbon's Decline and Fall blames the fall of Rome on the rise of Christianity.
Gibbon claimed that this exotic import from a conquered province weakened the soldiers of Rome and left it open to
attack. Similarly, the Emperor's Sardaukar fighters are little match for the Fremen of Dune because of the
Sardaukar's overconfidence and the Fremen's capacity for self-sacrifice. The Fremen put the community before
themselves in every instance, while the world outside wallows in luxury at the expense of others.
Persian, Arab and Islamic references
Many words, titles and names (e.g. the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, Hawat, Bashar, Harq-al-Ada) in the Dune
universe as well as a large number of words in the language of the Fremen people are derived or taken directly from
Persian and Arabic (e.g. erg, the Arabic word for 'dune', is used frequently throughout the novel). To begin with,
Paul's name (Muad'Dib) means in Arabic 'the teacher or maker of politeness or literature'. The Fremen language is
also embedded with Islamic terms such as, jihad, Mahdi, Shaitan, and the personal bodyguard of Paul Muad'Dib
Fedaykin is a transliteration of the Persian Feda'yin. As a foreigner who adopts the ways of a desert-dwelling people
and then leads them in a military capacity, Paul Atreides' character bears some similarities to the historical T. E.
Lawrence.
[4]
Gender issues
Kathy Gower criticizes Dune in the book Mother Was Not a Person, arguing that, although the book has been
praised for its portrayal of people in a mystical world, the prominence of its female characters is significantly lower
than that of the males. In her view, women in Dune culture are largely left to domestic duties, and the exclusively
female Bene Gesserit religious cult resembles age-old notions of witchcraft. Women in this religion are feared and
hated by the men. They also never use their power to aid themselves, only the men around them, and their greatest
desire is to bring a man into their religion.
[5]
Science-fiction author and literary critic Samuel R. Delany has
expressed offense that the book's only portrayal of a homosexual character, the vile pervert Baron Harkonnen, is
negative.
[6]
On the other hand, Jessica's son's approach to power consistently requires his upbringing under the female-oriented
Bene Gesserit, who operate as a long-dominating shadow government behind all of the great houses and their
marriages or divisions. A central theme of the book is the connection, in Jessica's son, of this female aspect with his
male aspect. In a Bene Gesserit test early in the book, it is implied that men are generally "inhuman" in that they
irrationally place desire over self-interest and reason. This applies Herbert's philosophy that humans are not created
equal, while equal justice and equal opportunity are higher ideals than mental, physical, or moral equality. Margery
Hourihan even calls the main character's mother, Jessica, "by far the most interesting character in the novel"
[7]
and
pointing out that while her son approaches a power which makes him almost alien to the reader, she remains human.
Throughout the novel, she struggles to maintain power in a male-dominated society, and manages to help her son at
key moments in his realization of power.
1965 Dune
25
Heroism
I am showing you the superhero syndrome and your own participation in it.
Frank Herbert
[8]
Throughout Paul's rise to superhuman status, he follows a plotline common to many stories describing the birth of a
hero. He has unfortunate circumstances forced onto him. After a long period of hardship and exile, he confronts and
defeats the source of evil in his tale.
[9][10]
As such, Dune is representative of a general trend beginning in 1960s
American science fiction in that it features a character who attains godlike status through scientific means.
[11]
Eventually, Paul Atreides gains a level of omniscience which allows him to take over the planet and the galaxy, and
causing the Fremen of Arrakis to worship him like a god. Author Frank Herbert said in 1979, "The bottom line of the
Dune trilogy is: beware of heroes. Much better [to] rely on your own judgment, and your own mistakes." He wrote in
1985, "Dune was aimed at this whole idea of the infallible leader because my view of history says that mistakes
made by a leader (or made in a leader's name) are amplified by the numbers who follow without question."
Juan A. Prieto-Pablos says Herbert achieves a new typology with Paul's superpowers, differentiating the heroes of
Dune from earlier heroes such as Superman, van Vogt's Gilbert Gosseyn and Henry Kuttner's telepaths. Unlike
previous superheroes who acquire their powers suddenly and accidentally, Paul's are the result of "painful and slow
personal progress." And unlike other superheroes of the 1960swho are the exception among ordinary people in
their respective worldsHerbert's characters grow their powers through "the application of mystical philosophies
and techniques." For Herbert, the ordinary person can develop incredible fighting skills (Fremen, Ginaz swordsmen
and Sardaukar) or mental abilities (Bene Gesserit, Mentats, Spacing Guild Navigators).
Zen
Early in his newspaper career, Herbert was introduced to Zen by two Jungian psychologists.
[12]
Throughout the
Dune series and particularly in Dune, Herbert employs concepts and forms borrowed from Zen Buddhism.
[13]
The
Fremen are Zensunni adherents, and many of Herbert's epigraphs are Zen-spirited.
[14]
In "Dune Genesis" he wrote:
What especially pleases me is to see the interwoven themes, the fuguelike relationships of images that
exactly replay the way Dune took shape. As in an Escher lithograph, I involved myself with recurrent
themes that turn into paradox. The central paradox concerns the human vision of time. What about
Paul's gift of prescience-the Presbyterian fixation? For the Delphic Oracle to perform, it must tangle
itself in a web of predestination. Yet predestination negates surprises and, in fact, sets up a
mathematically enclosed universe whose limits are always inconsistent, always encountering the
unprovable. It's like a koan, a Zen mind breaker. It's like the Cretan Epimenides saying, "All Cretans are
liars."
Reception
Reviews of the novel have been largely positive, and Dune is considered by some critics to be the best science fiction
book ever written.
Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke has described it as "unique" and claimed "I know nothing comparable to it
except Lord of the Rings." Robert A. Heinlein described Dune as "Powerful, convincing, and most ingenious." It was
called "One of the monuments of modern science fiction" by the Chicago Tribune, while the Washington Post
described it as "A portrayal of an alien society more complete and deeply detailed than any other author in the field
has managed ... a story absorbing equally for its action and philosophical vistas ... An astonishing science fiction
phenomenon."
Algis Budrys praised Dune for the vividness of its imagined setting, saying "The time lives. It breathes, it speaks,
and Herbert has smelt it in his nostrils." But Budrys also found that "Dune turns flat and tails off at the end. . . .
[T]ruly effective villains simply simper and melt; fierce men and cunning statesmen and seeresses all bend before
1965 Dune
26
this new Messiah." He faults in particular Herbert's decision to kill Paul's infant son offstage, with no apparent
emotional impact, saying "you cannot be so busy saving a world that you cannot hear an infant shriek."
[15]
Tamara I. Hladik wrote that the story "crafts a universe where lesser novels promulgate excuses for sequels. All its
rich elements are in balance and plausible not the patchwork confederacy of made-up languages, contrived
customs, and meaningless histories that are the hallmark of so many other, lesser novels."
First edition prints
The first edition of Dune is one of the most valuable in science fiction book collecting, and copies have gone for
more than $10,000 at auction.
[16]
The Chilton first edition of the novel is 9.25inches tall, with bluish green boards
and a price of $5.95 on the dust jacket, and notes Toronto as the Canadian publisher on the copyright page.
[17]
Other
editions similar to this one, such as book club editions, exist.
[citation needed]
Adaptations
1973 proposal and other attempts
In 1973, film producer Arthur P. Jacobs optioned the film rights to Dune but died before a film could be developed.
The option was then taken over two years later by director Alejandro Jodorowsky, who proceeded to approach,
among others, the prog rock groups Pink Floyd and Magma for some of the music, artists H. R. Giger and Jean
Giraud for set and character design, and Salvador Dal, Orson Welles, Gloria Swanson, and others for the cast. The
project ultimately stalled for financial reasons. The film rights lapsed until 1982, when they were purchased by
Italian filmmaker Dino DeLaurentiis. This failed attempt at filming an adaptation is the subject of the documentary
Jodorowsky's Dune, which premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.
1984 film by David Lynch
The first film of Dune was adapted by David Lynch and released in 1984, nearly 20 years after the book's
publication. Though Herbert said the book's depth and symbolism seemed to intimidate many filmmakers, he was
pleased with the film, saying that "They've got it. It begins as Dune does. And I hear my dialogue all the way
through. There are some interpretations and liberties, but you're gonna come out knowing you've seen Dune."
Reviews of the film were not as favorable, saying that it was incomprehensible to those unfamiliar with the book,
and that fans would be disappointed by the way it strayed from the book's plot.
[18]
2000 miniseries by John Harrison
In 2000, John Harrison adapted the novel into Frank Herbert's Dune, a miniseries which premiered on the Sci-Fi
Channel. As of 2004, the miniseries was one of the three highest-rated programs broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel.
[19]
Future adaptation
A new film based on the book was announced in 2008, to be directed by Peter Berg and produced by Paramount
Pictures.
[20]
Producer Kevin Misher, who spent a year securing the rights from the Herbert estate, would be joined
by Richard Rubinstein and John Harrison (of both Sci Fi Channel miniseries) as well as Sarah Aubrey and Mike
Messina. Variety reported that the producers were looking for a "faithful adaptation" of the novel, and "consider its
theme of finite ecological resources particularly timely." Science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson and Frank
Herbert's son Brian Herbert, who have together written multiple Dune sequels and prequels since 1999, are attached
to the project as technical advisors. In October 2009, Berg dropped out of the project, later saying that it "for a
variety of reasons wasn't the right thing" for him. Subsequently, with a 175-page script draft by Joshua Zetumer,
Paramount reportedly sought a new director who could do the film for under $175 million. On January 4, 2010,
1965 Dune
27
Entertainment Weekly reported that director Pierre Morel was signed on to direct, with screenwriter Chase Palmer
incorporating Morel's vision of the project into Zetumer's original draft.
[21]
In November 2010, Deadline.com
reported that Morel had "stepped off" the project, though he would still be credited as an executive producer.
Paramount finally dropped plans for a remake in March 2011.
Audiobook
In 1993, Recorded Books Inc. released a 20-disc audio book narrated by George Guidall. In 2007, Audio
Renaissance released an audio book narrated by Simon Vance with some parts acted out by Scott Brick, Orlagh
Cassidy, Euan Morton and other performers.
Cultural influence
Dune has been widely influential, inspiring other novels, music, films (including Star Wars), television, games,
comic books and t-shirts.
[22][23]
The novel was parodied in 1984's National Lampoon's Doon by Ellis Weiner,
[24]
and
helped inspire The Dune Encyclopedia (1984) by Willis E. McNelly.
[25]
German electronic music pioneer Klaus Schulze released a 1979 LP titled Dune featuring motifs and lyrics inspired
by the novel. A similar musical project "Visions of Dune" was released the same year by a musical project titled
"Zed" led by French electronic musician Bernard Sjazner. Heavy metal band Iron Maiden wrote the song "To Tame
a Land" based on the Dune story. It appears as the closing track to their 1983 album Piece of Mind. The original
working title of the song was Dune, however the band was denied permission to use it, with Frank Herbert's agents
stating "Frank Herbert doesn't like rock bands, particularly heavy rock bands, and especially bands like Iron
Maiden.". The same song was later covered in 2009 by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released
only on a 3-disc special edition of their album Black Clouds & Silver Linings. Dune inspired the German happy
hardcore band Dune, who have released several albums with space travel-themed songs. The influential progressive
hardcore band Shai Hulud took their name from "Dune". "Traveller in Time", from the 1991 Blind Guardian album
Tales from the Twilight World, is based mostly on Paul Atreides' visions of future and past.
[26][27]
The song "Near
Fantastica", from the Matthew Good album Avalanche, makes reference to "Litany against fear", repeating "can't feel
fear, fear's the mind killer" through a section of the song. In the Fatboy Slim song "Weapon of Choice", the line "If
you walk without rhythm/You won't attract the worm..." refers to the science fiction novel Dune. Dune also inspired
the 1999 album The 2nd Moon by the German death metal band Golem, which is a concept album about the series.
Dune has influenced Thirty Seconds to Mars on their self-titled debut album. The Youngblood Brass Band's song "Is
an Elegy" on Center:Level:Roar references "Muad'Dib", "Arrakis" and other elements from the novel. Canadian
musician Claire Boucher, better known as Grimes, has cited Dune as her favourite novel. Her debut album Geidi
Primes and many of the songs on the album are references to the Dune universe.
The online game Lost Souls includes Dune-derived elements, including sandworms and melange addiction to
which can produce psychic talents. Armageddon (MUD) is an online roleplaying game which draws significant
influence from the Dune Chronicles.
1965 Dune
28
References
[1] The Road to Dune (2005), p. 264, letter by Frank Herbert to his agent Lurton Blassingame outlining "They Stopped the Moving Sands."
[2] The Road to Dune, p. 272."...Frank Herbert toyed with the story about a desert world full of hazards and riches. He plotted a short adventure
novel, Spice Planet, but he set that outline aside when his concept grew into something much more ambitious."
[3] The Road to Dune, pp. 263-264.
[4] "To name one recent example, the political imbroglio involving T. E. Lawrence had profound messianic overtones. If Lawrence had been
killed at a crucial point in the struggle, Herbert notes, he might well have become a new "avatar" for the Arabs. The Lawrence analogy
suggested to Herbert the possibility for manipulation of the messianic impulses within a culture by outsiders with ulterior purposes. He also
realized that ecology could become the focus of just such a messianic episode, here and now, in our own culture. 'It might become the new
banner for a deadly crusade--an excuse for a witch hunt or worse.'
Herbert pulled all these strands together in an early version of Dune. It was a story about a hero very like Lawrence of Arabia, an outsider who
went native and used religious fervor to fuel his own ambitions--in this case, to transform the ecology of the planet." pg 41, O'Reilly 1981
ibid.
[5] Andersen, Margret. "Science Fiction and Women." Mother Was Not a Person. Montral: Black Rose Books, 1974. pp. 98-99 ISBN
0-919618-00-6
[6] Delany, Samuel R. Shorter Views: Queer Thoughts & the Politics of the Paraliterary. Hanover: Wesleyan University Press, published by
University Press of New England, 1999. p. 90 ISBN 0-8195-6369-2
[7] Hourihan, Margery. Deconstructing the Hero: Literary Theory and Children's Literature. New York: Routledge, 1997. pp. 174-175 ISBN
0-415-14419-1
[8] [8] Herbert liner notes quoted in Touponce pg 24
[9] Tilley, E. Allen. "The Modes of Fiction: A Plot Morphology." College English. (Feb 1978) 39.6 pp. 692-706.
[10] Hume, Kathryn. "Romance: A Perdurable Pattern." College English. (Oct 1974) 36.2 pp. 129-146.
[11] [11] Attebery, Brian. Decoding Gender in Science Fiction. New York: Routledge, 2002. p. 66 ISBN 0-415-93949-6
[12] "This move, in April 1949, was to prove significant, for it was in Santa Rosa that Herbert met Ralph and Irene Slattery, two psychologists
who gave a crucial boost to his thinking. Any discussion of the sources of Herbert's work circles inevitably back to their names as to no others.
They are the one exception to the principle that books loom larger than people as influences on his self-educated mind. Perhaps it was because
they guided his reading into new avenues as well as sparked thoughtful conversation. "Those wonderful people really opened a university for
me," he says. Ralph had doctorates in philosophy and psychology. Irene had been a student of Jung in Zurich. And both of them were
analysts... . They really educated me in that field."...The Slatterys also introduced Herbert to Zen, the teachings of which have had a profound
and continuing influence on his work." O'Reilly, Frank Herbert (http:/ / tim. oreilly. com/ herbert/ ch02. html)
[13] WM: Well, I caught those Zen elements from time to time, I thought ... in Dune, and in fact, the whole Zensunni school line thought was an
aspect of that ...
FH: You know, don't you, that one element of the construction of this book ...it's all the way through therethat I wrote certain parts of it in
haiku and other poetical forms, and then expanded them to prose to create a pace. (http:/ / www. sinanvural. com/ seksek/ inien/ tvd/ tvd2.
htm)
[14] "They also introduced Herbert to Zen, the teachings of which had a profound influence on his life and work. The Dune series is full of Zen
paradoxes that are intended to disrupt our Western logical habits of mind." pg 10, Touponce 1988
[15] "Galaxy Bookshelf", Galaxy Science Fiction, April 1966, p.67-71
[16] Books: First Editions, Frank Herbert: Dune First Edition. (Philadelphia: Chilton Books, 1965), first edition, first printing, 412 pages, ba...
(Total: 1 ) (http:/ / historical. ha. com/ common/ view_item. php?Sale_No=658& Lot_No=26228& type=comicnws-tem040407& ic=)
[17] Currey, L.W. Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of First Printings of Their Fiction. G. K. Hall, 1978.
[18] Feeney, Mark. "Screen of dreams." The Boston Globe. (16 December 2007) p. N12.
[19] Kevin J. Anderson Interview ~ DigitalWebbing.com (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20070703213605/ http:/ / www. digitalwebbing. com/
interviews/ 042104_anderson.html) (2004) Internet Archive, July 3, 2007.
[20] HT Syndication. "Peter Berg to direct Dune adaptation." Hindustan Times. March 18, 2008.
[21] "Dune" Remake Lands New Screenwriter (http:/ / screencrave. com/ 2010-02-11/ dune-remake-lands-new-screenwriter), Screen Crave,
February 11, 2010
[22] Star Wars Origins: Dune - Moongadget.com (http:/ / moongadget. com/ origins/ dune. html)
[23] Roberts, Adam. Science Fiction. New York: Routledge, 2000. pp. 85-90 ISBN 0-415-19204-8
[24] [24] Weiner, Ellis. Doon. New York: Pocket, 1984.
[25] [25] McNelly, Dr. Willis E. The Dune Encyclopedia. London: Corgi Books, 1984.
[26] St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture by Craig T. Cobane (http:/ / findarticles. com/ p/ articles/ mi_g1epc/ is_bio/ ai_2419200536)
Retrieved 12 July 2008.
[27] Has Dune inspired other music? - Stason.org (http:/ / stason. org/ TULARC/ education-books/ frank-herbert-dune/
7-2-Has-Dune-inspired-other-music. html) Retrieved 12 July 2008.
1965 Dune
29
Further reading
Clute, John; Nicholls, Peter (1995). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. New York: St. Martin's Press. p.1386.
ISBN0-312-13486-X.
Clute, John; Nicholls, Peter (1995). The Multimedia Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (CD-ROM). Danbury, CT:
Grolier. ISBN0-7172-3999-3.
Nicholls, Peter (1979). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. St Albans, Herts, UK: Granada Publishing Ltd.
p.672. ISBN0-586-05380-8.
Jakubowski, Maxim; Edwards, Malcolm (1983). The Complete Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy Lists. St
Albans, Herts, UK: Granada Publishing Ltd. p.350. ISBN0-586-05678-5.
Pringle, David (1990). The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction. London: Grafton Books Ltd. p.407.
ISBN0-246-13635-9.
Tuck, Donald H. (1974). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent. p.136.
ISBN0-911682-20-1.
External links
Official website for Dune and its sequels (http:/ / www. dunenovels. com)
Interviewer: Paul Turner (October 1973). "Vertex Interviews Frank Herbert" (http:/ / members. lycos. co. uk/
Fenrir/ ctdinterviews. htm). Volume 1, Issue 4.
Dune audiobooks (http:/ / www. collectorsofdune. com/ audiobooks. asp) ~ collection of audiobooks on the Dune
series
Spark Notes: Dune (http:/ / www. sparknotes. com/ lit/ dune/ context. html), detailed study guide
Audio Review (http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ archives/ 15) at The Science Fiction Book Review Podcast (http:/ /
www. sfbrp. com/ )
DuneQuotes.com - Collection of quotes from the Dune series (http:/ / www. dunequotes. com)
Dune by Frank Herbert (http:/ / www. conceptualfiction. com/ dune. html), reviewed by Ted Gioia ( Conceptual
Fiction (http:/ / www. conceptualfiction. com))
Complete Book Summary of Dune (http:/ / www. free-book-summary. com/ dune. html)
"Frank Herbert Biography and Bibliography at LitWeb.net" (http:/ / www. litweb. net/ biography/ 242/
Frank_Herbert. html). www.litweb.net. Retrieved 2009-01-02. Wikipedia:Link rot
"Arabic and Islamic themes in Frank Herbert's Dune" (http:/ / baheyeldin. com/ literature/
arabic-and-islamic-themes-in-frank-herberts-dune. html). The Baheyeldin Dynasty. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
Works of Frank Herbert (http:/ / www. dmoz. org/ Arts/ Literature/ Genres/ Science_Fiction/ Authors/ H/
Herbert,_Frank/ Works) at DMOZ
Timberg, Scott (April 18, 2010). "Frank Herbert's Dune holds timely - and timeless - appeal" (http:/ / www.
latimes. com/ entertainment/ news/ la-ca-dune18-2010apr18,0,4546281,full. story). LATimes.com. Los Angeles
Times. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
Michaud, Jon (July 12, 2013). "Dune Endures" (http:/ / www. newyorker. com/ online/ blogs/ books/ 2013/ 07/
dune-endures. html). NewYorker.com. The New Yorker. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
Walton, Jo (January 12, 2011). "In league with the future: Frank Herberts Dune (Review)" (http:/ / www. tor.
com/ blogs/ 2011/ 01/ in-league-with-the-future-frank-herberts-dune). Tor.com. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
1966 Babel-17
30
1966 Babel-17
Babel-17
Cover of first edition paperback
Author Samuel R. Delany
Language English
Genre Science fiction novel
Publisher Ace Books
Publication date
1966
Mediatype Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages 173 pp
ISBN NA
Babel-17 is a 1966 science fiction novel by American writer Samuel R. Delany in which the SapirWhorf
Hypothesis (that language influences thought and perception) plays an important part. It was joint winner of the
Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966 (with Flowers for Algernon) and was also nominated for the Hugo Award for
Best Novel in 1967.
Delany hoped to have Babel-17 originally published as a single volume with the novella Empire Star, but this did not
happen until the 2001 reprint.
Plot summary
During an interstellar war one side develops a language, Babel-17, that can be used as a weapon. Learning it turns
one into an unwilling traitor as it alters perception and thought. The change is made more dangerous by the
language's seductive enhancement of other abilities. This is discovered by the beautiful starship captain, linguist,
poet, and telepath Rydra Wong. She is recruited by her government to discover how the enemy are infiltrating and
sabotaging strategic sites. Initially Babel-17 is thought to be a code used by enemy agents. Rydra Wong realizes it is
a language, and finds herself becoming a traitor as she learns it. She is rescued by her dedicated crew, figures out the
danger, and neutralizes its effects.
The novel deals with several issues related to the peculiarities of language, how conditions of life shape the
formation of words and meaning, and how the words themselves can shape the actions of people.
Language
The language portrayed at the center of Babel-17 contains interesting linguistic features including the absence of a
pronoun or any other construction for "I". The heroine finds her perceptions (and even her physical abilities) altered
once she has learned Babel-17. In this Delany's novel influenced a generation of writers: Native Tongue by Suzette
Haden Elgin
[citation needed]
, The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
[citation needed]
, Embassytown by China
Miville
[citation needed]
and, more evidently, the short story "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang
[citation needed]
. It also
resembles a few preceding science fiction novels which deal with how languages shape the political and cultural
stratum of societies, such as The Languages of Pao by Jack Vance or Anthem by Ayn Rand, and language as a
weapon was adapted as a plot device in Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash.
1966 Babel-17
31
References
notes
Bibliography
Clute, John; Peter Nicholls (1995). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (2 ed.). New York: St Martin's Press.
p.1386. ISBN0-312-13486-X.
Clute, John; Peter Nicholls (1995). The Multimedia Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (CDROM). Danbury, CT:
Grolier. ISBN0-7172-3999-3.
Nicholls, Peter (1979). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK: Granada Publishing
Ltd. p.672. ISBN0-586-05380-8.
Jakubowski, Maxim; Malcolm Edwards (1983). The Complete Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy Lists. St
Albans, Hertfordshire, UK: Granada Publishing Ltd. p.350. ISBN0-586-05678-5.
Pringle, David (1990). The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction. London: Grafton Books Ltd. p.407.
ISBN0-246-13635-9.
ISBN0-911682-20-1.
External links
Errata for Babel-17, approved by the author. (http:/ / www. oneringcircus. com/ b17_errata. html)
2009 retrospective review (http:/ / www. tor. com/ index. php?option=com_content& view=blog& id=35421) by
Jo Walton: "Babel 17 was published in 1966, the year in which I learned to talk."
Babel-17 (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=324) at Worlds Without End
1966 Flowers for Algernon
32
Flowers for Algernon
First edition cover
Author Daniel Keyes
Genre Science fiction
Publisher Harcourt, Brace & World
Publication date
April 1959 (short story)
March 1966 (novel)
Mediatype Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages
274 (novel)
[1]
ISBN 0-15-131510-8
OCLC
232370
[2]
Flowers for Algernon is a science fiction short story and subsequent novel written by Daniel Keyes. The short story,
written in 1958 and first published in the April 1959 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, won the
Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1960. The novel was published in 1966 and was joint winner of that year's
Nebula Award for Best Novel (with Babel-17).
The eponymous Algernon is a laboratory mouse who has undergone surgery to increase his intelligence by artificial
means. The story is told by a series of progress reports written by Charlie Gordon, the first human test subject for the
surgery, and it touches upon many different ethical and moral themes such as the treatment of the mentally disabled.
Although the book has often been challenged for removal from libraries in the US and Canada, sometimes
successfully, it is regularly taught in schools around the world and has been adapted numerous times for television,
theatre, radio and as the Academy Awardwinning film Charly.
Background
The ideas for Flowers for Algernon developed over a period of 14years and were inspired by numerous events in
Keyes' life, starting in 1945 with Keyes's personal conflict with his parents who were pushing him through a
pre-medical education in spite of his desire to pursue a writing career. Keyes felt that his education was driving a
wedge between him and his parents and this led him to wonder what would happen if it were possible to increase a
persons intelligence. A pivotal moment occurred in 1957 while Keyes was teaching English to students with special
needs; one of them asked him if it would be possible to be put into a regular class if he worked hard and became
smart.
Different characters in the book were also based on people in Keyes's life. The character of Algernon was inspired
by a university dissection class, and the name was inspired by the poet Algernon Charles Swinburne. Nemur and
Strauss, the scientists who develop the intelligence-enhancing surgery in the story, were based on professors Keyes
met while studying psychoanalysis in graduate school.
In 1958, Keyes was approached by Galaxy Science Fiction magazine to write a story, at which point the different
elements of Flowers for Algernon fell into place. When the story was submitted to Galaxy, however, the editor
suggested changing the ending so that Charlie retained his intelligence, married Alice Kinnian, and lived happily
ever after. Keyes refused to make the change and sold the story to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
instead.
33
Keyes worked on the expanded novel between 1962 and 1965 and first tried to sell it to Doubleday, but they also
wanted to change the ending. Again, Keyes refused and gave Doubleday back their advance. Five different
publishers rejected the story over the course of a year until it was published by Harcourt in 1966.
Publication history
The short story "Flowers for Algernon" was first published as the lead story in the April 1959 issue of The Magazine
of Fantasy and Science Fiction. It was later reprinted in The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction, 9th series
(1960), the Fifth Annual of the Years Best Science Fiction (1960), Best Articles and Stories (1961), Literary
Cavalcade (1961), The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 19291964 (1970), and The Magazine of
Fantasy & Science Fiction: A 30-Year Retrospective (1980).
The expanded novel was first published in 1966 by Harcourt Brace with the Bantam paperback following in 1968.
By 2004, it had been translated into 27 languages, published in 30 countries and sold more than 5million copies.
Since its original publication, the novel has never been out of print.
Synopsis
The short story and the novel share many similar plot points but the novel expands significantly on Charlie's
developing emotional state as well as his intelligence, his memories of childhood, and the relationship with his
family and Miss Kinnian.
Short story
The story is told through a series of journal entries written by the story's protagonist, Charlie Gordon, a man with an
IQ of 68 who works a menial job as a janitor in a factory. He is selected to undergo an experimental surgical
technique to increase his intelligence. The technique had already been successfully tested on Algernon, a laboratory
mouse. The surgery on Charlie is also a success and his IQ triples.
Charlie falls in love with his former teacher, Miss Kinnian, but as his intelligence increases, he surpasses her
intellectually and they become unable to relate to each other. He also realizes that his co-workers at the factory,
whom he thought were his friends, only liked him to be around so that they could make fun of him. His new
intelligence scares his co-workers at his job; they start a petition to have him fired but when Charlie finds out about
the petition, he quits. As Charlie's intelligence peaks, Algernon suddenly declineslosing his increased intelligence
and mental age, and dying shortly afterward, to be buried in a cheese box in Charlie's backyard. Charlie discovers
that his intelligence increase is also only temporary. He starts to experiment to find out the cause of the flaw in the
experiment, which he calls the "Algernon-Gordon Effect". Just when he finishes his experiments, his intelligence
begins to degenerate, to such an extent that he becomes even less intelligent than he was before the experiment.
Charlie is aware of, and pained by, what is happening to him as he loses his knowledge and his ability to read and
write. He tries to get his old job as a janitor back, and tries to revert to normal but he cannot stand the pity from his
co-workers, landlady, and Ms. Kinnian. Charlie states he plans to "go away" from New York and move to a new
place. His last wish is that someone put flowers on Algernon's grave every day.
34
Novel
The novel opens with an epigraph discouraging people from laughing at those who are perplexed or weak of vision.
The epigraph is taken from Plato's The Republic, part of which reads:
Any one who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eye are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from
coming out of the light or from going into the light, which is true of the mind's eye, quite as much as of the bodily eye.
Charlie Gordon, 32 years of age, suffers from phenylketonuria and has an IQ of 68. He holds a menial job at a
bakery which his uncle had secured for him so that Charlie would not have to be sent to a state institution. Wanting
to improve himself, Charlie attends reading and writing classes at the Beekman College Center for Retarded Adults;
his teacher is Alice Kinnian, a young, attractive woman. Two researchers at Beekman are looking for a human test
subject on whom to try a new surgical technique intended to increase intelligence. They have already performed the
surgery on a mouse named Algernon, dramatically improving his mental performance. Based on Alice's
recommendation and his own peerless motivation to improve, Charlie is chosen over smarter pupils to undergo the
procedure.
The operation is a success, and within the next three months Charlie's IQ reaches an astonishing 185. However, as
his intelligence, education, and understanding of the world around him increase, his relationships with people
deteriorate. His co-workers at the bakery, who used to amuse themselves at his expense, are now scared and resentful
of his increased intelligence and persuade his boss to fire him. One night at a cocktail party, a drunken Charlie
angrily confronts his scientific mentors about their condescending attitude toward him. Charlie also embarks on a
troubled romance with Alice. Unable to become intimate with the object of his affection, Charlie later starts a purely
sexual relationship with Fay Lillman, a vivacious and promiscuous artist in the neighboring apartment.
When not drinking at night, Charlie spends intense weeks continuing his mentors' research on his own and writing
reports which include observations of Algernon, whom he keeps at his apartment. Charlie's research discovers a flaw
in the theory behind Nemur's and Strauss's intelligence-enhancing procedure, one that could eventually cause him to
revert to his original mental state. His conclusions prove true when Algernon starts behaving erratically, loses his
own enhanced intelligence, and dies.
Charlie tries to mend the long-broken relationships with his parents but without success. He remembered that as a
boy his mother had insisted on his institutionalization, overruling his father's wish to keep him in the household.
Charlie returns after many years to his family's Brooklyn home, and finds his mother now suffers from dementia and,
although she recognizes him, is mentally confused. Charlie's father, who had broken off contact with the family
many years before, does not recognize him when visited at his worksite. Charlie is only able to reconnect with his
now-friendly younger sister, who had hated him for his mental disability when they were growing up, and who is
now caring for their mother in their now-depressed neighborhood. Charlie promises to send her money.
As Charlie regresses intellectually, Fay becomes scared by the change and stops talking to him. However, Charlie
finally attains sufficient emotional maturity to have a brief but fulfilling relationship with Alice, who cohabits with
him until the extent of his mental deterioration causes him to finally order her to leave. Despite regressing to his
former self, he still remembers that he was once a genius. He cannot bear to have his friends and co-workers feel
sorry for him. Consequently, he decides to go away to live at the State-sponsored Warren Home School, where
nobody knows about the operation. In a final postscript to his writings, ostensibly addressed to Alice Kinnian, he
requests that she put some flowers on Algernon's grave in Charlie's former backyard.
35
Style
Both the novel and the short story are written in an epistolary style, collecting together Charlie's personal "progress
reports" from a few days before the operation until his final regression. Initially, the reports are full of spelling errors
and awkwardly constructed sentences. Following the operation, however, the first signs of Charlie's increased
intelligence are his improved accuracy in spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and his word choice. Charlie's
regression is conveyed by the loss of these skills.
Themes
Important themes in Flowers for Algernon include the treatment of the mentally disabled, the impact on happiness of
the conflict between intellect and emotion, and how events in the past can influence a person later in life.
Reception
Awards
The original short story won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1960. The expanded novel was joint winner of
the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966, tied with Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany, and was nominated for the
Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1967, losing out to The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein.
In the late 1960s, the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) decided to give Nebula Awards retroactively and
voted for their favourite science fiction stories of the era ending 31 December 1964 (before the Nebula Award was
conceived). The short story version of Flowers for Algernon was voted third out of 132 nominees and was published
in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 19291964 in 1970. Keyes was elected the SFWA Author
Emeritus in 2000 for making a significant contribution to science fiction and fantasy, primarily as a result of Flowers
for Algernon.
Censorship
Flowers for Algernon is on the American Library Association's list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of
19901999 at number 43.
[]
The reasons for the challenges vary, but usually center on those parts of the novel in
which Charlie struggles to understand and express his sexual desires. Many of the challenges have proved
unsuccessful, but the book has occasionally been removed from school libraries, including some in Pennsylvania and
Texas.
In January 1970, the school board of Cranbrook, British Columbia, as well as Calgary, Alberta, removed the Flowers
for Algernon novel from the local grade-nine curriculum and the school library, after a parent complained that it was
"filthy and immoral". The president of the British Columbia Teachers' Federation criticized the action. Flowers for
Algernon was part of the British Columbia Department of Education list of approved books for grade nine and was
recommended by the British Columbia Secondary Association of Teachers of English. A month later, the board
reconsidered and returned the book to the library; they did not, however, lift its ban from the curriculum.
36
Inspiration
Flowers for Algernon has been the inspiration for works that include the album A Curious Feeling by Genesis
keyboardist Tony Banks
[3]
and Kyosuke Himuro's debut solo album Flowers for Algernon.
[citation needed]
Film, television and theatrical adaptations
Flowers for Algernon has been adapted many times for different media including stage, screen and radio. These
adaptations include:
A 1961 television drama, The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon, starring Cliff Robertson.
A 1968 film, Charly, also starring Cliff Robertson for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
A 1969 stage play, Flowers for Algernon by David Rogers.
A 1978 stage musical, Charlie and Algernon by David Rogers and Charles Strouse.
A 1991 radio play, Flowers for Algernon, for BBC Radio 4 starring Tom Courtenay.
A 2000 television movie, Flowers for Algernon, starring Matthew Modine.
A 2002 Japanese drama, Algernon ni Hanataba wo for Fuji Television, starring Ysuke Santamaria.
A 2006 French television movie, Des fleurs pour Algernon.
A 2006 modern dance work, Holeulone, by French dancer and choreographer Karine Pontis. Winner of the Prix
de la Critique de la Communaut franaise de Belgique for best dance piece.
Further stage and radio adaptations have been produced in Australia (1984), Czechoslovakia (1988), France (1982),
Ireland (1983), Japan (1987, 1990), and Poland (1985).
Notes
[1] World Cat (http:/ / www.worldcat. org/ oclc/ 232370?tab=details#tabs), Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, New York, Harcourt, Brace
& World [1966], 1st Edition details
[2] http:/ / www. worldcat.org/ oclc/ 232370
[3] Tony Banks Biography (http:/ / www. tonybanks-online. com/ bio. php?lang=en), tonybanks-online.com
References
Bujalski, Andrew (2002). Aglietti, Boomie; Quinio, Dennis, eds. Flowers for Algernon: Daniel Keyes. Spark.
ISBN1-58663-514-X.
Coules, Bert (1991). The Play of Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon (including notes by Robert Chambers).
Heinemann (published 1993). ISBN0-435-23293-2.
Hill, Cheryl (2004). "A History of Daniel Keyes Flowers for Algernon" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/
20070221170959/ http:/ / www. slais. ubc. ca/ PEOPLE/ students/ student-projects/ C_Hill/ hill_libr548f. pdf)
(PDF). LIBR 548F: History of the Book. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. slais. ubc. ca/ PEOPLE/
students/ student-projects/ C_Hill/ hill_libr548f. pdf) on 2007-02-21.
Keyes, Daniel (1999). Algernon, Charlie and I: A Writers Journey. Boca Raton, FL: Challcrest Press Books.
ISBN1-929519-00-1.
Scholes, Robert (1975). Structural Fabulation: An Essay on Fiction of the Future. Notre Dame, IN: University of
Notre Dame Press. ISBN0-268-00570-2.
Silverberg, Robert, ed. (1970). The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 19291964. Tom Doherty
Associates. ISBN0-7653-0537-2.
Entry (http:/ / www. sf-encyclopedia. com/ entry/ flowers_for_algernon) in the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
1967 The Einstein Intersection
37
1967 The Einstein Intersection
The Einstein Intersection
cover of first edition (paperback)
Author Samuel R. Delany
Coverartist Jack Gaughan
Language English
Publisher Ace Books
Publication date
1967
Mediatype Print (hardcover & paperback)
Pages 142 pp
The Einstein Intersection is a 1967 science fiction novel by Samuel R. Delany. It won the Nebula Award for Best
Novel in 1967 and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1968. Delany's intended title for the book
was A Fabulous, Formless Darkness.
The novel is purportedly influenced by Marcel Camus's 1959 film Black Orpheus. The protagonist, Lo Lobey, is
loosely based on the character of Orpheus, and the character of Kid Death is likewise based on Death in that film.
Reception
Algis Budrys, after noting that Delany "has about as little discipline as any writer who has tried his hand" at science
fiction and that The Einstein Intersection was a book "whose structure and purpose on its own terms are not
realized," declared that Delany "simply operates on a plane which Robert Heinlein never dreamed of, nor John W.
Campbell, nor take a deep breath Ted Sturgeon, Ray Bradbury, nor anyone else we could have put forward as
being a poet" before 1960 and "urgently recommended" the novel."
[1]
References
Notes
[1] "Galaxy Bookshelf", Galaxy Science Fiction, April 1967, pp.192-94
Bibliography
ISBN0-911682-20-1.
External links
The Einstein Intersection (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=331) at Worlds Without End
1968 Rite of Passage
38
Rite of Passage
Cover of first US paperback edition
Author Alexei Panshin
Language English
Genre Science Fiction novel
Publisher Ace Books
Publication date
1968
Pages 254 pp
ISBN 0-671-44068-3
OCLC
9226788
[1]
Rite of Passage is a science fiction novel by Alexei Panshin. Published in 1968, this novel about a Shipboard
teenager's coming of age won that year's Nebula Award. It was also nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel
in 1969.
Plot summary
Rite of Passage is told as a flashback by Mia Havero, the daughter of the Chairman of the Ship's Council, after she
has completed her own rite of passage, also known as Trial. She has survived for thirty days on a colony planet with
minimal supplies as part of her initiation into adulthood on one of several giant Ships that survived Earth's
destruction in AD 2041. To prevent overpopulation on the Ships, family units can only produce children with the
approval of the Ship's Eugenics Council. The penalty for breaking this rule is exile to a colony world.
By the year 2198, Mia Havero is twelve years old and, like most of Ship-bound humanity, regards the colonists as
"Mudeaters", a derogatory reference to frontier life on a planet. When she accompanies her father on a trading
mission to the planet Grainau, Mia learns from the children of a Grainau official that the feeling is mutual; many on
the colony worlds call Ship people "Grabbies" because they take whatever goods they cannot produce on the Ships in
return for knowledge and technology (doled out sparingly), the heritage of Earth to which the ship residents have laid
claim and which colonists are unable to maintain, being too busy staying alive.
When Mia returns to the Ship, in addition to her regular studies, she joins a survival class. Survival class is every
thirteen-year-old's preparation for Trial, the Ships' rite of passage into adulthood required within three months of
turning fourteen. By requiring adolescents to experience the rigors and dangers of life on a colony planet, the Ships
hope to avoid stagnation and ensure that those who survive are skilled enough to contribute significantly to Ship life.
However, the mortality rate of Trial participants is fairly high, so no expense is spared to train the adolescents about
to go through Trial so that they will survive the month spent planetside.
Mia's companion in school and in survival class is Jimmy Dentremont, a highly gifted boy of her own age. Their
initial rivalry turns to friendship and eventually blossoms into love. Both in and out of survival class, sometimes with
Jimmy and sometimes with other children, Mia has a series of adventures that build her confidence, broaden her
world, and prepare her for Trial. Her moral awareness also grows during this time, both through formal study of
ethical theory and through reflection on the errors she inevitably makes as she risks new experiences.
39
Shortly after her fourteenth birthday, Mia and her class are dispatched to the planet Tintera to undergo their Trial.
Having quarreled with Jimmy, Mia refuses to team with him, but still chooses the tiger strategy over the turtle
strategy; that is, she chooses to act on this world rather than hide out for the month that she's on planet. Mia soon
encounters a party of rough men on horseback, who are herding Losels, native humanoids the Tinterans treat as
domestic animals and use for simple labor, although they may be intelligent enough to be considered slaves. Mia
escapes the Losel herders' attempted kidnapping, and when she reaches the nearest town, she is repulsed by the fact
that all Tinterans are "Free Birthers"they have no population control. She is also disturbed by their apparent
practice of enslaving Losels.
After a second run-in with the Losel herders leaves Mia badly beaten and robbed of the signalling device she will
need to return to her Ship, she is rescued by Daniel Kutsov, an old man who has been reduced to a simple, manual
job as a result of past political activity. Kutsov treats Mia like an adopted grandchild and explains to Mia that her
speech gives her away as being from the Ships. Kutsov tells Mia that Ship people are at best regarded with
resentment, and at worst killed. Mia has already learned that the Tinterans have captured a scoutship from another
Ship and arrested one of her fellow Trial participants. While recovering from her injuries in Kutsov's house, she
discovers that the prisoner is Jimmy Dentremont. Singlehanded, Mia stages a jailbreak and escapes to the wilderness
with Jimmy, but not before the two witness the brutal killing of Kutsov in a roundup of political dissidents.
Riding through the night in the pouring rain, Mia and Jimmy set up a tent in the woods. While in the tent, they
realize their feelings for each other and have sex. They arrive the following day at the military headquarters for the
territory, where Jimmy retrieves his own signalling device. Before they leave the base, they also disable the captured
scoutship.
Soon after Mia and Jimmy return from Trial, a Shipwide Assembly debates what to do about Tintera. The Tinterans
are Free Birthers, possibly slavers, and a potential danger to the Ship itself. As Mia hears the Assembly's debate,
however, she understands that her views have changed. Her moral world has broadened to include the Tinterans as
people, rather than faceless spear carriers to be used and discarded. Thus she cannot bring herself to condemn the
Tinterans en masse. However, under the leadership of Mia's father, who perceives the Tinterans as beyond
re-education, the Assembly votes by an eight-to-five margin to destroy Tintera in the name of 'moral discipline'. Mia
and Jimmy, as adults, prepare to settle into their own living quarters on board Ship. Jimmy offers the hope that they
will someday be in a position to change their society.
Reception
Algis Budrys praised Rite of Passage as an "intensely believable, movingly personalized story," saying that "each of
the little, perfectly realized steps" in the story "is so perfectly done that one feels a real shock as one realizes that
Panshin after all has never been a girl growing up aboard a hollowed-out planetoid."
[2]
Aldiss and Wingrove, however, declared that the novel "lacks the spark of life which might have fired its interesting
subject matter . . . For all its craft and its attempt to create an intelligent updating of a Heinlein juvenile, it proves
tiresome rather than inspired."
[3]
Themes
The theme of generational conflict was timely in the novel's year of publication, 1968. Long-lived adults form the
overwhelming majority of the population aboard Mia's ship. Although they are generally benevolent and trustworthy,
the society they have created appears complacent and aimless. Just as Mia must escape from the self-imposed limits
of her shipboard quad if she is to survive Trial and achieve adulthood, it seems that the society of the Ship will
have to escape its comfortable routine of drifting from planet to planet if it is ever to make use of the heritage it
preserves.
40
The coming of age theme is dramatized through the events of Mias Trial, a rite of passage that ensures her
adulthood will be earned and meaningful. The theme is artfully elaborated in three folktales that appear in the
narrative: Bright Sam and Charming Ned, told by a young scoutship pilot; The Lady of Carlisle, told by Mia
herself; and a third tale (reduced at the editors behest to a brief summary) told by Daniel Kutsov. All three feature
young people who face tests of courage or resourcefulness.
The ethical discussions in the novel are at an elementary level, as is appropriate for a teenage narrator. Mias final
moral stance is broadly Kantian (Kant is the only philosopher she mentions by name) in that it demands respect for
the personhood of others and forbids treating others as mere means. Mias moral maturity comes with her recognition
that the universe is filled with people, and there is not a single solitary spear carrier among them.
Many classic science fiction novels end with the destruction of an entire planet and its inhabitants. Typically, as in
the Skylark and Lensman novels of E. E. Doc Smith, such destruction is presented as a starkly necessary defense
against alien beings who are incorrigibly dangerous or evil. Rite of Passage departs from this tradition by
condemning the destruction of Tintera as an act that no one, in principle, could ever have the right to commit.
In the Ships Assembly, the proposal to destroy Tintera is debated in the context of an ongoing political controversy
over what, if anything, the Ships owe to the planetary colonists. Mias father takes the position that the colonists will
do best if they learn to fend for themselves and not expect aid from the Ships. Mia and Jimmy's mentor, Joseph
Mbele, believes that the Ships have an obligation to assist the colonists by sharing their knowledge, which Daniel
Kutsov says is the heritage of all who survived the destruction of Earth. Both sides of the debate receive a respectful
hearing at various places in the novel, and neither is presented as indisputably correct, but by the end of her story
Mia has clearly come around to the view that the Ships have an obligation to the colonies.
Many of these themes appear in three other Panshin stories set in the same fictional future: The Sons of
Prometheus (Analog, 1966), A Sense of Direction (Amazing, 1969), and Arpad (Quark 2, 1971). In Arpad
there is a brief cameo appearance by Mia and Jimmy. All three stories are collected in Panshins Farewell to
Yesterdays Tomorrow (Berkley, 1975).
References
[2] "Galaxy Bookshelf", Galaxy Science Fiction, July 1969, pp.156-58
[3] Aldiss & Wingrove, Trillion Year Spree, Victor Gollancz, 1986, p.411
External links
Review (http:/ / www. tor. com/ index. php?option=com_content& view=blog& id=51200) by Jo Walton
1969 The Left Hand of Darkness
41
The Left Hand of Darkness
Front cover, first edition, art by the Dillons
Author Ursula K. Le Guin
Coverartist
Leo and Diane Dillon (depicted); Alex Ebel (many from 1974)
[1]
Language English
Series Hainish Cycle
Published 1969 (Ace Books)
Mediatype Print (paperback original; hardcover also 1969)
Pages 286 (first edition)
300 (most modern editions)
OCLC
181524
[2]
Precededby City of Illusions
Followedby The Word for World Is Forest
The Left Hand of Darkness is a 1969 science fiction novel by Ursula K. Le Guin. It is part of the Hainish Cycle, a
series of books by Le Guin set in the fictional Hainish universe, which she inaugurated in 1966.
[1]
It is among the
first books published in the feminist science fiction genre, and the most famous examination of sexless androgyny in
science fiction.
Left Hand won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards as the year's "best novel" according to convention participants and
science fiction writers respectively.
[3]
In 1987, Locus: The magazine of the science fiction & fantasy field ranked it
number two among "All-Time Best SF Novels", based on a poll of subscribers.
[4]
That same year, Harold Bloom
edited a critical anthology about the book and said in the introduction that "LeGuin, more than Tolkien, has raised
fantasy into high literature, for our time".
[5]
Premise
Le Guin's introduction to the 1976 publication of the book identifies Left Hand of Darkness as a "thought
experiment" to explore society without men or women, where individuals share the biological and emotional makeup
of both genders.
Setting
The Left Hand of Darkness is set in the "Hainish" universe, which Le Guin introduced three years earlier in
Rocannon's World, her first novel. The series describes the interplanetary expansion started by the first race of
humanity on the planet Hain, leading to the formation of the League of All Worlds, and eventually expanding to the
eighty-three world collective called the Ekumen.
This novel takes place many centuries in the future - no date is given, though the year 4870 has been suggested.
[6]
An envoy, Genly Ai, is on a planet called Winter ("Gethen" in the language of its own people) to convince the
citizens to join the Ekumen. Winter is, as its name indicates, a planet that is always cold, and its citizens are
ambisexual, spending the majority of time as asexual potentials. They only adopt gendered attributes
42
once-monthly, during a period of sexual receptivenesss and high fertility, called kemmer, in which individuals can
assume male or female attributes, depending on context and relationships. These conditions have affected the
development of civilizations on Winter, such that the planet has never known war.
Plot summary
Genly Ai, a Terran native, is sent to represent the Ekumen, the intergalactic coalition of humanoid worlds, on the
frozen planet Gethen, also called Winter. After landing in Karhide, a Gethen kingdom, Genly makes little progress,
though he seems to have convinced the Karhiddish Prime Minister, Estraven, of the value of joining the Ekumen.
However, the night before his first audience with the king, Ai begins to doubt Estraven's loyalty because of his
strange, effeminate ambiguity. The next day, as he prepares to meet the King, Ai learns that Estraven has been
accused of treason, and fled to a neighboring country, Orgoreyn. After meeting with the King, who rejects his
invitation to join the Ekumen, Ai decides to pursue his mission in Orgoreyn.
Where the people of Karhide's actions were dictated by shifgrethor, an intricate set of unspoken social rules and
formal courtesy, Orgorets are technically organized and practically logical. They provide Ai with comfortable
habitations and ask direct questions. He presents his invitation to a board of governors, relieved that he has nearly
reached success. Yet, Ai senses an unspoken aura of fear, and Estraven warns him not to trust the Orgorets. He
ignores both his feeling and the warning, and is once again blindsided. Overnight, Ai is sent to a far-northern work
camp to meet his death by cold, labor, and sterilizing drugs.
To Ai's surprise, Estraventhe person Ai least trustsgoes to great lengths to save him. After breaking out of the
work camp, the pair begin the 80-day trek across the Gobrin Glacier back to Karhide, where Estraven believes they
will finally be able to maneuver acceptance of the Ekumen treaty. Only by working together, learning to trust and
accept one another's differences, are the pair able to succeed. When they reach Karhide, Estraven is killed, and Genly
realizes he has lost a beloved friend. Above all, Estraven was loyal to Ai's mission: the greater good of universal
humanity, above the personal or patriotic. Through Estraven and Ai's collaboration, and the powerful political fallout
of Estraven's death, the mission of the Ekumen is accomplished. Karhide will join the Ekumen, followed by
Orgoreyn.
Reception
Algis Budrys praised the novel as "a narrative so fully realized, so compellingly told, so masterfully executed." He
found the book "a novel written by a magnificent writer, a totally compelling tale of human peril and striving under
circumstances in which human love, and a number of other human qualities, can be depicted in a fresh context."
[7]
Harold Bloom listed The Left Hand of Darkness in The Western Canon (1994) as one of the books in his figuration
of the Western Canon
[8]
saying that "Le Guin, more than Tolkien, has raised fantasy into high literature, for our
time".
Left Hand won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards as the year's "best novel" according to convention participants and
science fiction writers respectively. In 1987, Locus: The magazine of the science fiction & fantasy field ranked it
number two among "All-Time Best SF Novels", based on a poll of subscribers.
[9]
Introduction
There was no introduction to the original 1969 version of the book, but Ursula Le Guin wrote one for the 1976
edition after reflecting on her work. In her introduction, she defines the nature and purpose of science-fiction writing,
and also describes her intent in writing the novel. She insists that science-fiction writing is not "extrapolative," but
rather, it is describing an overarching truth that the author reveals in an often complex and ambiguous way. In
addition, she generalizes the purpose of novels by saying that good novels are meant to change the reader in an
indescribable way after they have completed reading the book. She then progresses to broadly state that the entire
43
fictional genre is a metaphor, but narrows her emphasis by stating that the future especially (in fictional writing)
cannot be described in any other way than metaphorical terms.
Primary characters
Genly Ai
Ai is the main character of the story, often called "Genry" by the Karhiders, who have trouble pronouncing the letter
"L" in their language. At the start of the book, he has been on Gethen for one year attempting to join Gethen with the
Ekumen as the first mobile and an envoy of the Ekumen. He arrived with basic information about the language and
culture from a team of investigators who had come before him. In Karhide, the king is reluctant to accept his
diplomatic mission. In Orgoreyn, Ai is seemingly accepted more easily by the political leaders, yet Ai is arrested,
stripped of his clothes, drugged, and sent to a work camp. Rescued by Estraven, the deposed Prime Minister of
Karhide, Genly realizes that cultural differences - specifically shifgrethor and gender roles
[10]
and Gethenian
sexuality
[11]
- had kept him from understanding their relationship previously. During their eighty-one day journey
across the frozen land to return to Karhide, Ai learned to understand and love Estraven.
Estraven
Therem Harth rem ir Estraven is a Gethenian from the Domain of Estre in Kerm Land. He is the King's Ear (first
minister) until exiled from Karhide after attempting to assuage the Sinnoth Valley Dispute with the Orgota.
[12]
Estraven attempts to help Genly in his Ekumenical pursuits by guiding him, although under the rules of shifgrethor
direct advice is an insult, and aiding him with his political influence. Estraven made a societally-incorrect
kemmering vow to his brother, Arek Harth rem ir Estraven, after they had produced a child together and therefore his
vow made with Ashe is a "false vow, a second vow".
[13]
Argaven XV
King Argaven Harge XV is the current king of Karhide. He gave audience to Genly Ai, but refused the Ekumen
alliance and exiled Estraven for treason. He has sired seven children but has yet to bear "an heir of the body, king
son".
[14]
Obsle
Commensal Obsle of the Sekeve District is an Orgota who once headed the Orgota Naval Trade Commission in
Erhenrang. He is a short, inquisitive Orgota Commensal with small eyes, who seeks power and prestige for himself
and for his government and wants to invite the Ekumen to Orgoreyn.
Tibe
Pemmer Harge rem ir Tibe is King Argaven's cousin. Tibe is prone to orating and becomes the King's Ear after the
exile of Estraven and becomes Regent after King Argaven becomes pregnant. Tibe is fervently against Genly Ai's
mission and seems to want to start a war with Orgoreyn. He has Estraven killed at the Karhide/Orgoreyn border.
Background
Throughout the novel, 'native' myths and legends are interspersed, illuminating the beliefs and psychology of the
Gethenians and Estraven's unspoken past. One story discusses the place inside the storm, a quiet haven within a
blizzard. Another discusses the roots of the Yomeshta cult (the 'official', organised religion of Orgoreyn, much
younger than, but ultimately derived from, the immensely ancient Handdara philosophy/religion). One is an ancient
Orgota creation myth. A fourth discusses what a traitor is (the story concerns an ancestor of Estraven).
44
The inhabitants of Gethen are sequentially hermaphroditic humans; for twenty-four days (somer) of each twenty-six
day lunar cycle, they are sexually latent androgynes; and for the remaining two days (kemmer), they are male or
female, as determined by pheromonal negotiation with an interested sex partner. Thus each individual can both sire
and bear children. Throughout the novel Gethenians are described as 'he,' whatever their role in kemmer. This was
also the case in Le Guin's pre-Left hand of Darkness short story Winter's King when it was originally published; but
in the interests of equity, when it was republished it in the collection The Wind's Twelve Quarters, it was rewritten so
that all Gethenians are referred to as 'she'.
Physically, the Gethenians are mostly brown-skinned, but within a wide compass of variations. Most do not have
facial hair,
[15]
but their breasts are only a little larger than those of human males. The Envoy from Earth is
darker-skinned (and taller) than most Gethenians, but can pass for a native while wearing indigenous clothing: the
same was true of earlier observers who hid their identity.
It is suggested that the Gethenians were genetically engineered for hermaphroditism long ago by the original Hainish
civilization, who planted colonies on many worlds, including Earth. That culture collapsed, and the Ekumen has only
limited knowledge of the actions and motivations of their predecessors and their former colonies. The Gethenians
might have been engineered to maximize reproductive success on the harsh glaciated world of Gethen, in an attempt
to eliminate war, or as a social experiment.
Le Guin developed this idea out of a desire to explore what remained basic to human nature when biological gender
was no longer a factor. The Left Hand of Darkness is a significant milestone in the increasing sophistication of the
treatment of sex in science fiction that developed in the late 1960s and 1970s.
Shifgrethor
Shifgrethor is a fictional concept in Le Guin's Hainish Cycle universe, first introduced in The Left Hand of Darkness.
It comes from an old Gethenian word for shadow. The concept is used by Karhidians only. They, being portrayed as
the darker nation or Yin (in the idea of Chinese Tao) use this concept as a way of showing respect while on
Orgoreyn they do not use shifgrethor but instead act in a direct manner with a falseness beneath it (they, seen as the
lighter nation, or Yang).
According to Carrie B. McWhorter, shifgrethor can be defined simply as "a sense of honor and respect that provides
the Gethenians with a way to save face in a time of crisis."
[16]
Themes
Gender
At first, a large part of the novel seems to be an exploration of a neuter societya society in which sexual difference
plays no role, although love and jealousy remain. The world of Gethen has no history of war, but Le Guin has Genly
Ai's narration state that the exact reason for this is unresolved. It could be due to the Gethenians' unique biology (the
absence of a deep sense of duality implied by strong gender divisions may cause the Gethenians to lack a necessary
component of nationalism), or it could simply be a side effect of the planet's harsh climate, limiting warfare to small
skirmishes by simple economics.
Also related is the far slower pace of technological development. The Gethenians are mentioned as having gone
through a very slow-paced and gradual industrialization, with many semi-feudal social institutions left intact, rather
than the breakneck industrial revolution which Earth experienced since the 18th Century. In one episode, it is
specifically mentioned that a particular type of truck has been in use for centuries, almost unchanged, and that
Gethenians feel no special need to improve on it and develop a more advanced model. Like the above, this may be
related to the absence of a sharp male/female dichotomy, or may simply be a side-effect of Gethen's meager natural
resources, which are deficient not only in pure raw materials, but also in certain forms of inspiration (Genly Ai
speculates at one point that the Gethenians' failure to invent the airplane may be due to the planet's lack of any
45
airborne animals).
Religion
The book features two major religions: the Handdara, an informal system reminiscent of Taoism and Buddhism, and
the Yomeshta or Meshe's cult, a close-to-monotheistic religion based on the idea of absolute knowledge of the
entirety of time attained in one visionary instant by Meshe, who was originally a Foreteller of the Handdara, when
attempting to answer the question: 'What is the meaning of life?'. The Handdara is the more ancient, and dominant in
Karhide, while Yomesh is the official religion in Orgoreyn. The differences between them underlie political
distinctions between the countries and cultural distinctions between their inhabitants. Estraven is revealed to be an
adept of the Handdara.
Communication
Genly is on Gethen as an envoy from the Ekumen. The envoy has trouble communicating with the Gethenians,
because he doesn't understand shifgrethor. Using his ansible, Genly can communicate in real time with the Ekumen.
In an attempt to prove that he is, indeed, an envoy from other civilizations, King Argaven asks off-planet
correspondents of the Ekumen what makes a person a traitor. Although the message is received and answered,
Argaven is not satisfied with the answer.
During Foretelling, a ritual of answering questions about the future, the Foretellers communicate in a deep and
mystical way. Genly tries, with Faxe, the Weaver of the Foretellers, and later with Estraven, to engage in mindspeak,
in part because he misses doing so, and in part because it is not possible to lie in mindspeech. When Estraven finally
hears Genly's mindspeak for the first time, he is shocked and puzzled that Genly's mindspeaking voice is the voice of
his dead sibling, because there are no lies in mindspeaking.
Style
Structure
The reader experiences Ais time on Gethen through a series of transcribed communications sent to the Ekumen
including his first-person narrative observations, ethnological reports, myths of the native cultures, and Estravens
personal journal. This form is known as an epistolary narrative mode, and is clear evidence that Le Guins
anthropological background informs her writing. The interpolation of cultural myths and practices with traditional
narrative creates a more fragmented and complex reading experience. For a 21st-century reader, this innovation may
be hard to appreciate, but the style markedly contrasted the (primarily male-authored) science fiction of the time,
which was straightforward and linear.
Ai's first-person narration reflects his slowly developing view, and the reader's knowledge and understanding of the
Gethens evolves with Ai's awareness. He begins in naivety, gradually discovering his profound errors in judgement.
In this sense, the novel can be thought of as a Bildungsroman, or coming of age story, as the reader experiences the
central character's growth.
46
Adaptations
Phobos Entertainment (Sandra Schulberg) acquired media rights in December 2004 and announced plans for a
feature film and video game based on the book.
[17]
In 2013, the Portland Playhouse and Hand2Mouth Theatre produced a stage-adaptation of The Left Hand of
Darkness.
Translations
Bulgarian: " ", Galaktika, 1980, Bard, 2006.
Catalan: "La M Esquerra de la Foscor", 1985, 1997.
Chinese (Simplified): " ", 2009.
Chinese (Traditional): " ", 2004.
Croatian: "Lijeva ruka tame", 2004 (ISBN 953-203-182-0).
Czech: "Lev ruka tmy", 1995.
Danish: "Mrkets venstre hnd".
Dutch: "Duisters linkerhand" (first printing), "De Linkerhand Van Het Duister" (second printing).
Estonian: "Pimeduse pahem ksi".
Finnish: "Pimeyden vasen ksi", (ISBN 951-0-07527-2) 1976, (ISBN 951-0-13456-2) 1986
French: "La Main gauche de la nuit".
German: "Die linke Hand der Dunkelheit", also known as Winterplanet (Heyne-Verlag paperback edition,
translated by Gisela Stege).
Greek: " ".
Hebrew: " " and later as " ".
Hungarian: "A st-ts-g balkeze", 1979 (ISBN 963 211 337 3).
Italian: "La mano sinistra delle tenebre"
Japanese: " " (ISBN 978-4150102524)
Korean: " " 1995, 2002.
Latvian: "Tumsas kreis roka", 2012 (ISBN 978-9934-0-2779-6)
Polish: "Lewa rka ciemnoci".
Portuguese: "A Mo Esquerda das Trevas".
Romanian: "Mna stng a ntunericului".
Russian: " ", 1991, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2006.
Serbian: "Leva ruka tame".
Spanish: "La Mano Izquierda de la Oscuridad".
Swedish: "Mrkrets vnstra hand"
Turkish: "Karanln Sol Eli"
Notes
[1] [1] . Retrieved 2012-04-12.
[3] "Ursula K. Le Guin" (http:/ / www. locusmag. com/ SFAwards/ Db/ NomLit77. html#3061). The Locus Index to SF Awards: Index of
Literary Nominees. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
[4] Le Guin's Left Hand ranked second to Frank Herbert's Dune (1965). In the 1975 rendition covering "novels" (http:/ / www. locusmag. com/
1998/ Books/ 75alltime. html) it had ranked third behind Dune and Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End (1963).
(The title "Locus Poll Best All-time Novel Results" alternately displays the standings generated by three different subscriber polls.)
[5] Modern Critical Interpretations: Ursula Le guin's "The Left Hand of Darkness", ed. Harold Bloom, 1987. Introduction by the editor, p. 10.
[6] "Le Guin's Lathe of Heaven and the Role of Dick: The False Reality as Mediator" (http:/ / www. depauw. edu/ sfs/ backissues/ 5/ watson5art.
htm). Ian Watson. Science Fiction Studies #5 2.1 (March 1975).
[7] "Galaxy Bookshelf", Galaxy Science Fiction, February 1970, pp. 14445, 158.
47
[8] "The Western Canon by Harold Bloom" (http:/ / www.interleaves. org/ ~rteeter/ grtbloom. html), Robert Treeter, 2002. List of works
transcribed from Harold Bloom, The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages, New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994,
Appendixes.
[9] Le Guin's Left Hand ranked second to Frank Herbert's Dune (1965). In the 1975 rendition covering "novels" (http:/ / www. locusmag. com/
1998/ Books/ 75alltime. html) it had ranked third behind Dune and Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End (1963).
(The title "Locus Poll Best All-time Novel Results" alternately displays the standings generated by three different subscriber polls.)
[10] [10] page 218
[11] [11] page 248
[12] [12] page 15
[13] [13] page 75
[14] [14] page 100
[15] [15] page 56
[16] McWhorter, Carrie B. "Brandishing Shifgrethor: LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness". Notes on Contemporary Literature. January, 1998:
28 (1).
[17] "Phobos will embrace 'Darkness': Shingle planning pic, vidgame based on Le Guin tome" (http:/ / www. variety. com/ article/
VR1117914873. html?categoryid=1079& cs=1). Dana Harris. Videogames News. December 12, 2004. Variety. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
References
Citations
Bernardo, Susan M.; Murphy, Graham J. (2006). Ursula K. Le Guin: A Critical Companion (1st ed.). Westport,
CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN0-313-33225-8.
Cadden, Mike (2005). Ursula K. Le Guin Beyond Genre: Fiction for Children and Adults (1st ed.). New York,
NY: Routledge. ISBN0-415-99527-2.
Le Guin, Ursula K. (May 1992). The Language of the Night (revised ed.). HarperCollins.
ISBN978-0-06-016835-3.
Spivack, Charlotte (1984). Ursula K. Le Guin (1st ed.). Boston, MA: Twayne Publishers. ISBN0-8057-7393-2.
External links
Ursula K. Le Guin (http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ cgi-bin/ ea. cgi?37) at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Author's introduction to The Left Hand of Darkness (http:/ / www. hackvan. com/ pub/ stig/ scripture/
Ursula-LeGuin-on-science-fiction-mythology. txt)
Audio review and discussion of The Left Hand of Darkness (http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ archives/ 112) at The
Science Fiction Book Review Podcast (http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ )
Analysis of Ursula K. LeGuin's The Left Hand Of Darkness (http:/ / www. angelfire. com/ ny/ gaybooks/
lefthandofdarkness. html)
Review of the novel in The Future Fire (http:/ / futurefire. net/ 2005. 03/ review/ sm-leguin. html)
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (http:/ / www. conceptualfiction. com/ thelefthandofdarkness.
html), reviewed by Ted Gioia ( Conceptual Fiction (http:/ / www. conceptualfiction. com))
Scifi.com's review of the novel (http:/ / www. scifi. com/ sfw/ issue116/ classic. html)
The Left Hand of Darkness (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=17) at Worlds Without End
1970 Ringworld
48
1970 Ringworld
Ringworld
Cover of first edition (paperback)
Author Larry Niven
Illustrator Dean Ellis
Language English
Series Ringworld storyline from Known Space
Genre science fiction novel
Publisher Ballantine Books
Publication date
October 1970
Mediatype Print (hardcover, paperback), audiobook
ISBN 0-345-02046-4
OCLC
28071649
[1]
Followedby The Ringworld Engineers, 1980
Ringworld is a 1970 science fiction novel by Larry Niven, set in his Known Space universe and considered a classic
of science fiction literature. It is followed by three sequels and four prequels, and ties into numerous other books set
in Known Space. Ringworld won the Nebula Award in 1970, as well as both the Hugo Award and Locus Award in
1971.
Plot summary
The novel opens in A.D. 2850 on Earth. Louis Gridley Wu is celebrating his 200th birthday. Despite his age, Louis is
in perfect physical condition (because of a regimen of boosterspice) but is bored. He has experienced life thoroughly,
and is thinking of taking a trip to and beyond the reaches of Known Space, all alone in a spaceship for a year or
more. He is confronted by Nessus, a Pierson's Puppeteer, and offered one of three open positions on an exploration
voyage beyond Known Space. Speaker-to-Animals (Speaker), who is a Kzin, and Teela Brown, a young human
woman, also join the voyage.
They first travel to the Puppeteer home world, where they learn that the expedition's goal is to explore a ringworld:
an artificial ring about one million miles wide and approximately the diameter of Earth's orbit (which makes it about
600 million miles in circumference), encircling a sunlike star. It rotates, providing artificial gravity that is 99.2% as
strong as Earth's gravity through the action of centrifugal force. The ringworld has a habitable, flat inner surface
equivalent in area to approximately three million Earth-sized planets. Night is provided by an inner ring of shadow
squares which are connected to each other by thin, ultra-strong wire (shadow-square wire).
None of the crew's attempts at contacting the Ringworld succeed, and their ship is disabled by its automated
meteoroid-defense system. The severely damaged vessel collides with a strand of shadow-square wire and
crash-lands on the Ringworld near a huge mountain. The ship's defenses keep the crew compartment and many of the
ship's systems intact, including the faster-than-light drive (hyperdrive), but the normal drive is destroyed, leaving
them unable to launch back into space to use the hyperdrive. The team now has to set out to find a way to get back
into space, as well as fulfilling their original mission learning more about the Ringworld.
1970 Ringworld
49
Using their flycycles (similar to antigravity motorcycles), they try to reach the rim of the ring, where they hope to
find some technology that will help them. It will take them months to cross the vast distance. When Teela develops
"Plateau trance" (a kind of highway hypnosis) from becoming too absorbed in watching the vast landscape ahead,
they find themselves forced to land. On the ground, they encounter apparently human Ringworld natives. The
natives, who are living primitively in the crumbling ruins of a once advanced city, think that the crew are the
Engineers of the Ring, whom they revere as gods. The crew is attacked when they commit what the natives consider
blasphemy (the misuse of certain technologies).
They continue their journey during which Nessus is forced to reveal some Puppeteer secrets: they have performed
indirect breeding experiments on both humans (breeding for luck) and kzin (breeding for less aggressiveness). The
resulting hostility forces Nessus to abandon the other three and follow them at a safe distance.
They encounter a city and, in a floating building, they find a map of the Ringworld and videos of its past civilization.
In a giant storm, caused by air escaping through a hole in the Ring floor due to meteoroid impact, Teela is blown
away in an unknown direction. While Louis and Speaker search for her in a ruined city, their flycycles are caught by
an automatic police station designed to catch traffic offenders. They are trapped in a prison in the basement of the
police station. Nessus arrives, entering the station to help his team.
In the station they meet Halrloprillalar Hotrufan ("Prill"), a former crew member of a spaceship used for trade
between the Ringworld and other inhabited worlds. Her ship was stranded on the Ringworld when the landing
mechanism failed. She relates what she learned of the downfall of the Ringworld's civilization: A mold that breaks
down superconductors was introduced by a visiting spaceship. Without its superconductive technology, civilization
fell.
Teela reaches the police station, accompanied by her new lover, a native "hero" called Seeker who helped her
survive.
Based on his studies of an ancient Ringworld map, Louis devises a plan to escape. The four explorers, with Seeker
and Prill, use the floating police station as a vehicle to travel back to the explorers' crashed ship. Teela and Seeker
choose to remain on Ringworld. The remaining explorers and Prill collect one end of the shadow-square wire that
was dislodged when the ship crashed, dragging the wire behind them as they travel. Reaching the wreck, Louis
threads the wire through the ship and uses it to tether the ship to the police station. Still in the station, he then
continues to pull the wire onward, up to the summit of "Fist-of-God", the enormous mountain near their crash site.
The massive mountain had not appeared on a map of the original Ringworld, leading Louis to conclude that it was in
fact the result of a meteoroid impact with the underside of the ring, which pushed the "mountain" up from the ring
floor and broke through. The top of the mountain, above the edge of the ring's atmosphere, is therefore a passage to
the underside of the Ringworld and freedom. Louis drives the police station over the edge of the crater. The
Ringworld spins very quickly, so once the police station and ship are free of the ring, their speed is enough to get
them back to open space in a reasonable time. The crew can then use the ship's hyperdrive to get home. The book
concludes with Louis and Speaker discussing returning to the Ringworld.
1970 Ringworld
50
Reception
Algis Budrys found Ringworld to be "excellent and entertaining . . . woven together very skillfully and proceed[ing]
at a pretty smooth pace." While praising the novel generally, he faulted Niven for relying on inconsistencies
regarding evolution in his extrapolations to support his fictional premises.
[2]
Concepts
In addition to the two aliens, Niven includes a number of concepts from his other Known Space stories:
The Puppeteers' General Products hulls, which are impervious to any known force except visible light and gravity,
and cannot be destroyed by anything except antimatter.
The Slaver stasis field, which causes time in the enclosed volume to stand still; since time has for all intents and
purposes ceased for an object in stasis, no harm can come to anything within the field.
The idea that luck is a genetic trait that can be favored by selective breeding.
The tasp, a device that remotely stimulates the pleasure center of the brain; it temporarily incapacitates its target
and is extremely addictive. If the subject cannot, for whatever reason, get access to the device, intense depression
can result, often to the point of madness or suicide. To use a tasp on someone from hiding, relieving them of their
anger or depression, is called "making their day."
Boosterspice, a drug that restores or indefinitely preserves youth.
Scrith, the metal-like substance of which the Ringworld is built (and presumably the shadow squares and wires
too), that has a tensile strength nearly equal in magnitude to the strong nuclear force.
Impact armor, a flexible form of clothing that hardens instantly into a rigid form stronger than steel when rapidly
deformed, similar to certain types of bulletproof vests.
The hyperspace shunt, an engine for faster-than-light travel, but slow enough (1 light-year per 3 days, ~122c) to
keep the galaxy vast and unknown; the new "quantum II hyperspace shunt", developed by the Puppeteers but not
yet released to humans, can cross a light-year in just 1.25 minutes (~421,000c).
Point-to-point teleportation at the speed of light is possible with transfer booths (on Earth) and stepping disks (on
the Puppeteer homeworld); on Earth, people's sense of place and global position has been lost due to
instantaneous travel; cities and cultures have blended together.
A theme well covered in the novel is that of cultures suffering technological breakdowns who then proceed to
revert to belief systems along religious lines. Most Ringworld societies have forgotten that they live on an
artificial structure, and now attribute the phenomena and origin of their world to divine power.
Errors
The opening chapter of the original paperback edition of Ringworld featured Louis Wu teleporting eastward around
the Earth in order to extend his birthday. Moving in this direction would, in fact, make local time later rather than
earlier, so that Wu would soon arrive in the early morning of the next calendar day. Niven was "endlessly teased"
about this error, which he corrected in subsequent printings to show Wu teleporting westward.
In his dedication to The Ringworld Engineers, Niven wrote, "If you own a first paperback edition of Ringworld, it's
the one with the mistakes in it. It's worth money."
After the publication of Ringworld many fans identified numerous engineering problems in the Ringworld as
described in the novel. One major problem was that the Ringworld, being a rigid structure, was not actually in orbit
around the star it encircled and would eventually drift, ultimately colliding with its sun and disintegrating. This led
MIT students attending the 1971 Worldcon to chant, "The Ringworld is unstable! The Ringworld is unstable!" The
phrase made its way into a filk song, "Give Me That Pro, Larry Niven." Niven wrote the 1980 sequel The Ringworld
Engineers in part to address these engineering issues. The ring was found to have a system of attitude jets atop the
rim walls, but the Ringworld had become gravely endangered because most of the jets had been removed by the
1970 Ringworld
51
natives, to power their interstellar ships. (The natives had forgotten the original purpose of the jets.)
References to Ringworld
"Ringworld", or more formally, "Niven ring", has become a generic term for such a structure, which is an example of
what science fiction fans call a "Big Dumb Object", or more formally a megastructure. Other science fiction authors
have devised their own variants of Niven's Ringworld, notably Iain M. Banks' Culture Orbitals, best described as
miniature Ringworlds, and the ring-shaped Halo structure of the video game Halo.
Film
There have also been many abortive attempts to adapt the novel to the screen.
In 2001, Larry Niven reported that a movie deal had been signed and was in the early planning stages.
[3]
In 2004, the Sci-Fi Channel reported that it was developing a Ringworld miniseries.
[4]
The series never came to
fruition.
In 2013, it was again announced by the SyFy Channel that a miniseries of the novel was in development. This
proposed 4-hour miniseries is being written by Michael R. Perry and will be a co-production between MGM
Television and Universal Cable Productions.
In other works
In the AD&D Planescape the city Sigil is actually pictured as a structure very similar to a Niven Ring.
In the 1980s a role-playing game based on this setting was produced by Chaosium named The Ringworld
Roleplaying Game.
Tsunami Games released two adventure games based on Ringworld; Ringworld: Revenge of the Patriarch was
released in 1992 and Return to Ringworld in 1994. A third game, Ringworld: Within ARM's Reach, was also
planned, but never completed.
Terry Pratchett intended his 1981 novel Strata to be a "piss-take/homage/satire" of Ringworld. Niven allegedly
took it in good humor and enjoyed the work.
The plot of the first-person shooter Halo: Combat Evolved for the Xbox, Windows and Mac OS also takes place
on an artificial ring structure. Given its dimensions (10,000 kilometers in diameter) it is more like Banks's Culture
Orbitals (though much smaller) than Niven's behemoth. Similarities to Ringworld have been noted in the game,
and Niven was asked (but declined) to write the first novel based on the series.
[5]
"All in Fun" by Jerry Oltion, in Fantasy & Science Fiction, January 2009, mentions a faithful big-budget movie
adaptation of Ringworld.
1970 Ringworld
52
References
[2] "Galaxy Bookshelf", Galaxy, March 1971, pp.112-13
[3] "Ringworld Movie News" from Known Space: The Future Worlds of Larry Niven (http:/ / www. larryniven. org/ ringworld_movie_news.
shtml)
[4] Sci Fi Channel goes supernova with new shows, series and specials (http:/ / www. cinescape. com/ 0/ editorial. asp?aff_id=0&
this_cat=Television& action=page& type_id=& cat_id=270355& obj_id=41212) By Patrick Sauriol, April 06, 2004 Source: The Sci Fi
Channel
[5] Condensed version of information found at Niven's own site: link (http:/ / www. larryniven. org/ chatlogs/ chat060402. shtml)
External links
The Incompleat Known Space Concordance Appendix: The Ringworld (http:/ / www. freewebs. com/
knownspace/ rw. htm)
Encyclopedia of Known Space: Ringworld (http:/ / www. oinc. net/ knownspace/ enc/ display. php?447)
Physical parameters of the Ringworld (http:/ / www. alcyone. com/ max/ reference/ scifi/ ringworld. html)
Ringworld (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=18) at Worlds Without End
The Physics of Ringworld (http:/ / www. larryniven. net/ physics. shtml) (official site)
1971 A Time of Changes
53
A Time of Changes
Cover of first hardcover edition
Author Robert Silverberg
Coverartist Brad Holland
Language English
Genre Science fiction, Fantasy
Publisher Nelson Doubleday
Publication date
MarchMay 1971 (Galaxy) / June 1971 (Hardcover)
Mediatype Print (Magazine, Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages 183 pp
ISBN 978-0586039953
OCLC
150304
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.5/4
LCClass PZ4.S573 PS3569.I472
A Time of Changes is a 1971 science fiction novel by Robert Silverberg. It won the Nebula Award for that year, and
was also nominated for the Hugo and Locus Awards for in 1972.
Plot introduction
The novel is set in a culture where the first person singular is forbidden, and words such as I or me are treated as
obscenities or social errors. A powerful new drug enables protagonist Kinnall Darival to attain telepathic contact
with others, and this sharing brings him the courage to lead a revolution against his repressive culture.
The novel is presented in the style of an autobiography, written by Kinnall while he awaits impending capture and
imprisonment for his cultural crimes.
The theme of I being a forbidden word is shared with Ayn Rand's 1938 novella "Anthem". However, Silverberg
stated that he did not know of Rand's book until after his own was published, and that his aim in depicting such a
society was completely different from hers.
Plot summary
Life in Velada Borthan is ruled by the Covenant, of which the most conspicuous trait is the denial of the self.
Referring to oneself in the first person is forbidden. A selfbarer is someone who exposes his soul to others and as a
result is ostracized.
The protagonist of the story is Kinnall Darival, a prince of the province of Salla, tormented by existential doubts and
by his forbidden passion for his bondsister, Halum. (Bond siblings are an important institution of this society; though
not biologically related, the incest taboo among them is as strong as among actual siblings). After his brother Stirron
becomes Prime Septarch of Salla, Kinnall exiles himself to the neighboring province of Glin to avoid a direct clash
with him. Following a more than cold reception in Glin, his monetary savings are sequestered by the Grand
Treasurer of Salla, and he is declared an illegal alien, leaving him as a penniless fugitive. He finds a nice man who
54
employs him for a year in a logging camp, but he is eventually recognized as the fugitive prince by a woman from
Salla. On the road again, Kinnall takes shelter in Klaek, a miserable village in Glin, with a family of peasants.
Longing for news from the "real world", Kinnall goes to Biumar and is engaged as a seaman on a merchant boat
headed to the province of Manneran. Once there, he turns to his bondfather, Segvord, for a job which allows him an
honest living in Manneran.
While becoming a powerful bureaucrat in Manneran, Kinnall marries Halum's look-alike and cousin Loimel -
however, it turns out to be a loveless and unhappy relationship, as Loimel looks like Halum but has a different
personality, and she could sense she is being used as a surrogate for somebody else.
Kinnall then meets the Earthman Schweiz with whom he begins to freely discuss his alienation from his own culture.
Schweiz tells him about the wonderful drug available in the wild southern country of Sumara Borthan. Finally, both
go to a country lodge and share the secret drug, causing their minds to become open to one another and creating a
strong connection between them. Kinnall and Schweiz organize a small expedition to Sumara Borthan where they
share the drug with the natives in a kind of social magic ritual.
Smuggling a large amount of the drug into Manneran, Kinnall starts to be the apostle of a new selfbaring cult,
convincing many people to share the telepathic drug with him. Among them is his bondbrother Noim. Finally,
betrayed and revealed, he seeks escape to Noim's estate in Salla. There he is visited by his beloved Halum, and they
share the drug. She is so disturbed by the experience that she enters the pen of the voracious stormshields, who shred
her to pieces. Kinnall takes his last flight to the Burnt Lowlands where he ultimately is captured by the royal guards.
The book ends ambiguously. One possibility is that though Kinnal himself was executed or imprisoned for life, what
he started developed into a widespread movement or cult, of which the book itself is in effect the Scriptures or basic
document, and which eventually succeeded in overthrowing the established order. The other possibility is that all this
was nothing more than a hallucination which Kinnal experienced under the influence of his drug, and that what he
started ended with him. Both possibilities are left openwhich evidently was Silverberg's deliberate intention.
Characters, places and concepts
Kinnall Darival - A prince of Salla, second son of the septarch. Tall and muscularly sportive.
Stirron - Older brother of Kinnall. A hulk like his brother. Eventually becomes septarch of the province of Salla.
The septarch - Father of Stirron and Kinnall. A man of slender body and modest height. Killed by a hornfowl - a
large bird of prey - which caused Stirron to become the new septarch.
Bonding - A personal alliance between individuals arranged by the families since early childhood. These bond-kin
are intended to become very close friends.
Noim Condorit - Kinnall's bondbrother. Son of Luinn Condorit from the northern frontier of Salla.
Halum Helalam - Kinnall's bondsister and his forbidden love interest. Daughter of Segvord Helalam from
Manneran.
Schweiz - An earthman. A merchant who develops a strong relationship with Kinnall.
Drainers - Throughout the story, Kinnall seeks relief in the drainers - much like Catholic confessors. The drainers
are supposed to keep these revelations secret; however, at least one eventually uses the information he learns for
political revenge.
Planet Borthan - An Earth colony orbiting around a golden-green sun. There are five continents: Velada Borthan,
Sumara Borthan, Umbis, Dabis and Tibis.
Burnt Lowlands - Arid place in the middle of Velada Borthan, flanked by two immense mountain ranges: the
Huishtors in the east and the Threishtors in the west.
Velada Borthan - "The Northern World". Most important continent and home of the first-world human civilization.
Divided into eastern and western portions by the Burnt Lowlands. Western portion is divided into nine unnamed
55
provinces. The eastern portion has four provinces: Salla, Glin, Manneran and Krell.
Sumara Borthan - "The Southern World". In the early days of the planet's settlement, those who defied the
Covenant were exiled to this southern continent, covered largely by a tropical jungle. Their society has devolved to a
more or less primitive state, based around the ritual use of the selfbaring drug. Though not explicitly stated, the name
may in some ways be derived from Sumatra.
Salla - A province of Velada Borthan. The capital, Salla City, is the home of Kinnall and Stirron.
Glain - Capital of the Glin province. Ugly, miserable, dismal. The folk of Glain are described as having dark clothes,
dark frowns, dark souls, closed and shrunken hearts.
Biumar - Glin's main seaport and second most populous city. A greasy gray sprawl of an oversized town, backed up
against a gray and menacing ocean.
Manneran Province - Province favored by the gods. The air is mild and sweet, filled all the year through with the
fragrance of flowers.
Manneran - Prosperous, hot and beautiful capital city of Manneran Province. Its site is the finest natural harbor in
all Velada Borthan. Manneran has established itself as the holy of the holies with the famous Stone Chapel, and a
powerful center of commerce.
References
External links
A Time of Changes (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=283) at Worlds Without End
A Time of Changes (http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ cgi-bin/ title. cgi?1004) title listing at the Internet Speculative
Fiction Database
1972 The Gods Themselves
56
The Gods Themselves
Cover of first edition (hardcover)
Author Isaac Asimov
Coverartist
David November
[1]
Language English
Publisher Doubleday
Publication date
1972
Pages 288
ISBN ISBN 0-385-02701-X
The Gods Themselves is a 1972 science fiction novel written by Isaac Asimov. It won the Nebula Award for Best
Novel in 1972, and the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1973.
The book is divided into three main parts, originally published in Galaxy Magazine and Worlds of If as three
consecutive stories. The first chapter of the first part of the book is numbered Chapter 6 because the beginning of
chapter 6 is somewhat of an introduction to the real Chapter 1, which begins "It had happened thirty years before."
Thereafter, most of the series of chapters 15 end with a part of chapter 6. After Chapter 5, Chapter 6 concludes and
moves to Chapter 7.
Plot summary
The main plotline is a project by aliens who inhabit a parallel universe (the para-Universe) with different physical
laws from this one. By exchanging matter with Earth, they seek to exploit these differences in physical laws. The
exchange of matter provides an alternative source of energy in their dying Universe. However, the exchange of
physical laws will have the ultimate result of turning the Earth's Sun into a supernova, and possibly even turning a
large part of the Milky Way into a quasar which, in turn, provides more energy for the para-Universe.
First part: Against Stupidity...
The first part takes place on Earth. Frederick Hallam, a scientist of limited ability but with a fiercely protective ego,
discovers that an old container's contents seem to have been altered. He initially accuses a colleague of tampering
with his sample, and gets a snide remark in return. Hallam responds with a furious effort and eventually finds that
the sample, originally tungsten, has been transformed into something that turns out to be plutonium 186an isotope
that cannot occur naturally in our universe. As this is investigated, Hallam makes the crucial suggestion that the
matter has been swapped by beings in a parallel universe. This turns out to be correct and leads to the development
of a cheap, clean, and apparently endless source of energy: the "Electron Pump", which trades matter between our
universe (where plutonium 186 decays into tungsten 186) and a parallel one governed by slightly different physical
laws (where tungsten 186 turns into plutonium 186), yielding a nuclear reaction in the process. The development
process inextricably ties Hallam to the Pump in the minds of the people, vaulting him into an incredibly high
position in public opinion and winning him power, position, and a Nobel Prize to boot.
57
An idealistic young physicist, Lamont, while writing a history of the Pump, comes into conflict with Hallam and
begins to question the official history of its discovery. Lamont is convinced that the development of the Pump was
mainly due to the "para-men", who he believes are more intelligent; he notes the instructions they had sent early in
the project (although only the diagrams, and not the linguistic parts, had been comprehensible). Hallam is infuriated
by the suggestion that his role is secondary, and destroys Lamont's career. Lamont enlists the help of Bronowski, a
linguist who had won renown for translating the Etruscan language and is looking for a new challenge. As
Bronowski works on the para-men's old messages, Lamont discovers that the Pump is in fact creating a dangerous
situation that could cause the Sun to become a supernova (the pump increases the strong nuclear force inside the sun,
causing the sun to fuse its hydrogen fuel more rapidly). This would, incidentally, also doom the para-world by
accelerating the cooling of its own sun. Bronowski seems to be making some progress, receiving what appears to be
an acknowledgment that the Pump may be dangerous. Lamont attempts to demonstrate this to a politician and
several members of the scientific community, but they, seduced by the cheap, presumed clean energy source and
unwilling to take Hallam on face-to-face for fear of suffering Lamont's own fate, are unwilling to listen to him.
Lamont decides that the only option now is to tell the para-men that the Earth-side agrees to stop, arguing that even
if he is killed for it, he will eventually be a hero who saved the world. But then Bronowski reveals his last message
which shows that they have in fact been in contact not with the para-authorities but with para-dissidents like himself,
who cannot persuade their para-Hallam, and are thereforein a mirror-image waybegging him to stop the Pump.
There seems to be no way out.
Second part: ...The Gods Themselves...
The second part takes place in the parallel universe. The aliens consist of the "hard ones" and the amorphous "soft
ones". The soft ones have three sexes with fixed roles for each sex:
Rationals (or "lefts") are the logical and scientific sex. Rationals are identified with masculine pronouns and
produce a form of sperm.
Emotionals (or "mids") are the intuitive sex. Emotionals are identified with the feminine pronouns and provide the
energy needed for reproduction.
Parentals (or "rights") bear and raise the offspring. Parentals are identified with masculine pronouns.
All three 'genders' are embedded in sexual and social norms of expected and acceptable behavior.
The hard ones regulate much of soft one society, among other things creating families by allocating one of each of
the sexes to a mating group, or "triad" in the novel's terminology, and acting as teachers and mentors to the
Rationals. Little is shown of "hard one" society and Dua, the protagonist of this section of the book, suspects that the
"hard ones" are a dying race since there are no "hard one" children. Her assumption is that the "hard ones" keep the
"soft ones" as pets and toys, as a replacement for the children they do not have. This is dismissed by Odeen, the
Rational of Dua's triad, who having the most contact with the "hard ones", has heard the "hard ones" speak of a new
"hard one" called "Estwald".
Dua is an oddball Emotional who exhibits traits normally associated with Rationals, leading her to be called a
"left-em". Interestingly, the companions in her triad are also revealed to be unusual and they too behave differently
from what is expected from their appropriate sex. She learns about her universe's end of the Pump. By engaging in
teachings from Odeen, she also concludes on her own the supernova problem that Lamont uncovered in the first
section; outraged that the Pump is allowed to continue to operate, despite the fact that it will eventually result in the
destruction of another civilization, she attempts to put a stop to the project.
She cannot persuade her own species to abandon the Pump, as they have no choice but to use ittheir own sun as
well as all the other stars in that universe are dying and can no longer provide the energy they need to continue to
reproduce; their only other source of energy is the Pump. The majority decision is that, while their continued use of
the Pump will destroy Earth and its solar system, abandoning it will result in their own extinction and thus cannot be
done. While Lamont has assumed the destruction of Earth's sun would be fatal for the para-world, it turns out that in
58
fact they would be able to draw energy off such a huge source directly without needing a Pump any more, and thus
they would actually be safer once the Earth sun exploded.
The differences in the laws of physics in the parallel universe mean that the aliens' bodies do not have the same
material properties as living matter in this universe. Instead of consuming material that is then converted into energy,
the aliens absorb it directly from sunlight. The different sexes can "melt" and merge physically, their analog of sex
(the younger ones and some Emotionals can somehow overcome the repulsion between atoms and melt into walls,
which is seen as a social taboo). Rationals and Parentals can do this to some extent independently, but in the
presence of an Emotional, they can become essentially immaterial and the "melt" becomes total, the three bodies
coming together into one (which causes orgasmic sensations, but also results in blackout and memory loss during the
"melt"). Only during such a total "melt" can the Rational "impregnate" the Parental, with the Emotional providing
the energy.
Driven by an innate desire to procreate, Tritt, the "Parental" of the triad, at first asks Odeen to persuade Dua to
facilitate the production of the third child. When this fails, Tritt steals an energy-battery from the Pump and rigs it to
feed Dua. She accepts it, as it coincides with her finally being taught by Odeen about physics (which violates the
gender norms of this societyOdeen consulted his hard-teacher about the problem of the third child, the teacher
encouraged him to go with her abnormalities). Filled with this energy, the triad mates, and Tritt becomes pregnant
with their last child. Dua discovers this betrayal and escapes from her family to the caves of the hard ones where she
is able to melt through the walls (which is possible because she retained her thinness by eating little in general).
Once there she begins a guerrilla campaign to stop the Pump, transmitting the alternative messages that Lamont
received in the first section.
Eventually, her escape method of melting through walls and creating the metal messages cause her to lose too much
of the energy needed to continue her existence. As she is about to expire, against all odds she is found by her triad.
She is about to defy her triad by seeking to die anyway, but it is finally revealed that once a triad has produced at
least one more triad of children to maintain a stable population, they are ready to fuse permanently into a single
individual of the species's fully mature formthe hard ones. In fact, they temporarily form this same individual
whenever they melt, but have no memory of it afterward. This fact is kept carefully concealed by the mature
population from the semi-mature population, because the melt is also a mind-meld, and it is important that the
Rational of a triad become mature enough to understand the conditions of their existence by themselves, before the
final melt into a mature hard one.
Afraid that they will lose the Hard one formed by Dua's triad, the hard ones have coached Odeen into realizing the
reality of the melt. All members of the triad are exceptional in their own way; Dua has learnt more about the other
universe than any other Emotional, Odeen has shown greater intuition and empathy than a normal Rational, and Tritt
has shown greater initiative and technical ability in stealing and setting up the lamp than any other Right.
Odeen convinces Dua that the hard one that they will become will have influence with the hard ones to stop the
Pump. As they are ready to "pass on", in between thoughts of the daughter she will not know, Dua realizes that in
fact the fusion of her triad had produced Estwald himself, the original inventor of the Pump.
Third part: ...Contend in Vain?
The third part of the novel takes place on the Moon, centering on a cynical middle-aged physicist named Denison,
briefly introduced in Part 1 as the colleague and rival of Hallam whose snide remark drove Hallam to invent the
Pump. Denison, independently of Lamont, deduced the danger in the Electron Pump (although it was Lamont who
discovered the final technical facts), and goes on to find a solution that harms no one and greatly benefits humanity:
he taps into yet another parallel universe, that exists in a pre-big bang state (a cosmic egg or cosmeg), where physical
laws are different and, in fact, opposite to the ones in Dua's universe. The exchange with the second parallel universe
both produces more energy at little or no cost (which is a pleasant side effect for the Lunar residents, who had been
unable to establish electron pumps), and balances out the changes from the use of the Electron Pump, resulting in a
59
return to equilibrium.
Denison is helped by a Lunarian tourist guide named Selene Lindstrom, who is secretly an Intuitionist (a genetically
engineered human with superhuman intuition). In the end, Selene and Denison also foil a plot to use the new power
source to move the moon out of earth orbit.
Asimov's relationship to the story
In a letter of February 12, 1982, Asimov identified this as his favorite science fiction novel.
[2]
Asimov's short story
"Gold", one of the last he wrote in his life, describes the efforts of fictional computer animators to create a
"compu-drama" from the novel's second section.
Asimov took the names of the immature aliensOdeen, Dua, and Trittfrom the words One, Two, and Three in the
language of his native Russia. (The original forms are odin, dva and tri).
Asimov's inspiration for the title of the book, and its three sections, was a quotation from the play The Maid of
Orleans by Friedrich Schiller: "Mit der Dummheit kmpfen Gtter selbst vergebens.", "Against stupidity the gods
themselves contend in vain." However not all translations translate the line this way, it may not be entirely clear
which translation Asimov was using.
Asimov describes a conversation in January 1971 when Robert Silverberg had to refer to an isotopejust an
arbitrary oneas an example. Silverberg said "plutonium-186". "There is no such isotope", said Asimov, "and such
a one can't exist either." "So, what?", said Silverberg. Later Asimov figured out under what conditions
plutonium-186 could exist, and what complications and consequences it might imply. Asimov reasoned that it must
belong to another universe with other physical laws; specifically, different nuclear forces would be necessary to
allow a Pu-186 nucleus to hold itself together. He wrote down these ideas, which gradually grew into the novel.
In his autobiography, Asimov stated that the novel, especially the second section, was the "biggest and most
effective over-my-head writing [I] ever produced".
[3]
References
[1] http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ cgi-bin/ pl. cgi?40755
[2] [2] "Yours, Isaac Asimov" page 225
[3] I. Asimov: A Memoir.. Isaac Asimov. Bantam Books. 1995. p. 251. ISBN 0-553-56997-X
External links
Review: The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov (http:/ / www. wereadscifi. com/
the-gods-themselves-by-isaac-asimov-cams-8/ ), We Read Science Fiction, October 18, 2007
The Gods Themselves (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=20)
1973 Rendezvous with Rama
60
Rendezvous with Rama
First edition (UK)
[1]
Author Arthur C. Clarke
Coverartist
Bruce Pennington
[2]
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Series Rama series
Publisher Gollancz (UK)
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (US)
Publication date
Jun 1973 (UK)
Aug 1973 (US)
Pages 256 (UK)
ISBN 0-575-01587-X (UK)
Followedby Rama II
Rendezvous with Rama is a hard science fiction novel by ArthurC. Clarke first published in 1972. Set in the 22nd
century, the story involves a 50-kilometre (31mi) cylindrical alien starship that enters Earth's solar system. The story
is told from the point of view of a group of human explorers who intercept the ship in an attempt to unlock its
mysteries. This novel won both the Hugo and Nebula awards upon its release, and is regarded as one of the
cornerstones in Clarke's bibliography.
Plot summary
After a major disaster caused by a meteorite falling in Northeast Italy in 2077, the government of Earth sets up the
Spaceguard system as an early warning of arrivals from deep space.
The "Rama" of the title is an alien star ship, initially mistaken for an asteroid categorised as "31/439". It is detected
by astronomers in the year 2130 while still outside the orbit of Jupiter. The object's speed (100,000km/h) and the
angle of its trajectory clearly indicate that this is not an object on a long orbit around our sun; it comes from
interstellar space. Astronomers' interest is further piqued when they realise that this asteroid not only has an
extremely rapid rotation period of 4 minutes, but it is exceptionally large. It is renamed Rama after the Hindu god
and an unmanned space probe dubbed Sita is launched from the Mars moon Phobos to intercept and photograph it.
The resulting images taken during its rapid flyby reveal that Rama is a perfect cylinder, 20 kilometres (12mi) in
diameter and 54 kilometres (34mi) long, made of a completely featureless material, making this humankind's first
encounter with an alien space ship.
The manned solar survey vessel Endeavour is sent to study Rama, as it is the only ship close enough to do so in the
brief period Rama will spend in our solar system. Endeavour manages to rendezvous with Rama one month after the
space ship first comes to Earth's attention, with the alien ship already inside Venus' orbit. The 20+ crew, led by
Commander Bill Norton, enters Rama through triple airlocks, and explores the vast 16-km wide by 50-km long
cylindrical world of its interior, but the nature and purpose of the starship and its creators remain enigmatic
throughout the book. Inside Rama, the atmosphere is discovered to be breathable. The astronauts discover several
61
features, including "cities" (odd blocky shapes that look like buildings, and streets with shallow trenches in them,
looking like trolley car tracks) that actually served as factories, a sea that stretches in a band around Rama dubbed
the Cylindrical Sea, and seven massive cones at the southern end of Rama believed to form part of the propulsion
system.
One of the crew members, Jimmy Pak, who has experience with low gravity skybikes, volunteers to ride a smuggled
skybike along Rama's axis to the far end, otherwise inaccessible due to the cylindrical sea and the 500-m high cliff
on the opposite shore. A few hours later, Jimmy reaches the massive metal cones on the southern end of Rama,
picking up a strange magnetic field coming from the cones. Pak takes a few pictures of the area and the strange
plateau on the southern end of Rama's landmass before leaving. The electrical charge in the atmosphere begins to
increase during Pak's return, resulting in lightning. A discharge hits his skybike causing him to crash on the isolated
southern continent.
When Pak wakes up, he sees a crab-like creature picking up his skybike and chopping it into pieces. He cannot
decide whether it is a robot or a biological alien, and keeps his distance while contacting Norton and the others on
the other side of Rama for help. Norton sends a rescue party across the cylindrical sea, using a small, improvised
craft, and Pak waits. He sees the crab-like creature dump the remains of the skybike into the sea, and he approaches
the creature, but it completely ignores him. Pak explores the surrounding fields while waiting for the rescue party to
arrive on the southern cliffs of the cylindrical sea. Amongst the strange geometric patterns he sees an alien flower
growing through a cracked tile in the otherwise sterile environment, and decides to take it as both a curiosity and for
scientific research.
Pak jumps off the 500 m cliff, his descent slowed by low gravity and using his shirt as a parachute, and swims
quickly to the craft. The ride back is highlighted by tidal waves in the cylindrical sea, formed by movements of
Rama itself as it makes course corrections. When the crew arrive at base, they see a variety of odd creatures
inspecting their camp. When one is found damaged and apparently lifeless, the team's doctor/biologist
Surgeon-Commander Laura Ernst inspects it and names it a "biot" or a hybrid of a biological entity and robot. She
concludes that it, and others, appear to be electrically powered by natural internal batteries (much like terrestrial
electric eels) and possess some degree of intelligence. They are believed to be the servants of Rama's still-absent
builders and maintainers of the starship.
The members of the Rama Committee and the United Planets, both based on the moon, have been monitoring events
inside Rama and giving feedback. The Hermian colonists have concluded that Rama is a potential threat to them and
send a rocket-mounted bomb to destroy Rama, but it is successfully defused by Lt Boris Rodrigo using a pair of wire
cutters.
As Rama approaches perihelion, the biots act strangely jumping into the cylindrical sea where they are destroyed
by aquatic biots ('sharks'), and absorbed back into the mineral-laden water. On one last expedition to explore Rama,
a few crew members decide to visit the city "London" (chosen as closest to the stairways at the "northern" end of the
cylinder they use to return to their ship) to use a laser to cut open one of the buildings and see what is inside. Inside,
they discover pedestals containing holograms of various artefacts, believed to have been used by the Ramans as tools
and other objects. The holograms themselves are presumed to be templates for replicating these items as needed. The
most amazing sight is what appears to be a uniform with bandoliers, straps and pockets that suggests the size and
shape of the Ramans. But before the crew can photograph any more holograms, the three long lights start going out,
and they must leave. They all exit up through the stairway on Rama's northern side, out of the three airlocks, and
board Endeavour.
When Endeavour is a safe distance away, and Rama reaches perihelion, Rama harnesses the Sun's gravitational field
with its mysterious "space drive" for use in a slingshot manoeuvre and is flung out of the solar system toward an
unknown location in the direction of the Large Magellanic Cloud.
62
Ending
The book was meant to stand alone, although the final sentence of the book suggests otherwise:
And on far-off Earth, Dr. Carlisle Perera had as yet told no one how he had wakened from a restless
sleep with the message from his subconscious still echoing in his brain: The Ramans do everything in
threes.
Clarke, however, denied that this sentence was meant to hint at a continuation of the story-according to his foreword
in the book's sequel, it was just a good way to end the book and was added during a final revision.
Reception
John Leonard, writing in The New York Times, finding Clarke "benignly indifferent to the niceties of
characterization," praised the novel for conveying "that chilling touch of the alien, the not-quite-knowable, that
distinguishes sci-fi at its most technically imaginative."
[3]
Other reviewers have also commented on Clarke's lack of
character development, and an over-emphasis on realism.
Awards and nominations
The novel was awarded the following soon after publication
Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1973
British Science Fiction Association Award in 1973
Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1974
Jupiter Award for Best Novel in 1974
John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1974
Locus Award for Best Novel in 1974
Seiun Award for Best Foreign Language Novel in 1980
Design and geography of Rama
An artist's impression of the interior of Rama.
The interior of Rama is essentially a large cylindrical landscape,
dubbed 'The Central Plain' by the crew, 16 kilometres wide and 50
long, with artificial gravity provided by its 0.25 rpm spin. It is split into
the 'northern' and 'southern' hemispheres, divided in the middle by a
10-km wide expanse of water the astronauts dub the 'Cylindrical Sea'.
In the center of the Cylindrical Sea is an island of unknown purpose
covered in tall, skyscraper-like structures, which the astronauts name
'New York' due to an imagined similarity to Manhattan. At each end of
the ship are North and South "Poles". The North Pole is effectively the
bow and the South Pole the stern, as Rama accelerates in the direction of the north pole and its drive system is at the
South Pole.
The North Pole contains Rama's airlocks, and is where the Endeavour lands. The airlocks open into the hub of the
massive bowl shaped cap at the North Pole, with three 8-kilometre long stair systems, called Alpha, Beta, and
Gamma by the crew, leading to the plain.
The Northern hemisphere contains several small 'towns' interconnected by roads, dubbed London, Paris, Peking,
Tokyo, Rome, and Moscow.
63
Interior view of an O'Neill cylinder showing
alternating land and window stripes.
The South Pole has a giant cone-shaped protrusion surrounded by six
smaller ones, which are thought to be part of Rama's reactionless space
drive.
Both ends of Rama are lit by six giant trenches (three in the northern
hemisphere and three in the south), equidistantly placed around the
cylinder, effectively functioning as giant strip lighting.
Project Spaceguard
Clarke invented the space study program which detects Rama, Project Spaceguard, as a method of identifying
near-Earth objects on Earth-impact trajectories; in the novel it was initiated after an asteroid struck Italy on 11
September 2077, destroying Padua and Verona and sinking Venice.
A real project named Spaceguard was initiated in 1992, named after Clarke's fictional project. After interest in the
dangers of asteroid strikes was heightened by a series of Hollywood disaster films, the United States Congress gave
NASA authorisation and funding to support Spaceguard.
Books in the series
Clarke paired up with Gentry Lee for the remainder of the series. Lee did the actual writing, while Clarke read and
made editing suggestions.
[4]
The focus and style of the last three novels are quite different from those of the original
with an increased emphasis on characterisation and more clearly portrayed heroes and villains, rather than Clarke's
dedicated professionals. These later books did not receive the same critical acclaim and awards as the original.
Rendezvous with Rama (1972) ISBN 978-0-553-28789-9
Rama II (1989) ISBN 978-0-553-28658-8
The Garden of Rama (1991) ISBN 978-0-553-29817-8
Rama Revealed (1993) ISBN 978-0-553-56947-6
Gentry Lee also wrote two further novels set in the same Rama Universe.
Bright Messengers (1995)
Double Full Moon Night (1999)
Adaptations
In 2009, BBC Radio 4 produced a two-part radio adaptation of the book as part of a science-fiction season. It was
adapted by Mike Walker, and was broadcast on 1 March 2009 (Part 1) and 8 March 2009 (Part 2).
[5]
In the early 2000s, actor Morgan Freeman expressed his desire to produce a film based on Rendezvous with Rama,
however the film has been stuck in "development hell" for many years. In 2003, after initial problems procuring
funding, it appeared the project would go into production. The film was to be produced by Freeman's production
company, Revelations Entertainment. David Fincher, touted on Revelations' Rama web page as far back as 2001,
stated in a late 2007 interview that he was still attached to helm.
However, by late 2008, David Fincher stated the movie was unlikely to be made. "It looks like it's not going to
happen. There's no script and as you know, Morgan Freeman's not in the best of health right now. We've been trying
64
to do it but it's probably not going to happen."
In 2010, Freeman stated in an interview that he was still planning to make the project but that it has been difficult to
find the right script. He also stated that it should be made in 3D. In January 2011, Fincher stated in an interview with
MTV that he was still planning to make the film after he had completed work on his planned remake of 20,000
Leagues Under the Sea (which was scheduled to begin production in 2013). He also reiterated Freeman's concerns
about the difficulty of finding the right script.
In an interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson in February 2012, Freeman indicated an interest in playing the role of
Commander Norton for the film, stating that "my fantasy of commanding a starship is commanding Endeavour".
Tyson then asked, "So is this a pitch to be ... that person if they ever make that movie?" to which Freeman
reaffirmed, "We ARE going to make that movie." In response to a plea to "make that come out sooner rather than
later", Freeman reiterated that difficulty in authoring a quality script is the primary barrier for the film, stating "... the
only task you have that's really really hard in making movies, harder than getting money, is getting a script ... a good
script".
Other media
A graphic adventure computer game with a text parser based on the book was made in 1984 by Trillium (later known
as Telarium) and ported to other systems such as the Apple II and Commodore 64. Despite its primitive graphics, it
had highly detailed descriptions, and it followed the book very closely along with having puzzles to solve during the
game. It was adapted from the Clarke novel in 1983 by Ron Martinez, who went on to design the massively
multiplayer online game 10Six, also known as Project Visitor.
[6]
Sierra Entertainment created Rama in 1996 as a point and click adventure game in the style of Myst. Along with
highly detailed graphics, Arthur C. Clarke also appeared in the game as the guide for the player. This game featured
characters from the sequel book Rama II.
American death metal band Cryogen recorded a two song suite inspired by the novel and its sequel Rama II in
2013.
[citation needed]
References
[1] http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ cgi-bin/ title. cgi?1319
[3] "Books of the Times: Two Tales for the Future", The New York Times, 22 August 1973
[4] http:/ / www. scifi. com/ sfw/ interviews/ sfw19051.html
[5] BBC Radio Rendezvous With Rama (http:/ / www.bbc. co. uk/ programmes/ b00hs8tt)
[6] http:/ / mocagh. org/ loadpage. php?getgame=rama-alt2 Rendezvous with Rama @ The Museum of Computer Adventure Games
External links
Rendezvous with Rama (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=21) at Worlds Without End
1974 The Dispossessed
65
The Dispossessed
Coverartist Fred Winkowski
Language English
Series The Hainish Cycle
Published 1974 (Harper & Row)
Mediatype Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages 341 (first edition)
ISBN 0-06-012563-2 (first edition, hardcover)
OCLC
800587
[1]
The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia is a 1974 utopian science fiction novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, set in the
same fictional universe as that of The Left Hand of Darkness (the Hainish Cycle). The book won the Nebula Award
for Best Novel in 1974, won both the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1975, and received a nomination for the John W.
Campbell Memorial Award in 1975. It achieved a degree of literary recognition unusual for science fiction works
due to its exploration of many ideas and themes, including anarchism and revolutionary societies, capitalism,
individualism and collectivism, and the SapirWhorf hypothesis.
It features the development of the mathematical theory underlying the fictional ansible, an instantaneous
communications device that plays a critical role in Le Guin's Hainish Cycle. The invention of the ansible places the
novel first in the internal chronology of the Hainish Cycle, although it was the fifth Hainish novel published.
[2]
Setting
The story of The Dispossessed is set on Anarres and Urras, the twin inhabited worlds of Tau Ceti. Cetians are
mentioned in other Ekumen novels and short stories. An Anarresti appears in the short story The Shobies' Story.
Urras before the settlement of Anarres is the setting for the short story "The Day Before the Revolution".
In The Dispossessed, Urras is divided into several states which are dominated by the two largest ones, which are
rivals. In a clear allusion to the United States (represented by A-Io) and the Soviet Union (represented by Thu), one
has a capitalist economy and patriarchal system and the other is an authoritarian system that claims to rule in the
name of the proletariat. Further developing the analogy, there are oppositional left-wing parties in A-Io, one of
which is closely linked to the rival society Thu, as were Communist parties in the US and other Western countries at
the time the story was written. Other parties represent various dissident visions of socialism, including Odonians,
who contact Shevek with a note chiding him for betraying his beliefs by working at the university and accepting the
government's hospitality. Beyond that, there is a third major, though underdeveloped, area called Benbili when a
revolution supported by Thu breaks out there, A-Io invades, generating a proxy war. Thus, Benbili comes to
represent south-east Asia, an allusion to the Vietnam War. Although there are a wide variety of parties in A-Io, there
are no opposition parties on Anarres, only an Odonian orthodoxy that rules without any overt enforcement or
oppression, although free thinkers who go too far can end up in psychiatric institutions, as happens with Shevek's
childhood friend, Tirin.
66
In the last chapter of The Dispossessed, we learn that the Hainish people arrived at Tau Ceti 60 years ago, which is
more than 150 years after the secession of the Odonians from Urras and their exodus to Anarres. Terrans are also
there, and the novel occurs some time in the future. A date of 2300 has been suggested, while the complexities of
Urrasti history hint otherwise.
The plot
Structure
The chapters alternate between the worlds even-numbered chapters are set on Anarres, odd-numbered chapters
are set on Urras. The only exceptions are the first and the last chapter which include both worlds and are,
thematically, chapters of transition. In chapter one, we are basically in the middle of the story, while the plot of the
last Anarres-chapter (i.e., the penultimate chapter, or, chapter twelve) ends at a point before the plot of the first
chapter begins.
Chapter numbers in chronological order
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13
Themes
The story takes place on the fictional planet Urras and its habitable moon Anarres. In order to forestall an
anarcho-syndicalist rebellion, the major Urrasti states gave the revolutionaries (inspired by a visionary named Odo)
the right to live on Anarres, along with a guarantee of non-interference, approximately two hundred years before the
events of The Dispossessed.
[3]
Before this, Anarres had had no permanent settlements apart from some mining.
The protagonist Shevek is a physicist attempting to develop a General Temporal Theory. The physics of the book
describes time as having a much deeper, more complex structure than we understand it. It incorporates not only
mathematics and physics, but also philosophy and ethics. The meaning of the theories in the book weaves into the
plot, not only describing abstract physical concepts, but the ups and downs of the characters' lives, and the
transformation of the Anarresti society. An oft-quoted saying in the book is "true journey is return."
[4]
The meaning of Shevek's theories which deal with the nature of time and simultaneity have been subject to
interpretation. For example, there have been interpretations that the non-linear nature of the novel is a reproduction
of Shevek's theory.
[5]
Anarres is in theory a society without government or coercive authoritarian institutions, and the people of Anarres
are explicitly anarchist. Yet in pursuing research that deviates from his society's current consensus understanding,
Shevek begins to come up against very real obstacles. Shevek gradually develops an understanding that the
revolution which brought his world into being is stagnating, and power structures are beginning to exist where there
were none before. He therefore embarks on the risky and highly controversial journey to the home planet, Urras,
seeking to open dialog between the worlds and to finish his General Temporal Theory with the help of academics on
Urras. The novel details his struggles on both Urras and his homeworld of Anarres.
Shevek experiences hatred from some of the people on Anarres due to his journey to Urras to advance his research,
and due to his idea about increasing contact with the home planet. So the story touches on the themes of how people
suffer for pursuing their purpose in life (suffering for one's art), and how they suffer for speaking out for change.
The book also explores the SapirWhorf Hypothesis, that language shapes thinking, and thus, culture. The language
spoken on the anarchist planet Anarres, Pravic, is a constructed language that reflects many aspects of the
philosophical foundations of utopian anarchism. For instance, the use of the possessive case is strongly discouraged
(a feature that also is reflected by the novel's title). Children are trained to speak only about matters that interest
others; anything else is "egoizing" (pp.2831). There is no property ownership of any kind. Shevek's daughter, upon
67
meeting him for the first time, tells him, "You can share the handkerchief I use,"
[6]
rather than "You may borrow my
handkerchief", thus conveying the idea that the handkerchief is not owned by the girl, merely used by her.
[7]
The Dispossessed looks into the mechanisms that may be developed by an anarchist society, but also the dangers of
centralization and bureaucracy that might easily take over such society without the continuation of revolutionary
ideology. Part of its power is that it establishes a spectrum of well-developed characters, who illustrate many types
of personalities, all educated in an environment that measures people not by what they own, but by what they can do,
and how they relate to other human beings. Possibly the best example of this is the character of Takver, the hero's
partner, who exemplifies many virtues: loyalty, love of life and living things, perseverance, and desire for a true
partnership with another person.
However, in order to insure the survival of their society in a harsh environment, the people of Anarres are taught
from childhood to put the needs of their society ahead of their own personal desires. Shevek and Takver, as good
Odonians, take work postings away from each other, and Shevek does hard agricultural labor in a dusty desert
instead of working on his research, because he is needed there due to a famine.
The work is sometimes said to represent one of the few modern revivals of the utopian genre,
[8]
and there are many
characteristics of a utopian novel found in this book. Most obviously, Shevek is an outsider when he arrives on
Urras, following the "traveler" convention common in utopian literature. All of the characters portrayed in the novel
have a certain spirituality or intelligence, there are no nondescript characters. It is also true that there are aspects of
Anarres that are utopian: it is presented as a pure society that adheres to its own theories and ideals, which are starkly
juxtaposed with Urras society.
[citation needed]
When first published, the book included the tagline: "The magnificent epic of an ambiguous utopia!" which was
shortened by fans to "An ambiguous utopia" and adopted as a subtitle in certain editions. The major theme of the
work is the ambiguity between different notions of utopia. Anarres is not presented as a perfect society, even within
the constraints of what might define an anarchist utopia. Bureaucracy, stagnation, and power structures have
problematized the revolution, as Shevek comes to realize throughout the course of the novel. Moreover, Le Guin has
painted a very stark picture of the natural and environmental constraints on society. Anarres citizens are forced to
contend with a relatively sparse and unfruitful world.
[citation needed]
Le Guin's title could be in reference to Dostoyevsky's novel The Possessed,
[9]
but hardship caused by lack of
resources is also a prominent theme. Much of the philosophical underpinnings and ecological concepts came from
Murray Bookchin's Post-Scarcity Anarchism (1971), according to a letter Le Guin sent to Bookchin.
[10]
Anarres
citizens are dispossessed not just by political choice, but by the very lack of actual resources to possess. Here, again,
Le Guin draws a contrast with the natural wealth of Urras, and the competitive behaviors this fosters.
[11]
Le Guin's
foreword to the novel notes that her anarchism is closely akin to that of Peter Kropotkin's, whose Mutual Aid closely
assessed the influence of the natural world on competition and cooperation.
[12]
Le Guin's use of realism in this aspect
of the work further complicates a simple utopian interpretation of the work. Anarres is not a perfect society, and Le
Guin's The Dispossessed seems to argue that no such thing is possible.
[citation needed]
Reception
The novel received generally positive reviews. Baird Searles characterized the novel as an "extraordinary work,"
saying Le Guin had "created a working society in exquisite detail" and "a fully realized hypothetical culture [as well
as] living breathing characters who are inevitable products of that culture."
[13]
Gerald Jonas, writing in The New York
Times, said that "Le Guin's book, written in her solid, no-nonsense prose, is so persuasive that it ought to put a stop
to the writing of prescriptive Utopias for at least 10 years."
[14]
Theodore Sturgeon praised The Dispossessed as "a
beautifully written, beautifully composed book," saying "it performs one of sf's prime functions, which is to create
another kind of social system to see how it would work. Or if it would work."
[15]
Lester del Rey, however, gave the
novel a mixed review, citing the quality of Le Guin's writing but claiming that the ending "slips badly," a deus ex
machina that "destroy[s] much of the strength of the novel."
[16]
68
Translations
Bulgarian: ""
Chinese (Simplified): " ", 2009
Chinese (Traditional): " ", 2005
Czech: "Vyddnec", 1995
Dutch: "De Ontheemde"
Finnish: "Osattomien planeetta", 1979
French: "Les D-poss-d-s"
German: "Planet der Habenichtse", 1976 later "Die Enteigneten", 2006
Greek: " "
Hebrew: "", 1980
Hungarian: "A kisemmizettek", 1994
Italian: "I reietti dell'altro pianeta", later "Quelli di Anarres", 1976
Japanese: " ", 1986
Korean: " ", 2002
Polish: "Wydziedziczeni"
Portuguese: "Os Despossudos", "Os Despojados"
Romanian: "Deposedaii", 1995
Russian: "", 1994, "", 1997
Serbian: "ovek praznih aka"
Spanish: "Los desposedos", 1983
Swedish: "Shevek", 1976
Turkish: "Mlkszler"
Other versions
In 1987, the CBC Radio anthology program Vanishing Point adapted The Dispossessed into a series of six 30 minute
episodes.
[17]
References
Notes
[2] In The Word for World is Forest, the newly created ansible is brought to Athshe, a planet being settled by Earth-humans. In other tales in the
Hainish Cycle, the ansible already exists. The word "ansible" was coined in Rocannon's World (first in order of publication but third in
internal chronology), where it is central to the plot.
[3] The story is told in Le Guin's "The Day Before the Revolution".
[4] [4] Said by Shevek near the end of Chapter 13
[5] [5] Rigsby, Ellen M. (2005), p. 169
[6] Ursula K. Le Guin, The Dispossessed, p.69.
[7] [7] Burton (1985).
[8] [8] Davis and Stillman (2005).
[9] "Study Guide for Ursula LeGuin: The Dispossessed (1974)" - Paul Brians (http:/ / www. wsu. edu/ ~brians/ science_fiction/ dispossessed.
html)
[10] [10] Janet Biehl, Bookchin biographer; letter in UKL archive
[11] [11] Mathiesen.
[12] Peter Kropotkin, Mutual Aid (1902).
[13] "The Dispossessed: Visit from A Small Planet", Village Voice, November 21, 1974, pp.56, 58
[14] "Of Things to Come", The New York Times Book Review, October 26, 1975
[15] "Galaxy Bookshelf", Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1974, pp.97-98
[16] "Reading Room", If, August 1974, pp.144-45
[17] Times Past Old Time Radio Archives (http:/ / otrarchive. blogspot. com/ 2009/ 06/ vanishing-point-cbc. html).
69
Bibliography
Anarchism and The Dispossessed
John P. Brennan, "Anarchism and Utopian Tradition in The Dispossessed", pp.116152, in Olander &
Greenberg, editors, Ursula K. Le Guin, New York: Taplinger (1979).
Samuel R. Delany, "To Read The Dispossessed," in The Jewel-Hinged Jaw. N.Y.: Dragon Press, 1977,
pp.239308 (anarchism in The Dispossessed). (pdf available online (http:/ / muse. jhu. edu/ books/
9780819572462/ 9780819572462-13. pdf) through Project Muse)
Neil Easterbrook, "State, Heterotopia: The Political Imagination in Heinlein, Le Guin, and Delany", pp.4375, in
Hassler & Wilcox, editors, Political Science Fiction, Columbia, SC: U of South Carolina Press (1997).
Leonard M. Fleck, "Science Fiction as a Tool of Speculative Philosophy: A Philosophic Analysis of Selected
Anarchistic and Utopian Themes in Le Guin's The Dispossessed", pp.13345, in Remington, editor, Selected
Proceedings of the 1978 Science Fiction Research Association National Conference, Cedar Falls: Univ. of
Northern Iowa (1979).
John Moore, "An Archaeology of the Future: Ursula Le Guin and Anarcho-Primitivism", Foundation: The Review
of Science Fiction, v.63, pp.3239 (Spring 1995).
Larry L. Tifft, "Possessed Sociology and Le Guin's Dispossessed: From Exile to Anarchism", pp.180197, in De
Bolt & Malzberg, editors, Voyager to Inner Lands and to Outer Space, Port Washington, NY: Kennikat (1979).
Kingsley Widmer, "The Dialectics of Utopianism: Le Guin's The Dispossessed", Liberal and Fine Arts Review,
v.3, nos.12, pp.111 (Jan.July 1983).
Gender and The Dispossessed
Lillian M. Heldreth, "Speculations on Heterosexual Equality: Morris, McCaffrey, Le Guin", pp.209220 in
Palumbo, ed., Erotic Universe: Sexuality and Fantastic Literature, Westport, CT: Greenwood (1986).
Neil Easterbrook, "State, Heterotopia: The Political Imagination in Heinlein, Le Guin, and Delany", pp.4375, in
Hassler & Wilcox, editors, Political Science Fiction, Columbia, SC: U of South Carolina Press (1997).
Mario Klarer, "Gender and the 'Simultaneity Principle': Ursula Le Guin's The Dispossessed", Mosaic: A Journal
for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature, v.25, n.2, pp.10721 (Spring 1992).
Jim Villani, "The Woman Science Fiction Writer and the Non-Heroic Male Protagonist", pp.2130 in Hassler,
ed., Patterns of the Fantastic, Mercer Island, WA: Starmont House (1983).
Language and The Dispossessed
Deirdre Burton, "Linguistic Innovation in Feminist Science Fiction", Ilha do Desterro: Journal of Language and
Literature, v.14, n.2, pp.82106 (1985).
Property and possessions
Werner Christie Mathiesen, "The Underestimation of Politics in Green Utopias: The Description of Politics in
Huxley's Island, Le Guin's The Dispossessed, and Callenbach's Ecotopia", Utopian Studies: Journal of the Society
for Utopian Studies, v.12, n.1, pp.5678 (2001).
Science and The Dispossessed
Ellen M. Rigsby, "Time and the Measure of the Political Animal." The New Utopian Politics of Ursula K. Le
Guin's The Dispossessed. Ed., Laurence Davis and Peter Stillman. Lanham: Lexington books., 2005.
Taoism and The Dispossessed
Elizabeth Cummins Cogell, "Taoist Configurations: The Dispossessed", pp.153179 in De Bolt & Malzberg,
editors, Ursula K. Le Guin: Voyager to Inner Lands and to Outer Space, Port Washington, NY: Kennikat (1979).
Utopian literature and The Dispossessed
James W. Bittner, "Chronosophy, Ethics, and Aesthetics in Le Guin's The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia,
pp. 244270 in Rabkin, Greenberg, and Olander, editors, No Place Else: Explorations in Utopian and Dystopian
70
Fiction, Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press (1983).
John P. Brennan, "Anarchism and Utopian Tradition in The Dispossessed", pp.116152, in Olander &
Greenberg, editors, Ursula K. Le Guin, New York: Taplinger (1979).
Blent Somay, "Towards an Open-Ended Utopia", Science-Fiction Studies, v.11, n.1 (#32), pp.2538 (March
1984).
Peter Fitting, "Positioning and Closure: On the 'Reading Effect' of Contemporary Utopian Fiction", Utopian
Studies, v.1, pp.2336 (1987).
Kingsley Widmer, "The Dialectics of Utopianism: Le Guin's The Dispossessed", Liberal and Fine Arts Review,
v.3, nos.12, pp.111 (Jan.July 1983).
L. Davis and P. Stillman, editors, "The new utopian politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed", Lexington
Books, (2005).
Additional references
Judah Bierman, "Ambiguity in Utopia: The Dispossessed", Science-Fiction Studies, v.2, pp.249255 (1975).
James F. Collins, "The High Points So Far: An Annotated Bibliography of Ursula K. LeGuin's The Left Hand of
Darkness and The Dispossessed", Bulletin of Bibliography, v.58, no.2, pp.89100 (June 2001).
James P. Farrelly, "The Promised Land: Moses, Nearing, Skinner, and Le Guin", JGE: The Journal of General
Education, v.33, n.1, pp.1523 (Spring 1981).
External links
Full text of The Dispossessed (http:/ / libcom. org/ library/ dispossessed-ursula-le-guin) at libcom.org (http:/ /
libcom. org)
The Dispossessed (http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ cgi-bin/ title. cgi?7659) title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction
Database
Study Guide for Ursula LeGuin: The Dispossessed (1974) (http:/ / www. wsu. edu/ ~brians/ science_fiction/
dispossessed. html) ISBN 0-06-105488-7
Audio review and discussion of The Dispossessed (http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ archives/ 120) at The Science
Fiction Book Review Podcast (http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ )
Golwen wiki - Anarres (http:/ / golwen. com. ar/ mediawiki/ index. php?title=Anarres) Specifically, note the link
to a readable map of Anarres (http:/ / golwen. com. ar/ fotos/ anarres. jpg) (Argentina, Spanish language)
Golwen wiki - Urras (http:/ / golwen. com. ar/ mediawiki/ index. php?title=Urras) Specifically, note the link to a
readable map of Urras (http:/ / golwen. com. ar/ fotos/ urras. jpg) (Argentina, Spanish language)
The Dispossessed (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=22) at Worlds Without End
CBC Radio Vanishing Point audio production of The Dispossessed at the Internet Archive
Part 1 (http:/ / ia600508. us.archive. org/ 2/ items/ VPoint/ VP_870612_xx_The_Dispossessed__Part_1_of_6.
mp3)
mp3)
mp3)
mp3)
mp3)
Part 6 (http:/ / ia600508. us.archive. org/ 2/ items/ VPoint/ Vp_870717_xx_The_Dispossessed__Part_6_of_6.
mp3)
1975 The Forever War
71
The Forever War
Author Joe Haldeman
Language English
Genre Military science fiction
Publisher St. Martin's Press
Publication date
1974
Mediatype Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 236 pp
ISBN 0-312-29890-0
Followedby Forever Peace
The Forever War (1974) is a military science fiction novel by American author Joe Haldeman, telling the
contemplative story of soldiers fighting an interstellar war between Man and the Taurans. It won the Nebula Award
in 1975, and the Hugo and the Locus awards in 1976. Forever Free (1999) and Forever Peace (1997) are,
respectively, direct and thematic sequel novels. The novella A Separate War (1999) is another sequel of sorts,
occurring simultaneously to the final portion of The Forever War. Informally, the novels compose The Forever War
series; the novel also inspired a comic book and a board game.
[1]
The Forever War is the first title in the SF Masterworks series.
Plot
William Mandella is a physics student conscripted for an elite task force in the United Nations Exploratory Force
being assembled for a war against the Taurans, an alien species discovered when they apparently suddenly attacked
human colonists' ships. The UNEF ground troops are sent out for reconnaissance and revenge.
The elite recruits have IQs of 150 and above, are highly educated, healthy and fit. Training is gruelling first on
Earth, in Missouri, and later on a fictional planet located beyond Pluto's orbit called "Charon". Several of the recruits
are killed during training, due to the extreme environments and the use of live weapons. The new soldiers then depart
for action, traveling via interconnected 'collapsars' that allow ships to cover thousands of light-years in a split
second. However, traveling to and from the collapsars at near-lightspeed has massive relativistic effects.
Their first encounter with Taurans on a planet orbiting Epsilon Aurigae turns into a post-hypnotically suggested
massacre, with the unresisting enemy wiped out. This first expedition, beginning in 1997, lasted only two years from
the soldier's perspective, but due to time dilation, upon return to Earth decades have passed. On the long way home,
the soldiers experience future shock first-hand, as the Taurans employ increasingly advanced weaponry against them
while they do not have the chance to re-arm.
Mandella, with soldier, lover and companion Marygay Potter, returns to civilian life, only to find humanity
drastically changed. He and his fellow soldiers have difficulty fitting into a future society that has evolved almost
beyond their comprehension. The veterans learn that to curb overpopulation, which led to worldwide class wars
caused by inequitable rationing, homosexuality has become officially encouraged by many of the world's nations.
The world has become a very dangerous place due to widespread unemployment and the easy availability of deadly
72
weapons. The changes within society alienate Mandella and the other veterans to the point where many re-enlist to
escape, even though they realize the military is a soulless construct. Mandella attempts to get an assignment as an
instructor on Luna but is promptly reassigned by standing order to combat command. The inability of the military to
treat its soldiers as more than highly complex valuable machines is a theme of the story.
Almost entirely through luck, Mandella survives four subjectively experienced years of military service, which time
dilation makes equivalent to several centuries. He soon becomes the objectively oldest surviving soldier in the war,
attaining high rank through seniority, not ambition (he is essentially a pacifist and an eternally reluctant soldier, who
acts mostly from talent and a melancholic sense of duty). Despite this he is separated from Marygay (who has
remained his last contact with the Earth of his youth) by UNEF's plans, despite the fact that many of the people who
he would command had not yet been born. As the commanding officer of a 'strike force', Mandella commands
soldiers who speak a language largely unrecognizable to him, whose ethnicity is now nearly uniform and are
exclusively homosexual. He is disliked by the soldiers because they have to learn 21st century English to
communicate with him and other senior staff, and because he is heterosexual.
Engaging in combat thousands of light years away from Earth, Mandella and his soldiers need to resort to medieval
weapons in order to fight inside a "stasis field" which neutralizes all electromagnetic radiation in anything not
covered with a protective coating. They battle to survive what is to be the last conflict of the war. During the time
that has since passed on Earth, humankind has begun to employ human cloning, resulting in a new, collective species
calling itself Man. Man has developed a means of communication unique and inherent to clones, which allows them
to communicate with the Taurans, who are also clones themselves, leading to peace. When Man finally gains the
ability to communicate with the Taurans, it is discovered that the Taurans were not responsible for the
millennium-old destruction of the colonial vessels in question. The futile, meaningless war that lasted for more than
a thousand years ends.
Man establishes several colonies of old-style, heterosexual humans, just in case the evolutionary change proves to be
a mistake. Mandella travels to one of these colonies, named "Middle Finger" in the definitive version of the novel.
There he is reunited with Marygay, who had been discharged much earlier and had intentionally used time dilation to
age at a much slower rate, hoping and waiting for Mandella's return. The epilogue is a news item from the year 3143
AD announcing the birth of a "fine baby boy" to Marygay Potter-Mandella.
Significance and critical reception
The novel is widely perceived to be a portrayal of the author's military service during the Vietnam War, and has been
called an account of his war experiences written through a space opera filter.
[2]
Other hints of the autobiographical
nature of the work are the protagonist's surname, Mandella, which is a near-anagram of the author's surname, as well
as the name of the lead female character, Marygay Potter, which is nearly identical to Haldeman's wife's maiden
name. Importantly, if one accepts this reading of the book, the alienation experienced by the soldiers on returning to
Earth here caused by the time dilation effect becomes a clear metaphor for the reception given to US troops
returning to America from Vietnam, including the way in which the war ultimately proves useless and its result
meaningless. He also subverts typical space opera clichs (such as the heroic soldier influencing battles through
individual acts) and "demonstrates how absurd many of the old clichs look to someone who had seen real combat
duty."
It has also been considered to be a critical response to Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers, a book with a similar
setting, often considered pro-military. For his part, Haldeman has played down this claim in several interviews, even
going so far as to praise Heinlein's work on its own merits and to name him as one of his own favorite authors.
[3]
There are also certain profound differences between the two novels. Whereas the characters in Starship Troopers
were all volunteers, the characters in The Forever War were conscripts (Heinlein had stated his opposition to
conscription on several occasions).
[citation needed]
The Forever War also broke from many military traditions of which
Heinlein was fond. Haldeman, however, noted that he received a letter from Heinlein congratulating him on his
73
Nebula Award which "meant more than the award itself"
[4]
and author Spider Robinson claimed that Heinlein
approached Haldeman at the award banquet and said the book "may be the best future war story I've ever read!"
[5]
In
August 2003, Haldeman was elected by unanimous vote to the board of directors for the Heinlein Society.
[6][7]
Editions
The Forever War was originally written as Haldeman's MFA thesis for the Iowa Writer's Workshop. It was first
published as a serial in Analog Magazine before its first book publication in 1974. Since then, many editions of The
Forever War have been published. Editions published prior to 1991 were abridged for space by the original editor
(omitting the middle section, a novella titled You Can Never Go Back). These early paperback editions have "a white
cover showing a man in a spacesuit with a sword, with symbolic clocks all around," according to the author, with
alternatively the first hardcover edition featuring a large hourglass with planets falling through it.
The 1991 edition restored many expurgated sections, primarily dealing with the changes that befall human
civilization over the course of William Mandella's life. This version's cover "has a futuristic soldier who looks like
Robin Williams in a funny hat," as Haldeman notes, "But alas, not all of the changes got in, and the book has some
internal contradictions because of things left over from the [earlier version]."
In 1997, Avon published the version that Haldeman called "definitive," with "everything restored" and "a less funny
cover illustration." This version was republished twice, first in October 2001 as a hardback with a cover showing
spaceships in battle over a planet, and again in September 2003, with the cover art depicting a device worn over the
eye of a soldier.
In 1999 it was republished by Millennium, an imprint of the Orion Publishing Group, as part of the SF Masterworks
series. It featured as the first novel re-printed in the series, and the cover shows a close-up of Marygay Potter with
soldiers and spaceships in the background. This is the same version as the 1997 Avon publication and has the same
Author's Note.
In 2006 an omnibus edition containing the books Forever War, Forever Free and Forever Peace (under the title
"Peace and War") was published by Gollancz. The cover depicts a futuristic gun barrel stuck into the ground with a
smashed spacesuit helmet placed on top. The author's note at the start of the book describes the edition as containing
the definitive versions.
In 1999 Haldeman, at the request of Robert Silverberg, wrote Marygay's first-person account of her time of
separation from Mandella. It included not only the military details but also the difficulty of coping as a lone
heterosexual woman with a society where same-sex relations are the inflexible norm. The story was included in
Silverberg's anthology Far Horizons (1999), and later was the title story in the collection of Haldeman stories A
Separate War and Other Stories (2006). In his "Notes on the Stories" for that collection, Haldeman commented that,
"it was fun to write her story, both as a bridge to the sequel (Forever Free) and as an oblique commentary on The
Forever War, twenty years later."
The most recent print edition was released in 2009 with an additional foreword by John Scalzi. The cover art depicts
a soldier in a spacesuit in a jungle environment.
An ebook version was released in July 2011 by Ridan Publishing and also contained the foreword by John Scalzi and
introductions by Joe Haldeman and Robin Sullivan (President of Ridan Publishing). The cover art depicts a soldier in
a war torn setting looking down at the helmet of a fallen comrade.
74
Adaptations
Graphic novel
Belgian comic writer Marvano has, in cooperation with Haldeman, created a graphic novel trilogy of The Forever
War. With some very minor changes and omissions to storyline and setting, it faithfully adapts the same themes in
visual style.
[citation needed]
The series was translated into various languages, and had a follow-up trilogy connected to
Forever Free.
Film
In October 2008, Ridley Scott announced that after a 25 year wait for the rights to become available, he was making
a return to science fiction with a film adaptation of the book. In March 2009, Scott stated that the film would be in
3D, citing James Cameron's Avatar as an inspiration for doing so. In the summer of 2010, Scott revealed that State of
Play writer Matthew Michael Carnahan was currently on the fourth draft of a screenplay originally written by David
Peoples.
References
[1] Forever War, the (1983) (http:/ / www.boardgamegeek. com/ game/ 5043) (database entry from the BoardGameGeek website).
[2] Joe Haldeman (http:/ / web.mit. edu/ m-I-t/ science_fiction/ profiles/ haldeman_index. html) (author profile at the 'media in transition' project
of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
[3] Frequently Asked Questions (http:/ / home.earthlink. net/ ~haldeman/ faq. html) (from Joe Haldemans private website)
[4] [4] Requiem, Yoji Kondo, editor, p. 274
[5] [5] Requiem, Yoji Kondo, editor, p. 315
[6] Joe Haldeman joins Heinlein Society Board (http:/ / heinleinblog. blogpeoria. com/ 2003/ 08/ 15/ joe-haldeman-joins-heinlein-society-board/
) (from the heinleinblog, Friday 15 August 2003)
[7] The Heinlein Society Board of Directors (http:/ / heinleinsociety. org/ bios/ directors. html) (from the Heinlein Society website, Retrieved
2007-04-29)
External links
Audio Review (http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ archives/ 24) at The Science Fiction Book Review Podcast (http:/ /
www. sfbrp. com/ )
Forever War (http:/ / sfreader. com/ read_review. asp?t=Forever War-by Joe Haldeman& book=1287) book
review at SFReader.com
1976 Man Plus
75
1976 Man Plus
Man Plus
Author Frederik Pohl
Coverartist
Paul Gamarello
[1]
Language English
Publisher Random House
Publication date
1976
Pages 215 pp
ISBN 0-394-48676-5
OCLC
2020835
[2]
Dewey Decimal
813/.5/4
LCClass PZ4.P748 Man PS3566.O36
Followedby
Mars Plus, 1994
[3]
Man Plus is a 1976 science fiction novel by Frederik Pohl.
[4]
It won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1976, was
nominated for the Hugo and Campbell Awards, and placed third in the annual Locus Poll in 1977.
[5]
Pohl teamed up
with Thomas T. Thomas to write a sequel, Mars Plus, published in 1994.
Plot introduction
In the not-too-distant future, a cold war threatens to turn hot. Colonization of Mars seems to be mankind's only hope
of surviving certain Armageddon. To facilitate this, the American government begins a cyborg program to create a
being capable of surviving the harsh Martian environment: Man Plus. After the death of the first candidate, due to
the project supervisors forgetting to enhance his brain's ability to process sensory input to cope with the new stimuli
he is receiving, Roger Torraway becomes the heart of the program.
In order to survive in the thin Martian atmosphere, Roger Torraway's body must be replaced with an artificial one. At
every step he becomes more and more disconnected from humanity, unable to feel things in his new body. It is only
after arriving on Mars that his new body begins to make sense to him. It is perfectly adapted to this new world, and
thus he becomes perfectly separated from his old world, and from humanity.
The success of the Martian mission spurs similar cyborg programs in other spacefaring nations. It is revealed that the
computer networks of Earth have become sentient, and that ensuring humanity's survival will guarantee theirs as
well. In the end, the network is puzzled; it appears that something else was behind the push to space, a mystery even
to the machines.
1976 Man Plus
76
Reception
New York Times reviewer Gerald Jonas received the novel unfavorably, saying "Pohl seems to have lost his touch
entirely. . . . the social extrapolation in Man Plus is simple-minded and the irony heavy-handed."
[6]
Spider Robinson
found Man Plus to be "tight, suspenseful, at times gruesomely fascinating," but faulted it for "one dumptruck-sized
hole" in its plotting.
[7]
Major themes
A common theme in science fiction is existentialist isolation, whether isolation starting from within, or the
separation of human beings from other species, or the effects of the isolation of Earth from the rest of the universe by
great distances. In Man Plus, a human being is transformed into a cyborg being. The physical transformation is
examined in great detail as it is echoed in the increasing distance between Roger Torraway and his wife, and
between Roger and the rest of humanity.
Man Plus also makes much of the (assumed, rather than argued) difficulty of separating the way one thinks from
what one is, and vice versa: Roger Torraway's new artificial body strongly affects how he interacts with the world
around him.
Notes
[3] Source: WorldCat entry on "Man plus"
[4] (Note: unless otherwise noted, all statements in this article regarding the contents of Man Plus are based on the book itself).
[5] Locus Index to SF Awards (http:/ / www. locusmag.com/ SFAwards/ Db/ NomLit104. html#4167)
[6] "Of Things to Come", The New York Times Book Review, October 17, 1976
[7] "Galaxy Bookshelf", Galaxy Science Fiction, May 1977, p.142
External links
Man Plus (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=248) at Worlds Without End
1977 Gateway
77
1977 Gateway
Gateway
First edition cover
Author Frederik Pohl
Coverartist Boris Vallejo
Language English
Series The Heechee Saga
Publisher St. Martin's Press
Publication date
1977
Pages 313 pp
ISBN 0-312-31780-8
OCLC
2862581
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.5/4
LCClass PZ4.P748 Gat PS3566.O36
Followedby Beyond the Blue Event Horizon (1980)
Gateway is a 1977 science fiction novel by American writer Frederik Pohl. Gateway won the 1978 Hugo Award for
Best Novel, the 1978 Locus Award for Best Novel, the 1977 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the 1978 John W.
Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. It is the opening novel in the Heechee saga. Several
sequels followed, and the novel was adapted into a computer game in 1992.
Publishing history
Gateway was serialized in Galaxy prior to its hardcover publication. A short concluding chapter, cut before
publication, was later published in the August 1977 issue of Galaxy.
[2]
Plot summary
Gateway is a space station built into a hollow asteroid (or perhaps the dead heart of a comet) constructed by the
Heechee, a long-vanished alien race. Humans have had limited success understanding Heechee technology found
there and elsewhere in the solar system. The Gateway Corporation administers the asteroid on behalf of the
governments of the United States, the Soviet Union, New People's Asia, the Venusian Confederation, and the United
States of Brazil.
Nearly a thousand small, abandoned starships are at Gateway. By extremely dangerous trial and error, humans learn
how to operate the ships. The controls for selecting a destination have been identified, but nobody knows where a
particular setting will take the ship or how long the trip will last; starvation is a danger. Attempts at reverse
engineering to find out how they work have ended only in disaster, as has changing the settings in mid-flight. Most
settings lead to useless or lethal places. A few, however, result in the discovery of Heechee artifacts and habitable
planets, making the passengers (and the Gateway Corporation) wealthy. The vessels come in three standard sizes,
1977 Gateway
78
which can hold a maximum of one, three, or five people, filled with equipment and hopefully enough food for the
trip. Some "threes" and many "fives" are armored. Each ship includes a lander to visit a planet or other object if one
is found.
Despite the risks, many people on impoverished, overcrowded, starving Earth hope to go to Gateway. Robinette
Stetley Broadheadknown as Robin, Rob, Robbie, or Bob, depending on circumstances and his state of mindis a
young food shale miner on Earth who wins a lottery, giving him just enough money to purchase a one-way ticket to
Gateway. Once there, he is frightened of the danger and delays going on a mission as long as he can. Eventually he
starts running out of money, and although he is terrified, he goes out on three trips. The first is unsuccessful. On the
second, he makes a discovery through unauthorized experimentation, but the bonus he is awarded is offset by the
large penalty for incapacitating the ship. On his third trip, the Gateway Corporation tries something different:
sending two five-person ships, one slightly behind the other, to the same destination. Bob signs up in desperation,
along with Gelle-Klara Moynlin, a woman he has gradually come to love on Gateway, and who is struggling with
her own fears.
When the ships arrive, their crews find to their horror that they are in the gravitational grip of a black hole without
enough power to break free. The crews devise a desperate escape plan: Move everyone into one ship and eject the
other toward the black hole, thus gaining enough of a boost to escape. Working frantically to transfer unnecessary
equipment to make room, Broadhead finds himself alone in the wrong ship when time runs out. He closes the hatch
so that the plan can proceed. By chance, his ship is the one that breaks free, leaving the rest of the crew falling into
the black hole.
Broadhead returns to Gateway and receives the entire bonus. He feels enormous survivor guilt for leaving his
crewmates, especially Klara, and is unsure whether he intended to sacrifice himself or the others, so once back on
Earth as a wealthy man he seeks therapy from an Artificial Intelligence Freudian therapist program which he names
Sigfrid von Shrink.
The narrative alternates in time between Broadhead's experience on Gateway and his sessions with Sigfrid,
converging on the traumatic moment near the black hole. Sigfrid helps him realize that, due to the gravitational time
dilation due to the black hole's immense gravity field, time is passing much more slowly for his former crewmates
and none of them has actually died yet. Broadhead, however, concludes that this means that they will still be dying
when he dies in several decades, with Klara still believing that he betrayed them to save himself.
Also embedded in the narrative are various mission reports (usually with fatalities), technical bulletins, and other
documents Broadhead might have read on Gateway, adding to the verisimilitude. The economic side of living at
Gateway is presented in detail, commencing with the contract all explorers must enter into with the Gateway
corporation, and including how some awards are determined.
References
[2] "Postscript to Gateway". Galaxy, August 1977, pp.30-33.
External links
Audio review and discussion of Gateway (http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ archives/ 45) at The Science Fiction Book
Review Podcast (http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ )
Gateway (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=25) at Worlds Without End
1978 Dreamsnake
79
1978 Dreamsnake
Dreamsnake
Author Vonda McIntyre
Language English
Publisher Houghton Mifflin
Publication date
1978
Pages 277 pp
ISBN 0-395-26470-7
OCLC
3558965
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.5/4
LCClass PZ4.M1526 Dr PS3563.A3125
Dreamsnake is a 1978 science fiction novel written by Vonda N. McIntyre. Dreamsnake won the 1979 Hugo
Award, the 1978 Nebula Award, and the 1979 Locus Award. The novel follows a healer on her quest to replace her
"dreamsnake", a small snake whose venom is capable of inducing torpor and hallucinations in humans, akin to those
produced by drugs such as LSD or heroin. According to the author,
[2]
the world is Earth, but it is in our post
apocalyptic future, scientifically and socially much different from modern Earth. A nuclear war has left vast swathes
of the planet too radioactive to support human life, biotechnology is far more advanced than in today's
Earthgenetic manipulation of plants and animals is routine, and alternate sex patterns and other-worldly tribalism
put in appearances. It is originally based upon a novelette, Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand, for which McIntyre won
her first Nebula Award in 1973.
Story
The story opens with Snake, a healer, having been brought into a desert tribe to assist in the healing of a very sick
little boy named Stavin. She is dependent upon her snakes for healing purposes and has three: Grass, a small and rare
dreamsnake that is used for calming the patient and taking away their pain, Sand, a rattlesnake whose venom is used
in making vaccines and healing potions, and Mist, a cobra with the same purpose as Sand but whose venom makes
stronger potions.
The desert people are afraid of the snakes and of Snake herself, and when Snake leaves Grass to keep Stavin's
dreams sweet through the night while she works on an antidote, they remove Grass, crippling it. Snake guards Mist
through the night as the snake creates the antidote, assisted by Arevin. When Snake returns to the boy, the villagers
show her the snake and she crushes its head to put it out of its misery. Snake blames herself for the loss of her
dreamsnake and loathes having to return and tell her fellow healers of her mistake. It is doubtful she will be able to
get another dreamsnake, as they are from another world and the healers have been unable to breed them, and can
only occasionally clone them.
Stavin takes the potion and survives, and Snake travels until the next request for her aid comes. Jesse, a horsewoman,
was injured in a fall off a horse and has broken her spine. Snake fears Jesse's request for assistance in a painless
1978 Dreamsnake
80
death, because Grass is gone. Jesse is eventually convinced by her two companions to try going back to the Central
city, where she is from, to get help from the ruling family that she was a part of before she shunned them and left.
They have more contact with the otherworlders and perhaps more technology that can help her recover.
The four start off toward the city when Jesse suddenly grows worse. Snake realizes, seeing the dead carcass of the
horse Jesse was riding in the distance, that Jesse had fallen and lain in one of the radioactive craters remaining from
the nuclear war their planet faced years ago long enough to have developed radiation poisoning. It is unclear whether
Jesse dies of this or from Mist's strike (Snake's only remaining form of assistance) but her final wish is to bequeath
Snake a horse named Swift and urges the healer to tell the city dwellers of Jesse's death in the hopes that the news of
Snake's assistance at the end will persuade the Otherworlders to give the healers more dreamsnakes, which will put
the family in Snake's debt and perhaps allow her to speak with the Otherworlders and ask them for more
dreamsnakes. Before setting off, Snake goes to pick up her pony at the Oasis, where friends of hers have been
watching her other things and finds all her belongings have been ruined. The natives of Oasis apologize for not
guarding her things better and say that a crazy came down from the hills and must have done it. Her journal is
missing.
Arevin, the desert dweller, finds himself wanting to go after Snake, because he has fallen in love with her and
believes that she is too hard on herself in the issue of Grass' death. He travels to the healers and tells two trustworthy
ones the story of what had happened, but is surprised to find that Snake is not already there. He heads south in an
attempt to find her.
Snake arrives at a village along her way and is invited to the governor's mansion by the governor's son Gabriel, an
extremely handsome young man who always goes cloaked out in public. She is also asked to heal the leg of his
father, who had a spear go through it. It is infected and Gabriel's father is a difficult man to treat, but Snake manages
to cure him without taking the leg. She also invites Gabriel into her bed in the casual way that is done in this time,
because every child is put through biocontrol training which prevents their pregnancy. He is horrified by this, having
failed in biocontrol when he was a teenager and gotten a friend pregnant, which is why he sulks about in cloakshe
is ashamed. She soothes him, saying that healer pregnancies are rare and they usually adopt children and that she has
excellent control herself. Snake also figures out that he was incorrectly instructed in biocontrol, and suggests another
town where he might better learn and make a fresh start.
While checking in on her horses, Snake meets Melissa, a twelve year old, severely burned girl who hides out in the
stables and assists the stablemaster, who takes credit for all her work. She is shy and doesn't like anyone to see her
scars in a town with such beautiful people. Melissa has been severely abused by the stablemaster, physically,
mentally, and sexually, and Snake uses this knowledge to free her and adopt her as her own child.
While riding in the town, Snake is again attacked by the crazy, who grabs her snake case and attempts to take Sand
and Mist from her. Snake fights back and keeps her snakes, but is injured and has to take a few days to heal before
continuing her journey. When she leaves for the Central city, Melissa accompanies her.
The pair make it to the city and are turned away, despite bringing news of Jesse, because of Snake's mention of
cloning. They attempt to head back toward the healers, but must shelter in a cave to wait out the desert storms. Once
they are over and they start back, they are again attacked by the crazy, who Snake ends up capturing. He is after her
dreamsnake, having become addicted to its venom after being bitten many times by many snakes. Snake can think of
no place that the man would be able to be bitten by so many snakes and is intrigued. She makes him bring them to
North and the broken dome where the crazy said it all happened.
At the dome, Snake and Melissa are captured by North, who recognizes her as a healer against whom he bears a
grudge as a result of his gigantism; they could have prevented this if he had had treatment as a child. He puts them
both in a large, cold pit filled with dreamsnakes. Snake keeps Melissa held above the snakes to prevent her from
continuously being bitten, herself protected by her many years of being bitten. After, North takes Melissa away and
forces many dreamsnakes to bite Snake until she is drugged and passes out.
1978 Dreamsnake
81
Snake comes to and observes the dreamsnakes, finally understanding how they breed. She manages to escape the pit,
finding all North's henchmen asleep in dreamsnake dreams. North himself is awake, but shrinks back when
threatened by a dreamsnake, having never been bitten himself, then relents. Snake finds Melissa and tries to escape
back to the horses, where they are met by Arevin and safety.
Reception
Ursula K. Le Guin praised the book, saying "Dreamsnake is written in a clear, quick-moving prose, with brief,
lyrically intense landscape passages that take the reader straight into its half-familiar, half-strange desert world, and
fine descriptions of the characters emotional states and moods and changes."
[3]
Awards
Dreamsnake won multiple awards, including the 1978 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1979 Hugo Award for
Best Novel. It was also the winner of the 1979 Locus Poll Award for Best Novel and the Pacific Northwest
Booksellers' Awards and was nominated for the 1979 Ditmar Award in International Fiction, though it was beaten
out by The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey. In 1995, Dreamsnake was put on the Shortlist for the Retrospective
James Tiptree, Jr. Award.
References
[2] Blogging the Hugos (http:/ / io9.com/ 5670273/ feminism-astronauts-and-riding-sidesaddle-talking-to-dreamsnake-author-vonda-mcintyre)
Interview with Vonda McIntyre
[3] Ursula Le Guin Review (http:/ / blog. bookviewcafe. com/ 2011/ 06/ 16/ le-guin-reviews-mcintyre/ ) Dreamsnake
1979 The Fountains of Paradise
82
The Fountains of Paradise
Cover of first UK edition (hardcover)
Author Arthur C. Clarke
Coverartist Terry Oakes
Language English
Publisher Victor Gollancz (UK)
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (US)
Publication date
1979
Pages 256 pp
ISBN 0-575-02520-4
OCLC
4993570
[1]
The Fountains of Paradise is a Hugo and Nebula Awardwinning 1979 novel by ArthurC. Clarke. Set in the 22nd
century, it describes the construction of a space elevator. This "orbital tower" is a giant structure rising from the
ground and linking with a satellite in geostationary orbit at the height of approximately 36,000 kilometers (approx.
22,300 miles). Such a structure would be used to raise payloads to orbit without having to use rockets, making it
much more cost effective.
Plot summary
In the 22nd century, Dr Vannevar Morgan is a famous structural engineer who hopes to develop the 'space elevator'
from a theoretical concept to reality and enlists the resources of his employers to carry out experiments. But the only
suitable starting point (Earth station) for the elevator lies at the summit of a mountain in Taprobane occupied by an
ancient order of Buddhist monks, who implacably oppose the plan.
Morgan is approached by a Mars-based consortium to develop the elevator on Mars as part of a massive terraforming
project. To demonstrate the viability of the technology, Morgan tries to run a thin cable of hyperfilament from an
orbital factory down to ground level at Taprobane. A monk at the monastery, a former astrophysicist who is a
mathematical genius, tries to sabotage the attempt by creating an artificial hurricane using a hijacked weather-control
satellite. His attempt is in fact successful, but in an ironic twist, the hurricane blows butterflies to the peak of the
mountain. This fulfills an ancient prophecy that causes the monks to leave the mountain. The tower can be built on
Earth after all.
Forced to resign his position for acting beyond his authority, Morgan joins the Martian consortium named
'Astroengineering' and construction of the Tower commences.
Several years later, the Earth-based tower is well under construction and travel up and down both for tourists and
for transfer to rocket ships is being trialled.
An astrophysicist and a group of his students and tower staff are stranded in an emergency chamber six hundred
kilometres up after an accident with their transport capsule. They have limited food and air supplies. Whilst a laser
on a weather-control satellite is able to supply heat, it is imperative to provide them with filter masks against the
83
increasing carbon dioxide and also with food, air, and medical supplies (a theme earlier explored in Clarke's novel
The Sands of Mars).
Despite his rapidly failing health, Morgan asserts his right to travel up the tower in a one-man 'spider' to rescue them.
He nearly fails, with limited battery power, but ultimately succeeds in reaching the chamber. As Morgan surveys the
progress of his brainchild, his heart disease claims his life.
A short epilogue envisages Earth many centuries later, after the sun has cooled and Earth has been depopulated, with
humans now living on the terraformed inner planets. Several space elevators lead to a giant "circumterran" space
station that encircles Earth at geostationary altitude. The analogy with a wheel is evident: the space station itself is
the wheel rim, Earth is the axle, and the six equidistant space elevators the spokes.
Major characters
Dr. Vannevar Morgan. A structural engineer and Chief Engineer (land) of Terran Construction Corporation. He
has seen through many major projects, including the Gibraltar bridge (another fictional engineering triumph).
Maxine Duval. Famous journalist and sometime Professor of electronic journalism. She is the first person to ride
up the tower in a one-person "Spider" to prove that the technology is practical.
Sheik Abdullah. President, and effectively dictator, of the Autonomous North African Republic, which has backed
many of Morgans projects.
Venerable Anandatissa Bodhidharma Mahanayake Thero. Incumbent leader of the Sri Kanda temple.
Dr Choam Goldberg, aka Venerable Parakarma. Astrophysicist and expert in the mathematics of
Micrometeorology.
Themes
The main theme of the novel is preceded, and to some extent juxtaposed with, the story of the life and death of King
Kashyapa I of Sri Lanka (fictionalised as King Kalidasa). It foreshadows the exploits of Vannevar Morgan in his
determination to realise the space elevator.
Other subplots include human colonization of the solar system and the first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence.
Clarke envisions a microscopically thin but strong "hyperfilament" that makes the elevator possible. Although the
hyperfilament is constructed from "continuous pseudo-one-dimensional diamond crystal", Clarke later expressed his
belief that another type of carbon, Buckminsterfullerene, would play the role of hyperfilament in a real space
elevator. The latest developments in carbon nanotube technology bring the orbital elevator closer to possible
realisation.
Setting
The story is set in the fictional equatorial island country of Taprobane, which Clarke has described as "about ninety
percent congruent with the island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)", south of its real world location. The ruins of the
palace at Yakkagala as described in the book very closely match the real-life ruins at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka. The
mountain on which the space elevator is built is called Sri Kanda in the book, and bears a strong resemblance to the
real mountain Sri Pada.
84
Similarities with other works of Clarke
In the middle of Fountains, an unmanned robotic spaceship of alien origin, called "Starglider/Starholme" by
Clarke, passes through our solar system. This situation is similar to Rendezvous with Rama, though the ship
exterior and its interactions with humans is very different.
The first third of 3001: The Final Odyssey describes details of the interior of the ring habitat that encircles earth,
and is connected to earth's surface with 4 space elevators. At the end of Fountains, we see this ring habitat for the
first time - though it has 6 space elevators rather than 4 of 3001.
At the end of Fountains, Earth turns into an icy wasteland because the Sun has cooled. The same situation also
occurs in the first story of History Lesson.
The alien we meet near the end of Fountains is a somewhat more physical form of the Swarm - the aliens that
land on primeval earth in The Possessed.
A space elevator is also constructed in the course of Clarke's final novel (co-written with Frederik Pohl), The Last
Theorem.
Winner, Nebula Award for Best Novel - 1979
Nominee, British Science Fiction Association Award - 1979
Winner, Hugo Award for Best Novel - 1980
Nominee, Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel - 1980
References
External links
Fountains of Paradise (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=27) at Worlds Without End
1980 Timescape
85
1980 Timescape
Timescape
Author Gregory Benford
Language English
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Publication date
1980
Pages 412 pp
ISBN 0-671-25327-1
OCLC
5831180
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54
LCClass PS3552.E542 T55
Timescape is a 1980 novel by science fiction writer Gregory Benford (with unbilled co-author Hilary Foister). It
won the 1980 Nebula and British Science Fiction Awards, and the 1981 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for
Best Science Fiction Novel. The novel was widely hailed by both critics of science fiction and mainstream literature
for its fusion of detailed character development and interpersonal drama with more standard science fiction fare such
as time travel and ecological issues.
[2]
Pocket Books used the title of this book for their science fiction imprint.
Plot summary
The story is written from two viewpoints, equidistant from the novel's publication in 1980. The first thread is set in a
1998 ravaged by ecological disasters such as algal blooms and diebacks on the brink of large scale extinctions.
Various other events are mentioned in passing, such as student riots and an event of nuclear terrorism against New
York City which took place before the events of the novel. This thread follows a group of scientists in the United
Kingdom connected with the University of Cambridge and their attempts to warn the past of the impending disaster
by sending tachyon-induced messages to the astronomical position the Earth occupied in 19621963. Given the
faster-than-light nature of the tachyon, these messages will effectively reach the past. These efforts are led by John
Renfrew, an Englishman, and Gregory Markham, an American most likely modeled on Benford himself.
[3]
Overseeing their efforts is Ian Peterson, a womanizing member of the World Council.
The second thread is set in the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), in La Jolla, California, in 1962 where a
young scientist, Gordon Bernstein, discovers anomalous noise in a physics experiment relating to spontaneous
resonance and indium antimonide. He and his student assistant, Albert Cooper (also likely based on the author and
his experiences at UCSD), discover that the noise is coming in bursts timed to form Morse code.
The resulting message is made of staccato sentence fragments and jumbled letters, due to the 1998 team's efforts to
avoid a grandfather paradox. Their aim is to give the past researchers enough information to start efforts on solving
the pending ecological crisis, but not enough that the crisis will be entirely solved (thus making a signal to the past
1980 Timescape
86
unnecessary and creating a paradox).
Due to the biological nature of the message, Professor Bernstein shares the message with a professor of biology,
Michael Ramsey. Since the message also gives astronomical coordinates, he also shares it with Saul Shriffer, a
fictional scientist who is said to have worked with Frank Drake on Project Ozma. Initially, these characters fail to
understand the true meaning of the message. Ramsey believes it to be an intercepted military dispatch hinting at
Soviet bioterrorism, while Shriffer thinks the message is of extraterrestrial origin. Shriffer goes public with this
theory, mentioning Bernstein in his findings. However, Bernstein's overseer, Isaac Lakin, is skeptical of the
messages and wants Bernstein to keep working on his original project and ignore the signal. As a result of this
interruption in their experimentation, Bernstein is denied a promotion and Cooper fails a candidacy examination. The
signal also exacerbates difficulties in Bernstein's relationship with his girlfriend, Penny.
In 1998, Peterson recovers a safe deposit box in La Jolla containing a piece of paper indicating that the messages
were received. Meanwhile, it is clear that the viral nature of the algal bloom is spreading it faster and through more
mediums than originally expected. Strange yellow clouds that have been appearing are said to be a result of the viral
material being absorbed through the water cycle, and it soon affects the planet's agriculture as well, resulting in
widespread cases of food poisoning. Flying to the United States, Markham is killed in a plane crash when the pilots
fly too close to one of the clouds and experience seizures.
In the past storyline, now advanced into 1963, Bernstein refuses to give up on the signals. He is rewarded when the
signal noise is also observed in a laboratory at Columbia University (a nod
[4]
towards the inventor of the tachyon
concept, Gerald Feinberg of Columbia). Using hints in the message, Ramsey replicates the conditions of the bloom
in a controlled experiment and realizes the danger it represents. Bernstein finds out that the astronomical coordinates
given in the message represent where the Earth will be in 1998 due to the solar apex. He also receives a more
coherent, despairing message from the future. Having built a solid case, Bernstein goes public and publishes his
results.
This decision has monumental consequences. On November 22, a high school student in Dallas is sent by his physics
teacher to the Texas School Book Depository to get a copy of Bernstein's findings. There he interrupts Lee Harvey
Oswald's assassination attempt on President John F. Kennedy, attacking the shooter and sending the would-be fatal
third shot awry. Though seriously injured, Kennedy survives. This paradox creates an alternate universe and forever
ends the contact with the original 1998.
The concluding chapters portray the 1998 of the original timeline as a bleak, failing world, the intensified ecological
disaster taking a noticeable toll on the human way of life. Peterson retreats to a fortified country farmhouse which he
has obviously prepared well in advance. Renfrew continues to send out signals (including the more coherent one that
Gordon receives) until the building's generator gives out. Before it does, however, he receives a signal purportedly
from the year 2349.
In the final chapter, set in the alternate 1974, an awards ceremony is held for achievement in science. In light of
Kennedy's survival, the United States President giving out the awards is William Scranton, who is said to have
defeated Bobby Kennedy due to a telephone tapping scandal. The scientists whose work stemmed from the signal are
honored, including Bernstein, who receives the Enrico Fermi Prize for his discovery of the tachyon.
1980 Timescape
87
References
[2] "Timescape is a genuine marriage of science and literature...Bridging the two cultures of scientists and humanists, it provides an intriguing
vision of reality suggested by contemporary physics, and also an absorbing portrayal of people facing challenges both scientific and personal.
Benford suggests parallels between the unfamiliar concepts of modern physics that are central to its plot and the familiar human perceptions
and problems of its characters. Timescape offers both scientific and humanistic perspectives on the nature of reality." pg 486, Susan
Stone-Blackburn
[3] "He [Benford] and his twin appear briefly in the La Jolla part of the novel, and he acknowledges a considerable degree of personal
identification with Greg Markham." 'Science Meets Literature', pg 249 Timescape, ISBN 0-553-29709-0
[4] "Tachyons were the sort of audacious idea that comes to young minds used to roving over the horizon of conventional thought. Because of
Feinberg I later set part of my tachyon novel at Columbia." Gregory Benford, pg276 of "Old Legends" (http:/ / www. gwern. net/ docs/
2002-radiance#old-legends)
External links
Timescape (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=231) at Worlds Without End
1981 The Claw of the Conciliator
88
The Claw of the Conciliator
First edition
Author Gene Wolfe
Coverartist Don Maitz
Language English
Series The Book of the New Sun
Genre Science fiction, High fantasy
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Publication date
1981
Pages 303 pp
ISBN ISBN 0-671-41370-8
OCLC
6649937
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 19
LCClass PS3573.O52 C57
Precededby The Shadow of the Torturer
Followedby The Sword of the Lictor
The Claw of the Conciliator is a science fantasy novel by Gene Wolfe, first released in 1981. It is the second volume
in the four-volume series, The Book of the New Sun.
Plot introduction
The book continues the story of Severian, a journeyman in the Seekers for Truth and Penitence (the guild of
torturers), describing his travels north to the city of Thrax.
An independent tale in the book, The Tale of the Student and his Son, was later published separately in The
Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1981.
Plot summary
The book continues shortly after the previous installment left off, skipping Severian's journey from the gate of
Nessus to the nearby town of Saltus. Having been separated from the rest of the group he was traveling with,
Severian pauses his search for them here as he is given an opportunity to practice his art (in this case, execution) on
two people. The first was accused of being a servant of Vodalus, a revolutionary leader. As the man is dragged out of
his home by a mob, Severian glimpses Agia amidst the crowd, a woman who with her twin brother had formerly
tried to swindle and then kill Severian to gain his valuable executioner's sword. (Severian executed the brother at the
request of the local authorities.) Realizing she has been sighted, Agia flees and Severian, still in love with her,
follows, searching for her at the town fair. Unable to find her, he ends up at tent containing a man whose skin is
green. The green man is held as a slave, and his master makes money off him, claiming he can answer any question.
In answer to Severian's queries as to how he could know everything, the green man tells Severian he is from the
89
future. The Green Man is unable to specify where Agia can be found, but Severian takes pity on him and gives him a
piece of his whetstone so that he can free himself by grinding through his chains, thus recalling his mercy to Thecla,
another prisoner, in the first book. Unable to find Agia, Severian returns to town where he later executes a woman
accused of being a witch.
Eating dinner with his friend Jonas (whom he met at the gate at Nessus) that evening, he finds a letter he first thinks
is from Thecla (but is actually from Agia) asking him to meet her at a nearby cave. In the cave, Severian encounters
and barely escapes a group of man-apes. The light from the Claw (a relic he accidentally had come into the
possession of, which had previously been held by a religious order) stops the man-apes' attack, but it also seems to
wake a gargantuan unknown creature deep below in the cave, who is only heard and not seen. Severian has little time
to ponder this as he escapes, only to be attacked by Agia and her assassins outside the cave. One of the attackers is
killed by one of the man-apes, who had its hand cut off by Severian in the battle in the cave. The ape gestures its
stump at Severian, wanting him to do something with it, but Severian doesn't know what. Severian prepares to
execute Agia, but, still unable to hate her, lets her go and returns to Saltus, where he and Jonas are kidnapped by
Vodalus' gang for having agreed to execute one of its members.
Severian recalls to Voldalus that he saved his life some years past, and consequently Vodalus allows Severian to
enter his service. Severian and Jonas attend a midnight dinner with Vodalus where they consume Thecla's roasted
flesh, which, when combined with an alien substance, allows Thecla's memories to live within Severian. Given the
task to deliver a message to a servant in the House Absolute, the Autarch's seat of power, Severian and Jonas set off
to the north. They are attacked by a flying creature, a being like thin fabric, blacker than black, who feeds on the heat
and life force of living beings, and escape only by tricking the creature into attacking a nearby soldier instead. The
flying creature had been cut twice by Severian, and its three parts entered the soldiers' nostrils and mouth,
suffocating him to death. Severian feels guilty the he bought his life at the expense of the soldiers, and, having a
suspicion of the healing powers of the Claw, uses it to bring the soldier back to life. They are then captured by
guards of the House Absolute and thrown into an antechamber designed to hold prisoners indefinitely. Severian's
claw heals a wound Jonas receives during the night they spend there; then the pair escape some unknown horror
using a pass phrase to open a secret doorSeverian remembers the phrase using Thecla's memory within him.
Walking the corridors of House Absolute, Jonas is revealed to be a robot who once crash landed on earth and is now
partly covered by human flesh, and steps into a mirror and disappears, promising to return for Jolenta when he is
healed. Severian is lost and eventually encounters the Autarch himself, to whom he swears service, upon being
shown a portal to another universe.
Stumbling into the gardens of the House Absolute, Severian is reunited with Dorcas, Dr. Talos, and Baldanders, who
are preparing to once again perform the play they put on in Nessus in the first book. Severian participates again, but
the play is cut short as Baldanders flies into a rage and attacks the audience, revealing that aliens are among them.
The band is scattered and Severian finds them a ways away the next morning, heading north. Talos and Baldanders
part ways with Severian and Dorcas at a crossroad, Severian heading toward Thrax and the giant and his physician
headed toward Lake Diaturna. The waitress Jolenta tries to have Talos take her with him, but he has no more use for
her now that the plays were no longer necessary, and Severian is forced to take her. As they head north, Jolenta is
attacked by a "blood bat" and becomes ill. It is revealed that she had been scientifically altered by Dr. Talos to be
gorgeous and desirable, but is quickly becoming sickly and unattractive. Soon the trio meets an old farmer who tells
them they must pass through an enigmatic stone city to get to Thrax. Upon arriving at the ruinous city, Severian sees
a pair of witches initiate a dream-like event in which ghostly dancers of the stone town's past fill the area and engage
with the witch's' servant, who is actually Vodalus's lieutenant Hildegrin. The book ends with Dorcas and Severian
emerging from a stupor in the stone town, Jolenta dead and the witches and Hildegrin gone.
90
Awards
Claw won the Nebula Award for Best Novel, in 1981; won the Locus Award in 1982; and Hugo and World Fantasy
Award nominations in 1982.
Limited Edition
In 2008, Centipede Press, a small privately owned fine press, produced a limited edition of Claw of the Conciliator.
Like their previous limited edition of Shadow of the Torturer, this book was limited to 100 copies, each signed by
Gene Wolfe. This edition also included full color artwork by the German artist, Alexander Preuss, a ribbon marker,
head and tail bands, and three-piece cloth construction. It also came with a protective slipcase. Retail price for this
limited edition was $225. It is now out of print.
[2]
External links
http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ archives/ 190
Official webpage at Centipede Press
[3]
References
[2] The Whole Book Experience (http:/ / www.thewholebookexperience. com/ 2011/ 03/ 14/
the-book-of-the-new-sun-by-gene-wolfe-centipede-press/ )
[3] http:/ / www. centipedepress. com/ sf/ claw.html
1982 No Enemy But Time
91
No Enemy But Time
Author Michael Bishop
Language English
Publisher Timescape Books/Simon and Schuster
Publication date
1982
Pages 397 pp
ISBN 0-671-44973-7
OCLC
7976185
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 19
LCClass PS3552.I772 N6 1982
No Enemy But Time is a 1982 science fiction novel by Michael Bishop. It won the 1982 Nebula Award for Best
Novel, and was also nominated for the 1983 John W. Campbell Memorial Award. It was included in David Pringle's
book Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels.
Plot synopsis
The novel follows the story of a modern black American man who is able to mentally project himself back to
pre-human Africa, where he meets (and eventually mates) with humanity's prehistoric ancestors.
At less than 1-year old, John Monegal is abandoned by his mother and adopted by a USAF officer, Hugo Monegal
and his wife Jeanette. Since the very beginning of his life, John dreams of an ancient world and becomes an expert of
the pleistocene epoch, the era of the Homo habilis in Africa. When he is 18, John gets in touch with a
paleonthologist, Alistair Patrick Blair, who serves as prime minister in the fictional country of Zarakal
(approximately representing Kenya according to the author's preface) and works closely with a US physical scientist,
Woodrow Kaprow, who has developed a time machine which brings John back to the era he dreams of. Just before
leaving to the past, John discovers his mother wants to publish a book based on voice records of his dreams and,
angry and deluded, he leaves her house and changes his name into Joshua Kampa.
Almost lost in the remote past of a world which is the frontier between non-human and human life, John/Joshua feels
he has reached the reality he always belonged to, and is accepted by a group of individuals who live in the African
savanna. He gives a name to all his new friends, and learns to eat and live like them. Joshua starts thinking he will
never get back to the 20th century. After a while he falls in love with a pre-historic woman, Helen, who gets
pregnant and dies at the daughter's birth. To save his child and let her survive in a better world, Joshua goes back to
the area of the time machine, where he is mysteriously saved by two African astronauts apparently coming from the
future. Back to his actual life, Joshua finds he lost his dreaming power and learns that only a month in modern
world's time has passed since he left; this is why he struggles in being believed about his daughter. As years pass,
Joshua learns his daughter has the same dreaming power he used to have, but she is projected towards the future.
92
After several years Joshua becomes a minister of the Zarakali government, and his 15-year old daughter escapes with
an agent from Uganda, Dick Aruj, who has convinced her to join a program of time travel to the future.
References
1983 Startide Rising
93
Startide Rising
Author David Brin
Language English
Series Uplift Universe
Publisher Bantam Books
Publication date
1983
Mediatype Print (Paperback & Hardback)
Pages 462 pp (first edition, paperback)
ISBN ISBN 0-553-23495-1 (first edition, paperback)
OCLC
9865177
[1]
LCClass CPB Box no. 2914 vol. 13
Precededby Sundiver
Followedby The Uplift War
Startide Rising is a 1983 science fiction novel by David Brin and the second book of six set in his Uplift Universe
(preceded by Sundiver and followed by The Uplift War). It earned both Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novel. It
was revised by the author in 1993 to correct errors and omissions from the original edition.
An early work by the now well-known author David Brin, it was extremely well reviewed when it was published,
has remained popular, and served as the seed for three more novels which revolved around the crew of the Earthship
Streaker (the Uplift Storm Trilogy). It joins the ranks of double-winners of both the Hugo and Nebula awards for
best novel along with classic science fiction novels such as Dune, Neuromancer, Ringworld and Ender's Game.
Startide Rising also won the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 1984.
Parts of Startide Rising were published as "The Tides of Kithrup" in the May 1981 issue of Analog. The Tides of
Kithrup was an early title of the novel; uncorrected proofs of the novel that still bear that title have become
collector's items.
Plot summary
In the year 2489 C.E.[2], Terran spaceship Streaker crewed by 150 uplifted dolphins, seven humans, and one
uplifted chimpanzee discovers a derelict fleet of 50,000 spaceships the size of small moons in a shallow cluster.
They appear to belong to the Progenitors, the legendary "first race" which uplifted the other species. The captain's
gig is sent to investigate but is destroyed along with one of the derelict craft killing 10 crew members. Streaker
manages to recover some artifacts from the destroyed derelict and one well-preserved alien body. The crew of
Streaker uses psi-cast to inform Earth of their discovery and to send a hologram of the alien.
When Streaker receives a reply, it is in code. Decrypted, it says only: Go into hiding. Await Orders. Do not reply.
Attempting to comply, Streaker is ambushed at the Morgran transfer point and pursued by opposing fleets of
fanatical alien races all of them wanting the cluster co-ordinates, and all of them desperate to prevent their
94
enemies from getting them.
The novel begins about one month [3] after the discovery in the cluster as Streaker arrives on the planet Kithrup in
an attempt to hide and make repairs. Almost immediately, the aliens begin to arrive dashing Streaker's hopes of
hiding, but some time remains for repairs when the alien armadas begin fighting each other.
A Thennanin dreadnought is damaged during the fighting and crashes into the ocean near Streaker's hiding place.
The resultant tsunami strands several crew and causes several of the uplifted dolphins (called NeoFins) to panic and
revert to an instinctual, pre-uplifted mental state. Some of the stranded crew encounter pre-sentient natives (called
Kiqui).
Meanwhile, on Streaker, several crew members secretly plan a mutiny and defection while the officers plan to
salvage parts from the Thennanin wreck. Streaker cannot be moved for fear of detection and because of the ongoing
repairs, and so the salvage team uses undersea transportation to get to the wreck. The salvage team discovers the
wreck's hull is mostly undamaged, and the Terrans form a plan to hide Streaker inside the Thennanin dreadnought
hull and make their escape. As a bonus, several crew members salvage the Thennanin dreadnought's micro-branch of
the galactic library for comparison with the Streaker's own copy, as Earth suspects their libraries have been
sabotaged, with certain information redacted by the senior patron races.
The mutinous crew, led by Takkata-Jim, sabotage equipment, leading to Captain Creideiki becoming brain damaged,
although her later recovers somewhat. Before he can be caught, Takkata-Jim flees in a shuttle, but the shuttle has
been sabotaged by the loyal crew, and he is sent into the middle of the battle over Kithrup with his weapons set to
fire when any ship approaches and his radio disabled. Takkata-Jim unintentionally draws off the two largest
remaining fleets.
In the confusion, Streaker almost escapes without incident hidden in the Thennanin hull, but is confronted by several
ships belonging to the Brothers of the Night (Brethren). Streaker is saved when six Thennanin ships, saving one of
their "own", drive off the Brethren. Streaker then flees to the transfer point, but before fleeing, sends a mocking
transmission to the alien armadas.
The dolphins in the novel speak three languages: Primal, Trinary and Anglic. Primal and Trinary are represented as
haiku-esque poems (two of the human characters quote Yosa Buson), while Anglic is a hypothetical
English-derivative (not to be confused with the actual Anglic family of languages containing modern English, its
ancestors, and its close relatives like Scots), rendered for the reader as standard English.
The book shifts point of view frequently from character to character, ranging from humans, to dolphins, to a number
of the alien races which are trying to destroy, capture, or help the Streaker. This allows the reader to get some idea of
how the crew of the Streaker fits within the larger context of Galactic affairs. All of the alien races described in this
book are further described and illustrated in the book Contacting Aliens: An Illustrated Guide to David Brin's Uplift
Universe.
95
Film version
A screenplay, written by Trevor Sands and based on the book, was in development at Mace Neufeld Productions. Its
title is also Startide Rising. However, according to Trevor Sands, the option expired and the screenplay has been
tabled.
Translations
Chinese: , 1998; , 2001
Bulgarian: " " ("A star wave is rising"), 1994.
Danish: "Stjerneflod" ("Star Tide"), 1988.
Finnish: "Thtisumu tyttyy" ("Nebula fills up"), 1987.
French: "Mar-e stellaire" ("Stellar tide"), 1998, 2001.
German: "Sternenflut" ("Star Tide"), 1985, 1993, 2000.
Italian: "Le maree di Kithrup" ("The Tides of Kithrup"), 1985.
Korean: " " (" SF "), 1995.
Polish: "Gwiezdny przypyw" ("Star Tide"), 1997.
Russian: " " ("Star Tide"), 1995, 1998, 2002.
Serbia: " " ("Startide Rising"), 1988.
Spanish: "Marea estelar" ("Star Tide"), 1986.
Swedish: "Vid stjrnhavets strand" ("On the beach of the sea of stars"), 1990.
Hungarian: "Csillagdagly" ("Star Tide"), 1996
Hebrew: " " ("Star Tide"), 1999
External links
Startide Rising
[4]
at Worlds Without End
References
[2] http:/ / www. reocities. com/ Area51/ Corridor/ 8611/ brin. htm
[3] http:/ / www. webcitation. org/ query?url=http:/ / www.geocities. com/ albmont/ brin_sr. htm& date=2009-10-25+ 12:17:11
[4] http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel.asp?ID=31
The Uplift series
Sundiver (1980) | Startide Rising (1983) | The Uplift War (1987)
Uplift Storm trilogy
Brightness Reef (1995) | Infinity's Shore (1996) | Heaven's Reach (1998)
1984 Neuromancer
96
1984 Neuromancer
Neuromancer
First edition
Author William Gibson
Coverartist James Warhola
Series Sprawl trilogy
Genre science fiction, cyberpunk
Publisher Ace
Publication date
July 1, 1984
Mediatype print (paperback and hardback)
Pages 271
ISBN 0-441-56956-0
OCLC
10980207
[1]
Precededby "Burning Chrome"
Followedby Count Zero
Neuromancer is a 1984 novel by William Gibson, a seminal work in the cyberpunk genre and the first winner of the
science-fiction "triple crown" the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award. It was Gibson's
debut novel and the beginning of the Sprawl trilogy. The novel tells the story of a washed-up computer hacker hired
by a mysterious employer to pull off a truly righteous hack.
Background
Before Neuromancer, Gibson had written several short stories for prominent science fiction periodicals mostly noir
countercultural narratives concerning low-life protagonists in near-future encounters with cyberspace. The themes he
developed in this early short fiction, the Sprawl setting of "Burning Chrome" (1982), and the character of Molly
Millions from "Johnny Mnemonic" (1981) laid the foundations for the novel. John Carpenter's Escape from New
York (1981) influenced the novel; Gibson was "intrigued by the exchange in one of the opening scenes where the
Warden says to Snake 'You flew the Gulfire over Leningrad, didn't you?' [sic] It turns out to be just a throwaway
line, but for a moment it worked like the best SF, where a casual reference can imply a lot." The novel's street and
computer slang dialogue derives from the vocabulary of subcultures, particularly "1969 Toronto dope dealer's slang,
or biker talk". Gibson heard the term "flatlining" in a bar around twenty years before writing Neuromancer and it
stuck with him. Author Robert Stone, a "master of a certain kind of paranoid fiction", was a primary influence on the
novel. The term "Screaming Fist" was taken from the song of the same name by Toronto punk rock band The
Viletones.
Neuromancer was commissioned by Terry Carr for the second series of Ace Science Fiction Specials, which was
intended to exclusively feature debut novels. Given a year to complete the work, Gibson undertook the actual writing
out of "blind animal panic" at the obligation to write an entire novel a feat which he felt he was "four or five years
away from". After viewing the first 20 minutes of landmark cyberpunk film Blade Runner (1982), which was
released when Gibson had written a third of the novel, he "figured [Neuromancer] was sunk, done for. Everyone
would assume Id copped my visual texture from this astonishingly fine-looking film." He re-wrote the first
two-thirds of the book 12 times, feared losing the reader's attention and was convinced that he would be
1984 Neuromancer
97
"permanently shamed" following its publication; yet what resulted was seen as a major imaginative leap forward for
a first-time novelist. He added the final sentence of the novel, "He never saw Molly again", at the last minute in a
deliberate attempt to prevent himself from ever writing a sequel, but ended up doing precisely that with Count Zero
(1986), a character-focused work set in the Sprawl alluded to in its predecessor.
Plot summary
Henry Dorsett Case is a low-level hustler in the dystopian underworld of Chiba City, Japan. Once a talented
computer hacker, Case was caught stealing from his employer. As punishment for his theft, Case's central nervous
system was damaged with a mycotoxin, leaving him unable to access the global computer network in cyberspace, a
virtual reality dataspace called the "Matrix". Unemployable, addicted to drugs, and suicidal, Case desperately
searches the Chiba "black clinics" for a miracle cure. Case is saved by Molly Millions, an augmented "street
samurai" and mercenary for a shadowy ex-military officer named Armitage, who offers to cure Case in exchange for
his services as a hacker. Case jumps at the chance to regain his life as a "console cowboy," but neither Case nor
Molly knows what Armitage is really planning. Case's nervous system is repaired using new technology that
Armitage offers the clinic as payment, but he soon learns from Armitage that sacs of the poison that first crippled
him have been placed in his blood vessels as well. Armitage promises Case that if he completes his work in time, the
sacs will be removed; otherwise they will dissolve, disabling him again. He also has Case's pancreas replaced and
new tissue grafted into his liver, leaving Case incapable of metabolizing cocaine or amphetamines and apparently
ending his drug addiction.
Case develops a close personal relationship with Molly, who suggests that he begin looking into Armitage's
background. Meanwhile, Armitage assigns them their first job: they must steal a ROM module that contains the
saved consciousness of one of Case's mentors, legendary cyber-cowboy McCoy Pauley, nicknamed "Dixie Flatline."
Pauley's hacking expertise is needed by Armitage, and the ROM construct is stored in the corporate headquarters of
media conglomerate Sense/Net. A street gang named the "Panther Moderns" is hired to create a simulated terrorist
attack on Sense/Net. The diversion allows Molly to penetrate the building and steal Dixie's ROM.
Case and Molly continue to investigate Armitage, discovering his former identity of Colonel Willis Corto. Corto was
a member of "Operation Screaming Fist," which planned on infiltrating and disrupting Soviet computer systems from
ultralight aircraft dropped over Russia. The Russian military had learned of the idea and installed defenses to render
the attack impossible, but the military went ahead with Screaming Fist, with a new secret purpose of testing these
Russian defenses. As the Operation team attacked a Soviet computer center, EMP weapons shut down their
computers and flight systems, and Corto and his men were targeted by Soviet laser defenses. He and a few survivors
commandeered a Soviet military helicopter and escaped over the heavily guarded Finnish border. Everyone was
killed except Corto, who was seriously wounded and heavily mutilated by Finnish defense forces attacking the
helicopter as it landed. After some months in the hospital, Corto was visited by a Government military official and
then medically rebuilt to be able to provide what he came to realize was fake testimony, designed to mislead the
public and protect the military officers who had covered up knowledge of the EMP weapons. After the trials, Corto
snapped, killing the Government official who contacted him and then disappearing into the criminal underworld.
In Istanbul, the team recruits Peter Riviera, an artist, thief, and drug addict who is able to project detailed
holographic illusions with the aid of sophisticated cybernetic implants. Although Riviera is a sociopath, Armitage
coerces him into joining the team. The trail leads Case and Molly to Wintermute, a powerful artificial intelligence
created by the Tessier-Ashpool legacy. The TA legacy spend most of their inactive time in cryonic preservation in a
labyrinthine mansion known as Villa Straylight. This mansion is located at one end of Freeside, an cylindrical space
habitat located at L5. Freeside functions primarily as a Las Vegas-style space resort for the wealthy.
Wintermute's nature is finally revealed it is one-half of a super-AI entity planned by the family, although its exact
purpose is unknown. The Turing Law Code governing AIs bans the construction of such entities; to get around this,
it had to be built as two separate AIs. Wintermute (housed in a computer mainframe in Bern, Switzerland) was
1984 Neuromancer
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programmed by the Tessier-Ashpool dynasty with a need to merge with its other half Neuromancer (whose
physical mainframe is installed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Unable to achieve this merger on its own, Wintermute
recruited Armitage and his team to help complete the goal. Case is tasked with entering cyberspace to pierce the
Turing-imposed software barriers using a powerful icebreaker program. At the same time, Riviera is to obtain the
password to the Turing lock from Lady 3Jane Marie-France Tessier-Ashpool, an unfrozen daughter clone and the
current leader of Tessier-Ashpool SA. Wintermute believes Riviera will pose an irresistible temptation to her, and
that she will give him the password. The password must be spoken into an ornate computer terminal located in the
Tessier-Ashpool home in Villa Straylight, and entered simultaneously as Case pierces the software barriers in
cyberspace otherwise the Turing lock will remain intact.
Armitage's team attracts the attention of the Turing Police, whose job is to prevent AIs from exceeding their built-in
limitations. As Molly and Riviera gain entrance to Villa Straylight, three officers arrest Case and take him into
custody; Wintermute manipulates the orbital casino's security and maintenance systems and kills the officers,
allowing Case to escape. The Armitage personality starts to disintegrate and revert to the Corto personality as he
relives Screaming Fist. It is revealed that in the past, Wintermute had originally contacted Corto through a bedside
computer during his convalescence, eventually convincing Corto that he was Armitage. Wintermute used him to
persuade Case and Molly to help it merge with its twin AI, Neuromancer. Finally, Armitage becomes the shattered
Corto again, but his newfound personality is short-lived as he is killed by Wintermute.
Inside Villa Straylight, Riviera meets with Lady 3Jane and tries to stop the mission, helping Lady 3Jane and Hideo,
3Jane's ninja bodyguard, to capture Molly. Worried about Molly and operating under orders from Wintermute, Case
tracks her down with help from Maelcum, his Rastafarian pilot. Neuromancer attempts to trap Case within a
cyber-construct where he finds the consciousness of Linda Lee, his girlfriend from Chiba City, who was murdered
by one of Case's underworld contacts. Case manages to escape flatlining inside the construct by choosing of his own
free will not to stay. Freeing himself, Case takes Maelcum and confronts Lady 3Jane, Riviera, and Hideo. Riviera
tries to kill Case, but Lady 3Jane is sympathetic towards Case and Molly, and Hideo protects him. Riviera blinds
Hideo, but flees when he learns that the ninja is just as adept without his sight. Molly then explains to Case that
Riviera is doomed anyway, as he has been fatally poisoned by his drugs, which she had spiked. With Lady 3Jane in
possession of the password, the team makes it to the computer terminal. Case ascends to cyberspace to guide the
icebreaker to penetrate its target; Lady 3Jane is induced to give up her password, and the lock is opened. Wintermute
unites with Neuromancer, fusing into a superconsciousness. The poison in Case's bloodstream is washed out, and he
and Molly are handsomely paid for their efforts, while Pauley's ROM construct is apparently erased, at his own
request.
In the epilogue, Molly leaves Case. Case finds a new girlfriend, resumes his hacking work, and spends his earnings
from the mission replacing his internal organs so that he can continue his previous drug use.
Wintermute/Neuromancer contacts him, saying that it has become "the sum total of the works, the whole show," and
has begun looking for other AIs like itself. Scanning old recorded transmissions from the 1970s, the super-AI finds
an AI transmitting from the Alpha Centauri star system. In the matrix, Case hears inhuman laughter, a trait
associated with Pauley during Case's work with his ROM construct, thus suggesting that Pauley was not erased after
all, but instead worked out a side deal with Wintermute/Neuromancer to be freed from the construct so he could exist
in the matrix.
In the end, while logged into the matrix, Case catches a glimpse of himself, his dead girlfriend Linda Lee, and
Neuromancer. The implication of the sighting is that Neuromancer created a copy of Case's consciousness when it
previously tried to trap him. The copy of Case's consciousness now exists with that of Linda's, in the matrix, where
they are together forever.
1984 Neuromancer
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Characters
Case (Henry Dorsett Case)
The novel's antihero, a drug addict and cyberspace hacker. Prior to the start of the book he had attempted to
steal from some of his partners in crime. In retaliation they used a Russian mycotoxin to damage his nervous
system and make him unable to jack into cyberspace. When Armitage offers to cure him in exchange for
Case's hacking abilities he warily accepts the offer. Case is the underdog who is only looking after himself.
Along the way he will have his liver and pancreas modified to biochemically nullify his ability to get high;
meet the leatherclad Razorgirl, Molly; hang out with the drug-infused space-rastas; free an artificial
intelligence (Wintermute) and change the landscape of the Matrix.
Molly (Molly Millions)
A "Razorgirl" who is recruited along with Case by Armitage. She has extensive cybernetic modifications,
including retractable, 4cm double-edged blades under her fingernails which can be used like claws, an
enhanced reflex system and implanted mirrored lenses covering her eyesockets, outfitted with added optical
enhancements. Molly also appears in the short story "Johnny Mnemonic", and re-appears (using the alias Sally
Shears) in Mona Lisa Overdrive, the third novel of the Sprawl Trilogy.
Armitage
He is (apparently) the main patron of the crew. Formerly a Green Beret named Colonel Willis Corto, who
took part in a secret operation named Screaming Fist. He was heavily injured both physically and
psychologically, and the "Armitage" personality was constructed as part of experimental "computer-mediated
psychotherapy" by Wintermute (see below), one of the artificial intelligences seen in the story (the other one
being the eponymous Neuromancer) which is actually controlling the mission. As the novel progresses,
Armitage's personality slowly disintegrates. While aboard a yacht connected to the tug Marcus Garvey, he
reverts to the Corto personality and begins to relive the final moments of Screaming Fist. He separates the
bridge section from the rest of the yacht without closing its airlock, and is killed when the launch ejects him
into space.
Peter Riviera
A thief and sadist who can project holographic images using his implants. He is a drug addict, hooked on a
mix of cocaine and meperidine.
Lady 3Jane Marie-France Tessier-Ashpool
The shared current leader of Tessier-Ashpool SA, a company running Freeside, a resort in space. She lives in
the tip of Freeside, known as the Villa Straylight. She controls the hardwiring that keeps the company's AIs
from exceeding their intelligence boundaries. She is the third clone of the original Jane.
Hideo
Japanese, ninja, Lady 3Jane's personal servitor and bodyguard.
The Finn
A fence for stolen goods and one of Molly's old friends. His office is equipped with a wide variety of sensing
and anti-eavesdropping gear. He first appears when Molly brings Case to him for a scan to determine if
Armitage has had any implants installed in Case's body. Later in the book, Wintermute uses his personality to
talk with Case and Molly. Finn first appears in Gibson's short story "Burning Chrome" and reappears in both
the second and third parts of the Sprawl Trilogy.
Maelcum
An inhabitant of Zion, a space settlement built by a colony of Rastafari adherents, and pilot of the tug Marcus
Garvey. He aids Case in penetrating Straylight at the end of the novel.
Julius "Julie" Deane
1984 Neuromancer
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An import/export dealer in Chiba City, he provides information to Case on various black-market dealings in
the first part of the story. He is 135 years old and spends large amounts of money on rejuvenation therapies,
antique-style clothing and furnishings, and ginger candy. When Linda Lee (see below) is murdered, Case finds
evidence that Deane ordered her death. Later in the story, Wintermute takes on Deane's persona to talk to Case
in the matrix.
Dixie Flatline
A famous computer hacker named McCoy Pauley, who earned his nickname by surviving three "flat-lines"
while trying to crack an AI. He was one of the men who taught Case how to hack computers. Before his death,
Sense/Net saved the contents of his mind onto a ROM. Case and Molly steal the ROM and Dixie helps them
complete their mission.
Wintermute
One of the Tessier-Ashpool AIs. Its goal is to remove the Turing locks upon itself, combine with Neuromancer
and become a superintelligence. Unfortunately, Wintermute's efforts are hampered by those same Turing
locks; in addition to preventing the merge, they inhibit its efforts to make long term plans or maintain a stable,
individual identity (forcing it to adopt personality masks in order to interact with the main characters).
Neuromancer
Wintermute's sibling AI. Neuromancer's most notable feature in the story is its ability to copy minds and run
them as RAM (not ROM like the Flatline construct), allowing the stored personalities to grow and develop.
Unlike Wintermute, Neuromancer has no desire to merge with its sibling AI Neuromancer already has its
own stable personality, and believes such a fusion will destroy that identity. Gibson defines Neuromancer as a
portmanteau of the words Neuro, Romancer and Necromancer, "Neuro from the nerves, the silver paths.
Romancer. Necromancer. I call up the dead."
[2]
Linda Lee
A drug addict and resident of Chiba City, she is the former girlfriend of Case, and instigates the initial series of
events in the story with a lie about his employer's intention to kill him. Her death in Chiba City and later
pseudo-resurrection by Neuromancer serves to elicit emotional depth in Case as he mourns her death and
struggles with the guilt he feels at rejecting her love and abandoning her both in Chiba City and the simulated
reality generated by Neuromancer.
Literary and cultural significance
Neuromancer's release was not greeted with fanfare, but it hit a cultural nerve, quickly becoming an underground
word-of-mouth hit. It became the first novel to win the "triple crown" of science fiction awards the Nebula, the
Hugo, and Philip K. Dick Award for paperback original, an unprecedented achievement described by the Mail &
Guardian as "the sci-fi writer's version of winning the Goncourt, Booker and Pulitzer prizes in the same year". The
novel thereby legitimized cyberpunk as a mainstream branch of science fiction literature. It is among the
most-honored works of science fiction in recent history, and appeared on Time magazine's list of 100 best
English-language novels written since 1923. The novel was also nominated for a British Science Fiction Award in
1984.
Neuromancer is considered "the archetypal cyberpunk work". and outside science fiction, it gained unprecedented
critical and popular attention, as an "evocation of life in the late 1980s", although The Observer noted that "it took
the New York Times 10 years" to mention the novel. By 2007 it had sold more than 6.5million copies worldwide.
The novel has had significant linguistic influence, popularizing such terms as cyberspace and ICE (Intrusion
Countermeasures Electronics). Gibson himself coined the term "cyberspace" in his novelette "Burning Chrome",
published in 1982 by Omni magazine. It was only through its use in Neuromancer that the term Cyberspace gained
enough recognition to become the de facto term for the World Wide Web during the 1990s. The portion of
1984 Neuromancer
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Neuromancer usually cited in this respect is:
The matrix has its roots in primitive arcade games. Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination
experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught
mathematical concepts. A graphic representation of data abstracted from banks of every computer in
the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters
and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding. (Gibson 69.)
In his afterword to the 2000 re-issue of Neuromancer, fellow author Jack Womack goes as far as to suggest that
Gibson's vision of cyberspace may have inspired the way in which the Internet developed, (particularly the World
Wide Web) after the publication of Neuromancer in 1984. He asks "[w]hat if the act of writing it down, in fact,
brought it about?" (269).
Norman Spinrad, in his 1986 essay "The Neuromantics" which appears in his non-fiction collection Science Fiction
in the Real World, saw the book's title as a triple pun: "neuro" referring to the nervous system; "necromancer"; and
"new romancer." The cyberpunk genre, the authors of which he suggested be called "neuromantics," was "a fusion of
the romantic impulse with science and technology," according to Spinrad.
Writing in F&SF in 2005, Charles de Lint noted that while Gibson's technological extrapolations had proved
imperfect (in particular, his failure to anticipate the cellular telephone), "Imagining story, the inner workings of his
characters' minds, and the world in which it all takes place are all more important.
[3]
Lawrence Person in his "Notes Toward a Postcyberpunk Manifesto" (1998) identified Neuromancer as "the
archetypal cyberpunk work", and in 2005, Time included it in their list of the 100 best English-language novels
written since 1923, opining that "[t]here is no way to overstate how radical [Neuromancer] was when it first
appeared." Literary critic Larry McCaffery described the concept of the matrix in Neuromancer as a place where
"data dance with human consciousness... human memory is literalized and mechanized... multi-national information
systems mutate and breed into startling new structures whose beauty and complexity are unimaginable, mystical, and
above all nonhuman." Gibson later commented on himself as an author circa Neuromancer that "I'd buy him a drink,
but I don't know if I'd loan him any money," and referred to the novel as "an adolescent's book". The success of
Neuromancer was to effect the 35-year-old Gibson's emergence from obscurity.
Adaptations
Graphic novel
In 1989, Epic Comics published a 48-page graphic novel version by Tom de Haven and Bruce Jensen. It only covers
the first two chapters, "Chiba City Blues" and "The Shopping Expedition," and was never continued.
Hypertext
In the 1990s a version of Neuromancer was published as one of the Voyager Company's Expanded Books series of
hypertext-annotated HyperCard stacks for the Apple Macintosh (specifically the PowerBook).
Video game
A video game adaptation of the novel also titled Neuromancer was published in 1988 by Interplay. Designed by
Bruce J. Balfour, Brian Fargo, Troy A. Miles, and Michael A. Stackpole, the game had many of the same locations
and themes as the novel, but a different protagonist and plot. It was available for a variety of platforms, including the
Amiga, the Apple II, the Commodore 64, and for DOS-based computers. It featured, as a soundtrack, a computer
adaptation of the Devo song "Some Things Never Change."
According to an episode of the American version of Beyond 2000, the original plans for the game included a
dynamic soundtrack composed by Devo and a real-time 3d rendered movie of the events the player went
1984 Neuromancer
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through.
[citation needed]
Psychologist and futurist Dr. Timothy Leary was involved, but very little documentation
seems to exist about this proposed second game, which was perhaps too grand a vision for 1988 home computing.
Radio play
The BBC World Service Drama production of Neuromancer aired in two one-hour parts, on 8 and 15 September,
2002. Dramatised by Mike Walker, and directed by Andy Jordan, it starred Owen McCarthy as 'Case', Nicola Walker
as 'Molly', James Laurenson as 'Armitage', John Shrapnel as 'Wintermute', Colin Stinton as 'Dixie', David Webber as
'Maelcum', David Holt as 'Riviera', Peter Marinker as 'Ashpool', and Andrew Scott as 'The Finn'. It can no longer be
heard on The BBC World Service Archive. [4]
Audiobook
Gibson read an abridged version of his novel Neuromancer on four audio cassettes for Time Warner Audio Books
(1994). An unabridged version of this book was read by Arthur Addison and made available from Books on Tape
(1997). In 2011, Penguin Audiobooks produced a new unabridged recording of the book, read by Robertson Dean.
Opera
Neuromancer the Opera is an adaptation written by Jayne Wenger and Marc Lowenstein (libretto) and Richard
Marriott of the Club Foot Orchestra (music). A production was scheduled to open on March 3, 1995 at the Julia
Morgan Theater (now the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts) in Berkeley, California, featuring Club Foot Orchestra in
the pit and extensive computer graphics imagery created by a world-wide network of volunteers. Unfortunately this
premier did not take place and the work has yet to be performed in full.
[citation needed]
Film
There have been several proposed film adaptations of Neuromancer, with drafts of scripts written by British director
Chris Cunningham and Chuck Russell. The box packaging for the video game adaptation had even carried the
promotional mention for a major motion picture to come from "Cabana Boy Productions." None of these projects
have come to fruition, though Gibson had stated his belief that Cunningham is the only director with a chance of
doing the film correctly.
In May 2007 reports emerged that a film was in the works, with Joseph Kahn (director of Torque) in line to direct
and Milla Jovovich in the lead role. In May 2010 this story was supplanted with news that Vincenzo Natali, director
of Cube and Splice, had taken over directing duties and would rewrite the screenplay. In March 2011, with the news
that Seven Arts and GFM Films would be merging their distribution operations, it was announced that the joint
venture would be purchasing the rights to Neuromancer under Vincenzo Natali's direction. In August, 2012, GFM
Films announced that it had begun casting for the film (with offers made to Liam Neeson and Mark Wahlberg), but
no cast members have been confirmed yet. In November 2013, Natali shed some light on the production situation;
announcing that the script had been completed for 'years', and had been written with assistance from Gibson himself.
1984 Neuromancer
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References
Notes
[2] Gibson, William. Neuromancer. ACE, July 1984. p. 243-244.
[3] "Books to Look For" (http:/ / www. sfsite. com/ fsf/ 2005/ cdl0504. htm), F&SF, April 2005, p.28
[4] http:/ / worldservice. prototyping. bbc. co. uk/ search?utf8=%E2%9C%93& q=Neuromancer
Bibliography
McCaffery, Larry (1991). Storming the Reality Studio: a casebook of cyberpunk and postmodern science fiction.
Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press. ISBN978-0-8223-1168-3. OCLC 23384573 (http:/ / www.
worldcat. org/ oclc/ 23384573).
External links
Neuromancer (http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ cgi-bin/ title. cgi?1475) title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction
Database
Neuromancer (http:/ / www. antonraubenweiss. com/ gibson/ 01neuromancer. html) at the William Gibson Aleph,
featuring cover art and adaptations
Neuromancer (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=32) at Worlds Without End
Neuromancer (http:/ / www. imdb. com/ title/ tt1037220/ ) at the Internet Movie Database
Study Guide for William Gibson: Neuromancer (1984) (http:/ / www. wsu. edu/ ~brians/ science_fiction/
neuromancer. html) by Paul Brians of Washington State University
Neuromancer (http:/ / www. conceptualfiction. com/ neuromancer. html), reviewed by Ted Gioia ( Conceptual
Fiction (http:/ / www. conceptualfiction. com/ neuromancer. html))
1985 Ender's Game
104
1985 Ender's Game
This article is about the novel. For the 2013 film based on the novel, see Ender's Game (film). For other uses,
see Ender's Game (disambiguation).
Ender's Game
1985 first edition (hardcover)
Author Orson Scott Card
Coverartist John Harris
Language English
Series Ender's Game series
Publisher Tor Books
Publication date
1985
Mediatype Print (Hardcover, Paperback & Ebook)
Pages 384
ISBN 0-312-93208-1
OCLC
22909973
[1]
Followedby Speaker for the Dead
Ender's Game (1985) is a military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. Set in Earth's future,
the novel presents an imperiled mankind after two conflicts with the "Buggers", an insectoid alien species. In
preparation for an anticipated third invasion, children, including the novel's protagonist, Ender Wiggin, are trained at
a very young age through increasingly difficult games including some in zero gravity, where Ender's tactical genius
is revealed.
The book originated as the short story "Ender's Game", published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science
Fiction and Fact. Elaborating on characters and plot lines depicted in the novel, Card later wrote additional books to
form the Ender's Game series. Card released an updated version of Ender's Game in 1991, changing some political
facts to reflect the times accurately; most notably, to include the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold
War.
Reception of the book has generally been positive, though some critics have denounced Card's perceived justification
of his characters' violence. It has also become suggested reading for many military organizations, including the
United States Marine Corps. Ender's Game won the 1985 Nebula Award for best novel and the 1986 Hugo Award
for best novel. Its sequels, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind and Ender in Exile, follow Ender's
subsequent travels to many different worlds in the galaxy. In addition, the later novella A War of Gifts and novel
Ender's Shadow take place during the same time period as the original. Ender's Game has been adapted into two
comic series.
A film adaptation of the same name directed by Gavin Hood and starring Asa Butterfield as Ender was released in
October 2013. Card co-produced the film.
1985 Ender's Game
105
Creation and inspiration
The original novelette "Ender's Game" provides a small snapshot of Ender's experiences in Battle School and
Command School; the full-length novel encompasses more of Ender's life before, during, and after the war, and also
contains some chapters describing the political exploits of his older siblings back on Earth. In a commentary track
for the 20th Anniversary audiobook edition of the novel, as well as in the 1991 Author's Definitive Edition, Card
stated that Ender's Game was written specifically to establish the character of Ender for his role of the Speaker in
Speaker for the Dead, the outline for which he had written before novelizing Ender's Game. In his 1991 introduction
to the novel, Card discussed the influence of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series on the novelette and novel. Historian
Bruce Catton's work on the American Civil War also influenced Card heavily.
Ender's Game was the first science-fiction novel published entirely online, when it appeared on Delphi a year before
print publication.
Synopsis
Ender's Game series Chronology
Earth Unaware
Earth Afire
Earth Awakens
"Mazer in Prison"
"The Polish Boy"
"Teacher's Pest"
"Pretty Boy"
"Cheater"
Ender's Shadow
A War of Gifts
Ender's Game
Ender in Exile
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow Puppets
Shadow of the Giant
Shadows in Flight
"Investment Counselor"
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
Shadows Alive
v
t
e
[2]
Chart
Novels Short Stories Short Stories that appear in First Meetings in the Enderverse
1985 Ender's Game
106
Earth
Unaware (2012)
Earth Afire
(2013)
Earth
Awakens
(2014)
Mazer in
Prison
(2005) The Polish
Boy
(2002)
Teacher's
Pest
(2003) Pretty Boy Cheater
(2006) (2006)
Ender's
Stocking
(2007)
A War of
Gifts
[3]
Ender's
Game
[4]
Ender's
Shadow (2007) Ender's
Game (short
story)
(1999)
(1985)/(1977)
Ender's
Homecoming
(2008)
Shadow of
the
Hegemon
(2001)
A Young Man
with Prospects
(2007)
Ender in Flight
(2008)
Ender in
Exile
[5]
(2008)
Shadow
Puppets
(2002)
The Gold Bug
(2007)
Shadow of
the Giant
Investment
Counselor
(2005)
(1999)
Shadows
in Flight
Speaker for
the Dead
(2012)
(1986)
Gloriously
Bright
(1991)
Xenocide
(1991)
1985 Ender's Game
107
Children of
the Mind
(1996) Shadows
Alive
(TBA)
[2] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=Template:Ender%27s_Game_chronology_chart& action=edit
[3] [3] This takes place during Ender's Game/Ender's Shadow.
[4] [4] The events of Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow take place in roughly the same time period.
[5] [5] This takes place during Shadow of the Hegemon and through Shadow of the Giant
v
t
e (http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=Template:Ender's_Game_chronology& action=edit)
Humanity, having begun to explore the Universe and master interplanetary spaceflight, has encountered an alien race
known as the "buggers" (known in later books as the 'Formics'), scouting the system and establishing a forward base
in the asteroid Eros, who provoked two drawn-out wars. Despite political conflict on Earth between three ruling
parties (the Hegemon, Polemarch, and Strategos), a peace was established and an International Fleet (IF) formed
against the Buggers. In preparation for the Buggers' return (dubbed the "third invasion"), the IF created the Battle
School, a program designed to subject children with the best tactical minds to rigorous training.
Protagonist Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is one of the school's trainees; but, despite this, he is teased as a "Third" under
Earth's two-child policy. He has a close bond with his sister Valentine; but, he fears his brother Peter, a highly
intelligent sociopath. After the IF removes Ender's monitoring device, presumably ending his chances of Battle
School, he fights a fellow student, Stilson. Though the weaker of the two, Ender fatally wounds Stilson, but is left
unaware of doing so. When explaining his actions to IF Colonel Hyrum Graff, Ender states his belief that, by
showing superiority now, he has prevented future struggle. Graff, on hearing of this, offers Ender a place in the
Battle School, situated in Earth's orbit, where Graff quickly isolates Ender from the other cadets, but encourages him
to continue training despite frustration, through communications from Valentine.
The cadets participate in competitive war simulations in zero gravity, wherein Ender's innovations disrupt the
standard operations. Graff promotes Ender to a new army composed of the newest and youngest cadets, which Ender
leads to the top of the school. There, Ender fights Bonzo Madrid, a jealous commander of another army, outside the
simulation, and unknowingly kills him. Under Ender's leadership, several of his current and former squad members
form 'Ender's Jeesh' that remain loyal to him.
On Earth, Peter Wiggin has used a global communication system to post political essays under the pseudonym
"Locke", hoping to establish himself as a respected orator and thence as a powerful politician. Valentine, despite not
trusting Peter, publishes works alongside his as "Demosthenes". Their essays are soon taken seriously by the
government. Though Graff is told their true identities, he recommends that it be kept a secret, because their writings
are politically useful.
Command School
Ender, now ten years old, is soon promoted to Command School (on asteroid 433 Eros), skipping several years of
schooling. There, he is tutored by a former war hero, Mazer Rackham. Alongside other training activities, Mazer sets
virtual fleets under Ender's control against Bugger fleets controlled by Mazer. Ender adapts to the game and, as the
simulations become harder, receives members of his Jeesh as sub-commanders. Despite this, Ender becomes
depressed by the simulations, by his isolation from others, and by his treatment by Mazer.
When told by Mazer that he is facing his final test, Ender finds his human fleet far-outnumbered by the Buggers and
sacrifices most of his fighters to launch a Molecular Disruption Device, capable of destroying the entire planet,
1985 Ender's Game
108
intending to earn himself expulsion from the school for his ruthlessness. The Device destroys the planet and the
entire Bugger fleet; but, as the simulation ends, Ender is surprised to find the IF commanders celebrating. Mazer
returns and informs Ender that this and earlier skirmishes in the "simulator" were not simulation, but the actual
IF contingent and the Buggers' main fleet at their homeworld, and with their destruction Ender has terminated the
war. Ender becomes more depressed on learning this and of the deaths of Stilson and Bonzo.
When he recovers, he finds himself still in orbit with his closest friends and learns that, at the end of the Bugger war,
Earth's powers fought among themselves. He stays on Eros as his friends return home and colonists venture to other
worlds, using Eros as a way station. Among the first colonists is his sister, Valentine, who apologizes that Ender can
never return to Earth, where he would become dangerous as used by the various leaders, including Peter. Instead,
Ender joins the colony program to populate one of the Buggers' former worlds. There, he discovers the dormant egg
of a Bugger queen. The queen, through telepathy, explains that the Buggers had initially assumed humans were a
non-sentient race, for want of collective consciousness, but realized their mistake too late, and requests that Ender
take the egg to a new planet to colonize.
Ender takes the egg and, with information from the Queen, writes The Hive Queen under the alias "Speaker for the
Dead". Peter, now the Hegemon of Earth, recognizes Ender's work and requests Ender to write a book about him,
which Ender entitles Hegemon. The combined works create a new type of funeral, in which the Speaker for the Dead
tells the whole and unapologetic story of the deceased, that is adopted by many on Earth and its colonies. In the end,
Ender and Valentine board a series of starships and visit many worlds, looking for a safe place to establish the
unborn Hive Queen.
Critical response
Critics have received Ender's Game well. The novel won the Nebula Award for best novel in 1985, and the Hugo
Award for best novel in 1986, considered the two most prestigious awards in science fiction. Ender's Game was also
nominated for a Locus Award in 1986. In 1999, it placed #59 on the reader's list of Modern Library 100 Best Novels.
It was also honored with a spot on American Library Association's "100 Best Books for Teens." In 2008, the novel,
along with Ender's Shadow, won the Margaret A. Edwards Award, which honors an author and specific works by
that author for lifetime contribution to young adult literature. Ender's Game was included in Damien Broderick's
book Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 19852010.
New York Times writer Gerald Jonas asserts that the novel's plot summary resembles a "grade Z, made-for-television,
science-fiction rip-off movie", but says that Card develops the elements well despite this "unpromising material".
Jonas further praises the development of the character Ender Wiggin: "Alternately likable and insufferable, he is a
convincing little Napoleon in short pants."
The novel has received negative criticism for violence and its justification. Elaine Radford's review, "Ender and
Hitler: Sympathy for the Superman", posits that Ender Wiggin is an intentional reference by Card to Adolf Hitler and
criticizes the violence in the novel, particularly at the hands of the protagonist. Card responded to Radford's
criticisms in Fantasy Review, the same publication. Radford's criticisms are echoed in John Kessel's essay "Creating
the Innocent Killer: Ender's Game, Intention, and Morality", wherein Kessel states: "Ender gets to strike out at his
enemies and still remain morally clean. Nothing is his fault."
The U.S. Marine Corps Professional Reading List makes the novel recommended reading at several lower ranks, and
again at Officer Candidate/Midshipman. The book was placed on the reading list by Captain John F. Schmitt, author
of FMFM-1 (Fleet Marine Fighting Manual, on maneuver doctrine) for "provid[ing] useful allegories to explain why
militaries do what they do in a particularly effective shorthand way." In introducing the novel for use in leadership
training, Marine Corps University's Lejeune program opines that it offers "lessons in training methodology,
leadership, and ethics as well [....] Ender's Game has been a stalwart item on the Marine Corps Reading List since its
inception."
1985 Ender's Game
109
Accolades
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Amazon.com United States Best of the Century: Best Books of the Millennium Poll 1999 32
Locus United States Best 20th Century Science Fiction Novels: Reader's Poll 2012 2
Modern Library United States Modern Library 100 Best Novels: Reader's List 1999 59
NPR United States Top 100 Science Fiction, Fantasy Books: Readers' Poll 2011 3
Publishers Weekly United States Bestselling Science Fiction Novels of 2012 2012 1
Science Channel United States Top 10 Sci-fi Books of All Time 2013 5
The weeks ending June 9, August 18, September 8, September 15, November 3, November 10, November 17, and
November 24, 2013, the novel was #1 on the New York Times' Best Sellers List of Paperback Mass-Market Fiction.
Revisions
In 1991, Card made several minor changes to reflect the political climates of the time, including the decline of the
Soviet Union. In the afterword of Ender in Exile, Card stated that many of the details in chapter 15 of Ender's Game
were modified for use in the subsequent novels and short stories. In order to more closely match the other material,
Card has rewritten chapter 15, and plans to offer a revised edition of the book.
[1]
Adaptations
Film
In 2011, Summit Entertainment financed and coordinated the film's development and served as its distributor. Gavin
Hood directed the film, which lasts 1 hour and 54 minutes. Filming began in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February
27, 2012, and was released on November 1, 2013 (USA). A movie preview trailer was released in May 2013 and a
second trailer was released later that year.
Card has called Ender's Game "unfilmable", "because everything takes place in Ender's head", and refused to sign a
film deal unless he could ensure that the film was "true to the story." Of the film that he eventually agreed to, Card
said it was "the best that good people could do with a story they really cared about and believed in", and while
warning fans not to expect a completely faithful adaptation, called the film "damn good."
Video game
Ender's Game: Battle Room was a planned digitally distributed video game for all viable downloadable platforms. It
was under development by Chair Entertainment, which also developed the Xbox Live Arcade games Undertow and
Shadow Complex. Chair had sold the licensing of Empire to Card, which became a best-selling novel. Little was
revealed about the game, save its setting in the Ender universe and that it would have focused on the Battle Room.
In December, 2010, it was announced that the video game development had stopped and the project put on indefinite
hold.
1985 Ender's Game
110
Comics
Marvel Comics and Orson Scott Card announced on April 19, 2008, that they would be publishing a limited series
adaptation of Ender's Game as the first in a comic series that would adapt all of Card's Ender's Game novels. Card
was quoted as saying that it is the first step in moving the story to a visual medium. The first five-issue series, titled
Ender's Game: Battle School, was written by Christopher Yost, while the second five-issue series, Ender's Shadow:
Battle School, was written by Mike Carey.
Audioplay
Ender's Game Alive: The Full Cast Audioplay, is an audio drama written by Orson Scott Card, based on the Ender's
Game novel. At over seven hours in length, this retelling of Ender's Game hints at story lines from "Teacher's Pest",
"The Polish Boy", "The Gold Bug", Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow of the Giant, Shadows in
Flight, Earth Unaware, and Speaker for the Dead, and gives new insight into the beginnings of Ender's philotic
connection with the Hive Queen.
Ender's Game Alive is directed by Gabrielle de Cuir, produced by Stefan Rudnicki at Skyboat Media, published by
Audible.com, and performed by a cast of over 30 voice actors playing over 100 roles.
Translations
Ender's Game has been translated into 34 languages:
Albanian: Lojra e Enderit ("Ender's Game").
Bulgarian: ("Ender's Game").
Chinese: (pinyin n d- de yu x) ("Ender's Game"), 2003.
Croatian: Enderova igra ("Ender's Game"), 2007.
Czech: Enderova hra ("Ender's Game"), 1994.
Danish: Ender's strategi ("Ender's Strategy"), 1990.
Dutch: Ender Wint ("Ender Wins"), De Tactiek van Ender ("Ender's Tactic").
Estonian: Enderi mng ("Ender's Game"), 2000.
Finnish: Ender ("Ender"), 1990.
French: La Strat-gie Ender ("The Ender Strategy"), 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001.
Galician: O xogo de Ender (Ender's Game), 2011
German: Das groe Spiel ("The Great Game"), 1986, 2005.
Greek: (To paichndi tou Enter) ("Ender's Game"), 1996.
Hebrew: (Ha-Misaq el Ender) ("Ender's Game"), 1994.
Hungarian: V-gjt-k ("Endgame"), 1991.
Italian: Il gioco di Ender ("Ender's Game").
Japanese: (End no Gmu) ("Ender's Game"), 1987.
Korean: (Endai Geim) ("Ender's Game"), 1992, 2000 (two editions).
Latvian: Endera sple ("Ender's Game"), 2008.
Lithuanian: Enderio aidimas ("Ender's Game"), 2007
Norwegian: Enders spill|("Ender's Game"), 1999.
Persian: ("Bazi__Ender"), 2011
Polish: Gra Endera ("Ender's Game"), 1994.
Portuguese: O jogo do exterminador ("The Game of the Exterminator") (Brazil).
Portuguese: O jogo final ("The Final Game") (Portugal).
Romanian: Jocul lui Ender ("Ender's Game").
Russian: (Igra Endera) ("Ender's Game"), 1995, 1996, 2002, 2003 (two editions).
Slovene: Enderjeva igra ("Ender's Game"), 2010.
1985 Ender's Game
111
Serbian: E (Enderova igra) ("Ender's Game"), 1988.
Spanish: El juego de Ender ("Ender's Game").
Swedish: Enders spel ("Ender's Game"), 1991, 1998.
Thai: ("The Game that Changed the World"), 2007.
Turkish: Ender'in Oyunu ("Ender's Game").
Ukrainian: ("Ender's Game"), 2013.
Notes
[1] [1] Audio edition, Macmillan Audio, Nov 2008
External links
About the novel Ender's Game from Card's website (http:/ / www. hatrack. com/ osc/ books/ endersgame/
endersgame. shtml)
Ender's Game (http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ cgi-bin/ title. cgi?2004) title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction
Database
Intergalactic Medicine Show (http:/ / www. intergalacticmedicineshow. com/ ): Online science fiction magazine
published by Orson Scott Card. Features a new Ender's world story in every issue.
1986 Speaker for the Dead
112
Author Orson Scott Card
Language English
Series Ender's Game series
Publisher Tor Books
Publication date
March 1986
Mediatype Print (hardcover & paperback)
Pages 415 pp
ISBN 0-312-93738-5
OCLC
13201341
[1]
Precededby Ender's Game
Followedby Xenocide
Speaker for the Dead (1986) is a science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card and an indirect sequel to the novel
Ender's Game. This book takes place around the year 5270, some 3,000 years after the events in Ender's Game.
However, because of relativistic space travel, Ender himself is only about 35 years old.
This is the first book to discuss the Starways Congress, a high standpoint Legislation for the human colonies. It is
also the first to describe the Hundred Worlds, the planets with human colonies that are tightly intertwined by Ansible
technology.
Like Ender's Game, the book won the Nebula Award in 1986 and the Hugo Award in 1987. Speaker for the Dead
was published in a slightly revised edition in 1991. It was followed by Xenocide and Children of the Mind.
Meaning of the term "Speaker for the Dead"
In this novel's precursor, Ender's Game, the last surviving member of 'the Buggers' contacts the lead character (Ender
Wiggin), who had unwittingly wiped out the rest of the species. Ender tells the story of the Buggers as it is related to
him, and publishes it as The Hive Queen under the pseudonym "Speaker for the Dead." The audience of The Hive
Queen is not aware of the identity of the author (or that the work is factual and not speculative). However, Hegemon
Peter Wiggin (Ender's brother) recognized the writing and requested that Ender also act as 'his' "Speaker". Ender
complies with the request by writing a second book titled The Hegemon, giving a parallel, but uniquely human,
perspective to the ideas and lessons of "The Hive Queen".
The two books become classics and inspire the rise of a movement of Speakers for the Dead. The movement is not a
religion, although Speakers are treated with the respect afforded to a priest or cleric. Any citizen has the legal right to
summon a Speaker (or a priest of any faith, which Speakers are legally considered) to mark the death of a family
member. Speakers research the dead person's life and give a speech that attempts to speak for them, describing the
person's life as he or she tried to live it. This speech is not given in order to persuade the audience to condemn or
forgive the deceased, but rather a way to understand the person as a whole, including any flaws or misdeeds.
113
Plot summary
Ender's Game series Chronology
Earth Unaware
Earth Afire
Earth Awakens
"Mazer in Prison"
"The Polish Boy"
"Teacher's Pest"
"Pretty Boy"
"Cheater"
Ender's Shadow
A War of Gifts
Ender's Game
Ender in Exile
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow Puppets
Shadow of the Giant
Shadows in Flight
"Investment Counselor"
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
Shadows Alive
v
t
e
[2]
Chart
Novels Short Stories Short Stories that appear in First Meetings in the Enderverse
114
Earth
Unaware (2012)
Earth Afire
(2013)
Earth
Awakens
(2014)
Mazer in
Prison
(2005) The Polish
Boy
(2002)
Teacher's
Pest
(2003) Pretty Boy Cheater
(2006) (2006)
Ender's
Stocking
(2007)
A War of
Gifts
[2]
Ender's
Game
[3]
Ender's
Shadow (2007) Ender's
Game (short
story)
(1999)
(1985)/(1977)
Ender's
Homecoming
(2008)
Shadow of
the
Hegemon
(2001)
A Young Man
with Prospects
(2007)
Ender in Flight
(2008)
Ender in
Exile
[4]
(2008)
Shadow
Puppets
(2002)
The Gold Bug
(2007)
Shadow of
the Giant
Investment
Counselor
(2005)
(1999)
Shadows
in Flight
Speaker for
the Dead
(2012)
(1986)
Gloriously
Bright
(1991)
Xenocide
(1991)
115
Children of
the Mind
(1996) Shadows
Alive
(TBA)
[2] [2] This takes place during Ender's Game/Ender's Shadow.
[3] [3] The events of Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow take place in roughly the same time period.
[4] [4] This takes place during Shadow of the Hegemon and through Shadow of the Giant
v
t
e (http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=Template:Ender's_Game_chronology& action=edit)
The Hive Queen/Continuation of Ender's Game
At the close of "Ender's Game", Ender reports to be transporting "precious cargo". Speaker for the Dead reveals and
confirms his precious cargo to be the Hive Queen whom he meets at the very end of the first novel. He wishes to
restore her species, and ashamed of the Xenocide, he composes "The Hive Queen" under the name Speaker for the
Dead and begins to seek out a new planet for her to thrive. After receiving call to speak on the planet of Lusitania,
Ender is hopeful that this planet may fit the Hive Queen.
Lusitania
On Novinha's request for a Speaker, Andrew Wiggin leaves for Lusitania, a colony turned into a virtual prison, with
its expansion severely limited and its whole existence devoted to the work of xenologers (alien anthropology) and
xenobiologists (alien biology) who study the Pequeninos ("piggies"), the first sentient beings found since the
destruction of the Formics. Lusitania itself is remarkably lacking in biodiversity, featuring thousands of unfilled
ecological niches. The other outstanding feature of Lusitania is the Descolada, a native virus which almost wipes out
the colony, until husband-and-wife xenobiologists Gusta and Cida, known as Os Venerados, succeed in developing
counters. Unfortunately, they did not find the cure soon enough to save themselves, leaving their orphaned daughter
Novinha to strike out for herself.
[1]
Novinha
At the age of thirteen, Novinha, a cold and distant girl, successfully petitions to be made the official xenobiologist of
the colony. From then on, she contributes to the work of father-and-son xenologers Pipo and Libo, and for a short
time there is family and camaraderie. One day, however, she makes a discovery about the Descolada (later revealed
to be a virus that is in every native life-form) and Pipo rushes out to talk to the piggies without telling her or Libo
why it is important. They cannot figure it out on their own, and never learn. A few hours later, Pipo is found
vivisected in the grass; his corpse does not even have the benefit of a tree (the symbol of honor placed among all
dead piggies). To protect Libo from suffering the same fate, Novinha erases all the lab work, but can only lock the
information because of regulations. Libo demands to see it, but even their love for each other does not convince her.
It appears to be a secret the piggies will kill to keep. Novinha is determined to ensure they never marry, for if they
do, Libo will gain access to those locked files. In anguish, Novinha calls for a Speaker for the Dead, hoping that
perhaps the original Speaker may arrive.
116
Ender/Andrew Wiggin
At the start of the novel, Andrew Wiggin is a Speaker for the Dead on the planet Trondheim, where his sister
Valentine resides. He doesn't dare let himself be known as Ender anymore; the name is now an epithet and
considered taboo because of the Xenocide of the Formics ("buggers"). Upon receiving the call from Novinha to
speak for Pipo's death at Lusitania, Ender decides to leave his sister behind because she just married and is pregnant.
His only companion on the journey is Jane, an artificial sentience existing within the ansible computer network by
which spaceships and planets communicate instantly across galactic distances. He arrives on Lusitania after
twenty-two years in transit (only around two weeks to him) to discover that Novinha has canceled her call, or rather
tried to, as a call for a speaker cannot legally be canceled after the speaker has begun the journey. However, two
other people have called for a speaker, making Ender's trip not entirely in vain: they are Novinha's eldest son Miro,
calling for Libo, who was killed the same manner as his father four years before Ender's arrival; and Novinha's eldest
daughter Ela, calling for Novinha's husband Marcos Ribeira, who died not six weeks ago from a terminal disease.
Besides attempting to unravel the question of why Novinha married Marco when she really loved Libo (Marco
was sterile, and a quick genetic scan on Jane's part reveals that Novinha's children are all, in fact, Libo's), Ender also
takes responsibility for attempting to heal the Ribeira family, and manages to adopt (or perhaps is adopted by) most
of the children within their first meeting. He also takes a strong interest in the pequeninos, and eventually (in direct
violation of Starways Congress law) meets with them in person. The Hive Queen has also managed to make contact
with the pequeninos philotically, and has told them a number of thingsincluding the fact that "Andrew Wiggin" is
not only the original Speaker for the Dead, but the original Xenocide as well. The Hive Queen very emphatically
wants to be revived and freed on Lusitania.
Jane realizes the tension between Ender and the Catholic colonists, especially Bishop Peregrino. To spawn
cooperation, she creates a common enemy by revealing to the Starways Congress that Miro and Ouanda have been
committing Questionable activities, including teaching the pequeninos farming techniques.
The Speaking
Ender holds a speaking for Marco, Novinha's late husband. As a speaker's job, Ender reveals secrets from the lives
of Libo, Pipo, and even Novinha herself. He explains how Novinha blamed herself for Pipo's death, and underwent a
life of suffering and deception. She married Marco to prevent Libo from accessing the information which killed
Pipo, but she trysted with Libobecause their love for each other never truly died. Knowing about the affair,
Marco took out his anger on his wife and children.
The Severing of the Ansible/The Covenant
In response to Jane's article, the Starways Congress revokes Lusitania colony's charter and orders an immediate
evacuation. In addition, they place Miro and Ouanda under arrest for committing Questionable Activities and order
them to report to Trondheim for trial, a journey that would take twenty-two years. Convincing him that he can hide
in the forest, the pequeninos urge Miro to cross the electric fence. In his attempt, he suffers significant neurological
damage that partially paralyzes him. The colony declares itself in rebellion, and Jane severs the ansible connection,
shutting down the electric fence and allowing Ender and the others to save Miro.
With pequenino Human's help, Ender is able to work out a treaty with the Wives, the women and leaders of the
piggies, so that humans and pequeninos might live in peace. The meaning of Pipo's and Libo's murders is revealed as
well: the trees are the "third stage" in the life of the piggies. Trees grown from piggies normally become brothertrees,
but the ritually dissected ones are done so in order to make them fathertreessentient, living trees that are, unlike
animal pequeninos, capable of reproduction (the Descolada is proved to be instrumental in these transformations).
Both Pipo and Libo gained honor with the help of their partners, Mandachuva and Leaf-Eater respectively. The
pequenino reward for such an honor is to be brought into the third life. Mandachuva and Leaf-Eater bring the Libo
and Pipo into the third life because the xenobiologists couldn't muster the strength to commit the act. Human begs
117
Ender to do the same to him, and after struggling with the decision, Ender does the deed. Our final image of Human
is of a small sapling growing out of his spine. Ender later adds to the treaty that no humans may be brought to the
third life, as the colonists would view it as murder.
At the conclusion of the novel, Valentine and her family plan to travel to Lusitania to help in the rebellion. Miro,
with his crippled and partially paralyzed body, is sent into space to meet them. For the first time in his life, someone
(Novinha) is prepared to receive the Xenocide with compassion instead of revulsion, and she and Ender marry. In the
final chapter, Ender releases the Hive Queen, ready to begin the continuation of her species.
The novel begins 3,081 years after the events of the first book, by which time the works of The Hive Queen and The
Hegemon have caused the human race to let go of its hatred of the Buggers and instead revile Ender as "The
Xenocide", who exterminated an entire species. Ender himself, now using his real name of Andrew Wiggin, is still
alive because of relativistic space travel, and still acting as a Speaker for the Dead. No one connects "Andrew
Wiggin" with "Ender Wiggin", nor do they connect him (as "Andrew" or "Ender") with the original Speaker for the
Dead.
Relation to Ender's Game
Whereas the previous novel focused on armies and space warfare, Speaker for the Dead is philosophical in nature,
although it still advances a xenology for the planetary setting. Its story finds Andrew in a human colony on the
colony planet Lusitania, believed to be the only remaining planet in Card's universe with an intelligent alien race
after the xenocide of the "Buggers" in Ender's Game. The novel deals with the difficult relationship between the
humans and the "piggies" (or "pequeninos", since the action is set in a Catholic Portuguese research installation) and
with Andrew's attempts to bring peace to a brilliant but troubled family whose history is intertwined with that of the
pequeninos.
The Pequeninos
The Pequeninos (also known as "piggies") are a native species on Lusitania. They are the only sentient alien species
discovered since the xenocide of the buggers. Many provisions are taken by the Starways Congress to prevent
contaminating the Pequeninos culture with any human technological advances or human culture. At the beginning,
not much is known about them other than that they worship the trees and call the trees their fathers. Later on in the
book, it is learned that the Pequeninos have what is called a "third life", where they are reborn as trees. It is a great
honor to be allowed to enter the third life, one of the reasons being that only when they are in the third life are they
able to reproduce. The Pequeninos have a special language reserved for speaking to the trees, and the trees can be
manipulated to build wooden structures and tools as a favor to the piggies. The Pequeninos want to learn much more
about human culture and "murder" Xenologers Pipo and Libo. Pipo and Libo both contributed significantly to their
survival, so the Pequeninos wanted them to vivisect a Pequenino, which is necessary to attain the third life.
However, Pipo and Libo both refused and the Pequeninos proceeded to vivisect them instead, with intentions of their
entering the third life. However, their endeavor failed as Libo and Pipo are humans and have no third life. As the
nature of the third life and the necessary procedure was unknown to humans, it appeared to the human population
that Pipo and Libo were brutally murdered. Thus the main and first reason that Ender came to Lusitania.
118
Characters
Andrew Wiggin
Valentine Wiggin
Novinha (Ivanova Santa Catarina von Hesse)
Marco (Marcos Maria Ribeira)
Gusto (Vladimir Tiago Gussman) and Cida (Ekaterina Maria Aparecida do Norte von Hesse-Gusman) (Os
Venerados de Ribeira)
Jane
Miro (Marcos Vladimir Ribiera von Hesse)
Ouanda (Ouanda Quenhatta Figueira Mucumbi)
Ela (Ekaterina Elanora Ribiera von Hesse)
Olhado (Lauro Suleimo)
Quim (Estevo Rei)
Quara (Lembrana Milagres de Jesus)
Grego (Gero Gregorio)
Rooter
Pipo (Joo Figueira Alvarez)
Libo (Liberdade Graas a Deus Figueira de Medici)
Human
Leaf-Eater
Mandachuva
Governor Bosquinha (Faria Lima Maria do Bosque)
Bishop Peregrino (Armo Cebola)
Lack of film adaptation
At the Los Angeles Times Book Festival (April 20, 2013), Card stated why he does not want Speaker for the Dead
made into a film: "Speaker for the Dead is unfilmable," Card said in response to a question from the audience. "It
consists of talking heads, interrupted by moments of excruciating and unwatchable violence. Now, I admit, there's
plenty of unwatchable violence in film, but never attached to my name. Speaker for the Dead, I don't want it to be
filmed. I can't imagine it being filmed."
Reception
Nebula Award winner, 1986
Hugo Award winner, 1987
Locus Award winner, 1987
John W. Campbell Memorial Award nominee, 1987
Kurd-Lawitz-Preis winner, 1989
119
References
[1] [1] Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card, pp. 5-7
External links
About the novel Speaker for the Dead from Card's website (http:/ / www. hatrack. com/ osc/ books/
speakerforthedead/ speakerforthedead. shtml)
Speaker for the Dead (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=34) at Worlds Without End
Speaker for the Dead (http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ cgi-bin/ title. cgi?1158) title listing at the Internet Speculative
Fiction Database
1987 The Falling Woman
120
1987 The Falling Woman
The Falling Woman
Author Pat Murphy
Language English
Genre Psychological fantasy
Publisher Orb Books
Publication date
May 1993
Pages 288
ISBN 0312854064
The Falling Woman is a 1986 contemporary psychological fantasy novel by Pat Murphy.
Plot summary
Elizabeth Butler is an archaeologist, and the author of several popular books that challenge her colleagues' ideas
about Mayan civilization. Elizabeth has a strange gift, connected to a suicide attempt as a young woman, which
allows her to see the spirits of ancient people while she walks at dusk and dawn. The story opens with Elizabeth in
the middle of an eight-week field study at Dzibilchaltn. Her team hopes to find dramatic artifacts that will spark
interest and increased funding for future field studies at the site.
In the middle of the field study, Elizabeth's estranged adult daughter Diane arrives unannounced. After the death of
her father, Elizabeth's ex-husband, Diane suddenly abandoned her life in the United States, and flew to Mexico to see
her mother. It's revealed that Diane has seen Elizabeth for only a few brief visits since Elizabeth left her as a young
child to be raised by her father. Neither is sure what Diane wants from Elizabeth.
As the two struggle to connect, Elizabeth has a new experience: one of her spirit visions, a Mayan priestess named
Zuhuy-kak, can see and speak with Elizabeth. Zuhuy-kak provides unprecedented knowledge about the Mayans'
departure from Dzibilchaltn, and leads Elizabeth to the major archaeological find her team needs, but demands a
sacrifice to the goddess Ix Chebel Yax. As the dig progresses, haunted by bad luck and tragedy, Zuhuy-kak makes it
clear that Elizabeth must sacrifice her daughter.
Awards
The Falling Woman won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1987.
References
1988 Falling Free
121
1988 Falling Free
Falling Free
Cover art of 2004 NESFA Press reprint.
Author Lois McMaster Bujold
Coverartist Alan Gutierrez (original)
Country USA
Language English
Series Vorkosigan Saga
Publisher Baen Books
Publication date
April 1988
Mediatype Paperback
Pages 307
ISBN 0-671-65398-9
Precededby Ethan of Athos
Followedby Brothers in Arms
Falling Free is a novel from the Vorkosigan Saga, written by Lois McMaster Bujold. It was first published as four
installments in Analog from December 1987 to February 1988, and won the Nebula Award for Best Novel for 1988.
It is included in the 2007 omnibus Miles, Mutants and Microbes.
Plot
The novel is set about 200 years before the birth of Miles Vorkosigan, the protagonist of much of the Vorkosigan
series. It deals with the creation of the "Quaddies", genetically modified people who have four arms, the second pair
appearing where unmodified humans would have legs. They were intended to be used as a space labor force, not
only superbly adapted to zero-gravity but unable to function "downside" in any but the lightest gravitational field.
From the point of view of the commercial interests responsible for their creation, they would be highly-profitable,
requiring none of the special facilities or mandatory time off needed by other humans, whose bodies tend to
deteriorate over the long term in weightlessness. They would also be completely beholden to the company for life
support, and would have no rights as human beings.
Legally, the Quaddies are not classed as human but as "post-fetal experimental tissue cultures". The company treats
them as chattel slaves. Their access to information is tightly controlled. Even their children's stories are about
working in space. They can be ordered to reproduce or to have a pregnancy terminated. They are the subject of
breeding programs, the company compelling them to mate only with one of the company's choosing, regardless of
existing partners. When a new artificial gravity technology renders them both obsolete and a potential political
embarrassment to the executives, there are discussions about killing them or sterilizing them. Bipedal engineer Leo
Graf, who had been assigned to help train them, instead helps them break free. They eventually settle in an initially
remote system that gradually becomes a major part of the Nexus.
Bujold has stated in the notes of her reprints that Falling Free was the first half of the intended story. The unwritten,
second story was to tell how the Quaddies settled into what would be known as "Quaddiespace". Diplomatic
Immunity, published in 2002, revisits the subject of the Quaddies, showing the state of their society some 240 years
1988 Falling Free
122
after its foundation. It takes place on Graf Station, named for Leo Graf, who is hero and patriarch to the Quaddies.
Characters
Leo Graf a genetically unmodified human engineer, he is based on the author's father, Robert Charles
McMaster (19131986). He is hired by the Company in order to help train the Quaddies in reliable
space-engineering practices. Graf is unaware of the nature of the Quaddies until he arrives at the station. He
becomes sympathetic to their plight, and when he learns of the company's plans for them in the wake of the new
artificial gravity technologies, he works out plans for their escape.
Silver a young female Quaddie who is instrumental in assisting Leo Graf in the escape of the Quaddies. She
later becomes his romantic partner.
References
1989 The Healer's War
The Healer's War is a 1988 science fiction novel by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. It won the Nebula Award for Best
Novel in 1989.
References
1990 Tehanu
123
1990 Tehanu
Tehanu
Language English
Series Earthsea
Genre Fantasy novel
Published 1990 (Atheneum Books)
Mediatype Print (hardcover and paperback)
Pages 226
ISBN 0-689-31595-3
OCLC
19975630
[1]
Dewey Decimal
[Fic] 20
LCClass PZ7.L5215 Te 1990
Precededby The Farthest Shore
Followedby Tales from Earthsea
Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea is a fantasy novel by the American author Ursula K. Le Guin, published by
Atheneum in 1990. It was the fourth novel set in the fictional archipelago Earthsea; a sequel following almost twenty
years after the Earthsea trilogy (19681972); and not the last, despite its subtitle.
[2][3]
It won the annual Nebula
Award for Best Novel
[4][5]
and the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel.
[6]
Tehanu continues the stories of Tenar, the heroine of the second book of the Earthsea series The Tombs of Atuan,
and Ged, the hero of the first book, A Wizard of Earthsea.
Plot
Tehanu begins slightly before the conclusion of the previous book in the series, The Farthest Shore, and provides
some information about the life of Tenar after the end of The Tombs of Atuan. She had rejected the option of life
among the aristocracy of Havnor, which Ged had opened to her, and arrived on Gont. For some time she lived with
Ged's old master Ogion - but though fond of him, rejected Ogion's offer to teach her magic. Instead, she married a
farmer called Flint with whom she had two children, called Apple and Spark, and became known to the locals as
Goha. It is mentioned that Ged was a bit disappointed in - and did not understand - Tenar's choice of a life. This is
not explicitly explained, but there are hints of her feeling a lingering guilt about having been an arrogant
Arch-Priestess and ordering people to be cruelly put to death. Moreover, in the beginning of The Tombs of Atuan it is
mentioned that Tenar was born to a farmer's family and at a young age was taken from her loving parents by the
Temple servants, and that as a child she was fond of apple trees.
At the book's outset, with her husband now dead and her children grown up, Tenar lives on her own at Flint's
property Oak Farm, and is lonely and uncertain of her own identity - is she the simple farm woman Goha, or the
ex-Kargish priestess Tenar? She adopts the child of wandering vagabonds after the child's natural father pushes her
into a campfire and leaves her for dead. Tenar helps to save the child's life, but the child is left with one side of her
face permanently scarred and the fingers of one hand fused into a claw. Tenar gives the child the name Therru which
1990 Tehanu
124
means 'flame' in Tenar's native Kargish language.
Tenar learns that the mage Ogion, her former tutor, is on his deathbed and has asked to see her. She sets out to visit
him at his house outside the town of Re Albi, taking Therru with her. On the way, she encounters a group of ruffians,
one of whom is Handy, who was involved in the original attempt on Therru's life, and claims to be her uncle. She
stays with Ogion, tending to him in his last days. He instructs her to teach Therru, but his instructions are vague, and
hint at her being more than she seems. After his death, she stays on at his cottage, tending to his orchard and goats
and pondering her future. She befriends a local witch called Moss and a simple village girl called Heather. Her
tranquil existence is dramatically broken by the arrival of Ged (also called Sparrowhawk) on the back of the dragon
Kalessin, unconscious and near death. Ged - once the Archmage of Roke - has spent all his wizard's powers in
sealing the gap between the worlds of the living and the dead created by the evil wizard Cob. She nurses him back to
health, but when the new king Lebannen sends envoys to bring him back to Roke to resume his duties as Archmage,
Ged cannot face them, fearing them due to his loss of power. He accepts Tenar's offer to return to Oak Farm to
manage things there in her absence and flees there to take up a life as a goatherd. While at Re Albi, Tenar is
confronted by the local lord's wicked mage, Aspen, who attempts to put a curse on her, but is initially thwarted.
Tenar informs the king's men that she cannot reveal Ged's whereabouts, and they accept the situation and depart.
Tenar is initially unsure whether to stay or leave Re Albi, when her safety is threatened again by Aspen and Handy,
so she flees with Therru. Her mind confused by Aspen's magic, she is almost overtaken by Handy, but manages to
escape, taking refuge in the ship of the king himself. Lebannen takes Tenar and Therru to Valmouth, where Tenar
eventually returns to Oak Farm to find that Ged is away tending goats in the mountains for the season. Tenar settles
back into life on the farm, until one night, several men attempt to break into the house and apprehend Therru, but are
driven off by Ged, who happened to overhear and follow them on their way toward the farm. Tenar and Ged begin a
relationship, acknowledging that they had always loved each other. Ged wants nothing more than to settle down and
live an ordinary life, far from the concerns of an Archmage. Together, they teach and care for Therru and manage the
farm. The order is upset however when Tenar's son Spark returns home suddenly from a life as a sailor and tells her
he wishes to run the farm. Under Gontish law Oak Farm belongs to him and Tenar has no claim to it.
Before they have time to work out what will happen, Tenar hears word that Moss is dying and wants to see Tenar.
She, Ged and Therru leave immediately for Re Albi. However, the message was a trap set by Aspen, who reveals
himself to be a follower of the defeated wizard Cob, who despises Ged and Tenar, and fears Therru. When Tenar,
under Aspen's curse, leads Ged toward the lord's mansion, Therru escapes. Ged is powerless to prevent Aspen from
capturing the two and holding them prisoner, beating and humiliating them in the process, especially Tenar.
Meanwhile, Therru runs to the cliff behind Ogion's cottage, where she calls to the dragon Kalessin for help, and
reveals her true nature: she is in fact "a double being, half human, half-dragon." Aspen and his followers bring both
Tenar and Ged up to the clifftop. Under the influence of Aspen's spell, they are both just about to jump to their
deaths when the dragon Kalessin arrives and burns and crushes Aspen and his men to heaps of ash and rags. Kalessin
addresses Therru by her true name Tehanu, calling her his daughter, and asks her if she would like to leave with him,
but she decides for now that she will stay with Tenar and Ged. The novel ends with all three of them settling down to
a simple life of farming and goat keeping at Ogion's old cottage.
There is, however, the clear suggestion that Tehanu is the "woman on Gont" who is destined to ultimately become
the Archmage at the Magic School of Roke. Obviously, innately knowing as her "mother tongue" the True Speech
which is the basis of all magic - rather than having to spend years in laboriously learning it, as ordinary mages need
to do - would give her an enormous head start. Also, already as an untrained child, she is by definition a dragon lord
- i.e., "a person which dragons talk to" - a distinction which only a few grown mages achieve even at the height of
their power.
1990 Tehanu
125
Major characters
Ged
Archmage of Roke. Called Sparrowhawk.
Erisen
A twisted mage and follower of Cob. Called Aspen.
Kalessin
The eldest dragon.
Tehanu
A burned child, a woman-dragon. Called Therru.
[]
Tenar
Former priestess of the Tombs of Atuan, and White Lady of Gont. Called Goha by the locals.
Major themes
Gender issues
Tehanu differs from the first three novels in that it is written from the female perspective. The novel makes clear that
women's magic is every bit as strong as men's, the former being described by the witch Moss as being 'deeper than
the roots of trees, deeper than the roots of islands, older than the Making, older than the moon'. Although it is less
concerned with authority and dramatic actions than male power, in its own simpler and compassionate way women's
magic is equally valuable. Wizards are portrayed as emotionally stunted, somewhat arrogant and detached. For the
first time it is made explicit that wizards lead a life of celibacy because they are expected to devote all their energy to
their magic. These shortcomings are laid bare in Ged after he has lost his power. He is completely at sea and is
described by Moss as having the emotions of a fifteen year old boy. He does not have the courage to face the King's
men to tell them the difficult truth that he can no longer be mage and flees. He is reliant on Tenar to work out a
solution for him, and find somewhere for him to recover his sense of identity. It is only when he acknowledges his
feelings for Tenar and enters into a relationship with her that he begins to grow and develop emotionally. Thus
although he has lost his male power as an archmage, Ged is able to be reborn by deferring to female power, and so
discovering his own feelings and the value of down to earth simplicity. In so doing he reaches a new maturity and
depth to his character that he never would have done if he had remained Archmage. The dark wizard Aspen is also a
very negative portrayal of a wizard and it is obvious that his loathing of Tenar is based on a hatred and fear of her
womanhood.
Le Guin's exploration in her fiction, particularly in Always Coming Home, of gender power issues has grown more
overt in the years between the publication of The Farthest Shore in 1972 and Tehanu in 1990. Tehanu revisits the
world of Earthsea with this sensibility and explores questions such as why women can't be wizards, why men are
seen as superior to women in Earthsea, and what kind of power may be open / natural to woman if they are denied
the power of wizardry.
Whilst a central tenet of feminism is gender equality, some readersWikipedia:Avoid weasel words have nevertheless
remarked that the book is, if anything, anti-feminist, because the lead female characters are largely shown as victims
and require the recognition and acquiescence of the patriarchy to give them freedom.
1990 Tehanu
126
Being and Doing
Following the Taoist thread running through the first three books and many of Le Guin's other works, a further
theme in Tehanu is Ged's transition from a man of doing and action to a man of generally passive being in harmony
with his feelings and with nature. This was foreshadowed in the first book of the trilogy, A Wizard of Earthsea, in
the contrast between Ged's first teacher Ogion the Silent and Ged himself as a young student, and also in The
Farthest Shore, at the end of which the Master Doorkeeper of Roke states of Ged: "He is done with doing: he goes
home." This implies that Ged's full maturity lies not in doing but in "going home" to the part of himself that he has
yet to embrace.
Magic
Magic in general has a much smaller role in Tehanu than in the previous trilogy. The book's text suggests that, to
some extent at least, this is prompted by Le Guin's redefinition of the world of Earthsea and the questions she asks
about the differences between male and female 'power'. In other words, the reduced emphasis on magic appears to be
not just a difference in the kind of narrative Le Guin decided to tell, but in the actual role she felt that magic (as
defined in the earlier trilogy) would play in the future of Earthsea.
Literary style
The style of the book is noticeably different than the initial Earthsea trilogy. Whereas the initial trilogy was written
around classic fantasy tropes such as perilous quests, heroic actions and larger-than-human forces, Tehanu is more a
study of social interaction and emotional resonance. The pace is far slower, the mood much darker and more
introspective.
The initial trilogy focuses on the character and quests of Ged, with Tenar introduced as the central character of the
second book. Tehanu uses the lens of everyday events and a strong anti-patriarchal viewpoint to not only explore the
future of these two charactersand of Earthsea itselfbut to reinterpret them. According to Sharada Bhanu, Le
Guin sees this reinterpretation as a more balanced view of the world of Earthsea, which is written in the first three
books from an implicitly patriarchal (or at least, male) viewpoint.
[7]
Notes
[2] (ISFDB).
[3] Two short stories set in Earthsea preceded the trilogy. A fifth novel and a collection of stories and essays were published about ten years after
Tehanu. See .
[4] "Nebula Awards" (http:/ / www. sfwa.org/ nebula-awards/ ). Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). Retrieved 2012-02-25.
[5] "Nebula Awards" (http:/ / www. locusmag. com/ SFAwards/ Db/ Nebula. html). Locus Index to SF Awards. Locus. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
[6] "Locus Awards" (http:/ / www. locusmag. com/ SFAwards/ Db/ Locus. html). Locus Index to SF Awards. Locus. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
[7] Tehanu: A Return to the Source, by Sharada Bhanu (http:/ / www. ursulakleguin. com/ Bhanu-Thesis-Tehanu. html) excerpt on the Ursula K.
Le Guin website
1990 Tehanu
127
References
Bernardo, Susan M.; Murphy, Graham J. (2006). Ursula K. Le Guin: A Critical Companion (1st ed.). Westport,
CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN0-313-33225-8.
Cadden, Mike (2005). Ursula K. Le Guin Beyond Genre: Fiction for Children and Adults (1st ed.). New York,
NY: Routledge. ISBN0-415-99527-2.
Drout, Michael (2006). Of Sorcerers and Men: Tolkien and the Roots of Modern Fantasy Literature (1st ed.).
China: Barnes & Noble. ISBN978-0-7607-8523-2.
Martin, Philip (2009). A Guide to Fantasy Literature: Thoughts on Stories of Wonder & Enchantment (1st ed.).
Milwaukee, WI: Crickhollow Books. ISBN978-1-933987-04-0.
Mathews, Richard (2002). Fantasy: The Liberation of Imagination (1st ed.). New York: Routledge.
ISBN0-415-93890-2.
Petty, Anne C. (2004). Dragons of Fantasy: The Scaly Villains & Heroes of Tolkien, Rowling, McCaffrey,
Pratchett & Other Fantasy Greats (1st ed.). Cold Spring Harbor, New York: Cold Spring Press.
ISBN978-1-59360-010-5.
External links
Earthsea (http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ cgi-bin/ pe. cgi?4220) series listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=183) at Worlds
Without End
1991 Doomsday Book
128
1991 Doomsday Book
Doomsday book
First edition hardcover
Author Connie Willis
Language English
Publisher Bantam Spectra
Publication date
1992
Mediatype Print (Paperback & Hardcover)
Pages 592 pages (Paperback)
ISBN ISBN 0-553-08131-4
(Hardcover)
ISBN 0-553-35167-2 (Paperback)
OCLC
24952289
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 20
LCClass PS3573.I45652 D66 1992
Doomsday Book is a 1992 science fiction novel by American author Connie Willis. The novel won both the Hugo
and Nebula Awards, and was shortlisted for other awards. The title of the book is a reference to the Domesday Book
of 1086; Kivrin, the main character, says that her recording is "a record of life in the Middle Ages, which is what
William the Conqueror's survey turned out to be."
Plot introduction
Willis imagines a near future (first introduced in her 1982 story "Fire Watch") in which historians conduct field work
by traveling into the past as observers. The research is conducted at the University of Oxford in England in the
late-21st century.
In the fictional universe, history resists time travel which would cause the past to be altered by preventing visits to
certain places or times. Typically the machine used for time travel will refuse to function, rendering the trip
impossible. In other cases "slippage", a shift in the exact time target, occurs. The time-traveler arrives at the nearest
place-and-time suitable for preventing a paradox; variance can be anything from 5 minutes to 5 years. Some periods
theoretically accessible can also be deemed too dangerous for the historians by the authorities controlling time travel.
Plot summary
Kivrin Engle, a young historian specializing in medieval history, persuades her reluctant instructor, Professor James
Dunworthy, and the authorities running the project to send her to Oxford in 1320, encouraged by Professor Gilchrist,
who takes charge of the project in the absence of the department head to try to enhance his own prestige. This period
had previously been thought too dangerous, because it stretched the time travel net 300 years earlier than it had been
used before. She will be the first historian to visit the period, and is confident that she is well prepared for what she
will encounter.
1991 Doomsday Book
129
Shortly after sending Kivrin to the 14th century, Badri Chaudhuri, the technician who set the time travel coordinates
for Kivrin's trip, collapses suddenly, an early victim of a deadly new influenza epidemic which severely disrupts the
university and eventually leads to the entire city being quarantined. Infected with the same influenza despite her
enhanced immune system, Kivrin falls ill as she arrives in the past. She awakens after several days of fever and
delirium at a nearby manor, whose residents have nursed her. Unfortunately, the move has caused her to lose track of
where the "drop point" is; in order to return home, she must return to the exact location where she arrived when the
gateway opens at a prearranged time.
The narrative switches between Kivrin in the fourteenth century and 2054/2055 Oxford during the influenza
epidemic. Kivrin discovers many inconsistencies in what she "knows" about the time: the Middle English she
learned is different from the local dialect, her maps are useless, her clothing is too fine, and she is far too clean. She
can also read and write, skills unusual even for the educated men of the time and rare among women. As nuns are the
only women commonly possessing these skills, some family members conclude Kivrin has fled her convent and plan
to return her to the nearest convent. She fakes amnesia, afraid the background story she originally planned out would
have similar inconsistencies, and takes up a job as a companion for two girls in the manor as she tries to find the
"drop point". In Oxford, fears grow that the virus causing the epidemic had been transmitted from the past via the
time travel net, despite its scientific impossibility. This causes the acting head of the History department, Mr.
Gilchrist, to order the net closed, effectively stranding Kivrin in the past, even as Mr. Dunworthy tries frantically to
reverse the decision.
At parallel points in their respective narratives, Kivrin and Mr. Dunworthy realize that she has been sent to England
at the wrong time as a result of the technician's illness: she has arrived during the Black Death pandemic in England
in 1348, more than 20 years later than her intended arrival. The Black Death cuts a swathe through the Middle Ages
just as the influenza overwhelms the medical staff of the 21st century. Many who could have helped Mr. Dunworthy
fall ill and die, including his good friend Doctor Mary Ahrens, who dies even as she tries to save the other influenza
victims. Mr. Dunworthy himself is stricken by the disease. In the fourteenth century, two weeks after Kivrin's arrival,
a monk infected with the plague comes to the village. Within days, many residents of the village fall ill. Kivrin tries
to care for the victims, but, lacking modern medicines, she can do little to ease their suffering. The arranged date for
retrieval passes with neither side able to make it. At last, in desperation, Mr. Dunworthy arranges with Badri to send
himself back in time to rescue Kivrin.
In the Middle Ages, Kivrin can only watch while all the people she has come to know die from the Black Death, the
last being Father Roche, the priest who found her when she was sick and brought her to the manor. Father Roche
insisted on staying with his parishioners, despite Kivrin's attempts to arrange an escape, as he feels it his duty to care
for them although it may mean his own death. As Roche lies dying in the chapel, he reveals that he was near the drop
site when Kivrin came through, and misinterpreted the circumstances of her arrival (shimmering light, condensation,
a young woman appearing out of thin air) as God delivering a saint to help during the mysterious illness sweeping
through England. He dies still believing that she is God's messenger to him and his congregation, while Kivrin
comes to appreciate his selfless devotion to his work and to God. As she sits in the graveyard, unable to dig a grave
or finish tolling the peal for his death, her rescuers, Mr. Dunworthy and Colin (the adventurous great-nephew of
Doctor Mary Ahrens), arrive from the future (having found a horse and located her by the sound of the bell). They
barely recognize her: her hair is cropped short (from when she was sick with the flu), she is wearing a boy's jerkin,
and she is covered in dirt and blood from tending to the sick and dying. The three return to 21st-century England
shortly after New Year's Day.
1991 Doomsday Book
130
Analysis
Doomsday Book is a rare example of a story where the main protagonist of a time travel story is female.
Publication history
Doomsday Book. Bantam Books, Hardcover, May 1992. ISBN 0-553-08131-4
Doomsday Book. Bantam Books, Paperback, 1993. ISBN 0-553-35167-2
References
External links
Review by Science Fiction Weekly (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20080521083027/ http:/ / www. scifi. com/
sfw/ issue430/ classic. html)
Doomsday Book (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=52) at Worlds Without End
1992 Stations of the Tide
131
1992 Stations of the Tide
Stations of the Tide
Author Michael Swanwick
Language English
Publisher William Morrow and Company
Publication date
1991
Pages 252 pp
ISBN 0-688-10451-7
OCLC
22207452
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 20
LCClass PS3569.W28 S7 1991
Stations of the Tide is a science fiction novel by American author Michael Swanwick. Prior to being published in
book form in 1991, it was serialized in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine in two parts, starting in
mid-December 1990.
It won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1991, was nominated for both the Hugo and Campbell Awards in 1992,
and was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1993.
Plot introduction
Stations of the Tide is the story of a bureaucrat with the Department of Technology Transfer who must descend to
the surface of Miranda to hunt a magician who has smuggled proscribed technology past the orbital embargo, and
bring him to justice before the world is transformed by the flood of the Jubilee Tides.
References
External links
Stations of the Tide (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=102) at Worlds Without End
1993 Mars trilogy
132
1993 Mars trilogy
Red Mars
Author Kim Stanley Robinson
Coverartist Don Dixon
Language English
Series Mars Trilogy
Publisher Spectra/Bantam Dell/Random House
Publication date
January 1, 1993
Mediatype Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages 519 pp. (hardcover)
ISBN 0-553-09204-9
OCLC
26054317
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 20
LCClass PS3568.O2893 R44 1993
Followedby Green Mars
Green Mars
Language English
Series Mars Trilogy
Genre Science Fiction
Publication date
March 1, 1994
ISBN ISBN 0-553-09640-0
Precededby Red Mars
Followedby Blue Mars
1993 Mars trilogy
133
Blue Mars
Language English
Series Mars Trilogy
Publication date
June 1, 1996
ISBN ISBN 0-553-10144-7
Precededby Green Mars
The Martians
Language English
Series Mars Trilogy
Publication date
September 1, 1999
Pages 352 pp (Hardback)
ISBN ISBN 0-553-80117-1
The Mars trilogy is a series of award-winning science fiction novels by Kim Stanley Robinson that chronicles the
settlement and terraforming of the planet Mars through the intensely personal and detailed viewpoints of a wide
variety of characters spanning almost two centuries. Ultimately more utopian than dystopian, the story focuses on
egalitarian, sociological, and scientific advances made on Mars, while Earth suffers from overpopulation and
ecological disaster.
The three novels are Red Mars (1993), Green Mars (1994), and Blue Mars (1996). The Martians (1999) is a
collection of short stories set in the same fictional universe. The main trilogy won a number of prestigious awards.
Icehenge (1984), Robinson's first novel about Mars, is not set in this universe but deals with similar themes and plot
elements. The trilogy shares some similarites with Robinson's more recent novel 2312 (2012), for instance, the
terraforming of Mars and the extreme longevity of the characters in both novels.
1993 Mars trilogy
134
Plot
Red Mars Colonization
Red Mars starts in 2026 with the first colonial voyage to Mars aboard the Ares, the largest interplanetary spacecraft
ever built (interestingly, from clustered space shuttle external fuel tanks which, instead of incinerating in the
atmosphere, have been boosted into orbit until enough had been amassed to build a ship and also used as landing
craft) and home to a crew who are to be the first hundred Martian colonists. The mission is a joint Russian-American
undertaking, and seventy of the First Hundred are drawn from these countries (except, for example, Michel Duval, a
French psychologist assigned to observe their behavior). The book details the trip out, construction of the first
settlement on Mars (eventually called Underhill) by Nadia Chernyshevski, as well as establishing colonies on Mars'
hollowed out asteroid-moon Phobos, the ever-changing relationships between the colonists, debates among the
colonists regarding both the terraforming of the planet and its future relationship to Earth. The two extreme views on
terraforming are personified by Saxifrage "Sax" Russell, who believes their very presence on the planet means some
level of terraforming has already begun and that it is humanity's obligation to spread life as it is the most scarce thing
in the known universe, and Ann Clayborne, who stakes out the position that humankind does not have the right to
change entire planets at their will.
Russell's view is initially purely scientific but in time comes to blend with the views of Hiroko Ai, the chief of the
Agricultural Team who assembles a new belief system (the "Areophany") devoted to the appreciation and furthering
of life ("viriditas"); these views are collectively known as the "Green" position, while Clayborne's naturalist stance
comes to be known as "Red." The actual decision is left to the United Nations Organization Mars Authority
(UNOMA), which greenlights terraforming, and a series of actions get underway, including the drilling of "moholes"
to release subsurface heat; thickening of the atmosphere according to a complicated bio-chemical formula that comes
to be known as the "Russell cocktail" after Sax Russell; and the detonation of nuclear explosions deep in the
sub-surface permafrost to release water. Additional steps are taken to connect Mars more closely with Earth,
including the insertion of a geosynchronous asteroid "Clarke" to which a space elevator cable is tethered.
Against the backdrop of this development is another debate, one whose principal instigator is Arkady Bogdanov of
the Russian contingent (possibly named in homage to the Russian polymath and science fiction writer Alexander
Bogdanov). Bogdanov argues that Mars need not and should not be subject to Earth traditions, limitations, or
authority. He is to some extent joined in this position by John Boone, famous as the "First Man on Mars" from a
preceding expedition and rival to Frank Chalmers, the technical leader of the American contingent. Their rivalry is
further exacerbated by competing romantic interest in Maya Katarina Toitovna, the leader of the Russian contingent.
(In the opening of the book, Chalmers instigates a sequence of events that leads to Boone being assassinated; much
of what follows is a retrospective examination of what led to that point.)
Earth meanwhile increasingly falls under the control of transnational corporations (transnats) that come to dominate
its governments, particularly smaller nations adopted as "flags of convenience" for extending their influence into
Martian affairs. As UNOMA's power erodes, the Mars treaty is renegotiated in a move led by Frank Chalmers; the
outcome is impressive but proves short-lived as the transnats find ways around it through loop-holes. Things get
worse as the nations of Earth start to clash over limited resources, expanding debt, and population growth as well as
restrictions on access to a new longevity treatment developed by Martian scienceone that holds the promise of
lifespans into the hundreds of years. In 2061, with Boone dead and exploding immigration threatening the fabric of
Martian society, Bogdanov launches a revolution against what many now view as occupying transnat troops
operating only loosely under an UNOMA rubber-stamp approval. Initially successful, the revolution proves
infeasible on the basis of both a greater-than-expected willingness of the Earth troops to use violence and the
extreme vulnerability of life on a planet without a habitable atmosphere. A series of exchanges sees the cutting of the
space elevator, bombardment of several Martian cities (including the city where Bogdanov is himself organizing the
rebellion; he is killed), the destruction of Phobos and its military complex, and the unleashing of a great flood of
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torrential groundwater freed by nuclear detonations.
By the end, most of the First Hundred are dead, and virtually all who remain have fled to a hidden refuge established
years earlier by Ai and her followers. (One exception is Phyllis Boyle, who has allied herself with the transnats; she
is on Clarke when the space elevator cable is cut and sent flying out of orbit to a fate unknown by the conclusion of
the book.) The revolution dies and life on Mars returns to a sense of stability under heavy transnat control. The clash
over resources on Earth breaks out into a full-blown world war leaving hundreds of millions dead, but cease-fire
arrangements are reached when the transnats flee to the safety of the developed nations, which use their huge
militaries to restore order, forming police-states. But a new generation of humans born on Mars holds the promise of
change. In the meantime, the remaining First Hundredincluding Russell, Clayborne and Chernyshevskisettle
into life in Ai's refuge called Zygote, hidden under the Martian south pole.
Green Mars Terraforming
Green Mars takes its title from the stage of terraforming that has allowed plants to grow. It picks up the story 50
years after the events of Red Mars in the dawn of the 22nd century, following the lives of the remaining First
Hundred and their children and grandchildren. Hiroko Ai's base under the south pole is attacked by UN Transitional
Authority (UNTA) forces, and the survivors are forced to escape into a (less literal) underground organization known
as the Demimonde. Among the expanded group are the First Hundred's children, the Nisei, a number of whom live in
Hiroko's second secret base, Zygote.
As unrest in the multinational control over Mars' affairs grow, various groups start to form with different aims and
methods. Watching these groups evolve from Earth, the CEO of the Praxis Corporation sends a representative,
Arthur Randolph, to organize the resistance movements. This culminates into the Dorsa Brevia agreement, in which
nearly all the underground factions take part. Preparations are made for a second revolution beginning in the 2120s,
from converting moholes to missiles silos or hidden bases, sabotaging orbital mirrors, to propelling Deimos out of
Mars' gravity well and out into deep space so it could never be used as a weapons platform as Phobos was.
The book follows the characters across the Martian landscape, which is explained in detail. As Russell's character
infiltrates the transnat terraforming project, the newly evolving Martian biosphere is described at great length and
with more profound changes most aimed at warming up the surface of Mars to the brink of making it habitable, from
continent sized orbital mirrors, another space elevator built (using another anchored asteroid that is dubbed "New
Clarke"), to melting the northern polar ice cap, and digging moholes deep enough to form volcanoes. A mainstay of
the novel is a detailed analysis of philosophical, political, personal, economical, and geological experiences of the
characters. The story weaves back and forth from character to character, providing a picture of Mars as seen by them.
The book ends on a major event which is a sudden, catastrophic rise in Earth's global sea levels not caused primarily
by any greenhouse effect but by the eruption of a chain of volcanoes underneath the ice of west Antarctica,
disintegrating the ice sheet and displacing the fragments into the ocean.
Blue Mars Long-term results
Blue Mars takes its title from the stage of terraforming that has allowed atmospheric pressure and temperature to
increase so that liquid water can exist on the planet's surface, forming rivers and seas. It follows from the end of
Green Mars and has a much wider scope than the previous two books, covering an entire century after the second
revolution. As Earth is heavily flooded by the sudden melting of the Antarctic ice cap, the once mighty metanats are
brought to their knees; as the Praxis Corporation paves a new way of "democratic businesses". Mars becomes the
"Head" of the system, giving universal healthcare, free education, and an abundance of food. However, this sparks
illegal immigration from Earth, so to ease the population strain on the Blue Planet, Martian scientists and engineers
are soon put to the task of creating asteroid cities; where small planetoids of the Belt are hollowed out, given a spin
to produce gravity, and a mini-sun is created to produce light and heat.
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With a vast increase in sciences, technologies, and spacecraft manufacturing, this begins the "Accelerando"; where
humankind spreads its civilization throughout the Solar System, and eventually beyond. As Venus, the Jovian
moons, the Saturnian moons, and eventually Triton are colonized and terraformed in some way, Jackie Boone (the
granddaughter of John Boone, the first man to walk on Mars from the first book) takes an interstellar vessel (made
out of an asteroid) to another star system twenty light-years away, where they will start to terraform the planets and
moons found there.
The Martians Short stories
The Martians is a collection of short stories that takes place over the timespan of the original trilogy of novels, as
well as some stories that take place in an alternate version of the novels where the First Hundred's mission was one
of exploration rather than colonization. Buried in the stories are several hints about the eventual fate of the Martian
terraforming program.
List of short stories
Some Work Notes and Commentary on the Constitution by Charlotte Dorsa Brevia
The Soundtrack
The Way the Land Spoke to Us
What Matters
Exploring Fossil Canyon (originally published in Universe 12, 1982)
Four Teleological Trails
Enough is as Good as a Feast (the title phrase appears often in the Science in the Capital series)
Coyote Makes Trouble
Coyote Remembers
Discovering Life (also in Vinland the Dream)
A Martian Romance (originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction, OctoberNovember, 1999, subsequently
anthologized)
An Argument for the Deployment of All Safe Terraforming Technologies
Arthur Sternbach Brings the Curveball to Mars (subsequently anthologized)
Big Man in Love
If Wang Wei Lived on Mars and Other Poems
Jackie on Zo
Keeping the Flame
Maya and Desmond
Michel in Antarctica
Michel in Provence
Odessa
Purple Mars
Salt and Fresh
Saving Noctis Dam
Sax Moments
Selected Abstracts from The Journal of Aerological Studies
Sexual Dimorphism Originally in: Asimov's Science Fiction, June, 1999. (subsequently anthologized, including
Year's Best SF 5, 2000, ed. David G. Hartwell, ISBN 0-06-102054-0; The Hard SF Renaissance, 2002, ed.
Kathryn Cramer, David G. Hartwell, ISBN 0-312-87635-1; and A Science Fiction Omnibus, 2007, ed. Brian
Aldiss, ISBN 978-0-14-118892-8.) (nominated for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, which celebrates gender-bending
science fiction)
The Names of the Canals
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The Constitution of Mars
The Archaeae Plot
Story elements
Corporations
Trans-national Corporations, nicknamed "transnats", are extremely powerful multinational corporations that first
emerge in the mid-21st century. Robinson tracks the evolution of the transnats into what he terms "metanats"
(metanational). These multinational corporations have grown so large as a result of globalization that they have
sufficient economic power to take over or strongly manipulate national governments, initially only relatively small
third-world governments, but later, larger developed governments too, effectively running whole countries. In
Robinson's future history, the metanational corporations become similar to nation-states in some respects, while
continually attempting to take over competitors in order to become the sole controller of the interplanetary market.
As the Mars trilogy draws to a close in the mid-23rd century, the metanational corporations are forced by a global
catastrophe to concede more democratic powers to their workforces.
Although there are many transnational and metanational corporations mentioned, two play an active role in the
development of the plotline. Praxis, a largely benevolent and relatively democratic firm, and Subarash, which plays
a large role in the maltreatment of the citizens of Mars.
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering is first mentioned in Red Mars; it takes off when Sax creates an alga to withstand the harsh
Martian temperature and convert its atmosphere into breathable air. Eventually this is done on a massive scale, with
thousands of types of GE algae, lichen and bacteria being created to terraform the planet. In Green Mars, GE animals
began to be created to withstand the thin Martian atmosphere, and to produce a working planetary-biosphere. By
Blue Mars, GE is commonly being done on humans, willingly, to help them better adapt to the new worlds; to
breathe thinner air (e.g. Russell), or to see better in the dimmer light of the outer planets.
Other themes
The books also speculate on the colonization of other planets and moons in the Solar System, and include
descriptions of settlements or terraforming efforts on Callisto, Mercury, Titania, Miranda and Venus. Toward the end
of the last novel, humans are taking sub-light colony ships to other stars, taking advantage of the longevity
treatments to survive the trip to their destinations.
A great portion of Blue Mars is concerned with the effects of extreme longevity on its protagonists, most of whom
have lived over two hundred years as a result of repeated longevity treatments. In particular, Robinson speculates on
the psychological effects of ultra-longevity including memory loss, personality change, mental instability, and
existential boredom.
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Characters
The First Hundred
The initial colonists from the Ares who established a permanent colony. Many of them later become leaders or
exemplary figures in the transformation of Mars or its new society. The "First Hundred" actually consisted of 101,
with Coyote being smuggled aboard the Ares by Hiroko
John Boone
An American astronaut, who was the first human to walk on Mars in the year 2020. He returns a public hero and
uses his considerable influence to lobby for a second mission, this time one of colonization. Boone received a large
amount of radiation on his first trip to Mars, more than the recommended dosage according to medical regulations.
However, his celebrity status allows him to skirt this. On the second voyage, Boone is one of the "First Hundred"
colonists sent to permanently colonize Mars. His accomplishments and natural charm yield him an informal
leadership role. In the first chapter of Red Mars, John Boone is assassinated in a plot instigated by Frank Chalmers.
The narrative then steps back to the First Hundred's voyage to Mars aboard the spaceship Ares. His ideas continue as
a point of reference for the remainder of the trilogy. Boone's character portrayal is complex; in one light, Boone is a
stereotypically simple, heroic figure, an everyman hero: his first words on his first trip to Mars are "Well, here we
are." He is almost uniformly cheerful and good-natured, and approaches everything he undertakes with hale
bonhomie. But later in Red Mars, Robinson switches to Boone's point of view, and it is in this section that it is
revealed that late in life, Boone is addicted to omegendorph, a fictional drug that is based on endorphins in the
human brain. In addition, it reveals that at least some of his seeming simplicity might simply be an act designed to
further his political goals. Overall, Boone is presented as larger-than-life.
Frank Chalmers
Head of the American contingent, he is Machiavellian in his use of power. However, his cynicism is later shown to
be a form of self-defense; Chalmers is at least partly driven by a hidden idealistic side. Early in the voyage to Mars,
he becomes sexually involved with Maya Toitovna, the leader of the Russian contingent of the mission. During the
second-half of the voyage, Toitovna becomes involved with Boone. Already bitter that Boone became the first to
walk on Mars instead of him as they were both candidates for the mission and that he was allowed to join the
colonization trip despite his manipulations, Chalmers further despises Boone because of Toitovna's affection. His
dislike culminates in his involvement in a plot to assassinate Boone, which ultimately succeeds and allows him to
take over handling major affairs on Mars, which ultimately became his undoing as his ruthless governance and
aggressive diplomatic work backfire on him during the revolution of 2061. In the final chapters of Red Mars,
Chalmers flees with Toitovna and other members of the First Hundred to join the hidden colonists at the polar ice
cap but dies along the way when he is caught outside their vehicle during an aquifer flood in Valles Marineris.
Maya Toitovna
An emotional woman who is at the center of a love triangle between Boone and Chalmers, she begins as head of the
Russian contingent. The novels hint that she used both wit and seduction to rise through the ranks of the Russian
space agency to become the leader of the first colonization mission. After the first revolution, she flees with other
members of the First Hundred to the hidden colony in the pole. She becomes a school teacher of the children of the
hidden colonists but later becomes a powerful political force. After the deaths of Chalmers and Boone, she falls in
love with Michel Duval. She suffers heavily from bipolar disorder and from memory-related psychological disorders
with growing age, which often lead her to isolate herself from others and sometimes turn violent. Throughout the
novels, Maya takes an active political role, helping to keep the surviving First Hundred together during the failed
revolution of 2061 and guiding the successful revolutions that occur decades later, despite her psychological
problems.
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Nadezhda "Nadia" Chernyshevski
A Russian engineer who started out building nuclear reactors in Siberia, during the voyage and initial exploration of
Mars, she does her best to avoid the squabbles of the other members of the First Hundred. Instead, she busies herself
by building the first permanent habitation of Mars, Underhill, using programmed automated robots. She also helps to
construct a new and larger habitat, and research facility in a nearby canyon. In the later books, she becomes a
reluctant politician. Chernyshevski is in love with Bogdanov and is devastated when he is killed in an attack by
anti-revolutionary forces associated with UNOMA, the transnationals and Phyllis Boyle during the first Martian
revolution. In retaliation for Bogdanov's murder, she activates his hidden weapon system, built into Phobos, which
causes the entire moon (a UNOMA/transnational military base) to decelerate in orbit and destructively aerobrake in
Mars' atmosphere, utterly destroying it. In Green Mars, she falls in love with Art Randolph, with whom she
eventually starts a family. After Martian independence, she grudgingly becomes the first president of Mars.
Arkady Bogdanov
A mechanical engineer with anarchist leanings, possibly based on Russian futurists, Alexander Bogdanov (the
character's ancestor) and Arkady Strugatsky, he is regarded by many other members of the First Hundred,
particularly Boyle, as a troublemaker. He leads the team which establishes an outpost on the moon Phobos, and leads
an uprising against the transnational corporation towards the end of first novel. Like Boone (with whom he was good
friends), his political ideas (later known as Bogdanovism) weigh heavily on characters later in the series. In love
with Nadia Chernyshevski, he is killed during the first Martian revolution in 2061.
Saxifrage "Sax" Russell
An American physicist, he is a brilliant and creative scientist, and is greatly respected for his intellectual gifts.
However, he is socially awkward and often finds it difficult to understand and relate to other people. Russell is a
leader of the Green movement, the goal of which is to terraform Mars. During Green Mars, Sax suffers a stroke
while being tortured by government security forces and fellow member of the First Hundred, Phyllis Boyle. He
subsequently suffers from Expressive aphasia and has to relearn how to speak. Originally apolitical, this event and a
growing attachment to Mars itself leads Russell to become the physical architect of the second revolution. He is also
secretly in love with Ann Clayborne, who cannot stand him at first, but after decades on Mars, eventually reconciles.
Saxifrage means "stonebreaker" and is the name for an Alpine plant that grows between stones.
Ann Clayborne
An American geologist, Clayborne is one of the first areologists and maintains a stalwart desire to see Mars
preserved in the state it holds when humans arrive. Clayborne early on debates Saxifrage Russell over the proper role
of humanity on Mars and though initially apolitical, this stance marks her as the original "Red," while Russell's
hands-on terraforming reflects the antithesis of these views. Clayborne is shown to prefer solitude during much of
the series, and even her relationship with fellow First Hundred settler Simon (with whom she has a child) is subject
to introspective silence in most cases. Simon's death and the estrangement she finds from their son Peter when the
latter emerges as a leading moderate "green" drive her to further isolation. Clayborne's relationship with Russell is
shown to be complex, the two of them taking early opposite views but the situation slowly changing as Russell
comes to appreciate what has been unleashed and what has indeed been lost as science gives way to commercial
exploitation that he cannot control. During the events of Blue Mars, Russell intervenes to save Clayborne's life; later,
the two are revealed to have once shared an attraction that went astray because of a casual misinterpretation between
them.
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Hiroko Ai
A Japanese expert on biology, agriculture, and ecological systems, it was Ai who smuggled Desmond "Coyote"
Hawkins onto the Ares (the two were friends and lovers as students in London). She is the charismatic leader of the
farm team, one of the important work groups and cliques among the First Hundred. She thus becomes the focus of
many of the trilogy's central themes. Most importantly, she teaches the importance of maintaining a respectful
relation with one's planet. On Mars, this is called the Areophany. In the secret colony Zygote, which Hiroko
established, the first generation of children of the First Hundred, the ectogenes, are all the product of artificial
insemination outside of any human body. Hiroko uses the ova of the female members of the First Hundred as the
female genetic material and uses the sperm of the male members of the First Hundred to fertilize the ova. Although
Hiroko is seldom at the center of the narrative, her influence is pervasive. She disappears for the final time in Green
Mars. Her ultimate fate is left unresolved. In Japanese, ai means love.
Michel Duval
A French psychologist pivotally involved in early psychological screening of First Hundred candidates in Antarctica,
Duval is assigned to accompany the Mars mission and is treated as an observer rather than as a member of the team
during the early events of Red Mars. His aloof personality enforces this ostracism and also subverts his relationships
with others, but in time it becomes clear that Duval is struggling with his own psychological issues perhaps more
than anyone else from the expedition. During the first disappearance of the farm team, he is invited by Hiroko to flee
with the farm team and establish Zygote, the first hidden colony. Duval desperately wants to return to Provence as he
remembers it, although after visiting as a part of the Martian diplomatic mission to Earth, he becomes even more
homesick. Duval falls in love with Maya Toitovna and guides her through particularly challenging psychological
episodes throughout most of the series, dying late in Blue Mars when Maya displays signs of very heavy temporary
memory loss.
Vladimir "Vlad" Taneev
Nearly sixty when he arrives on Mars, a Russian biological scientist who is the oldest of the First Hundred. Taneev
heads medical treatment and most research projects on Mars, becoming famous as the creator of the gerontological
treatment used to regenerate human cellular systems and ushering in a new era of longevity. He lives in Acheron on
the Great Escarpment in the north of Mars before fleeing to the hidden colony after the First Revolution but later
returns to his research, falling victim to "quick decline" late in the events of Blue Mars. For much of his Mars-centric
life, Taneev lives in a mnage trois with Ursula and Marina, the exact nature of which is never resolved.
Phyllis Boyle
A Christian American geologist with a harsh personality that does not win her many friends among the First
Hundred and gains particular enmity from Ann Clayborne. As the Mars situation develops, Boyle sides against most
of the First Hundred in favor of the increasingly authoritarian United Nations Office of Mars Affairs (UNOMA) and
its successor, the corporate/quasi-fascist United Nations Transitional Authority (UNTA). Her influence is strongest
during the later events of Red Mars, where by the 2061 revolution she has been placed in charge of the asteroid
Clarke that serves as the counterweight of the First Space Elevator. The events of the revolution send Clarke (and
Boyle) spinning off into the outer Solar System at the end of Red Mars; Green Mars finds her back in the equation,
but her influence is greatly reduced against the backdrop of a much-expanded UNTA presence. Boyle engages in a
brief sexual relationship with Saxifrage Russell (who despises her) while the latter is living under an assumed
identity and is singularly capable of discerning who he really is, turning him over the UNTA. She is later present at a
session in Kasei Vallis where Russell is being tortured, and is killed by Maya Toitovna. Later, as his memory
recovers, Russell reveals that Boyle had been opposed to his torture and was demanding that he be released at the
time that Maya's team freed him.
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Desmond "Coyote" Hawkins
A Trinidadian stowaway, he is a friend and supporter of Hiroko, and a fervent anarchist communist. Present in Red
Mars only as a shadowy figure who blends effortlessly into the Martian background, he is not even identified as
anything more than the Coyote until the beginning of Green Mars. He becomes a leading figure in the underground
and an unofficial coordinator of a developing gift economy.
Their descendants
Since the trilogy covers over 200 years of human history, later immigrants and the children and grandchildren of the
First Hundred eventually become important characters in their own right.
The Martians use the same terminology for different generations as Japanese Americans. People who immigrated
from Earth are called issei, the first generation born on Mars are nisei, and the second-generation Martians are
sansei. Third-generation Martians are called yonsai.
Kasei
Kasei is the son of Hiroko and John Boone and the father of Jackie Boone. Kasei is the leader of the Kakaze, a
radical Red faction. His name is Japanese for the planet Mars. He dies during the second revolution, after an
unsuccessful attack on the second space elevator.
Nirgal
The son of Hiroko and the Coyote, he is raised communally by Hiroko and her followers in Zygote. He is a
good-natured wanderer who eventually becomes a political leader advocating ties with Earth. He is one of the
founders of the Free Mars movement and is famous for his running technique that allows him to run all day for
days on end. As Nadia's assistants, he and Art are instrumental in getting the Martian constitution written.
Later he is sent on a diplomatic mission to Earth but nearly dies from an infection. His name is ancient
Babylonian for Mars.
Jackie Boone
The granddaughter of Hiroko and John Boone (raised with Nirgal), she emerges as a leader of the Free Mars
movement, but is seen to change her platform based on whatever keeps her in power (e.g. changing from
banning Earth immigration to allowing almost unlimited immigrants). After her daughter Zo's death, she
retires in grief and joins a one-way expedition to an extrasolar planet near Aldebaran.
Peter Clayborne
Peter Clayborne is the son of Ann Clayborne and Simon Frazier, being one of the first children born on Mars.
Peter holds a position of older brother to all of the following first generation. Many revolutionary and later
political decisions of the Mars First movement are influenced by his opinions and judgment. He works
part-time as an engineer and a green politician.
Zoya "Zo" Boone
Jackie's daughter; she has feline traits (purring) inserted into her genome via the gerontological longevity
treatment. In Blue Mars, she travels the solar system running political errands for Jackie, although the two do
not get along particularly well. Her character is portrayed as hedonistic and explicitly nihilistic, making sexual
satisfaction a priority and seemingly having little regard for the feelings of others. On the other hand, she
apparently has a conscience, risking her life to rescue a man on Mercury and later dying in an attempt to save a
distressed flier.
Nikki
The daughter of Nadia and Art.
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Other characters
Arthur "Art" Randolph
A representative of the Praxis corporation sent to contact the Martian underground movement on a
quasi-diplomatic mission in an attempt to create a system of ecological capitalism based on democratic
corporations. Like the other metanationals, it takes on intensive economic and political ties with governments,
but Praxis aims for partnerships rather than exploitive relationships.
Zeyk Tuqa and his wife Nazik
They are Bedouin nomads who originally emigrated from Egypt and respected figures in the Arab Martian
community. Zeyk is a close friend of Chalmers. His eidetic memory becomes a minor plot point.
William Fort
He is the founder of Praxis, one of the huge multinational corporations. He embraces a fusion of Eastern and
Western lifestyles.
Awards
Red Mars won the BSFA in 1992, Nebula Award in 1993, and was nominated for the Hugo, Clarke, and Locus
Awards in 1993.
Green Mars won the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1994, and was nominated for the BSFA (1993) and Nebula
Awards (1994).
Blue Mars won the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1997, was nominated for a BSFA Award in 1996, and received
nominations for the Campbell and Clarke Awards in 1997.
Adaptations and uses
Screen adaptations
The Mars trilogy rights were at one point held by James Cameron,
[2]
who planned a five-hour miniseries to be
directed by Martha Coolidge,
[3]
but he passed on the option. Later Gale Ann Hurd planned a similar mini-series for
the Sci-Fi Channel, which also remained unproduced.
[4]
Then, in October 2008, it was reported that AMC and
Jonathan Hensleigh had teamed up and were planning to develop a television mini-series based on Red Mars.
On Phoenix spacecraft
The content of Green Mars and the cover artwork for Red Mars are included on the Phoenix DVD, carried onboard
Phoenix, a NASA lander that successfully touched down on Mars in May 2008. The First Interplanetary Library is
intended to be a sort of time capsule for future Mars explorers and colonists.
[5]
1993 Mars trilogy
143
Translations to other languages
The trilogy has been translated into Spanish, French, German, Polish, Hebrew, Japanese, Romanian, Bulgarian and
Serbian among others.
References
[2] Strange Horizons Articles: Interview: Kim Stanley Robinson, by Lynne Jamneck (http:/ / www. strangehorizons. com/ 2005/ 20050815/
robinson-int-a. shtml)15 August 2005
[3] Cameron Sending Two Missions to Mars (http:/ / www. space. com/ sciencefiction/ cameron_mars_speech_825. html)by Greg
ClarkStaff Writer (Imaginova Corp) posted: 08:07 pm ET 25 August 1999
[4] Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel (http:/ / www. scifi. com/ scifiwire/ art-sfc. html?2003-06/ 06/ 12. 30. sfc)1:00pm
ET, 06-June-03
[5] First Interplanetary Library Will Land on Mars (http:/ / www. planetary. org/ about/ press/ releases/ 2008/
0522_First_Interplanetary_Library_Will_Land.html) (from the Web site of the Planetary Society. Accessed 2008-05-26.)
External links
The Mars trilogy (http:/ / www. kimstanleyrobinson. info/ w/ index. php5?title=Mars_trilogy) at
KimStanleyRobinson.info (http:/ / www. kimstanleyrobinson. info/ w/ )
1994 Moving Mars
144
1994 Moving Mars
Moving Mars
Author Greg Bear
Language English
Publisher Tor Books
Publication date
1993
Pages 448 pp
ISBN ISBN 0-312-85515-X
OCLC
28422079
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 20
LCClass PS3552.E157 M68 1993
Moving Mars is a science fiction novel written by Greg Bear. Published in 1993, it won the 1994 Nebula Award for
Best Novel, and was also nominated for the 1994 Hugo, Locus, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards, each in
the same category. The main focus of Moving Mars is the coming of age and development of Casseia Majumdar, the
narrator, as political tensions over revolutionary scientific discoveries build between Earth and Martian factions, and
Mars tries to unify itself.
Flag of the Federal Republic of Mars, as
described in the book
References
[1] http:/ / www. worldcat. org/ oclc/ 28422079
External links
Audio Review (http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ ?s=moving+ mars) at The
Science Fiction Book Review Podcast (http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ )
1995 The Terminal Experiment
145
The Terminal Experiment
Author Robert J. Sawyer
Country Canada
Language English
Publisher Harper Prism
Publication date
May 1995
Pages 333 pp
ISBN 0-06-105310-4
OCLC
32448141
[1]
The Terminal Experiment is a science fiction novel by Canadian novelist Robert J. Sawyer. The book won the 1995
Nebula Award for Best Novel, and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1996. Sawyer received a
writer's reserve grant from the Ontario Arts Council in 1993 in support of his writing the novel.
The story was first serialised in Analog magazine in the mid-December 1994 to March 1995 issues, under the name
Hobson's Choice, before its first novel publication in May, 1995. A Hobson's choice is an apparently free choice that
is really no choice at all. In this book it is a play on the main character's name and describes the choice between
immortality and provable life after death.
Plot introduction
Dr. Peter Hobson invents a machine that detects a brain pattern that leaves the body after death, a pattern many
believe is a soul. In order to test their theories on immortality and life after death, Hobson and his friend Sarkar
Muhammed create three electronic simulations of Hobson's own personality. When people Hobson had a grudge
against begin to die, he and Sarkar must try to find out which is responsible. But all three, two modified, one a
"control", escape Sarkar's computer, into the Internet and the World Wide Web.
Characters
Dr. Peter Hobson - founder of Hobson Monitoring, a biomedical company, and devoted husband to Cathy.
Cathy Churchill Hobson - beautiful, intelligent wife of Peter, she has love self-esteem issues. Her confession to
Peter that she had an affair with Hans taints their decades-long happy marriage.
Hans Larsen - coworker to Cathy, he is a promiscuous adulterer and womanizer, and cocky and boastful about it.
He is maimed and murdered for having seduced Cathy.
Rod Churchill - uncaring father to Cathy, he is a retired gym teacher. He is also murdered.
Detective Sandra Philo - a detective investigating the deaths of Larsen and Churchill, she knows that the
Hobsons are somehow involved.
Sarkar Muhammed - a friend and collaborator of Peter, he is a genius working in artificial intelligence
146
Plot
The novel takes place in Toronto, briefly in 1995 and chiefly in 2011. Dr. Peter Hobson, a biomedical engineer, has
invented many devices in the field of home automation. He has always been haunted by memories of monitoring an
EKG during the dissection of a "corpse" for organ donation when he was in graduate school; the donor's heart was
still beating and the body exhibited signs of anesthesia awareness. Now, Peter devises a what he calls a superEEG in
order to determine the exact moment when all electrical energy ceases in the brain; he wants to precisely "determine
that someone is dead before they begin carving out his organs."
Peter is hurt and angry when his beloved wife, Cathy, admits that she had sex with Hans Larsen, whom neither of
them respects. A psychotherapist helps her to understand that she has low self-esteem because of emotional neglect
by her critical father, appropriately named Rod. Peter throws himself into his work. This is the emotional set-up that
drives events in the following five months.
To his shock, when Peter places his superEEG on the head of a willing terminal patient, he afterwards finds in the
readouts a small electrical field leaving the brain after death. He shares this discovery with his friend Sarkar
Muhammed, who runs his own startup firm doing expert system design. Sarkar declares it a soul, which Peter, a
skeptic, is reluctant to believe. To maintain precise scientific language, they call it a soulwave: "The soulwave had a
distinctive electrical signature. The frequency was very high, well above that of normal electrochemical brain
activity, so, even though the voltage was minuscule, it wasn't washed out in the mass of other signals within the
brain."
Peter experiments with more terminal patients to verify his finding; he tests pregnant women to discover when the
fetus gains a soulwave (at about ten weeks); and he finds that, among animals, at least chimpanzees also have souls.
When Peter holds a press conference to announce his breakthrough, human society around the world undergoes a
revolution. He is repeatedly asked what life after death is like, though he has no idea.
"I can't rely on the Koran, or the Bible, or anything else. All we know is that a cohesive energy field
survives the death of the body. Whether that field lasts for any appreciable time after departure, or
whether it carries any real information, is completely unknownand any other interpretation at this
point is just wishful thinking."
In order to learn about immortality and life after death, Peter and Sarkar create three electronic simulations of Peter's
own personality after a comprehensive scan of his mind and memories. From one, they seek "which neural nets are
activated exclusively by biological concerns, and then zero those out" (p.131), so that it is purely intellect; they call
it Spirit. From the second, they edit all fears of aging and death, so that it "feels" itself to be immortal; they call this
one Ambrotos. The third is a control, with Peter's knowledge up to the point of the brain scan. At first, the three
"sims" enjoy exploring all that the Internet has to offer. One sim, however, hires a hit man to kill Hans and then, days
later, Cathy's father.
Detective Sandra Philo takes the case and, questioning Cathy and her co-workers, realizes at once that Cathy is
concealing her relationship with Hans. She also knows Peter is rich enough to afford hiring a professional hit. What
she doesn't realize is that the guilty sim is prepared to have her killed, too. Peter and Sarkar race to find a way to
"pull the plug" on the sims before Philo and perhaps others die.
147
Critical reception
Besides winning the Nebula Award, The Terminal Experiment won the Prix Aurora Award for Best Best Long Form
in English of 1995. It also earned one of the nine HOMer Awards that Sawyer has won. The novel was a Preliminary
Nominee for the Bram Stoker Award, for Superior Achievement in a Novel, and was nominated for the Science
Fiction Chronicle Award.
Brian Stableford wrote in an overview: "Sawyer's work became conspicuously more ambitious in the late 1990s. The
Terminal Experiment (1995) has a murder mystery subplot, but foregrounds an enquiry into the roots of ethical
philosophy, employing three artificial 'clones' of its protagonist's personality as subjects in an elaborate thought
experiment."
Steven H Silver wrote, "Sawyer is writing a mystery with this book, and, to a certain extent, succeeds. The pace is
good, keeping you turning the pages, and the characters are likeable, even the libidinous Hans and the
un-enlightened Rod. However, because of the way Sawyer creates his mystery, there is no real chance of figuring out
who is responsible."
References
External links
The Terminal Experiment (http:/ / www. sfwriter. com/ essayte. htm) at SFWriter.com
The Terminal Experiment (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=163) at Worlds Without End
1996 Slow River
148
1996 Slow River
Slow River
Author Nicola Griffith
Language English
Publisher Del Rey Books
Publication date
1995
Pages 343 pp
ISBN 0-345-39165-9
OCLC
32013101
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 20
LCClass PS3557.R48935 S58 1995
Slow River is British writer Nicola Griffith's second science fiction novel, first published in 1995. It won the Nebula
Award for Best Novel and the Lambda Literary Award in 1996.
Plot introduction
Lore Van de Oest was born in one of the mightiest families on earth. However, she suddenly loses everything.
References
1997 The Moon and the Sun
149
The Moon and the Sun
Author Vonda McIntyre
Genre Historical fiction
Publisher Pocket Books
Publication date
1997
Pages 421
ISBN ISBN 0-671-56765-9
OCLC
36649155
[1]
The Moon and the Sun by Vonda N. McIntyre was published in 1997. The book combines two major genres:
science fiction and historical romance (also known as alternate history). It won the Intergalactic Award for Best
Novel in 1997 and has recently been chosen to be adapted into a movie (see The Moon and the Sun (film
adaptation)). The book also won the Nebula Award in 1997, beating out A Game of Thrones by George R. R.
Martin. The novel was inspired by the short story (written in the form of a faux-encyclopedia article), "The Natural
History and Extinction of the People of the Sea," also by McIntyre, which was illustrated by fellow author Ursula K.
Le Guin.
Plot summary
Set in 17th century France at the court of the Sun King, King Louis XIV, the young, colony-raised, naive
Mademoiselle Marie-Josphe de la Croix is the lady-in-waiting to King Louis XIV's niece. Her brother, Father Yves
de la Croix - a natural philosopher and explorer - has recently returned from a mission commissioned by the king: to
bring back the endangered sea monster whose flesh is rumoured to give the consumer immortality. Father Yves
brings back two specimens: one, a dead male sea monster covered in sawdust and ice; the other, a live female sea
monster placed in the Apollo fountain in the Palace of Versailles. Acting as her brother's assistant, sketching the
dead sea monster's dissection, and caring for the live specimen, Marie-Josphe soon realizes the creature is not a sea
monster, but a sea woman. Thus, Marie-Josphe tries to convince the others at court, including her brother, that the
sea woman is intelligent and hopefully free her. Unfortunately, only Marie-Josphe can understand the sea woman
(now called Sherzad) and her musical way of talking. As a result, the court - especially the men - ignore her. They
bleed her for hysteria, the Pope openly shows outrage over the impropriety of her composing a cantata, and several
court men harass her on the King's hunt. At the same time, her slave Odelette (really called Haleed) struggles to gain
her freedom. Only, the stoic Count Lucien believes Marie-Josphe about the sea woman, calmly taking the sea
woman and Marie-Josphe's scientific endeavors in stride. In order to save her own life, Sherzad, the sea monster,
offers the king the location of a sunken treasure ship in return for her freedom. But despite the discovery of Spanish
gold found from the wreck, the king intends to keep Sherzad and eat her, the lure of immortality being too strong.
Marie-Josphe and Count Lucien - who she has fallen in love with - plot secretly to release Sherzad, defying the
pope, their king, and her brother. Their attempt fails, but Yves - finally realizing the Sherzad's conscientiousness and
its repercussions on his actions - aid them in finally releasing Sherzad. In the end, Marie-Josphe and Count Lucien
are exiled, but Sherzad, who had declared vengeance on all humanity, showers them with forgotten sunken treasures
in gratitude.
150
Main character profiles
Marie-Josphe de la Croix - Lady-in-waiting to King Louis XIVs niece. Younger sister of Father Yves de la
Croix. Convent-raised and at first, nave. Amateur composer and lover of mathematics. Assistant to her brother in
his scientific endeavors (mainly as a sketcher of specimens). Also, shares her brothers interests in natural
philosophy. Befriends the sea monster, later called Sherzad. Marie-Josphe is the only one able to understand the
sea monster, and thus, Marie-Josphe becomes her translator.
Father Yves de la Croix - Marie-Josphes older brother. A Jesuit priest and King Louiss natural philosopher.
Recently returned from an expedition commissioned by the King to find the legendary sea monster the possible
key to immortality. Stuck between his religious obligations, his scientific endeavors, and his own pride. Later
revealed to be a bastard son of King Louis.
Count Lucien de Chretien - A dwarf. Open Atheist. Kings Louis most trusted advisor. Epitome of etiquette.
Marie-Josphes love interest. Stuck between his kindling feelings for Marie-Josphe and his duty to his beloved
King.
Sherzad (the sea creature/sea woman) - One of the last sea monsters in the world. Captured by Father Yves de
la Croix and caged in the Apollo fountain in the Versailles for King Louis XIV. Flesh is rumoured to make the
eater immortal. Saliva can heal wounds, though this fact is not realized by the other characters. Has two tails,
tangled hair, and a gargoyle face. Enchanting voice - the music of which is her way of communicating. Can only
communicate with Marie-Josphe. Later vows vengeance on all humanity.
Themes
The depiction of alien life - The sea monster's credibility is evident by details such as her ability to communicate.
The sea monster's singing speech, acts like a dolphin's own speech - the sound echoes in the ocean. Also, like a
dolphin the sea monster can use sound waves and their reverberations to discover what may be inside an object.
These facts and the other characters' careful scientific approaches help to make the sea monster a well-rounded
alien species.
The effect of political and religious beliefs on scientific endeavors - Marie-Josphe has to write a letter to a
foreign mathematician in secret. Pope Innocent at one point reprimands Father Yves for his interests in scientific
studies, instead of being devote and pious to the Catholic order. He sentences Father Yves to meditate. At the
same time, the Duke of Chartres (the King's nephew), an aspiring chemist, has his interests shot down repeatedly
by his parents for his noble birth and title. And the King seeks immortality in the flesh of the sea monster -
something all scientists know is basically impossible, and yet something which Marie-Josphe and Father Yves
struggle to tell the King.
Barriers for women pursuing scientific interests - Marie-Josephe is seen only as her brother's assistant, even
though she is possibly the better scientist. When she composed music, her music is credited to another composer.
When the music is discovered to be hers, Marie-Josphe is openly rebuked (especially by Pope Innocent XII) for
impropriety and abusing her role as a woman.
151
Awards and recognitions
the Nebula Award (1997)
a Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 1997
review from the Romance Reader website
1997 Locus Recommended Book
James Tiptree Jr. Award Short-List choice
Intergalactic Award for best novel (1997)
Seiun Award nominee (2001)
The Moon and the Sun (film adaptation)
Cosmos Filmed Entertainment, in association with Bliss Media and Lightstream Pictures, will produce a film version
of The Moon and the Sun in partnership with the kylin network. Bill Mechanic of Pandemonium Films, James Pang
("Painted Skin 2"), Wei Han of Bliss Media and Paul Currie ("Rampart") are also producing. The movie will starr
Pierce Brosnan as King Louis XIV; Chinese movie star, Fan Bingbing, as the mermaid; and William Hurt as Pere de
Chaise (a character created for the movie). Filming will take place in Melbourne, Australia this April, with two
weeks of filming also planned in Versailles, France. Mechanic wrote the screenplay with the help of Barry Berman,
James Schamus, Ellen Harrington and Ron Bass. Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer) is set to direct.The $40 million
budget was co-financed by U.S. and Chinese sources. The film will be released by Universal's Focus Features in the
U.S., while international sales will be handled by Good Universe.
References
The Moon and the Sun
[2]
title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
[2] http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ cgi-bin/ title. cgi?9841
1998 Forever Peace
152
1998 Forever Peace
Forever Peace
Author Joe Haldeman
Coverartist Bruce Jensen
Language English
Series The Forever War series
Publisher Ace Books
Publication date
1997
Pages 326 pp
ISBN 0-441-00406-7
OCLC
36133306
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 21
LCClass PS3558.A353 F6 1997
Precededby The Forever War, (1974)
Followedby Forever Free, (1999)
Forever Peace is a 1997 science fiction novel by Joe Haldeman. It won the Nebula Award, Hugo Award and John
W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1998.
Plot
Though its title is similar to The Forever War and both novels deal with soldiers in the future, Forever Peace is not a
direct sequel, and takes place on Earth much closer to the present day.
Using remotely controlled robots called "soldierboys" (which are nearly invincible), the Alliance military fights third
world guerrillas in an endless series of economy-driven wars. As only first world nations possess the nanoforge
technology that can produce anything from basic materials, conflict is asymmetric.
The novel is told partly in first-person narration by the main character, Julian Class, and partly by an anonymous
third-person narrator, who is able to comment on aspects of Julian's personality and background.
The main protagonist, Julian Class, is a physicist and a mechanic who operates a soldierboy. Thanks to electronic
"jacks" implanted in their skulls, mechanics are remotely linked to the machinery as well as to each other, being able
to experience battle through the machines and read the thoughts of other mechanics who are simultaneously jacked
in.
After attempting suicide, Julian and his lover, Amelia "Blaze" Harding, are made aware of a problem with an
automated particle physics project that could potentially trigger a new Big Bang that destroys the Earth and the rest
of the universe. Because it's so easy to do, it is speculated that universes could potentially have only the lifespan of
the first civilization that attempts such a project. When Julian, Blaze, and another physicist submit their paper to a
1998 Forever Peace
153
journal's review board, they find themselves the target of "The Hammer of God" a Christian cult bent on hastening
an anticipated end of the universe. As the Hammer of God has a secret presence throughout the government, Julian
and Blaze narrowly miss being assassinated.
Marty Larrin, one of the inventors of jacking technology, recruits Julian and Blaze in an attempt to using this
technology to end war for all time; a little-known secret is that jacking with someone else for a long enough period
(about two weeks) will psychologically eliminate the ability to kill another human being. By "humanizing" the entire
world, dangerous technology would not be a problem for human survival. They do so, stop the particle accelerator's
construction, and war is eventually stopped.
Reception
Hugo Award winner, 1998
John W. Campbell Memorial Award winner, 1998
Locus Award nominee, 1998
References
External links
Forever Peace (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=45) at Worlds Without End
1999 Parable of the Talents
154
Parable of the Talents
Author Octavia E. Butler
Language English
Series Parable trilogy
Genre Dystopian, Science fiction novel
Publisher Seven Stories Press
Publication date
1998
Pages 365 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN ISBN 1-888363-81-9 (first edition, hardback)
OCLC
39478160
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 21
LCClass PS3552.U827 P38 1998
Precededby Parable of the Sower
Parable of the Talents is the second in a series of science fiction novels written by Octavia E. Butler and published
in 1998.
Plot
Parable of the Talents (1998) (the sequel to Parable of the Sower) tells the story of how, as the U.S. continues to fall
apart, the protagonist's community is attacked and taken over by a bloc of religious fanatics who inflict brutal
atrocities. The novel is a harsh indictment of religious fundamentalism, and has been compared in that respect to
Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.
Proposed third Parable novel
Butler had planned to write a third Parable novel, tentatively titled Parable of the Trickster, which would have
focused on the community's struggle to survive on a new planet. She began this novel after finishing Parable of the
Talents, and mentioned her work on it in a number of interviews, but at some point encountered a writer's block. She
eventually shifted her creative attention, resulting in Fledgling, her final novel.
155
Nebula Award Best Novel
References
External links
Parable of the Talents: A Novel (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=gOy07Z1AAR8C& pg=PP4& lpg=PP4&
dq=Parable+ of+ the+ Talents+ nebula& source=bl& ots=GdiTkn5De7&
sig=wit_KEc-QIHQXWSRn4VUzRnjhC0& hl=en& sa=X& ei=83r1Uc3gCeLCyQG2vYE4&
ved=0CFAQ6AEwBzgK#v=onepage& q=Parable of the Talents nebula& f=false)
2000 Darwin's Radio
156
2000 Darwin's Radio
Darwin's Radio
Author Greg Bear
Language English
Series Darwin series
Publisher Del Rey
Publication date
31 August 1999
Pages 448 pp
ISBN ISBN 0-345-42333-X
OCLC
40940104
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 21
LCClass PS3552.E157 D43 1999
Followedby Darwin's Children
Darwin's Radio is a 1999 science fiction novel by Greg Bear. It won the Nebula Award in 2000 for Best Novel and
the 2000 Endeavour Award. It was also nominated for the Hugo Award, Locus and Campbell Awards the same year.
It was followed by a sequel, Darwin's Children, in 2003.
Plot summary
In the novel, a new form of endogenous retrovirus has emerged, SHEVA. It controls human evolution by rapidly
evolving the next generation while in the womb, leading to speciation.
The novel follows several characters as the "plague" is discovered as well as the panicked reaction of the public and
the U.S. government to the disease.
Built into the human genome are non-coding sequences of DNA called introns. In Darwin's Radio, certain portions
of these "non-sense" sequences, remnants of prehistoric retroviruses, have been activated and are translating
numerous LPCs (large protein complexes). The activation of SHEVA and its consequential sudden speciation was
postulated to be either controlled by a complex genetic network that perceives a need for modification or a human
adaptive response to overcrowding. The disease, or rather, gene activation, is passed on laterally from male to female
as per an STD. If impregnated, a woman in her first trimester who has contracted SHEVA will miscarry a deformed
female fetus made of little more than two ovaries. This "first stage fetus" leaves behind a fertilized egg with fifty-two
chromosomes rather than the typical forty-six characteristic of Homo sapiens sapiens.
During the third trimester of the second stage pregnancy, both parents go into a pre-speciation puberty to prepare
them for the needs of their novel child. Facial pigmentation changes underneath the old skin which begins sloughing
off like a mask. Vocal organs and olfactory glands alter and sensitize respectively, to adapt for a new form of
communication. For over a year after the first SHEVA outbreak in the United States, no second stage fetus was
recorded to have been born alive. The new human species was highly sensitive to all varieties of herpes and could
2000 Darwin's Radio
157
not be viably born to a mother who had ever been infected with any of the virus' many forms, including Epstein-Barr
and the chickenpox thus eliminating 95% of the female population. Anesthetics and pitocin administered during
childbirth were also lethal. So while many women would contract activated SHEVA, few would be able to
successfully give birth, making the transition from Homo sapiens sapiens to the new human species very gradual.
The international response to the threat of SHEVA was to form a special task force that would work alongside the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to find a vaccine. Because the "disease", called "Herod's Flu",
was already in the genome of every person on Earth, the only two options were to either inhibit the activation of the
SHEVA gene by discovering the signal it used or to abort the second stage fetus. Due to the rapid mutation rate of
the missing-link signal molecule, preventing the activation of the gene was infeasible. The second option, abortion,
was already a controversial issue and the proposal of handing out free RU 486 was met with social upheaval, adding
to the already chaotic social scene. The general public believed that the government was either not placing due
importance on the death of countless fetuses, or already had a cure and refused to release it. In response, government
research facilities were forced to test prospective treatments prematurely and could not pursue explanations for
SHEVA outside of the "disease" category because of the potential reactions from the masses. It was not until viable
second stage fetuses were born that the idea of SHEVA being a part of evolution rather than a disease began to grow
from a few isolated sources.
References
2001 The Quantum Rose
158
The Quantum Rose
Author Catherine Asaro
Coverartist Julie Bell
Language English
Series Saga of the Skolian Empire
Publisher Tor Books (2000) and Analog Science Fiction and Fact (1999)
Publication date
2000
Pages 382 pp
ISBN 0-312-89062-1
OCLC
44313395
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 21
LCClass PS3551.S29 Q36 2000
The Quantum Rose is a science fiction novel by Catherine Asaro which tells the story of Kamoj Argali and Skolian
Prince Havyrl Valdoria. The book is set in her Saga of the Skolian Empire. It won the 2001 Nebula Award for Best
Novel and the 2001 Affaire de Coeur Award for Best Science Fiction.
[2]
The first third of the novel appeared as a
three-part serialization in Analog magazine in the 1999 May, June and July/August issues. Tor Books published the
full novel in 2000.
Plot summary
The Quantum Rose is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast folktale in a science fiction setting. In the novel, Kamoj
Argali, the governor of an impoverished province on the backward planet Balumil, is betrothed to Jax Ironbridge,
ruler of a wealthy neighboring province, an arrangement made for political purposes to save her province from
starvation and death. Havyrl (Vyrl) Lionstar, a prince of the titular Ruby Dynasty, comes to Balimul as part of a
governmental plan to deal with the aftermath of an interstellar war. Masked and enigmatic, he has a reputation as a
monster with Kamoj's people.
Lionstar interferes with Kamoj's culture and destabilizes their government by pushing her into marriage with
himself. In the traditional fairy tale, Belle must save her father from the prince transformed into a beast; in The
Quantum Rose, Kamoj must save her province from the prince in exile. The book deals with themes about the
physical and emotional scars left on the survivors of a war with no clear victor. As such, it is also a story of healing
for the characters Kamoj and Lionstar.
[3]
The second half of The Quantum Rose involves Lionstar's return to his home world with Kamoj, where he becomes
the central figure in a planet wide act of civil disobedience designed to eject an occupying military force that has
taken control of his planet. Both the world Balimul in the first half of the novel and the world Lyshriol in the second
half fall into the lost colony genre of literature in science fiction.
159
Context
The Quantum Rose is an allegory to the mathematical and physical processes of coupled-channel quantum scattering
theory and as such is based on Asaro's doctoral work in chemical physics, with thesis advisor Alexander Dalgarno at
the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Asaro describes the allegory in an essay at the end of the book and
explains how the characters and plot points play the roles of mathematical terms or processes in atomic and
molecular physics. Each chapter of the book has a main poetic title, and then a subtitle which refers to the aspect of
scattering theory highlighted in that chapter. In an interview with The Hachiko, Asaro describes how she used the
provocative nature of some scientific terminology to evoke conflicts dealt with in the book, such as the tensions
between capture and freedom.
[4]
She discusses some of her inspiration for the book in "Moments of Genius," an
interview at the Intel Big Think website.
[5]
This book overlaps with Spherical Harmonic, which tells the story of Ruby Pharaoh and her attempts to regain her
title after the devastating Radiance War.
Reception
Locus reviewer Jennifer Hall received the novel favorably, saying "The writing is strong and the plot and characters
engaging, and [Asaro] hold[s] it all together with a complexity of situations, scientific marvels, and loads of
intrigue."
[6]
Notes and references
[2] Spectrum Literary Agency (http:/ / www. spectrumliteraryagency. com/ asaro. htm)
[3] Review at magazine Challenging Destiny (http:/ / www. challengingdestiny. com/ reviews/ quantumrose. htm)
[4] verbatim transcription of audio interview (http:/ / www. thehachiko. com/ node/ 4138)
[5] Moments of Genius (http:/ / bigthink.com/ series/ 36?selected=20440#player)
[6] "Locus Looks at Books: Reviews by Divers Hands", Locus, December 2000, p.29
2002 American Gods
160
2002 American Gods
American Gods
Author Neil Gaiman
Language English
Genre Fantasy novel
Publisher William Morrow, Headline
Publication date
19 June 2001
Pages 480 pages
ISBN ISBN 0-380-97365-0
OCLC
46393953
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 21
LCClass PR6057.A319 A84 2001
Followedby Anansi Boys, "The Monarch of the Glen" (Fragile Things)
American Gods is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel by Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana,
fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centring on the mysterious and taciturn Shadow. It
is Gaiman's fourth prose novel, preceded by Good Omens (a collaboration with Terry Pratchett), Neverwhere, and
Stardust. Several of the themes touched upon in the book were previously glimpsed in The Sandman graphic novels.
The book was published in 2001 by Headline in the United Kingdom and by William Morrow in the United States. A
special 10th Anniversary edition, with the "author's preferred text", which includes an additional 12,000 words was
published by William Morrow in June 2011. The text is identical to the signed and numbered limited edition that was
released by Hill House Publishers in 2003. This version of the text has also been in print from Headline, Gaiman's
publisher in the UK since 2005.
[2]
The 10th Anniversary edition marks the first time the author's preferred text has
been available in wide release outside the UK. Gaiman also did a very extensive sold-out book tour celebrating the
10th Anniversary and promoting this book in 2011.
There are two audio versions of the book, the first one an unabridged version of the original published edition, read
by George Guidall, released in 2001 and a full cast version of the 10th Anniversary edition with the author's
preferred text including the 12,000 additional words, released in 2011. Both were produced and published by Harper
Audio. The full cast audio project also was announced on Neil Gaiman's blog with a contest in which people could
submit audio auditions and the winner would get an all expense paid trip to New York City to record a part for the
audio book.
2002 American Gods
161
Plot summary
The central premise of the novel is that gods and mythological creatures exist because people believe in them (a form
of thoughtform). Immigrants to the United States brought with them dwarves, elves, leprechauns, and other spirits
and gods. However, the power of these mythological beings has diminished as people's beliefs wane. New gods have
arisen, reflecting America's obsessions with media, celebrity, technology, and drugs, among others.
Shadow is a taciturn ex-con who leaves prison only to find that his wife, Laura (McCabe) Moon, and best friend died
in a car accident, leaving him alone in the world. Bereft, he takes a job as a bodyguard for a mysterious conman
called Mr. Wednesday, who seems to know more about Shadow's life than he lets on. Shadow and Wednesday travel
across America visiting Wednesday's unusual colleagues and acquaintances until Shadow learns that Wednesday is
in fact an incarnation of Odin the All-Father (the name Wednesday is derived from "Odin's Wden's day"), who
in his current guise is recruiting American manifestations of the Old Gods of ancient mythology, whose powers have
waned as their believers have decreased in number, to participate in an epic battle against the New American Gods,
manifestations of modern life and technology (for example, the Internet, media, and modern means of transport).
Shadow meets many gods and magical creatures, including Mr. Nancy (a manifestation of the spider god/trickster
figure Anansi), Czernobog (here an elderly East European immigrant), and a leprechaun named Mad Sweeney, who
gives Shadow the gift of a magical gold coin. Shadow tosses the coin into his wife's grave, inadvertently bringing her
back from the dead as a semi-living revenant.
Shadow and Wednesday try to rally the Old Gods to fight the new, but most are reluctant to get involved. The New
Gods abduct Shadow (utilising a group of shadowy Men in Black (MIB) led by the mysterious Mr. World), but
Laura rescues him, killing several MIBs in the process. For his protection, Wednesday hides Shadow, first with a
few stray Egyptian gods (Thoth, Anubis, and Bast, here as Mr. Ibis, Mr. Jaquel, and a common brown housecat) who
run a funeral parlor in Illinois, and then finally in the sleepy Great Lakes community of Lakeside. Shadow meets
many colourful locals in Lakeside, including Hinzelmann, an old-timer who spins tall tales, and Chad Mulligan, the
workaday local chief of police. Lakeside is tranquil and idyllic but Shadow suspects something is not quite right
about the town: While neighbouring communities turn into ghost towns, Lakeside is mysteriously resilient. The
town's children seem to disappear with unusual frequency. But he cannot investigate further, busily travelling across
America with Wednesday, meeting the likes of Johnny Appleseed and the goddess Easter to solicit their help in the
brewing conflict. They are pursued all the while by the Men in Black, particularly Mister Town, a jaded MIB who
blames Shadow for the death of his friends (actually murdered by Laura).
Finally the New Gods seek to parlay with Wednesdaybut in fact they murder him. This act galvanises the other Old
Gods into action, and finally they rally behind a common banner to face their enemies in battle. Shadow is bound by
his compact with Wednesday to hold his vigil by re-enacting Odin's time hanging from a "World Tree" while pierced
by a spear. Shadow dies and visits the land of the dead, where he is guided by Thoth and judged by Anubis. Easter
later brings him back to life, obeying orders that she does not fully understand. During the period between life and
death, Shadow learns that he is Wednesday's son, conceived as part of the deity's plans. He realises that Odin and
Mr. World have been working a "two-man con", and Mr. World is secretly Loki Liesmith, his former cellmate who
he knew as "Low Key Lyesmith". They orchestrated Shadow's birth, his meeting of Loki in disguise in prison, and
Laura's death. As part of the con, Loki had ordered Odin's murder so that the battle caused between the New and Old
Gods would serve as a sacrifice to Odin, restoring his power, while Loki would feed on the chaos of the battle.
Shadow arrives at Rock City, site of the climactic battle, just after the battle had started but in time to stop it,
explaining that both sides had nothing to gain and everything to lose, with Odin and Loki the only winners. America
is a "bad place for Gods", Shadow tells them, and recommends they go home and make the best of what they can get.
The Gods depart, Odin's ghost fades, and Laura impales Loki on a branch of the World Tree, and finally dies after
Shadow takes the magical coin from her.
In the aftermath of the climax, Shadow returns to Lakeside, where he finally stumbles on the town's secret: The
missing children are abducted by Hinzelmann, who is in fact a kobold, an ancient Germanic household god.
2002 American Gods
162
Hinzelmann blessed and protected the town, making it prosper despite the hardships plaguing the rest of the region,
in exchange for the town's unwitting sacrifice of their young. Shadow brings about Hinzelmann's demise, even
though he knows this may doom the community.
In Iceland, Shadow meets another incarnation of Odin, who was created by the belief of the original settlers of
Iceland, and is therefore much closer to the Odin of mythology than Wednesday was. Shadow accuses Odin of
Wednesday's actions, whereupon Odin replies that "He was me, yes. But I am not him." After a short talk, Shadow
gives Odin Wednesday's glass eye, which Odin places in a leather bag as a keepsake. Shadow performs a simple
sleight-of-hand coin trick, which delights Odin enough that he asks for a repeat performance. Shadow then performs
a small magic of his own, pulling a golden coin from nowhere. He flips it into the air and, without waiting to see if it
ever lands, walks down the hill, away from the god and out into the world.
The book also features many subplots and cutaway scenes detailing the adventures of various mythical beings in
America: The Queen of Sheba works as a prostitute, staying young and powerful by preying, succubus-like, on the
men she sleeps with; a salesman from Oman meets a cab-driving Ifrit; the first Viking explorers to come to America
bring their gods, including Odin, with them; a Cornish woman turns fugitive in the new world, inadvertently
populating it with the pixies and fairies of her native country; slaves from Africa populate the Caribbean Islands and
America with their tribal gods; even going back all the way to 14,000 BC and the gods of the very first American
immigrants.
Characters
Shadow Moon An ex-convict who becomes bodyguard to Mr. Wednesday, an incarnation of an Old Norse
deity, altogether becoming involved in a war between old and new gods. Confirmed in the Short Story Sequel to
be the reincarnation of the Norse Deity Baldr.
Laura Moon - Shadow Moon's wife who died in a car crash at the beginning of the novel a few days before
Shadow is due to be released from prison.
Old Gods:
Mr. Wednesday Odin, the Old Norse god of knowledge and wisdom, aspects which he uses to his advantage as
a confidence artist. He spends most of the story trying to get other old gods to join him in the inevitable war.
Czernobog The Slavic god of darkness, twin brother to Bielebog, the god of light.
The Zorya Sisters - The Zorya Sisters, relatives of Czernobog, are sisters representing the Morning Star (Zorya
Utrennyaya), the Evening Star (Zorya Vechernyaya), and the Midnight Star (Zorya Polunochnaya). In Slavic lore,
they are servants of Dabog who guard and watch over the doomsday hound, Simargl, who is chained to the star
Polaris in the constellation Ursa Minor, the "little bear". If the chain ever breaks, the hound will devour the world.
Mr. Nancy Anansi, a trickster spider-man from African folklore. He often makes fun of people for their
stupidity, a recurring aspect of his personality in his old stories.
Mr. Ibis Thoth, the Ancient Egyptian god of knowledge and writing. He runs a funeral parlor with Mr. Jacquel
in Cairo, Illinois. He often writes short biographies of people who brought folkloric beings with them to America.
Mr. Jaquel Anubis, the Ancient Egyptian god of the dead and mummification. He is an expert at preparing
bodies for the wake at funerals.
Easter -ostre, the Germanic goddess of the dawn.
Mad Sweeney Shuibhne, a king from an old Irish story. Though not portrayed as such in his story, he calls
himself a "Leprechaun," perhaps referring to how Irishmen are seen in America: a foul-mouthed, frequent drinker,
who is taller than expected.
Whiskey Jack Wisakedjak, a trickster figure of Algonquian mythology. He lives near a Lakota reservation in
the badlands with John Chapman, where he is mistaken for Iktomi, a trickster of their culture.
John Chapman Johnny Appleseed
Low-Key Lyesmith Loki, the Old Norse god of mischief and trickery.
2002 American Gods
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New Gods:
The Technical Boy New god of computers and the Internet. He is adamant about the prevail of the new gods
over the old gods. As the personification of the internet, he resembles the stereotype of a fat, arrogant,
basement-dwelling internet poster, who dresses like characters from The Matrix because he thinks it makes him
look cool. He still looks like a teenager with bad acne, because he is young even compared to the other new gods
(though he has quickly become one of the most powerful of them). Other characters derisively call him "the fat
kid".
Media New goddess of television.
The Black Hats Mister Town, Mister Stone, Mister Wood and Mister Road exist out of America's obsession
with Black helicopters and the Men in Black. They work as spooks for the new gods.
The Intangibles - New gods of the modern stock market, the personification of the "Invisible hand of the
market". They would prefer not to directly confront the old gods, because they "are pretty much in favor of letting
market forces take care of it."
Influences
The novel's dedication reads "For absent friends Kathy Acker and Roger Zelazny and all points in between".
Various real-life towns and tourist attractions, including the House on the Rock (and its 'world's largest carousel')
and Rock City, are featured through the course of the book. Gaiman states in an introduction that he has obscured the
precise location of some actual locales.
According to Gaiman, American Gods is not based on Diana Wynne Jones's Eight Days of Luke, "although they bear
an odd relationship, like second cousins once removed or something". When working on the structure of a story
linking gods and days of the week, he realised that this idea had already been used in Eight Days of Luke. He
abandoned the story, but later used the idea when writing American Gods to depict Wednesday and Shadow meeting
on the god's namesake day.
About John James's novel Votan, Gaiman stated: I think probably the best book ever done about the Norse was a
book that I couldnt allow myself to read between coming up with the idea of American Gods and finishing it. After
it was published I actually sat down and allowed myself to read it for the first time in 15 years and discovered it was
just as good as I thought it was.
[3]
Gaiman's subsequent novel Anansi Boys was actually conceived before American Gods, and shares a character, Mr.
Nancy. It is not a sequel but could possibly be of the same fictional world. Although Anansi the spider god of
African legend appears in both American Gods and Anansi Boys, implying a connection, one of Neil Gaiman's
signature touches is the use of allusion, both to works by other authors and to mechanics and themes used in his own
books. Though some elements from American Gods are mentioned in Anansi Boys (such as Nancy telling a group of
women that he fought in a war), none of the gods of the latter mention the importance of people's belief in them, and
only deities of African and Caribbean folktales are seen or mentioned. The novella, "Monarch of the Glen" (from the
Legends II anthology, later collected in Fragile Things), continues Shadow's journeys. This latter anthology also
features the characters of Mr. Alice and Mr. Smith, a pair of dubious men who also appeared in a Gaiman short story
called "Keepsakes and Treasures", suggesting that this tale is a part of the American Gods universe as well.
The novel also shares a number of themes and images with Gaiman's graphic novel series The Sandman. For
instance, in American Gods Shadow dreams of thunderbirds and a mountain of bones. Similarly, in The Sandman's
"A Dream of a Thousand Cats" a cat speaks of a dream in which she is wandering a mountain of bones and being
circled by a bird similar in description to the thunderbirds of American Gods. In addition, one chapter features a
young girl, described in a way similar to The Sandman's character Delirium. Also, the device of travelling around
America to visit old shabby gods was used in the Brief Lives storyline where Dream goes on a roadtrip to visit old
shabby gods.
2002 American Gods
164
Website tie-in
While Gaiman was writing American Gods, his publishers set up a promotional web site featuring a weblog in which
Gaiman described the day-to-day process of writing, revising, publishing, and promoting the novel. After the novel
was published, the web site evolved into a more general Official Neil Gaiman Web Site, and as of 2010[4] Gaiman
still regularly adds to the weblog, describing the day-to-day process of being Neil Gaiman
[citation needed]
and writing,
revising, publishing, or promoting his current project.
On 28 February 2008, Gaiman announced on his journal that for one month, the complete text of American Gods
would be available to the public on his publisher's website.
Reception
The book won the 2002 Hugo, Nebula, Locus, SFX Magazine and Bram Stoker Awards, all for Best Novel, and
likewise received nominations for the 2001 BSFA Award, as well as the 2002 World Fantasy, International Horror
Guild and Mythopoeic, and British Fantasy awards. It won the 2003 Geffen Award.
In May 2010, American Gods was selected in an online poll to be the first "One Book One Twitter" book.
[5]
Adaptation
In 2011 Gaiman stated at the Edinburgh International Book Festival that HBO network had expressed an interest in
adapting American Gods into a television series. During this time rumours circulated that the series would comprise
six seasons and that the success of the first season of Game of Thrones could negatively impact the prospective
American Gods series. HBO denied these rumours when they first emerged in mid-2011, saying that they would not
decline a show based upon the success of another and that there were no plans for a six season run of American
Gods, as the project's development "hasn't gotten to the place to even talk about that yet" and that scripts for the
series had not yet been written.
In March 2013 Gaiman spoke of the project's progress at the Cambridge International Student Film Festival. Gaiman
confirmed that the prospective series' opening episode would "contain new elements and details" while still
remaining "a lot like the opening chapters of the book". He also commented that the book would only make up the
first two seasons of the show and that he was still working on the pilot script, as his first script was not close enough
to his book for HBO's satisfaction. Rumors once again began to emerge that HBO had officially greenlit the series
for a six season run, which Gaiman debunked at his Twitter account by declaring, "Seeing news stories about
AMERICAN GODS being "officially greenlit" at HBO. These are just people talking on the internet & not true at
all."
In November 2013 Gaiman announced on Reddit that the TV series is still in the works but no longer at HBO.
In February of 2014, FremantleMedia acquired the rights to adapt the novel as a fantasy drama series.
[6]
2002 American Gods
165
Sequel
In an interview with MTV News published in 22 June 2011 Gaiman announced he had plans for a direct sequel to
American Gods. Gaiman was apparently planning to write a sequel even as he was writing the first book. The second
book is likely to focus more on the New Gods.
[7]
In December 2011, Gaiman announced that in January 2012 he
would begin work on what is essentially, American Gods 2.
Translations
Ameerika jumalad (Estonian), ISBN 9985-62-181-6
Amerykascy bogowie (Polish), ISBN 83-89004-10-0
Zei Americani (Romanian), ISBN 973-733-070-6
(Elim Amerikaim) (Hebrew)
American Gods (Italian), ISBN 88-04-52083-3
Deuses Americanos (Portuguese), ISBN 85-87193-59-7
Amerit bohov- (Czech), ISBN 80-85911-98-1
Americk bohovia (Slovak), ISBN 978-80-556-0754-2
Unohdetut jumalat ("Forgotten Gods") (Finnish), ISBN 951-1-18055-X
Amerikai istenek (Hungarian), ISBN 963-9441-53-8
American Gods (Spanish), ISBN 84-8431-627-0
Ameriki Bogovi (Croatian), ISBN 953-220-126-2
Ameriki bogovi (Slovenian), ISBN 978-961-274-129-7
A (Serbian), ISBN 86-7436-039-4
(Amerikanskie bogi) (Russian), ISBN 5-17-019844-2
Amerikos dievai (Lithuanian), ISBN 9986-97-101-2
Amerikan Tanrlar (Turkish), ISBN 978-975-10-1904-2
American Gods (German), ISBN 3-453-40037-2
Amerikanska Gudar (Swedish), ISBN 91-37-12227-4
(Chinese), ISBN 978-986-7399-84-7
(Chinese), ISBN 978-753-6459-50-2
(O Polemos ton Theon/War of the Gods) (Greek)
American Gods (French), ISBN 978-2-290-33041-8
(Bulgarian), ISBN 954-585-519-3
(), () (Korean), ISBN 978-89-6017-268-5,ISBN 978-89-6017-269-2
Amerikaanse Goden (Dutch), ISBN 90-245-4261-8, ISBN 978-90-245-4261-1
References
Gaiman, Neil (1 March 2007). "More Mysteries of the Oracle"
[8]
. Neil Gaiman's Journal. Retrieved 3 January
2007.
[2] Official Website of Neil Gaiman's UK Publishers (http:/ / www. neilgaiman. co. uk/ index. php?pgId=46) Retrieved on 13 June 2009.
[3] Interview with Neil Gaiman 2005 (http:/ / www. shadow-writer. co. uk/ neilinterview. htm)
[4] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=American_Gods& action=edit
[5] 'One Book, One Twitter' launches worldwide book club with Neil Gaiman (http:/ / www. guardian. co. uk/ books/ 2010/ may/ 04/
one-book-one-twitter-book-club) The Guardian 4 May 2010
[6] http:/ / www. deadline. com/ 2014/ 02/ fremantlemedia-to-adapt-fantasy-novel-american-gods-as-drama-series/
[7] Neil Gaiman Reflects On 'American Gods,' 10 Years Later (http:/ / www. mtv. com/ news/ articles/ 1666281/ neil-gaiman-american-gods.
jhtml) MTV News 22 June 2011
[8] http:/ / www. neilgaiman.com/ journal/ 2007/ 03/ more-mysteries-of-oracle. html
2002 American Gods
166
External links
The first five chapters of American Gods from the publisher, HarperCollins (http:/ / browseinside. harpercollins.
com/ index. aspx?isbn13=9780060558123& WT. mc_id=author_AmerGods_FullAccess_022208)
only the gods are real (http:/ / www. frowl. org/ gods/ gods. html), a listing of all the gods and mythical beings
featured in American Gods
Internet Speculative Fiction Database Top 100 lists (http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ top100. html): American Gods
ranks second on the 'Balanced' and 'Popular' lists, and third on the 'Critical' list
" And the One Book, One Twitter Winner Is ... (http:/ / www. wired. com/ epicenter/ 2010/ 04/
and-the-one-book-one-twitter-winner-is/ ), Wired, 29 April 2010, John C Abell. part of the "One book, One
Twitter (#1b1t)" contest, selection April 2010 "
Full-length Commentary on American Gods (http:/ / www. rjspindle. com/ content/ american-gods-neil-gaiman)
American Gods Cover Art History international cover art gallery (http:/ / upcoming4. me/ news/ book-news/
cover-art-history-neil-gaiman-american-gods)
2003 Speed of Dark
167
2003 Speed of Dark
Speed of Dark
Cover of (paperback)
Author Elizabeth Moon
Language English
Publisher Orbit Books
Publication date
2002
ISBN 1-84149-141-1
OCLC
50526588
[1]
Speed of Dark (released in some markets as The Speed of Dark) is a near-future science fiction novel by American
author Elizabeth Moon.
[2]
The story is told from the first person viewpoint of an autistic process analyst. It won the
Nebula Award for Best Novel in 2003,
[3]
and was also an Arthur C. Clarke Award finalist.
[4]
Plot summary
Lou Arrendale is a bioinformatics specialist, and high-functioning autistic, who has made a good life for himself. A
new manager at the firm where he works puts pressure on the department where many autistic people work. Lou is
pressured to undergo an experimental treatment that might "cure" his autism. Lou does not think he needs curing, but
he risks losing his job and other accommodations the company has put in place for its autistic employees.
Lou struggles with the idea of going through this "treatment" for his autism while he pursues fencing with "normal"
friends and continues to go to work. His autistic friends, as well as himself, meet together after work and discuss
what or what not to do.
Reception
Speed of Dark was released to high praise from reviewers. SF Site stated that "At worst, Speed of Dark is a
magnificent character study. At best, it's the most powerful book you'll read this year,"
[5]
and Infinity Plus review
described it as "one of those exceptionally rare novels that has the power to alter one's entire worldview, and reading
it is a profoundly rewarding and enriching experience."
[6]
External links
Speed of Dark at the official Elizabeth Moon website
[7]
2003 Speed of Dark
168
References
[2] Moon, Elizabeth (2005) The Speed of Dark, Ballantine, 978-0345481399
[3] SFWA - Nebula Award Winners (http:/ / www.sfwa.org/ 2011/ 05/ nebula-award-winners-announced/ )
[4] Arthur C. Clarke Award - Shortlist (http:/ / www. clarkeaward. com/ previous-awards/ shortlists/ )
[5] Blaschke, Jayme Lynn (2003) Speed of Dark - Elizabeth Moon (http:/ / www. sfsite. com/ 03b/ sd148. htm), The SF Site, accessed March 22,
2013
[6] Grant, John The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon (http:/ / www. infinityplus. co. uk/ nonfiction/ speedofdark. htm), Infinity Plus, accessed
March 22, 2013
[7] http:/ / www. elizabethmoon. com/ books-nonseries.html#speed
2004 Paladin of Souls
169
Paladin of Souls
Author Lois McMaster Bujold
Coverartist David Bowers
Language English
Series Chalion universe
Genre Fantasy
Publisher Eos (HarperCollins)
Publication date
September 23, 2003
Mediatype Print (Hardcover & Paperback) & E-book
Pages 456 pp (hardcover)
496 pp (paperback)
ISBN 0-380-97902-0
OCLC
51647768
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 21
LCClass PS3552.U397 P355 2003
Precededby The Curse of Chalion
Followedby The Hallowed Hunt
Paladin of Souls is a 2003 fantasy novel by Lois McMaster Bujold.
Synopsis
Paladin of Souls is a sequel to The Curse of Chalion and is set some three years after the events of that novel. It
follows Ista, mother of the girl who became Royina (Queen) in that book and a minor character in it. Recovering
from the extreme guilt and grief that had marked her as mad while the Golden General's curse on her family
persisted, she finds herself bored to distraction and restless. To get away from her home town, Valenda, and its ugly
memories she sets out on a religious pilgrimage with the dy Gura brothers (also minor characters from the earlier
story) for protection; Liss, a feisty and clever courier girl; and dy Cabon, a plump priest of the Bastard (one of the
five gods) as her 'spiritual guide'. The Bastard, god of disasters and of things out of season, becomes a larger
presence in this novel than was The Lady of Spring in The Curse of Chalion; by its end, Ista herself has become a
saint in his service. (The Father of Winter, another of the five gods, also makes a brief appearance.)
The pilgrimage party is overrun and captured by a troop of Roknari raiders from the adjacent principality of Jokona,
then set free by a patrol from nearby Castle Porifors. Leading the rescuers is Arhys, lord of the castle and a very
effective warrior indeedconsidering that he scarcely eats or drinks, or sleeps except for brief afternoon naps.
Though she comes to be immensely attracted to him, she realizes in horror that he is the son of a man she had helped
murder. Another obstacle is Arhys's very young and very beautiful wife, Cattilara. Once in the castle Ista discovers
another odd man: Lord Illvin, Arhys's half-brother. He is unconscious except for afternoon wakings that match
Arhys' naps. She has seen him before, though, in a baffling dream that at last makes some sense. As this mystery
170
begins to come clear, Castle Porifors is besieged by a new force of Roknari from Jokona that includes its Prince,
Sordso, and his mother, Princess Joen. The latter is an elderly, minor daughter of the Golden General and has
accumulated a whole troop of demon-ridden magicians, including her son, all of them controlled by one major
magician: herself.
As Castle Porifors and its defenders crumble under magical siege, Lord Arhys and a picked troop make a night raid
that jolts the Jokonans but does not dislodge them. Only when Ista allows herself to walk as a hostage into the
Princess' lair is the siege ended. The remaining magicians' demons are sent back to the Bastard's care, and the
remaining loose ends of the story are resolved, with Ista's acceptance of the Bastard's offer of skills and a job that
give use and meaning to the rest of her life. Lord Illvin comes with the job as a bonus.
Hugo Award for Best Novel, winner (2004)
Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, winner (2004)
Nebula Award for Best Novel, winner (2004)
References
External links
Paladin of Souls (http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ cgi-bin/ title. cgi?23859) title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction
Database
Publisher's page (http:/ / www. harpercollins. com/ global_scripts/ product_catalog/ book_xml.
asp?isbn=0380979020)
Map of Chalion (http:/ / www. dendarii. com/ map. html)
2005 Camouflage
171
2005 Camouflage
Camouflage
Author Joe Haldeman
Coverartist Craig White
Language English
Publisher Ace Books
Publication date
2004
Pages 296 pp
ISBN 0-441-01161-6
OCLC
55877569
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 22
LCClass PS3558.A353 C36 2004
Camouflage is a 2004 science fiction novel by Joe Haldeman. It won the James Tiptree, Jr. Award in 2004 and the
Nebula Award for Best Novel in 2005.
Parts of the novel were originally serialized in Analog Science Fiction and Fact (March, April and May, 2004).
Plot summary
A million years prior to the dawn of Homo sapiens, two immortal, shapeshifting aliens roam the Earth with little
memory of their origin or their purpose. In the year 2019, an artifact is discovered off the coast of Samoa, buried
deep beneath the ocean floor. The mysterious find attracts the alien beings the "changeling" and the "chameleon"
to Samoa, where one ponders the meaning of the object and the other speculates on its relationship to each of them.
Both immortals seek each other for different reasons: one harbours good intentions toward humanity, while the other
is extremely hostile.
Plot
A million years before the rise of humans, the changeling arrives on Earth from Messier 22; its spaceship hides deep
in the Pacific Ocean. The changeling lives in the ocean for millennia, taking the form of a great white shark, killer
whale, or porpoise while it explores, and it gradually forgets where it came from. Eventually it discovers humanity
"and wades ashore naked and ignorant. But eager to learn."
San Guillermo, California, 1931. The changeling takes the form of (and unwittingly kills) the first person it comes
across, a handsome, wealthy young man named Jimmy Berry. Because it cannot speak English (yet), Jimmy's friends
assume that he has brain damage, and the changeling is sent home to his parents.
Baja California, 2019. Dr. Russell Sutton is a marine engineer who runs the small firm Poseidon Projects. He is
approached by elderly Admiral Jack Halliburton, who has a for-profit job for Poseidon: recover a submarine sunk in
the Tonga Trench, and then "find" a mysterious cigar-shaped object located nearby. Jack wants to use Russell's team
2005 Camouflage
172
as camouflage, because all he really cares about is getting the object for himself.
Chapters alternate between the stories of the changeling and its various lives over decades; of Russ's attempts to
decipher the artifact; and of the chameleon, whose story begins in Eurasia in the Pre-Christian Era. The chameleon
"was always a man, and usually a brute." He can change his looks in a moment (unlike the changeling, who needs
several minutes and suffers while doing so). The chameleon has often been a soldier, fighting for example with
Alexander the Great and as a Masai warrior, though he also lived as farmers and butchers, among others; he suffers
as a slave brought from West Africa to the new America, but in later decades makes a vast fortune.
The changeling begins to learn about humanity with Jimmy Berry's parents. They have specialists brought to their
mansion to test it, and it learns to read, draw, play piano, and speak. The changeling has eidetic memory, so these
tasks are easy; human psychology baffles it. When a nurse seduces it, it learns about sex; when next seduced, the
changeling is unaware that it has hurt the woman badly, and in 1932 it is sent to a "private insane asylum", where it
learns a great deal more about the range of human behaviors than a coddled rich boy normally would.
Jack and Russ move their team to Apia, Samoa. The artifact proves difficult to move, as it is possibly three times as
dense as plutonium, but they bring it to the beach and build a wall around it. Dr. Franklin Nesbitt, Chief of NASA
Advanced Planning, comes to them with a proposal: To share much of the enormous cost of the project, he wants to
add a team of researchers to the Poseidon Project, for what he seeks: "Half our team are exobiologists. It's not so
much a 'what'... as a 'who'." The new team includes Jan Dagmar, an exobiologist, who quickly befriends Russ.
In 1935, the changeling attends the University of Massachusetts to study oceanography, then the Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution; it senses that something important to it will be found in marine science. Its studies are
interrupted by World War II. In 1941, it takes part in the Bataan Death March, during which "Jimmy" sees horrific
incidents which humanize the changeling; it learns friendship and pity. The changeling escapes Bataan and spends
years swimming back to America as a shark; meanwhile, the chameleon enjoys war atrocities and becomes assistant
to Josef Mengele at Birkenau.
In 2020, the team attempts many ways to make an impression on the artifact; when they try to communicate with it,
they get a surprising momentary result.
In 1948, the changeling comes to shore in California. It attends college at Berkeley to study literature and
anthropology. When it learns of Project Sign, it begins to wonder whether there are other extraterrestrials on Earth.
The chameleon also hunts for other aliens, so that he may enjoy fighting and killing them.
In 2021, Jan Dagmar begins to send a complex message to the artifact, by beaming at it in every frequency from
microwave to X ray, and by tapping it mechanically. The team plunges the artifact into different atmospheres
specifically, those of the planets and moons of our Solar System in case the object might recognize one of them as
"home-like" and respond.
For many years, the changeling earns further doctorates in astronomy, astrophysics, marine biology and
biotechnology. It attends Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study computers. It works on the SETI project,
then leaves academia for several years to work in the circus, get married, and otherwise learn more about humanity.
After re-creating itself as a woman many times, it finds that it prefers to be one, though for a long time it establishes
an identity as Professor Jimmy Coleridge at the University of Hawaii. It occasionally shows a human playfulness:
turning into a shark, for example, and then swimming up to the local campus's marine cameras and dissemblingly
doing something "unsharklike."
In 2019, the changeling learns about the artifact at Apia and, feeling "a shock of recognition," determines to join the
team there. The chameleon has also come to Apia and pleasures itself by killing people. In 2021, the artifact answers
Jan's tests by tapping back. The changeling borrows biological and job information from a Californian woman, Rae
Archer, to apply for a job at Poseidon. "She" is interviewed by Russ and Jan, and gets a job as a technician. Part of
this job requires trying to crack the message that the artifact has sent. While working on it, for some weeks, "Rae"
and Russ fall in love. "Rae" can do enormous computations in her head while working with others or pretending to
2005 Camouflage
173
sleep, and soon becomes convinced that the message that the artifact emitted is meant for herself.
The impersonation of Rae Archer is exposed by the CIA. Agents plan an ambush for Russ and Rae by allowing them
to think that they have won a weekend at a luxury hotel, the Aggie Grey's. The changeling enters the room first, and
the agents assault her; one blows off her left arm with a double-barreled shotgun. The changeling smashes through
the balcony, runs across the traffic, and dives into the water, where it changes into a shark again. "Rae" decides to
approach Russ again, to reunite with him as well as to approach the artifact, and creates a new personality, Sharon
Valida, a pretty blonde.
Meeting Russ one night as Sharon, she makes love to him, reveals herself as both Rae and an extraterrestrial, and
insists that he take her to the artifact site. Russ agrees, and the changeling changes itself to look like Jan, so that they
can get through the security checkpoints. As Rae approaches the artifact, which she now recognizes as her spaceship,
Jack Halliburton appears in the room, traps them there, and reveals himself as the chameleon. Rae fights the
chameleon, but almost loses the battle while trying to protect Russ. At last, her spaceship traps "Jack," and, revealing
her true self (large, shimmering, colorful, "inhumanly beautiful"), she tells Russ that she must leave. "It's like a law.
I've been here for too long. Done things I shouldn't have done. Like fall in love with a local, an alien." Russ begs to
go with her, and with great joy, they enter the spaceship and leave for her home.
Characters
Changeling: An extraterrestrial who is fascinated by people and who learns to share their joys and fears, and to
love. It can manufacture bodies, clothes, money, passports, and almost anything else it needs, out of the basic
material of itself. Among the many personalities it takes are Jimmy Berry, Professor Jimmy Coleridge, Rae
Archer and Sharon Valida.
Dr. Russell Sutton: A marine engineer whose company, Poseidon Projects, is hired by Jack Halliburton to lift the
artifact from the sea bed. He likes food; he likes women more and likes working with them; he falls in love with
Rae Archer, then with Sharon Valida, then with the changeling.
Jack Halliburton: Posing as a U.S. Navy Admiral, he hires Russ to retrieve the artifact. As the chameleon, he
seeks any other extraterrestrial on Earth, in order to destroy it.
Jan Dagmar: A "white-haired exobiologist old enough to remember the first moon landing and young enough to
go cave-diving for fun." Leader of the NASA team which endeavors to understand the nature of the artifact.
Naomi: A well-muscled young woman, part of Jan's team.
Moishe: Jan's senior technician.
Hugh: The changeling's first friend, a Marine who suffers through the Bataan Death March with "Jimmy."
Themes
Camouflage is the theme running throughout the chapters on the changeling and the chameleon; one of the first
things Jack says about himself is that he wears an admiral's uniform for "protective coloration." Unafraid to hide
his secrets in plain sight, he talks about extraterrestrials, calls himself a "total barbarian" and likes steaks so rare
they're blue inside, a hint of his predatory nature, but Russ and Jan, who admit they find him intimidating, are
fooled. The changeling, hoping to find others like itself, spends years in a circus and in universities, and
investigates humans with biological oddities.
War: As one reviewer put it, Haldeman "is much more than just a military SF writer, but it's clear that Vietnam
remains central to his existence and the nightmare inspiration for some of his best work." In Camouflage, the war
that receives Haldeman's auctorial disgust is World War II, and two particular periods are spotlighted: the Bataan
Death March and the atrocities at the Auschwitz concentration camps, where the chameleon enjoys working with
Mengele.
Distrust of the United States government appears throughout the 2019-2021 sections, as though the characters fear
it is approaching Totalitarianism. Russ and Jack agree to work together on the stipulation that the U.S. is not
2005 Camouflage
174
involved; even the NASA team offers itself as a sort of semi-autonomous agency, with its own budget to spend
and no strings attached. Even the changeling, when ambushed, tells the CIA agents, "You have no jurisdiction
here."
Cultural diversity: To the changeling, all human behavior needs studying; to the chameleon, any group of humans
can be found to need destroying. Haldeman describes the differences between the Americans and the Samoans,
but any hints of racism appear to be on the part of white American government people. Haldeman describes
Samoa affectionately, spending paragraphs on its views, beauty, and variety of foods.
Allusions
Jack Halliburton is described as looking "like Don Quixote on a diet." Joe Haldeman uses many of the themes of
Don Quixote in this novel, including idealism, questing, and deception.
The Halliburton Company became the focus of many controversies and scandals in the United States, in the years
preceding the publication of this novel.
Kenneth Swanwick is a CIA agent who shoots Rae's arm off. Haldeman is playfully alluding to science fiction
and fantasy author Michael Swanwick.
Critical reception
Awards
Camouflage was granted the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, a $1000 prize for "gender-bending fiction," in 2004. One
juror, Ursula K. Le Guin, wrote in her decision, "An ageless, sexless entity who can take any form is at first
indifferent to gender; as it grows more human, the choice becomes more important to it; it ends up a woman by
preference. If gender isn't the central concern of this novel, it's near the center, and the handling of it is skillful,
subtle, and finely unpredictable." Another juror, Cecilia Tan, wrote, "Haldeman is a Hemingway scholar, and it
shows in the elegance of his minimalist prose in this thought-provoking book. In the best tradition of 'hard' sf,
Haldeman mixes scientific speculation with purely human 'what if?' in wondering what would happen if a
shape-shifting alien predator became, essentially, human? This book explores the human condition as thoroughly as
any literary work, with understanding of gender at the crux of that understanding. For me it was one of the best
science fiction books I have read in years."
The novel also earned the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 2005.
Reviews
Library Journal wrote, "With his customary economy of words, Haldeman (The Forever War) examines the
differences and similarities between human and nonhuman nature as his protagonists face possible destruction.
Superb storytelling and a panoramic view of history recommend this novel to most sf collections." Booklist wrote,
"Award-winning sf veteran Haldeman proves as engaging a storyteller as ever, especially given this book's
irresistible premise and page-turning action."
Entertainment Weekly gave the book a B+ grade: "Haldeman trips through history wearing alien goggles, but his
message is all about human nature." (The writer suggested that the book be read as Terminator 3 meets Brother
From Another Planet.)
Gerald Jonas of The New York Times Book Review said, "Haldeman handles this complicated scheme effortlessly,
and the ending is satisfying whether or not you have figured out who is who. If this smoothly written entertainment
has a flaw, it is in the take-it-or-leave-it premise. I had no more trouble accepting two shape-changers than one.
What gave me pause was the assumption that while some shape-changing aliens are capable of being changed by
their experiences, others are simply born bad."
2005 Camouflage
175
The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote, "Sometimes grim, always interesting, Camouflage is written with all of
Haldeman's characteristic toughness, care and clarity." The Kansas City Star said, "Sometimes the most satisfying
tale is the one most simply told. So it is with Joe Haldeman's Camouflage... Haldeman is a Vietnam vet, and he
brings his experience and military history to the front. For example, the Bataan Death March makes an indelible
impression upon the shape-shifter; as it learns, we learn, and the lessons are ugly truths. There's a vapid movie in the
cinemas now [referring to Alien vs. Predator] about aliens and predators that, for millennia, have used Earth as a
proving ground. Better to use your imagination and read Haldeman's book."
The Rocky Mountain News wrote that Camouflage "makes fresh and original use of an old and overused plot...
Camouflage is an addictive read, one of the strangest love stories around." The Denver Post said, "Joe Haldeman
writes a classic tale of aliens with a smooth, simple brilliance that is a joy to read."
The Kansas City Star listed the novel among its 10 Top Speculative Fiction Titles of 2004, and the Long Beach
Press-Telegram listed Camouflage among its "Noteworthy Books of 2004."
The Contra Costa Times was unimpressed: "The setup is interesting - an immortal alien on Earth - but the
follow-through is pedestrian at best. Haldeman throws in an extra alien for no apparent reason, and the love affair
that supposedly wraps up the action is neither solidly developed nor particularly believable." Similarly, Publishers
Weekly wrote, "Joe Haldeman's Camouflage, a near-future SF thriller that alternates between the experiences of two
different aliens who land on Earth, skillfully weaves its disparate plot threads until the cop-out, deus ex machina
ending. This is a more sophisticated, if less than satisfying, handling of a similar situation in Hal Clement's Needle
(1950)." Kirkus Reviews also had a mixed reaction: "Well-constructed and intriguingly set up, but ultimately a
disagreeable surprise: the story slips away, and you're left holding an empty coat."
References
Reviews
Hays, Carl. "Camouflage (Book)." Booklist 100.22 (Aug. 2004): 1913.
Sallis, James. "Life/Troll: A Love Story/Camouflage." Fantasy & Science Fiction 109.6 (Dec. 2005): 38-43.
"CAMOUFLAGE (Book)." Kirkus Reviews 72.10 (15 May 2004): 477-477.
August Publications (Book)." Publishers Weekly 251.30 (26 July 2004): 42-43.
Robischon, Noah. "SCI-FI 101: Preventing Earth Defects" in Entertainment Weekly (10 Sep. 2004): 167.
External links
Camouflage (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=839) at Worlds Without End
2006 Seeker
176
2006 Seeker
Seeker
Author Jack McDevitt
Language English
Publisher Ace Books
Publication date
2005
Pages 368
ISBN 0-441-01329-5
OCLC
60798500
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 22
LCClass PS3563.C3556 S44 2005
Precededby Polaris
Followedby The Devil's Eye
Seeker is a 2005 science fiction novel by Jack McDevitt. It won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 2006.
Synopsis
The story is set approximately 10,000 years in the future, after civilization has expanded to inhabit countless worlds.
Alex Benedict and his partner Chase Kolpath are astroarchaeologists involved in the examination of abandoned
bases and deserted space-craft in search of valuable items.
Alex is approached by a mysterious woman who asks him to ascertain the value of a strange cup riddled with archaic
symbols. They discover that the cup is a 9,000 year old relic from one of the first Faster-than-light vehicles built, the
Seeker. This was a colony ship manned by a faction known as the "Margolians" who were fleeing the
then-oppressive society of Earth in hopes of establishing a free world. Records indicate that they succeeded, as the
Seeker made several voyages, but they kept the location of their colony world a secret.
With insight, and some luckWikipedia:Vagueness, Alex and Chase discover who brought this cup back. By retracing
the route of these long-forgotten space explorers, they begin to get an idea of where the Seeker was found. Excitedly,
they set off in hopes of finding the colony of "Margolia".
2006 Seeker
177
Recognition
John W. Campbell Award nominee, 2006
Southeastern Science Fiction Achievement Award 2006,
References
External links
Jack McDevitt's site (http:/ / www. jackmcdevitt. com/ )
Seeker (http:/ / www. worldswithoutend. com/ novel. asp?ID=864) at Worlds Without End
2007 The Yiddish Policemen's Union
178
The Yiddish Policemen's Union
First edition cover
Author Michael Chabon
Coverartist Jacket design by Will Staehle
Language English, some Yiddish
Genre Novel, science fiction, alternative history, detective fiction
Publisher HarperCollins
Publication date
May 1, 2007
Mediatype Print (Hardcover)
Pages 414 pp (first edition, hardcover)
ISBN ISBN 978-0-00-714982-7 (first edition, hardcover)
OCLC
73140283
[1]
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 22
LCClass PS3553.H15 Y54 2007
The Yiddish Policemen's Union is a 2007 novel by American author Michael Chabon. The novel is a detective story
set in an alternative history version of the present day, based on the premise that during World War II, a temporary
settlement for Jewish refugees was established in Sitka, Alaska, in 1941, and that the fledgling State of Israel was
destroyed in 1948. The novel is set in Sitka, which it depicts as a large, Yiddish-speaking metropolis.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union won a number of science fiction awards: the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the
Locus Award for Best SF Novel, the Hugo Award for Best Novel, and the Sidewise Award for Alternate History for
Best Novel. It was shortlisted for the British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel and the Edgar Allan
Poe Award for Best Novel.
Setting
The Yiddish Policemen's Union is set in an alternative history version of the present day. The premise is that,
contrary to real history, the United States voted to implement the 1940 Slattery Report, that recommended the
provision of land in Alaska for the temporary refugee settlement of European Jews who were being persecuted by
the Nazis during World War II. The novel's divergence point from real history is revealed in the first dozen chapters
to be the death of Anthony Dimond, Alaska Territory delegate to the U.S. Congress, in a car accident; Dimond was
one of the congressmen responsible for preventing a vote on the report. It imagines a temporary independent Jewish
settlement being created on the Alaskan coast. As a result, two million Jews are killed in the Holocaust,
[2]
instead of
the six million in reality.
The setting is Sitka, Alaska, which has become a sprawling metropolis at the center of the Jewish settlement in
Alaska. One of the city's landmarks is the 'Safety Pin', a tall building erected for the 1977 World Fair held in Sitka
and a source of pride for its inhabitants. The lands across the border are populated primarily by Tlingit Alaska
Natives, and there has been a history of friction between the Jews and the Tlingit, but also of intermarriage and
cross-cultural contact; one of the novel's characters, Berko Shemets, is half Jewish, half Tlingit. Sitka's status as a
179
Federal District has been granted for only sixty years, and the novel is set at the end of this period, as an evangelical
Christian United States President is promising to go through with the 'Reversion' of Sitka to the State of Alaska.
In the novel, the State of Israel is founded in 1948, but is destroyed after only three months in an alternative version
of the Arab-Israeli War. Without Israel, Palestine is described as a mosaic of contending religious and secular
nationalist groups locked in internecine conflict; Jerusalem is described as "a city of blood and slogans painted on
the wall, severed heads on telephone poles".
[3]
The United States president believes in "divine sanction" for
neo-Zionism, a movement seeking for Jews to reclaim Israel once again.
Chabon describes the rest of world history only elliptically, but hints at enormous changes. Germany crushes the
Soviet Union in 1942 and World War II continues until 1946, when Berlin is destroyed with nuclear weapons.
Chabon refers to a 'Polish Free State' existing in 1950, and describes some characters as veterans of a lengthy 'Cuban
War' in the 1960s. President John F. Kennedy was not assassinated and married Marilyn Monroe; Orson Welles
succeeded in making his film of Heart of Darkness. And when describing the modern world, Chabon refers to a
'Third Russian Republic' and an independent Manchuria that has its own space program.
Plot summary
The book opens with Meyer Landsman, an alcoholic homicide detective with the Sitka police department, examining
the murder of a man in the hotel where Landsman lives. Beside the corpse lies an open cardboard chess board with
an unfinished game set up on it. Landsman calls his partner, half-Tlingit, half-Jewish Berko Shemets, to help him
investigate further. Upon filing a report on the murder at police headquarters, Landsman and Berko discover that
Landsman's ex-wife Bina has been promoted to commanding officer of their unit.
Landsman and Berko discover that the victim was Mendel Shpilman, the son of the Verbover rebbe, Sitkas most
powerful organized crime boss. Mendel was believed by many to be the Tzadik ha-Dor, the potential messiah, born
once in every generation.
As Meyer continues to investigate Mendel's murder, he discovers that the supposed "chosen one" had taken a flight
with Naomi, Landsman's deceased sister. He follows Naomi's trail to a mysterious set of buildings with an unknown
purpose, set up in Tlingit territory by Jews. Landsman flies there to investigate; he is knocked out and thrown in a
cell, whose walls have graffiti in Naomi's handwriting.
The naked and injured Landsman, after a crazed escape attempt, is rescued by a local Tlingit police chief, Willie
Dick, who reunites him with Berko. They discover that the mysterious complex is home to a paramilitary group who
plan to build a new Temple in Jerusalem. This involves destroying the Dome of the Rock. The American
government, led by an evangelical Christian Zionist, has provided support.
As Landsman and Berko follow up on this lead, a news report reveals that the Dome has been bombed. American
agents apprehend the detectives and offer them permission to stay in Sitka after the reversion if they agree to keep
quiet about the plot they have uncovered. Landsman says that he will and is released.
Landsman reunites with Bina, frustrated by his failure with the Shpilman case. He keeps going over the chess board
in his head, and suddenly realizes that it's not an unfinished game but a puzzle, and that he had seen the same
position from the perspective of the other player in Berko's father, Hertz Shemetz's house. Landsman and Bina track
down Hertz, and he confesses to killing Mendel at Mendel's own request. Landsman contacts an American newsman
with the story. The book ends with Bina and Landsman reunited and ready to face their future wherever they may
land in the Diaspora.
The book contains a great deal of comic relief. The creative and playful use of the Yiddish language (for example,
cops call a gun a "sholem" literally a "peace") is an ongoing feature. The juxtaposition of the culture of the shtetl
(the Jewish village of eastern Europe) on the Alaskan landscape is also playful and amusing. Wikipedia:Manual of
Style (words to watch)#Editorializing
180
Origins and writing
Chabon began working on the novel in February 2002, inspired by an essay he had published in Harper's in October
1997. Entitled "Guidebook to a Land of Ghosts"
[4]
, the essay discussed a travel book Chabon had found, Say It in
Yiddish, and the dearth of Yiddish-speaking countries in which the book would be useful. While researching
hypothetical Yiddish-speaking countries, Chabon learned of "this proposal once that Jewish refugees be allowed to
settle in Alaska during World War II... I made a passing reference to it in the essay, but the idea stuck." Vitriolic
public response to the essay, which was seen as controversial for "prematurely announcing [Yiddish's] demise," also
spurred Chabon to develop the idea.
In late 2003, Chabon mentioned the novel on his web site, saying that it was titled Hotzeplotz in a reference to the
"Yiddish expression 'from here to Hotzeplotz,' meaning more or less the back of nowhere, Podunk, Iowa, the ends of
the earth." In 2004, Chabon said the (retitled) book would be published in fall 2005, but then the writer decided to
trash his most recent draft and start over. His publisher HarperCollins pushed the publication date back to April 11,
2006. Chabon's rejected 600-page draft featured the same characters as the novel he eventually published but "a
completely different story," and was also written in the first person.
In December 2005, Chabon announced a second delay to the novel's release, claiming that the manuscript was
complete but that he felt that HarperCollins was rushing the novel into publication. An excerpt from the book
appeared in the Fall 2006 issue of the Virginia Quarterly Review, and the novel itself was released on May 1, 2007.
Chabon has said that the novel was difficult to write, calling it "an exercise in restraint all around... The sentences are
much shorter than my typical sentences; my paragraphs are shorter than my typical paragraphs." He also described
the novel as an homage to the writing of mystery writers Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and Ross
Macdonald, along with Russian writer Isaac Babel.
Reception
In the weeks leading up to its publication, the novel received a good deal of attention from the press. The front page
of The New York Times' Arts & Leisure section featured a "big, splashy" profile of Chabon in which he flew to Sitka
and discussed the book while walking around the city. The novel also received preemptive criticism, with The New
York Post publishing an article headlined "Novelist's Ugly View of Jews." The Post alleged that Chabon's depiction
of "Jews as constantly in conflict with one another [is] bound to set off a firestorm of controversy."
Reviews were generally positive. The review aggregator Metacritic reported the book had an average score of 75 out
of 100, based on 17 reviews. Library Journal called it "bloody brilliant"
[5]
and Michiko Kakutani wrote in The New
York Times that the novel "builds upon the achievement of Kavalier & Clay... a gripping murder mystery [with] one
of the most appealing detective heroes to come along since Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe." The novel debuted at #2
on the New York Times Best Seller list on May 20, 2007,
[6]
remaining on the list for 6 weeks.
[7]
Film adaptation
Producer Scott Rudin purchased the film rights to The Yiddish Policemen's Union in 2002, based on a one-and-a-half
page proposal.
[8]
In February 2008, Rudin told The Guardian that a film adaptation of The Yiddish Policemen's
Union was in pre-production, to be written and directed by the Coen brothers.
[9]
The Coen Brothers were to begin
working on the adaptation for Columbia Pictures after they completed filming of A Serious Man.
[10]
Chabon stated
that the Coens are "among [his] favorite living moviemakers[...] What's more, I think they are perfectly suited to this
material in every way, from its genre(s) to its tone to its content."
[11]
In the fall of 2012, however, Chabon told Mother Jones that "the Coen brothers wrote a draft of a script and then
they seemed to move on," and that the film rights had "lapsed back to me."
[12]
181
Cover
The book's original cover art features an amalgam of styles (like the novel itself), drawing on classic pulp detective
novel, Jewish imagery, and art from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, especially that of the Tlingit and Haida tribes.
References
[2] Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen's Union (New York: Harper Perennial, 2007), p. 29.
[3] Chabon, Yiddish Policemen's Union, p. 17.
[4] http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20051028061645/ www.michaelchabon. com/ archives/ 2005/ 03/ a_yiddish_pale_1. html
[5] Powell's Books The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel by Michael Chabon (http:/ / www. powells. com/ biblio/ 9780007149827)
[6] "Hardcover Fiction" (http:/ / www. nytimes.com/ 2007/ 05/ 20/ books/ bestseller/ 0520besthardfiction. html?ex=1184644800&
en=4dbe9151ec3220df& ei=5070), The New York Times, 2007-05-20. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
[7] "Hardcover Fiction" (http:/ / www. nytimes.com/ 2007/ 07/ 01/ books/ bestseller/ 0701besthardfiction. html?ex=1184558400&
en=a23329f3343df505& ei=5070), The New York Times, 2007-07-01. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
[8] Fleming, Michael. "Pollack shapes Chabon's 'Clay': Author also ready to wag 'Tales' tomes (http:/ / www. variety. com/ article/
VR1117864558. html?categoryid=21& cs=1& query="Franzen"+ AND+ "rudin"), Variety, 2002-03-26. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
[9] Purcell, Andrew. "Scott Rudin is on a roll" (http:/ / arts. guardian. co. uk/ filmandmusic/ story/ 0,,2253970,00. html), The Guardian,
2008-02-08. Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
[10] Fleming, Michael. "Coens speak 'Yiddish' for Columbia: Rudin producing adaptation of Chabon's 'Union'" (http:/ / www. variety. com/
article/ VR1117980719. html?categoryid=13& cs=1& nid=2563), Variety, 2008-02-11. Retrieved on 2008-02-12.
[11] Coen Brothers to Adapt Yiddish (http:/ / www.sugarbombs. com/ kavalier/ ?p=31). The Amazing Website of Kavalier & Clay (2008-02-08).
Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
[12] Mechanic, Michael. "Michael Chabon's Vinyl Draft" (http:/ / www. motherjones. com/ print/ 188991), Mother Jones, Sept.-Oct. 2012.
Retrieved on 2012-09-09.
External links
Voices on Antisemitism Interview with Michael Chabon (http:/ / www. ushmm. org/ museum/ exhibit/ focus/
antisemitism/ voices/ transcript/ ?content=20080313) from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (http:/
/ www. ushmm. org/ )
Dissent magazine's interview with Chabon (http:/ / www. dissentmagazine. org/ article/ ?article=809) about The
Yiddish Policemen's Union
An Open Letters review (http:/ / openlettersmonthly. com/ issue/ the-evasionist/ ) of Chabon's career
Hard-Boiled, Yiddish Style a review by Marc Alan Coen (http:/ / myversion. wordpress. com/ 2007/ 07/ 08/
hard-boiled-yiddish-style/ )
Mechuga Alaska a review by John Leonard in New York Review of Books from 14 June 2007 (http:/ / www.
nybooks. com/ articles/ article-preview?article_id=20252)
'Murder Most Yiddish' (http:/ / www. oxonianreview. org/ wp/ murder-most-yiddish/ ), review of The Yiddish
Policemen's Union in the Oxonian Review
Awards
Precededby
The Family Trade, The Hidden Family, and The Clan
Corporate
Sidewise Award for Alternate
History
2008
Succeededby
The Dragon's Nine
Sons
2008 Annals of the Western Shore
182
Annals of the Western Shore is a young adult series by Ursula K. Le Guin. Each book has different main characters
and settings, but the books are linked by some recurring characters and locations. Gifts won the PEN Center USA
2005 Children's literature award.
[1]
Powers further won the 2008 Nebula Award for Best Novel.
[2]
It consists of three books:
Gifts, 2004
Voices, 2006
Powers, 2007.
Plot
The books in the trilogy share the same imaginary world; their plots are set among small city states and independent
polities, in a fertile region on the western shore of a continental land mass, in an otherwise unspecified world. The
culture is at a generally medieval level, with traditional crafts but no advanced technology. The three books share
some characters; the protagonists in Gifts reappear as supporting or minor characters in the later books.
Gifts centers on two young people, Gry and Orrec, who struggle to come to terms with inherent psychic abilities.
They live in a poor, mountainous, and culturally backward region, famous for its "witches" and wonder-workers. Gry
is a girl who can communicate with animals; she refuses to use her gift to aid hunters, which sets her apart from
many in her culture, including her own mother. Orrec is a boy whose supposed gift of "unmaking" is apparently so
dangerous that he voluntarily goes through life blindfolded, to avoid causing destruction. The story reveals how
Orrec and Gry cope with their gifts, and eventually leave their mountainous home for the wider world.
Voices tells the story of Memer, a girl who lives in an occupied country. Her home, Ansul, has been conquered by
the Alds, a desert people from the east, who are now its brutal and superstitious occupiers. Memer secretly learns of
a world of suppressed books and writings, and falls in love with her people's ancient literature; she meets Gry and
Orrec, who come to Ansul as travelling storytellers. Together, their entwined fates play out against the outcome of
the political struggle of Ansul and the Alds.
In Powers, Gavir is a slave who develops a gift for precognition. He is trained to serve as a teacher for a noble family
in the city of Etra; but personal tragedy drives him into the life of a hunted wanderer. He endures adventures,
challenges, and suffering. Eventually he escapes to a new and happy life that he shares with Memer, Gry, and Orrec.
Religions
The main religion of the Western Shore follows three main deities: Ennu (or Ennu-Amba to the Marsh People) who
is portrayed as a Lion and is said to guide souls into the after life, Luck who rides across the sky in a chariot pulling
the sun (like the Greek god Apollo), and Sampa the Destroyer. Within the city states they pray to their ancestors.
The second main religion is the one followed by the Desert Alds, who believe that there's only one true god, Atth the
god of fire and that those who survive burns are holy. Their religion led them to invade Ansul because they thought
that the Anti-Atth resided around that area and believed themselves right when they found the great Library of
Ansul, because they believe that demons hide within script; they threw all the books and people who the books
belonged to into the harbour because they only burn holy things.
183
Reviews
Kirkus Reviews: Gifts, v.74 no.5 March 1, 2006Voices, v.74 no. 15 p790 August 1, 2006; Powers, August 15,
2007
The Horn Book: Gifts, v. 80 no. 5 (Sept./Oct. 2004); Voices, v. 82 no. 5 (Sept./Oct. 2006); Powers, v. 83 no. 5
(Sept./Oct. 2007).
Booklist: Gifts, v.101 no. 9/10 (Jan. 1-15 2005). ; Voices:, v. 102 no. 22 (Aug. 2006). ; Powers, v. 104 no. 3 (Oct.
1 2007).
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: Voices, v.60 no. 3 (Nov. 2006); Powers, v. 61 no. 4 (Dec. 2007).
School Library Journal: Voices, v.52 no. 8 (Aug. 2006); Powers, v. 53 no. 9 (Sept. 2007).
Publishers Weekly: Gifts,v.251 no. 29 (July 19 2004).
The Times Literary Supplement: Gifts, no. 5306 (Dec. 10 2004).
Times Educational Supplement Voices no. 4719 (Jan 12, 2007)
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy Gifts, April 2005 v.48 p.618
References
[1] 2005 Literary Awards Winners, PEN Center USA (http:/ / penusa. org/ go/ awards/ winners/
2005-literary-awards-winners-published-in-2004/ #childrens)
[2] 2009 Nebula Winners (http:/ / www.locusmag. com/ SFAwards/ Db/ Nebula2009. html)
2009 The Windup Girl
184
The Windup Girl
The Windup Girl cover
Author Paolo Bacigalupi
Coverartist Raphael Lacoste
Language English
Genre Science fiction, Biopunk
Publisher Night Shade Books
Publication date
September 2009
Pages 361
ISBN 978-1-59780-158-4
The Windup Girl is a biopunk science fiction novel written by Paolo Bacigalupi and published in September 2009. It
was named as the ninth best fiction book of 2009 by TIME magazine, and as the best science fiction book of the year
in the Reference and User Services Association's 2010 Reading List. This book is a 2009 Nebula Award and a 2010
Hugo Award winner (tied with The City & the City by China Miville for the Hugo Award), both for best novel. This
book also won the 2010 Compton Crook Award and the 2010 Locus Award for best first novel.
Setting
The Windup Girl is set in 23rd century Thailand. Global warming has raised the levels of world's oceans, carbon fuel
sources have become depleted, and manually wound springs are used as energy storage devices. Biotechnology is
dominant and mega corporations like AgriGen, PurCal and RedStar (called calorie companies) control food
production through 'genehacked' seeds, and use bioterrorism, private armies and economic hitmen to create markets
for their products. Frequent catastrophes, such as deadly and widespread plagues and illness, caused by genetically
modified crops and mutant pests, ravage entire populations. The natural genetic seed stock of the world's plants has
been almost completely supplanted by those that are genetically engineered to be sterile.
The current monarch of Thailand is a child queen. The capital city is below sea level and is protected from flooding
by levees and pumps. The three most powerful men in Thailand are the Somdet Chaopraya (regent for the child
queen), the chief of the Environment Ministry General Pracha, and the chief of the Trade Ministry Akkarat.
Plot
Anderson Lake is an economic hitman and the AgriGen Representative in Thailand. He owns a kink-spring factory
trying to mass-produce a revolutionary new model that will store gigajoules of energy. The factory is a cover for his
real mission: discovering the location of the Thai seedbank. He leaves the running of the factory to his Chinese
manager, Hock Seng, a refugee from the Malaysian purge of the ethnic Chinese. A businessman in his former life,
Seng plots to regain his former glory even as he struggles to survive day to day as a refugee. He waits patiently for
an opportunity to steal the kink-spring designs kept in Anderson's safe, and embezzles copiously.
Emiko is a "windup girl," (they refer to themselves as "New People") a humanoid GM organism used as a slave,
genetically programmed to seek and obey a master. Emiko has been abandoned in Thailand by her Japanese master,
and as an illegal resident in Thailand is subject to summary execution or "mulching" if she is caught. Raleigh, a sex
185
club owner, gives her some measure of safety by bribing the police to let her live, but at the price of forcing her to
work in his club where she is routinely abused and sexually humiliated. Among other genetic modifications, Emiko
has a genetically altered pore structure which makes her skin extremely smooth but prone to overheating, a
life-threatening problem in the hot climate of Thailand. One of her customers tells her of the secret seedbank and a
mysterious man named Gibbons. Anderson gleans this information from her and, in return, tells her about a refuge in
the north of Thailand where people of Emiko's kind live together. This becomes fixated in her mind, and from then
on she strives to pay off Raleigh and escape to this refuge.
Anderson's factory is destroyed by a rogue megodont (a GM elephant used to run the power train). Also destroyed
are algae baths, which are critical to the manufacturing process, and whose spares are costly and must be smuggled
into Thailand via dirigible. Anderson orders Hock Seng to fix up the factory as soon as possible, threatening him
with the loss of his job if he doesn't do so. Hock Seng's job is made difficult by the fact that he has failed to bribe the
customs officials, as he had embezzled the bribe money. Knowing that his time has come, he makes a
money-for-plans deal with the Dung Lord, a gangster.
Jaidee Rojjanasukchai, an upright and courageous captain of the white shirts (the armed, enforcement wing of the
Environment Ministry), intercepts the dirigible containing, among other things, Anderson's much needed spare tanks,
and destroys the contraband. This raises the hackles of the white, foreign trading community in Thailand and they
pressure Akkarat to make Jaidee back off. To 'persuade' Jaidee, known as the Tiger of Bangkok for his muay thai
skills and courage, and an icon among the white shirts, they kidnap his wife.
Jaidee submits and makes a public apology. False charges are made against him and he is condemned to monkhood
for 9 years. Unknown to Jaidee, his wife has already been murdered. A triumphant Anderson and his main
collaborator, Richard Carlyle, negotiate with Akkarat for access to the seedbank and lowering of the trade barriers.
Akkarat refuses, saying there are limits to his greed.
Jaidee, determined to track his wife's murderers, escapes from the monastery and infiltrates the Trade Ministry. He is
caught, killed, and his mutilated body is deposited in front of the Environment Ministry. As the white shirts revere
him as a hero, they declare him a martyr, and rise up against the Trade Ministry.
General Pracha appoints Lieutenant Kanya, Jaidee's protg, as the new Captain and unleashes a reign of terror on
Bangkok. Meanwhile, Mai, a child labourer in Anderson's factory, has discovered that her fellow workers are falling
to a new plague that had previously made the algae tanks malfunction. She reports this to Hock Seng, who arranges
to have the bodies disposed of surreptitiously. As the white shirts take control of Bangkok, he steals all of Anderson's
petty cash, takes Mai with him and tries to escape. Meanwhile, through a chance encounter Anderson saved Emiko's
life, and becomes infatuated with her.
Anderson discovers Hock Seng's flight and goes into hiding with Richard Carlyle. Kanya, who is Akkarat's mole,
discovers the new plague and sets about trying to contain it. (We learn that years earlier Kanya had been rescued as a
young girl by Akkarat when her own home village was destroyed in the course of containing a genehacked plague.)
She reluctantly seeks help from Gibbons, who is revealed to be a renegade AgriGen scientist. Gibbons is a brilliant
geneticist and the last hope for the Thai defense against the plagues. He easily identifies the new plague and gives
clues to Kanya.
Anderson and Carlyle meet with Akkarat and the Somdet Chaopraya, who is the regent to the young Thai Queen and
the most powerful person in all of Thailand. Anderson offers to supply a new strain of GM rice and a private army to
repel the white shirts in exchange for access to the seedbank and lowering of the trade barriers. He also introduces
the Somdet Chaopraya to Emiko. When the Somdet Chaopraya's acts prove too humiliating, Emiko snaps and kills
the Somdet Chaopraya, Raleigh and eight other men. Then she seeks refuge with Anderson.
Because she has killed such a powerful man and all of his bodyguards, Akkarat assumes Emiko to be a military
windup and accuses General Pracha of assassinating the Somdet Chaopraya. He also proceeds to arrest Anderson and
Carlyle as suspects in the assassination conspiracy. Emiko escapes in the nick of time.
186
Kanya traces the origin of one of the plague victims to a village near Bangkok, and from information she gets there
is able to identify Anderson's kink-spring factory as a possible source. She sterilizes the village with lye. Hock Seng
fails to steal the kink-spring designs, so he decides to capture Emiko for ransom. He takes Mai with him.
Kanya is informed of the suspected assassination plot by her handler. Recognizing the harm the incident could cause,
she visits the Japanese company that designed Emiko, learns of the true facts, and tries to explain it to Akkarat. But
Akkarat has already decided to blame General Pracha for the assassination as a pretext for regime change and
mobilizes his reserves to destroy Pracha and the white shirts. The capital is plunged into civil war. Anderson is
released and discovers that he may have contracted the new plague.
Hock Seng encounters Emiko in Anderson's apartment and holds her at gunpoint. Anderson and Carlyle arrive at the
same time. They make a deal: Hock Seng would be patronized by AgriGen and Emiko would remain with Anderson.
Eventually, Pracha and most of the top Environment Ministry men are killed. Akkarat, now all-powerful, appoints
his spy Kanya as the chief of the Environment Ministry. He also opens up Thailand to the world, and grants AgriGen
access to the seedbank. Kanya, who acts subdued at first, reneges and executes the AgriGen team in the seedbank.
She then proceeds to move the seedbank to a safer place with the help of the monks. With the hidden arsenal in the
seedbank, she orchestrates an uprising and coup d'tat. She destroys the levees, flooding Bangkok. Bangkok's people
and the capital relocate to the site of Ayutthaya, a previous Thai capital. There is now a new Tiger, a grim, unsmiling
woman (Kanya), and it is implied that the Child Queen now reigns without a regent.
Hock Seng is let free by Kanya to leave Bangkok with Mai to start a new life, although we never learn if they
manage to escape the doomed city. Akkarat becomes a monk to atone for his failure of protecting the capital. The
plague slowly kills Anderson as Emiko nurses him through the agony. She is alone in the flooded city when Gibbons
arrives with his androgynous (kathoey or "ladyboy") companion. He promises Emiko that he will use her DNA to
engineer a new race of fertile New People, thus fulfilling her dream of living with her own kind.
Awards and honors
In September 2010, the novel won the 2010 Hugo Award for Best Novel category, tying with China Miville's The
City & the City. In May 2010, the novel won the Nebula Award for Best Novel. In 2010, the novel won the John W.
Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. In 2012 a translated version of the novel by Kazue
Tanaka and Hiroshi Kaneko won a Seiun award for "Best Translated Long Fiction" at the 51st Japan Science Fiction
Convention. The German translation Biokrieg won the Kurd-Lawitz-Preis in 2012.
Reception
Adam Roberts reviewed the book for The Guardian and concludes "when it hits its sweet-spot, The Windup Girl
embodies what SF does best of all: it remakes reality in compelling, absorbing and thought-provoking ways, and it
lives on vividly in the mind."
Footnotes
External links
The Windup Girl (http:/ / www. isfdb. org/ cgi-bin/ title. cgi?1017019) title listing at the Internet Speculative
Fiction Database
The Windup Girl (http:/ / io9. com/ tag/ thewindupgirl/ ) at io9.com
Audio review and discussion of The Windup Girl (http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ archives/ 142) at The Science Fiction
Book Review Podcast (http:/ / www. sfbrp. com/ )
2010 - Blackout/All Clear
187
Blackout/All Clear
Blackout first edition hardcover
Author Connie Willis
Language English
Publisher Spectra
Publication date
2010
Mediatype Print (Hardcover)
Pages Blackout 512 pages
All Clear 656 pages
ISBN Blackout ISBN 0-553-80319-0
All Clear ISBN 978-0-553-80767-7
Blackout and All Clear are the two volumes that comprise a 2010 science fiction novel by American author Connie
Willis. Blackout was published February 2, 2010 by Spectra. The second part, the conclusion All Clear, was released
as a separate book on October 19, 2010. The diptych won the 2010 Nebula Award for Best Novel, the 2011 Locus
Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, and the 2011 Hugo Award for Best Novel.
[1]
These two volumes are the most
recent of four books and a short story that Willis has written involving time travel from Oxford during the mid 21st
century.
Plot introduction
Willis imagines a near future (first introduced in her 1982 story "Fire Watch" and featured in two of her previous
novels: Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog) in which historians conduct field work by traveling into the
past as observers. The research is mainly conducted at the University of Oxford in England in the mid-21st century.
In their world, time-travel has been known since the early 21st century. The time-travel device, a portal called "the
Net", remains in the time-traveler's present, while sending the time-traveler to a particular location (called "the
drop") and time. They can return from the same location when someone in the future re-opens the Net for them at an
agreed upon "rendezvous" time.
Historians in Willis' world believe that the laws of physics resist possible alterations to the past by preventing
time-travel to certain places or times. In some cases, the machine used for time-travel will refuse to function,
rendering the trip impossible. In other cases, "slippage"a shift from the exact, desired target in time and/or
spaceoccurs. The time-traveler arrives at the nearest place and time suitable for preventing a time paradox;
although sometimes this is only a few minutes later than planned, it can be as much as several years. An example is
when the character Polly wishes to arrive on September 10, 1940, in London, but arrives on September 14, instead,
without her knowledge or understanding.
In addition to slippage, which the technicians operating the net cannot control or predict, there are other reasons why
a historian might not be able to travel to a certain time. Once a time-traveler has visited a certain date, he or she can
never go to that same time again. The 21st-century authorities controlling time-travel also have rules and can deem
some historical periods too dangerous for time-travel, even though those times might be theoretically accessible.
188
Author's comments
In August, 2006, at the 64th World Science Fiction Convention, in a give-and-take with her audience, Willis
described her novel-in-progress: "It's about World War 2, and I have four historians... One of them is with the
evacuating children in the North of England; one of them is doing the Blitz; one of them is doing the civilian
evacuation from Dunkirk, of soldiers but by civilians; and one of them is doing the Intelligence War involved in the
lead-up to D-Day, where they fooled Hitler into thinking we were attacking at Calais, instead of at Normandy. And
their lives are hopelessly intertwined; but then they all get in troubleyou know my booksthey all get in terrible
trouble and can't get out of it. And are stuck in World War II, for God's sake! So: Not a safe place to be." (An
audience member called, "Better than the Plague!") Willis laughed but replied, "Not necessarily better than the
Plague! In slightly better survival chance because they have the advantage of some knowledge that the locals don't
have, but then again, historical events are notoriously inaccurate, and just because you think you know where all the
bombs fell, doesn't mean you do. So that will figure heavily in the book... I have a lot of stuff to tell you about the
war.. The Brits were absolutely wonderful... They were great and plucky and funny under pressure."
In a February 12, 2010 interview Connie Willis said:
What are Blackout and All Clear about? They're about Dunkirk and ration books and D-Day and V-1
rockets, about tube shelters and Bletchley Park and gas masks and stirrup pumps and Christmas
pantomimes and cows and crossword puzzles and the deception campaign. And mostly the book's about
all the people who "did their bit" to save the world from HitlerShakespearean actors and ambulance
drivers and vicars and landladies and nurses and WRENs and RAF pilots and Winston Churchill and
General Patton and Agatha Christieheroes all.
Plot summary
Blackout
It's the year 2060, and the history students at Oxford University are a hair's breadth away from revolting. Mr.
Dunworthy keeps changing their assignments at the last minute, for reasons not explained until All Clear. Michael
Davies, who had prepared for a first-hand look at the events of Pearl Harbor, for example by having brain implants
to give him an American accent and knowledge of that time, abruptly finds himself instead being sent to witness the
response to the Battle of Dunkirk. The constant changes mean that the wardrobe department can't assemble the
proper wardrobe for Polly Churchill, who plans to work as a shopgirl during the Blitz. Merope Ward, overseeing
child refugees from London in Warwickshire, finds herself utterly unable to find the support she needs to complete
her first assignment in the past. Dunworthy himself is nowhere to be found, having set off for a meeting with another
academic, Ishiwaka, who theorizes that continued time travel has pushed the laws that safely govern it to the
breaking point.
When they make it to World War II England, all initially seems fairly well.
Merope, a red-head, takes on the persona of an Irish girl, Eileen O'Reilly, to secure a position in the staff of an
English country manor house. From December, 1939, to May, 1940, she works for Lady Caroline as a servant; she
desires to observe children evacuated from London during World War II.
[2]
She sees far more of these children and
their predicaments than she bargained for, especially some undisciplined trouble-makers, sister and brother street
urchins Binnie and Alf Hodbin. Merope, referred to mostly in both books as Eileen, excels at her assignment, even
when she comes to dislike it and to try desperately to escape to her "drop," which is located in the woods outside the
manor grounds. The children love her, and when Alf comes down with measles, and then infects the dozens of other
children, the house is quarantined; Eileen proves an excellent and tireless nurse, against her own wishes. She is
appalled by what she considers the barbaric medical treatments of 1940 (she errs by referring to "a virus," a term not
generally known then), and manages to save Binnie's life only by stealing some aspirin to bring the girl's fever down.
189
Eileen finds herself repeatedly unable to return to 2060 via her drop. She helps to return most of the children to their
homes, and then plans to travel by train to seek help from her friend Polly, who should, by September, 1940, be a
shopgirl in London. To her dismay, the local vicar, Mr. Goode, has arranged for Binnie and Alf to be given "safe
passage" to Canada, so that they will not have to remain with their neglectful mother in Whitechapel, which, as
Eileen knows, was bombed during the Blitz. But, as she also knows, they are likely to be transported on the SS City
of Benares, which was torpedoed by a German submarine. Unable to allow this to happen, Eileen accompanies the
brats to London, after which she can seek Polly. During their train trip, Alf's mischievousness delays their train; if
the train had proceeded on time, it would have been destroyed by German bombers. When they disembark from the
train and cross a field to find a bus, they witness in the sky the beginning of the Battle of Britain. Alf (who fancies
himself a plane spotter) and Binnie are delighted to watch an air battle between a German Messerschmitt fighter
plane against a Hawker Hurricane and a Spitfire. The Messerschmitt is destroyed, and Eileen manages both to return
the children to their home and to find Polly.
Polly, fair-haired and pretty, secures employment at a department store in Oxford Street in the West End of London.
Her intention (that is, her planned homework assignment) was "to observe shelterers in the tube stations",
[3]
but she
ends up joining a group huddling under St. George's Church. The group, most of whom become fond of Polly,
includes the nasty-tempered Mrs. Rickett, who owns a boarding house where Polly rents a tiny room; some other
boarders, including the sweet but flighty spinster Miss Laburnum; Sir Godfrey, a Shakespearean actor who forms a
crush on Polly; a rector; Mr. Simms and his dog Nelson; Lila and Viv, young women who chat constantly about
dances and movie stars; and others.
Michael Davies had planned to travel to witness the attack on Pearl Harbor. Instead, he is sent to Dover, a trip he had
intended to make later, where he had planned to witness heroism during the Dunkirk evacuation. When he discovers
that, instead of Dover, he has landed in Saltram-on-Sea, a town 30 miles south, with his "drop" within some rocks on
the beach, he tells the locals that he is Mike Davis, an American war correspondent, who wishes to cover the British
anti-invasion preparations of World War II. The residents are pleased to find a "Yankee" interested in them.
To his horror, he is brought against his will onto the small, barely seaworthy craft Lady Jane of Commander Harold
and taken across the English Channel to help evacuate the soldiers from the beach at Dunkirk. When they arrive at
the mole there, soldiers begin scrambling onto the boat, but Michael must dive underwater to free the propeller from
a corpse which has become entangled with it. Michael frees the boat and joins the evacuees on the deck, which is too
crowded for movement, and the Commander guides the boat back to England. During the trip, Michael goes into
shock and barely hears a rescued soldier, Private Hardy, thanking him for saving his life. When they return, Michael
finds his right foot has been mangled. (He will limp for the rest of his life.) He awakes in Orpington War Emergency
Hospital, where he is adored as a hero, but, for months, he is terrified that he has changed the course of history by
saving soldiers.
Eventually, Merope, Polly and Michael meet each other in London. They are all worried because they cannot find
drops which will return them to Oxford.
All Clear
All Clear begins where Blackout left off, with Michael Davies (posing as an American journalist, Mike Davis), Polly
Churchill (as Polly Sebastian), and Merope Ward (posing as Eileen O'Reilly) trapped in 1940 Britain during the
Blitz. Just as in Blackout, the novel switches between multiple people and times.
As the novel opens, Polly Churchill, who is posing as Polly Sebastian, a shop assistant, realizes that she has a
deadline. She had already visited Oxford and London in 1943. Since she was able to do that, and she now believes
she is trapped in 1940, she must either have returned to the future by 1943, or died. She is convinced that she will in
fact die. Meanwhile, Merope and Michael have found Polly after discovering that their drops are also unable to
return them to the future. Now together, the three believe that their own actions, particularly in Mike's case, may
have changed the future so that there is no time travel, and that possibly it will involve Germany winning the war.
190
Knowing something has gone wrong which prevents them from returning to 2060 Oxford, the three time travelers
attempt to determine an escape plan, but none of their efforts are successful. A fellow student, Gerald Phipps, who
was supposed to be at Bletchley Park studying Ultra, never came through to his assignment. They realize that
another Oxford historian, John Bartholomew, is also in their place and time, but understand this only less than a day
before he will leave. Frantically they try to get to him, but the three are separated and repeatedly delayed, not helped
by the fact that this is the night of December 29, 1940, during which some of the worst raids of the war occurred.
They are unable to find Bartholomew before he returns to 2054 Oxford. When Mike and Eileen figure out that Polly
has a deadline in June 1943 meaning that if she isn't out by then she'll die, since she's already visited that time
their search for a way out becomes even more desperate. Their frustration turns into tragedy when Mike is killed
during a raid. Eileen refuses to accept his death, but upon realizing Alf and Binnie's mother has been dead for
months, she volunteers to raise the orphans, thus giving her life, now trapped in the mid-20th century, a significant
meaning. Polly fights with her about this, but Eileen is adamant and later proves to have become a very good mother
to the children.
In 2060, in Oxford, Mr. Dunworthy sends himself on a rescue mission to retrieve Polly in September 1940.
However, when he arrives at St Paul's Cathedral, he is unable to determine the date before the raids start. (St. Paul's,
and especially one of the paintings in the Cathedral, The Light of the World, are viewed several times by most of the
important characters in the book. They are either inspired or depressed by their current view of the painting.) When
he realizes it is December 1940, he becomes hopeless and distraught. Polly stumbles across him in the cathedral a
few weeks later. He explains his hypothesis that slippage isn't a result of the time continuum trying to prevent
historians from changing the past, as he had previously thought, but is a response to changes they'd already caused.
The continuum around World War II is in such disarray that it has sealed itself off to time travel, and will engage in
'corrections' likely the death of the historians and those they have influenced, Dunworthy believes. Their worst
fears that they have been able to influence the past and cause discrepancies have been realized, possibly to the
point the War will be lost.
However, all hope is not lost. Mike fakes his own death and in 1944 is engaged in Operation Fortitude, a
misinformation campaign. He is able to plant notices in newspapers which hint where Polly and Eileen are located,
in the hopes that someone in 2060's Oxford will find the notices and be able to rescue the young women. Another
potential rescuer is Colin Templer, an overeager teenager from 2060 Oxford with a crush on Polly. He goes back to
1944 and finds Michael, right after Mike has been hit by a bomb and helped by Polly, who is then an ambulance
driver and first-aid responder but who, because of the blacked-out night, cannot see that it is Michael. Mike explains
to Colin that Polly and Eileen are together, then falls unconscious as Colin brings him back to 2060 Oxford. Colin
also goes to the 1970s for research and to 1995 to try to find someone who knew Polly. To his surprise, in 1995 he
meets an elderly Binnie, who tells him Eileen died in 1987. Binnie also revealed that she has learned all about time
travel and has been looking for him through the decades to tell him where and when he can rescue the stranded
historians. Equipped with this knowledge, Colin is able to return to 1941 to rescue Polly and Mr. Dunworthy.
Despite Polly's worries about leading to the deaths of those around her by interfering, she heroically risks her own
life to save Sir Godfrey's during a bombing. She finally realizes what is going on as she lies recovering in the
hospital; the historians have caused small things to happen which ultimately led to winning the war. She concludes
that they're stuck in World War II not to be killed by the continuum, but because there are things they need to do so
that the war will won by the Allies and so that history is as it should be.
In April 1941, an older Colin comes through at St. Paul's and finds the historians. Polly and Mr. Dunworthy leave
with Colin to return to 2060 Oxford, but Eileen stays behind. She reasons that she must remain in the past so she can
tell Colin in the future where to find them, and she refuses to abandon Alf and Binnie. Colin tells them that Mike had
faked his own death, but died in Oxford from his 1944 injuries. Finally Polly, Mr. Dunworthy, and Colin return to
the St. Paul's drop and to Oxford. Eileen, Alf, and Binnie stay behind to live their lives in the past.
191
While waiting for the drop to open for her to return to Oxford, Polly also realizes that there is a resemblance between
the grown-up Colin and Eileen, implying that Eileen will become his ancestor. Eileen also seemed to see this, since
she called Colin "dear boy" and said "I will always be with you" before they left. Thus Eileen had another reason to
remain behind in 1941.
On VE-Day, May 7, 1945, Eileen is reunited during the celebrations with Vicar Goode, whom she has known since
the beginning of the War while working for Lady Caroline in Warwickshire. Vicar Goode had always been kind to
Alf and Binnie, and it is strongly implied that Eileen and Mr. Goode will marry and raise the children together.
Characters
Polly Churchill is a 25-year-old Oxford student historian (in 2060), with previous time-traveling experience, who
goes to London as Polly Sebastian to become a shopgirl, in September 1940, to observe Londoners' reactions to
the Blitz. She is unable to return to 2060 through her "drop" in London, and comes to believe she has a "deadline"
to return or die, due to a previous trip back to a later time during World War II (since a time traveler cannot exist
in the same time more than once). Polly can be sneaky and deceitful; she often lies to her friends Merope and
Michael, apparently for the self-serving reason that she doesn't want to see them feel hurt if she tells them the
truth about their situation. In one of her previous time-traveling trips to WWII, she was known as Mary Kent, a
FANY nurse, who unknowingly treated Ernest (Michael Davis) after an HE attack, and who also saw Eileen
(Merope Ward) on VE-Day.
Not wishing to use the last name Churchill during a trip to WWII, she tells Merope that she chooses aliases from
the plays of William Shakespeare; in this case, that of Sebastian from Twelfth Night, a play often quoted
throughout the novel.
She is also given, by her FANY friends, nicknames based on motorcycle manufacturers, such as Douglas,
DeHavilland, and Triumph.
Michael Davies is another 2060 Oxford student historian. While pretending to be an American reporter, Mike
Davis, he tries to reach Dover in May 1940 to observe soldiers being evacuated back to England from Dunkirk.
Instead, Mike is transported to Saltram-on-Sea, and ends up on a boat which goes to Dunkirk, where he loses half
his right foot while helping to evacuate soldiers. After spending several months in a hospital in Orpington (in
Greater London) he discovers that he cannot return to the future via his "drop" in Saltram-on-Sea, and in
September 1940 travels to London in seeking Polly and her drop. When Michael later works on Fortitude South,
he goes by the codename Ernest Worthing. (Fortitude South operatives in the book are named after characters in
The Importance of Being Earnest).
Willis might have taken Davies's last name from that of Lieutenant Robert Davies (GC), who distinguished
himself during the Second World War with the Royal Engineers and was awarded the George Cross (GC) for the
heroism he displayed in defusing a bomb which threatened to destroy St Paul's Cathedral on 12 September 1940.
Merope Ward is a red-headed young Oxford historian (in 2060) making her first trip back in time to
Warwickshire as a servant, Eileen O'Reilly, in a country house in 1939 to observe children evacuated from
London. Her name Ward suggests her sympathy for the orphaned wards of the war-time. After Merope cannot
return to 2060 Oxford via her drop in Warwickshire, she travels to London to seek help from her friend Polly.
Unable ever to find a viable drop, she chooses to remain in England and to adopt and raise Alf and Binnie
Hodbin.
It is implied at the end of All Clear that she will marry Vicar Goode and will become an ancestor of Colin
Templer.
Alf and Binnie Hodbin (Binnie is an 11-year-old girl; Alf is her younger brother) are very troublesome young
urchins evacuated from London to Warwickshire in 1939. Despite causing difficulties for Eileen (Merope), she
nurses them after both catch measles (and saves Binnie's life when her measles turns into pneumonia). After a
measles quarantine is lifted, Eileen delivers them both back to their mother in London in September 1940. Binnie,
192
it turns out, has never been given a first name; "Binnie" is merely a nickname derived from her last name, Hodbin.
When she fears dying and having no given name on her tombstone, Eileen tells her she can choose any name she
likes. Binnie searches film magazines for a glamorous actress name. At one point, she chooses "Spitfire"; later she
opts for Dolores, Rapunzel, Vera, and others. Finally she takes Eileen's name as her own, too.
James Dunworthy, a Fellow (professor) of History in charge of time travel from Oxford in 2060. (Dunworthy
was a pivotal character in "Fire Watch", Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog.) His students think that
he is overprotective.
[4]
When he comes to believe that he alone is responsible for altering the "real" historical
facts, he succumbs to despair. Polly finds him in St Paul's Cathedral in All Clear; in every story in which
Dunworthy occurs, it is emphasized that he cares chiefly for the Cathedral, for his students, and for the
importance of history.
Lady Caroline Denewell - lives at Denewell Manor in Warwickshire where Eileen first serves and where the
Hodbin children are evacuated; later she becomes the Major, Polly/Mary Kent's commanding officer at the FANY
station in Dulwich.
Sir Godfrey Kingsman is an elderly Shakespearean actor encountered by Polly in London in September 1940. A
mutual attraction between them develops (despite the large difference between their ages), beyond their shared
love of Shakespeare. Sir Godfrey intuits more about Polly than what she tells him. In 1941, he is in the Phoenix
Theatre when it is bombed, and Polly saves his life.
Commander Harold, an elderly and very determined patriot, and his nephew Jonathan live in Saltram-on-Sea
and, with Michael, take their motor launch, the Lady Jane, to Dunkirk to help in the evacuation, even though
Harold was never commissioned into the Royal Navy and was forbidden to go. Late in All Clear, Michael learns
that they did not die at Dunkirk, as he had been told, but have been working for British Intelligence. To his pride,
Harold was finally commissioned as a Sea captain.
Colin Templer is a 17-year-old Eton College student (in 2060) who wants to become a time-traveling historian
even before he's eligible to attend Oxford, and who has a crush on Polly. (An unauthorized previous trip into the
past by Colin, occurring in Doomsday Book, is mentioned at the beginning of Blackout.) Because she is several
years older than he, he begs her, at the beginning of Blackout, to allow him to travel long enough in time that he
will become her age and date her properly. Against his plans and her wishes, this happens, and it is implied that
they end up in a romantic relationship.
Vicar Goode is, as his name suggests, a good man. Serving as vicar to the town of Denewell in Warwickshire, his
duties are chiefly to his parish, but he spends much of his time obeying the orders of Lady Caroline Denewell,
such as teaching her servants to drive automobiles in case they are needed to drive ambulances. He also befriends
Merope (whom he knows as Eileen) and is fonder of her than she realizes; he helps with the orphaned children at
Denewell Manor, and is one of the few adults whom the orphans Alf and Binnie respect and obey. When he
meets Eileen again at the end of the War, it is strongly implied that they will marry and raise the two orphans
together.
Hugh Tensing is a civilian whom Mike Davies encounters in the hospital in Orpington, and who tells Mike he
broke five ribs and injured his back after "a typewriter fell on me." In 1944, Mike is told by Commander Harold's
nephew Jonathan that Tensing had actually "been shot in the spine." Hugh is vague about where he works, but is
very good at solving crossword puzzles quickly. (The ability to solve crossword puzzles quickly was, at that time,
one of the recruitment tests used by the British government for cryptographers.) Tensing later recruits Mike to
work at Operation Fortitude.
Mrs. Rickett is a civilian landlady whom Polly meets in a shelter and rents a tiny room from. (Polly is paying for
breakfast and dinner at the boarding house, along with boarders Miss Laburnum, Miss Wyvern, Mr. Dorming, and
eventually Eileen). Mrs. Rickett is, unfortunately, one of the non-heroes of the British war survivors, being a
price-gouger; she is notorious for her expensive rental rates and her foul cooking, which often consists of boiled
tripe, thin soup, or worse. The boarders are outraged when they have saved up their ration points to have a roasted
193
goose for Christmas in 1940, and Mrs. Rickett takes the goose away to visit a relative in her country and leaves
them with only turnip soup instead. Mrs. Rickett and three of her boarders die in a Luftwaffe attack in spring of
1941.
Alan Turing was a historical figure, the chief of Hut 8. Willis portrays him as an absent-minded professor and
reckless driver, who while riding a bicycle runs over Michael moments after Michael arrives at Bletchley Park.
Gerald Phipps is a 2060 Oxford historian with a background in maths. When Mike and Polly realize the need to
contact him, they find that Merope is the one who last spoke with him, and she admits that she did not listen
closely; she finds him boring and unbearable; she is certain he is there at the same time as they are, going to a
place with a name (she says) consisting of two words which begin "with a D, I think. Or a P. Or possibly a T." It
turns out that he was supposed to be at Bletchley Park in the Government Code and Cypher School, working on
the Ultra program, but because of Dunworthy's changes to the time travel program, he was never able to go.
Badri Chaudhuri runs "the Net" (Oxford's time-travel installation) in 2060. (This was also Badri's role in
Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog.)
Development
Connie Willis worked on the story for almost eight years, during which, she said during the Hugo Awards ceremony,
she pushed "everyone's patience to the limit".
Themes
Heroism - In one way or another, all of the time travelers journey to World War II in order to observe heroism;
they also all partake of it. Late in All Clear, Michael, playing the role of Ernest, realizes:
I didn't get to observe Chaplain Howell Forgy at Pearl Harbor, Ernest thought, or the firemen at the
World Trade Center, but I've done what I set out to do. I've gotten to observe heroes. Not just Tensing,
but the Commander and Jonathan. And Cess and Prism and Chasuble, fighting recalcitrant inflatables
and angry bulls. And Alan Turing and Dilly Knox, patiently deciphering code.
And Eileen, driving an ambulance through burning streets and coping with the Hodbins. And Polly,
dealing daily with the threat of certain death.
If I ever get back to Oxford, I won't need to go to the Pandemic and the Battle of the Bulge, he thought.
I've collected more than enough material for my work on heroes right here.
"For Want of a Nail" - Characters frequently quote or think of the proverb which teaches that small actions can
result in large consequences.
Luck - Polly often murmurs, quoting Sir Godfrey, "How all occasions do inform against me!" This is a line from
Shakespeare's Hamlet, the Act 4, Scene 4 soliloquy. She means that everything always seems to be going wrong
for her; but during All Clear she begins to hope that the rules of time travel are doing what they must do, however
it may seem to her, personally.
Paying attention - Mike, Eileen and Polly all realize at different moments that they have not paid attention to
important details they were either taught or had seen for themselves. Eileen bears the brunt of Mike's and Polly's
scolding for not having listened closely to Gerald Phipps, whom she dislikes, about where he was going and
whom they therefore spend months seeking, but Mike and Polly are remiss, too. Badri is scolded by Mr.
Dunworthy for not having realized that Dunworthy was rearranging the travels in chronological order; then
Dunworthy scolds himself for not having made it clear why he was rearranging them. Even Agatha Christie is
shown, in All Clear, as not paying attention at a crucial moment; the only characters who reliably pay attention
are Alf and Binnie Hodbin.
Sharing - Each of the time travelers, knowing that there is a safe future to escape to, spends time bemoaning his or
her own misfortunes because he or she cannot find the way back as soon as intended. Belatedly, each also realizes
194
that the contemporary war-time sufferers have nowhere to escape to and that they exhibit, to greater or lesser
extent, a willingness to share in the common misfortunes and show courage. Eileen, then Mike, then Polly each
learn that they must take part in the war-time spirit. When Mrs. Rickett (see above) steals the goose and leaves the
boarders with only turnips, they all share the Christmas gifts they have managed to find for each other, and they
make a feast of biscuits, pears in ambrosia, and other treats.
Cryptic crosswords
Critical reception
Michael Dirda of The Washington Post praised the diptych as "as vivid an evocation of England during World War II
as anyone has ever written" and wrote that that "Blackout is, by turns, witty, suspenseful, harrowing and occasionally
comic to the point of slapstick." Adrienne Martini of Locus Online called the 1940s Britain that Willis created
"richly textured". A. M. Dellamonica described the story as "an intricate puzzle" and "a celebration, too, of courage
and heroism, of perseverance, of ordinary people doing small things to aid in great causes, of devotion, friendship,
keeping one's word. It has funny characters and laugh out loud moments aplenty, but it is no wacky romp, this book,
no To Say Nothing of the Dog. At the same time, I found it funnier and, strangely, cheerier than previous Willis
novels with a comparable body count."
Thomas M. Wagner called Blackout "an absolute monster of an epic, a time-travel saga so rich in scope that it's
taking two volumes to tell, yet so intimate in its observation of character that what you take away from it are not
thrilling action setpieces but those moments of bonding people share warm, funny, confused, trivial, angry,
heartfelt that take on a new and infinitely greater meaning in the shadow of death... Amid the growing suspense,
Willis builds an engrossing work of humanist fiction that avoids pathos and easy sentiment in depicting the quiet
practicality and occasional heroism (and yes, the callousness) of Londoners surviving the Blitz. Memorable
characters abound, and Willis's gift for natural dialogue brings scenes to life in a way that makes you feel you're in
their presence. And she never pulls the lame stunt of creating a character for you to love just to kill them as an
exercise in cheap button mashing. We get to know every one of the people with whom Polly shares a shelter every
night, like the blustery, avuncular stage actor Sir Godfrey Kingsman, who quotes the Bard every time he opens his
mouth yet whose personality rings true all the same. Eileen finds herself saddled with two of the most ill-behaved
children in history, and yet you kind of like them, especially because, as a sort of brother-and-sister demolition duo
with an appallingly indifferent and irresponsible mother, you realize they've only ever had each other."
Julie Phillips of The Village Voice wrote, "Blackout/All Clear is neither tragedy nor comedy, but a mystery story
with touches of grief and slapstick... None of the three historians manages to stand by and observe... The cast of
characters is long, but Willis convinces you to care about almost all their fates and to surprise you about their
connection to each other. Willis's evocation of wartime London sometimes feels romanticized, and it has few moral
or demographic complications... Nor is Willis's theme, the heroism of ordinary people, especially original. But by the
time the three historians and Mr. Dunworthy have unraveled the mystery and arrived at the full-on, three-hanky
finale, you'll no longer be a disinterested observer."
Some reviewers complained of the length of the books and their narrative modes. Christopher DeFilippis, writing for
the SF Site, said he thought the books "can best be described by words like 'belabored' and 'exasperating.' That's
because the single story told in Blackout and All Clear didn't have to encompass two novels. Had it not been marred
by endlessly repetitive prose and character actions, the narrative could have fit neatly into a single volume...
Unfortunately, the bulk of Blackout is taken up by Polly, Mike and Eileen's individual realizations that they're
trapped in the past, with each caught in a state of seemingly perpetual denial about their circumstances. Instead of
acknowledging the blatant truth of their predicament, they concoct endless mental scenarios as to why their gates
won't open... Willis goes on for pages with her protagonists repeatedly ruminating about the same "what ifs" over
and over (and over) again. It may be understandable in the beginning of the story as the characters adjust to the
magnitude of their situation. But it soon becomes apparent that this is what constitutes drama in Willis' universe and
195
it never stops... It's a shame that these negatives so overwhelm Blackout and All Clear, because despite them the
books feature many terrific characters moving in extremely interesting historical situations."
Similarly, Adam Roberts of The Guardian wrote, "The result is a mildly interesting 200-page novel about the
ordinary heroism of British civilians during the war, bloated to 800 pages via an egregiously handled time-travel
conceit, eked out with great jellied quantities of historical research, endless meandering conversations, long passages
disposed into that tiresome typographical convention by which characters' inmost thoughts are spelled out in italics,
and a string of inconsequential chapter-end cliffhangers/immediate resolutions that got increasingly on my nerves as
the book went on. There's little overall tension, and the time-travelling historians come over as both panicky and
amateurish an undesirable combination, one might think, where timelines are lying about ready to be mucked up."
He added, though, "The aim is a commendable one. Despite walk-on parts by General Patton, Agatha Christie and
Alan Turing, the bulk of the characters in All Clear are ordinary people getting on with their ordinary lives... And it
can't be denied that the subject here, the heroism of ordinary people in testing times, is worthy and honourable."
References
[1] Renovation Hugo nominee announcement (http:/ / www. renovationsf. org/ hugo-intro. php)
[2] Willis, Blackout, p. 43.
External links
Shawl, Nisi (2010-02-04). "Blackout: 21st century time-travelers, stranded in the Blitz of wartime England"
(http:/ / seattletimes. nwsource. com/ html/ books/ 2010985341_br05blackout. html). The Seattle Times (Seattle,
Washington: Frank A. Blethen). Retrieved 2010-02-17.
"Connie Willis talks about Blackout (interview, part 1)" (http:/ / wp. suvudu. com/ 2010/ 02/
connie-willis-talks-blackout-part-1. html). Retrieved 2010-10-29.
2011 - Among Others
196
2011 - Among Others
Among Others
Dust jacket of first edition
Author Jo Walton
Language English
Genre Fantasy literature
Publisher Tor Books
Corsair (Constable & Robinson)
Publication date
18 January 2011
Mediatype Print
Pages 302 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-7653-2153-4
Among Others is a 2011 fantasy novel by Jo Walton, published originally by Tor Books.
[1]
It is published in the UK
by Corsair (Constable & Robinson).
[2]
It won the 2012 Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Hugo Award for Best
Novel and the British Fantasy Award, and was a nominee for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.
Plot
The novel is presented as the diary of Mori, a 15-year-old Welsh science fiction and fantasy fan, in 1979 and 1980.
She and her twin sister have magically stopped their mother from taking control of the fairies, but they suffered an
accident in which her sister was killed and Mori's leg was injured. At the beginning of the book, as her mother is
insane, she is sent to western England to live with her father and his three half-sisters, none of whom she has ever
seen. They send her to a nearby girls' boarding school, which she finds unmagical and very uncongenial, losing all
but one of the few friends she makes. She has considerable free time because she can do her schoolwork quickly and
because her injury prevents her from participating in sports, and she spends all this time reading books provided by
her father (also an SF fan), the school library, and the local public library. Throughout her diary she records her and
other characters' reactions to these books with as much interest as any other events of her life.
She takes a train trip to Wales to visit relative on her mother's side. On Halloween, the fairies guide her in doing
magic that allows recently dead people to leave the world. However, the spell ends before her sister can cross over.
Back at school, she works a magic spell to get friends, and the school librarian immediately offers to take her to a
meeting of a local science fiction fan club. At the club, she is thrilled to meet people who share her interests and
views, and she easily makes arrangements to attend its weekly meetings. She is also attracted to Wim, the
best-looking teen-aged boy in the club, though other characters warn her that he had made a previous girlfriend
pregnant.
Mori becomes concerned that her magic forced the members of the club to accept her and is forcing Wim to become
romantically interested in her (something she thought was impossible). She swears to use magic only in self-defense,
notably to prevent her mother's continuing magical attacks. She also admits her guilt to Wim, and he takes her
seriously, even going to a disco with his latest girlfriend to prove that he can; Mori is told by one of her classmates
and briefly feels jealous. Wim proves to be able to see fairies, especially when he holds a wooden cane that a fairy
had given Mori.
2011 - Among Others
197
On another trip to Wales, she resists the fairies' attempts to have her join her sister in death, instead freeing her sister
with magical flame. She then finally defeats her mother. In the last diary entry of the book, she determines to
continue talking with the fairies and learning magicwhich she will only use defensivelyto continue reading SF,
and to continue her more ordinary studies and have a successful adult life.
Reception
Ursula K. Le Guin, in her review for The Guardian, called the book "a funny, thoughtful, acute and absorbing story
all the way through".
In her review for The Washington Post, Elizabeth Hand wrote: "More than anything else, Among Others is a love
letter to the literature of the fantastic and to SF fandom. This is problematic as well as charming, because nothing
much happens in the novel."
Elizabeth Bear, in her review for tor.com, concludes: "The voice is sublime; the characters nuanced. In any case, I
think this is Walton's best book to date."
References
[1] Among Others (Excerpt) (http:/ / www.tor.com/ stories/ 2012/ 05/ excerpt-among-others), by Jo Walton, at Tor.com; published 18 January
2011; retrieved 7 April 2012
[2] Among Others | Jo Walton - Constable & Robinson (http:/ / www. constablerobinson. com/ ?section=books&
book=among_others_9781472100436_hardback) Retrieved 11 October 2012.
External links
Tor Books website (http:/ / us. macmillan. com/ Tor. aspx)
Constable & Robinson website (http:/ / www. constablerobinson. com)
Article Sources and Contributors
198
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Ahasuerus, Anthony, Armbrust, Bearcat, Brucehorner, Burschik, Carey Evans, Chaheel Riens, Conversion script, Deflective, Delfeye, Dh2, Dolohov, Dravecky, Editor2020, Esqg, Fyngyrz,
Geoffrey.landis, GoingBatty, Gpvos, Gregmce, Hooperbloob, Hyliad, I dream of horses, ImGz, JerryFriedman, Jmozena, John Broughton, Kbdank71, Krsont, Kwamikagami, Litch, Mabfan,
MakeRocketGoNow, Martarius, Matthewj42, Memorymike, Moroboshi, Netmouse, P64, Palnatoke, Patricio00, Paul A, PaulLev, Petenunn, Phr, Rhynri, Riverpa, Robofish, Rojomoke, Sandstein,
Scwlong, Shsilver, Steveprutz, Stroika, Sus scrofa, Tim!, Tkech, Trowbridge, Ultramarinblau1969, Vicki Rosenzweig, WojPob, Woohookitty, Wricardoh, Wwwwolf, 46 anonymous edits
Nebula Award Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=590630714 Contributors: AN(Ger), Ahasuerus, Al Lemos, Antepenultimate, Astor14, Avicennasis, Baffclan, Bahar101,
Bobo192, Burschik, Chowbok, ChrisG, Conversion script, Css, Cyfal, Dhollm, Dismas, Dnik, Dravecky, Drj63, Dwheeler, Erich gasboy, Etaonish, EurekaLott, Executor Tassadar, Ezhiki, Finlay
McWalter, Forbsey, Frankessay, Funandtrvl, GB fan, Gadfium, Gamaliel, Graham87, Greglocock, Gsklee, Gutsul, Headbomb, Hu12, Icowrich, Ieneach fan 'e Esk, Itbeso, JakobBorliner22, Jeff
G., JerryFriedman, Jhett6, John, Justinbieber1995, Kaltenmeyer, Karmholl, Kennylucius, Kiergray, KinkyLipids, Kiore, Lerdsuwa, Liftarn, Litch, MCDDDD, Macdaddyjoshua, Magnus Manske,
Malcolm Farmer, Malinaccier, Markjoseph125, Mellery, MementoVivere, Mercurywoodrose, Michael C Price, Michael Hardy, Minro69, Monicasdude, Motor, N,N-dimethylpeptokryptamide,
Norm mit, Oda Mari, One1234, P64, Paralympic, Patrick0Moran, PaulLev, Pethan, Peyre, Pipedreamergrey, Plrk, Polyglottalstop, Pongo, Ppntori, PresN, Rcwc, RedSpruce, Rillian, Riverpa,
Samarhabib80, Sandstein, Sdr, Seth Ilys, Sgarlatm, Shsilver, Shunn, Signinstranger, SimonP, Skomorokh, Sludge, SouthernNights, SpuriousQ, SriMesh, TBrandley, Tdimhcs, Timmccloud,
TwoOneTwo, Vegas Bleeds Neon, Vicki Rosenzweig, WCFrancis, Wafulz, Wannabemodel, Wikipelli, Wizgiz2, Wmmorrow, WojPob, Yerpo, Zzzzzzzzzzz, 87 anonymous edits
Nebula Award for Best Novel Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=605138792 Contributors: Adam2005, Ahasuerus, Aitch Eye, Ajshm, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Argyll
Lassie, BPK2, Bogdangiusca, Brendan Moody, Brianhe, Burschik, Captain Wacky, Carbonix, Ckatz, Dalf, Debresser, Dhollm, Dimadick, Dravecky, Elf, Epastore, ErikTheBikeMan, Eternalbraid,
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JoeLinux, Jogers, KelleyCook, Kennylucius, Kevinalewis, KinkyLipids, KnightRider, Lawrence King, Lee M, Lowellian, Lquilter, Magidin, Malkinann, Markjoseph125, Max 2000, McDScott,
McSly, Mellery, Mikeray, Moroboshi, Morwen, Mrzaius, Naddy, Nateji77, Nickpheas, Northumbrian, Ojanapothik, Perry Middlemiss, Phantomx129, Polmandc, PresN, Princess Lirin,
RHaworth, RJHall, RandomCritic, Rbrwr, Rbs, Rob, Scoutersig, Seasponges, Seth Ilys, ShaunMacPherson, ShelfSkewed, Shsilver, Skomorokh, SouthernNights, Spinach Dip, SriMesh, Stephan
Schulz, Stephenb, Stevenhalter, Tassedethe, TheRedPenOfDoom, Thue, Topbanana, TwoOneTwo, Ulric1313, Una Smith, Uncle Milty, ViceroyInterus, Viriditas, Vishal1811, Walkiped,
WikHead, Wwoods, Wyvern Rex., Zoicon5, 51 anonymous edits
1965 Dune Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=605554423 Contributors: - tSR - Nth Man, AHMartin, APimienta, Aaron north, AbelDavid123, Acbistro, AdamDeanHall,
Adbaxter, Aeusoes1, Afasmit, Againme, AgnosticPreachersKid, Ahoerstemeier, Alex S, AlexR, Altar, Amedeus72, Anakin101, Andrevan, Andrewman327, Andy5421, Antandrus, Antrophica,
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1966 Babel-17 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=603521197 Contributors: Acodered, Aisha9152, Ameliorate!, Angela, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Attilios, Auric, Bearcat,
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1966 Flowers for Algernon Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=605483999 Contributors: "Jerk, Beefy!", 7, A Softer Answer, A.M., AMK152, ASDFGHJKL, AXB-H,
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Serenity, Zotdragon, Zzdog30, , 1295 , anonymous edits
1967 The Einstein Intersection Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=545149367 Contributors: Ameliorate!, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Beyond My Ken, Booksellergirl,
Ched, DoctorWho42, GrahamHardy, Hullaballoo Wolfowitz, Icowrich, Karada, Kdring, Kevinalewis, Lola Voss, Luminifer, Markjoseph125, Mrsillybubbleworld, Pegship, PresN, Ragarner,
Roscelese, Rtrace, Sadads, TAnthony, Thismightbezach, Timhoustontx, Wikignome0529, Yobmod, 2 anonymous edits
1968 Rite of Passage Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=599785168 Contributors: Accounting4Taste, Ameliorate!, Antepenultimate, Badger Drink, Brian Sayrs,
Daedalus969, David Gerard, DavidA, DoctorWho42, Donfbreed, GrahamHardy, Grey Shadow, Gsandi, Hullaballoo Wolfowitz, Jaberwocky6669, Jediknil, Kalluke2, Kevinalewis, L Kensington,
Macmelvino, Magioladitis, Markjoseph125, Mercurywoodrose, Noclevername, Pearle, Playstationman, Pointillist, PresN, Queenmomcat, Rich Farmbrough, Sadads, ShelfSkewed, SimonP,
Thismightbezach, Tillman, Transcendentalist01, Woohookitty, Zero g, 20 anonymous edits
1969 The Left Hand of Darkness Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=604799706 Contributors: 0, 157.178.1.xxx, 19.158, 200.191.188.xxx, 5 albert square, 7Kim, Agrumer,
Alexdubr, Ameliorate!, Anarkitekt, Andral, Andy Dingley, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Artimaean, Ashmoo, Atanamir, Az29, Bellagio99, Bensin, Beyond My Ken, Blindlynx, Branko, Brianhe,
Bryan Derksen, CBDroege, Caiyu, Calton, Capricorn42, Castabile, Cendare, Cenedi, ChKa, Chexum, Chvsanchez, Colonies Chris, Crazysane, Cthuljew, Cyde, DarkseidX, David Gerard,
DoctorWho42, Donfbreed, Donreed, Dr.enh, Dunks58, Ellmist, EruditeChap, Esk, Etaonish, Explendido Rocha, F Notebook, Filipvansnaeskerke, FreeKnowledgeCreator, Garthnox, Ged
Sparrowhawk, Gorthian, Goustien, Graham87, GrahamHardy, Green Cardamom, Greencoracle, Gregcaletta, GregorB, Grendelkhan, Grey Shadow, GwydionM, Habj, Hapatrick, Hazelfo, Hetar,
Hoziron, Hullaballoo Wolfowitz, Icowrich, Ingolfson, Iridescent, Jake100, Jfpierce, Jme2046, John Smythe, Justin Johnson, Kazu-kun, Kevinalewis, Kstewart11, Lquilter, Lubby ai,
MakeRocketGoNow, Malinaccier, Malkinann, Memetics, Mercurywoodrose, MikeWattHCP, Mohawkjohn, MonickerToo, Nanosecondman, Naomiwright, Nedrutland, Nesnad, Nicke L, Nikola
Smolenski, NormalGoddess, Npd2983, Oguzhandag, Omegatron, Owen, P64, Pablo-flores, Paradisaeasterna, Paul A, Pavel Vozenilek, Petropoxy (Lithoderm Proxy), Philippe Nicolai-Dashwood,
Pigman, Plastikspork, PresN, Quartermaster, RR, RandomCritic, RayneVanDunem, Rhodesh, Rich Farmbrough, Richard Keatinge, Ridernyc, Rjwilmsi, Robina Fox, Ronz, Sadads, Sam Francis,
Sandpiper, Silpol, SimonMahony, Sindala, Skobrin, SlimVirgin, Solar-Wind, Starwiz, Steven J. Anderson, TFOWR, Taw, Template namespace initialisation script, The Anome, Think outside the
box, Thismightbezach, Tillman, Tobias Hoevekamp, Tomsak, Ttarpn, Typhoon, Varlaam, Varnent, Verdi1, Vironevaeh, Walandablap, Whatever404, WikipedianMarlith, Yobmod, Zbxgscqf,
Zemaisgals, Zlaval, Zyrath, 208 anonymous edits
1970 Ringworld Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=595684193 Contributors: 200.191.188.xxx, 209.98.179.xxx, 216.254.9.xxx, Acbistro, Agent 86, Aggieandrew,
AlphaEtaPi, Amadeus93, Ameliorate!, AndrewKepert, Angelstorm, Ansible, Antepenultimate, Anymouse, Arch dude, Ashmoo, Auric, Autiger, Awl, Barsoomian, Barticus88, Bcameron54,
Belg4mit, Binkyuk, Bozoid, Brianhe, Bryan Derksen, CajunGypsy, Calderra, Calton, CanOfWorms, Canadian Skeptic, CanisRufus, CensoredScribe, CesarFelipe, Chadlupkes, Charles Matthews,
ChrisO, Chupon, Clarityfiend, Clayhalliwell, Cohesion, Colonel Warden, Computerjoe, Connor Behan, Conversion script, Cromis, Ctrl build, Danbloch, DanielCD, David Gerard, DavidApi,
DavidSky, Davidhorman, Dbenbenn, Dendodge, Dillard421, Dismas, DizietSma, DoctorWho42, Donfbreed, Donreed, EEMIV, Ed Poor, Edward321, Eeblefish, Eisnel, EleventyOrange, Ellmist,
Emmett5, Emurphy42, Eptin, Erich Schneider, Ethan a dawe, Evercat, Fantasy, FerdinandFrog, FrankWilliams, Fredrik, Fritz freiheit, Froth, FvdP, Fvw, Gardener of Geda, Garion96, Geo2087,
Geoffrey.landis, Gioto, Gossg, Graham87, GrahamHardy, Grandpafootsoldier, Grey Shadow, Hairy Dude, HairyPerry, Happywaffle, Hayford Peirce, Henry Merrivale, Hpa, Hullaballoo
Wolfowitz, Icowrich, Ihavenolife, Iluvcapra, Im a hustla, Imroy, Inglixthemad, Ingolfson, Izno, Jack Merridew, Japanese Searobin, Jarble, Jarich, Jason Palpatine, John, John DiFool2, Joho777,
Jonathan Kovaciny, Jonjac, Joseph Solis in Australia, Jsmaye, Jtatum, Justabaldguy, Justwes, Kevinalewis, Kjaer, Kjoonlee, Kuralyov, LGagnon, Lefty, Lensman003, LifeOnJinx, Los3,
LouScheffer, Lupin, MakeRocketGoNow, Marc Kupper, Mario777Zelda, Mark Foskey, MarnetteD, Masaruemoto, Matt Keleher, Max0001, Maxim Razin, Mikael Hggstrm, Mike Selinker,
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OranL, OwenBlacker, Ozkidzez91, Paranoid, Patrick, Paul A, Paulburnett, Pauli133, PhilHibbs, Philip Trueman, Piet Delport, PotentialDanger, PresN, Queenmomcat, RedSpruce, Rememberway,
Robina Fox, Rodasmith, Roentgenium111, Rpresser, Rydra Wong, Ryulong, Sadads, Scorpion451, Scorpionman, Scott Wilson, Scriptwriter, Shattered, Shultz, SidP, Silverhill, Simetrical,
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The Thing That Should Not Be, Thismightbezach, Thnidu, Thopper, Titus III, Tlogmer, Tobias Hoevekamp, Tosus, Traecer, Trekphiler, Trystero11, Tuttt, Twigge, Tzartzam, Udar55, Undomelin,
Urzatron, Van helsing, Vedexent, Vfp15, WLU, Wehwalt, Wereon, WhiteDragon, Wiki-uk, WikiuserNI, Wjl2, Wolfkeeper, Wtshymanski, X201, Xihr, Yggdriedi, Zbayz, Zenswashbuckler,
Zepheus, 233 anonymous edits
1971 A Time of Changes Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=593026066 Contributors: Adam Keller, Ameliorate!, Antepenultimate, Apocolypsemaker, Arch dude, Attilios,
Bender235, Dirk P Broer, GrahamHardy, Grey Shadow, Henry Merrivale, Hmains, Icowrich, Kevinalewis, MakeRocketGoNow, Misza13, Mlaffs, Ornithikos, PresN, Robina Fox, Sadads,
Srich32977, Supergee, TheAstonishingBadger, Thismightbezach, Thnidu, Timo Honkasalo, VANDAALI INTERWIKI, Vae victis, 14 anonymous edits
1972 The Gods Themselves Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=598916743 Contributors: Aardwolf, Aclwon, Ahoerstemeier, Alfio, Altes, Ameliorate!, Angela, Anomalocaris,
AnonMoos, Antepenultimate, Anville, Arcadian, Arch dude, Auric, B1989, BRW, Bachrach44, Beast of traal, Brian Hardy 54, Bryan Derksen, C1k3, Calton, Crablogger, Cybercobra, DanielCD,
Darkday, David Costello, David Gerard, Dbenbenn, Delius1967, Deville, Digital20, DoctorWho42, DonQuixote, Editor510, Eleuther, Ellmist, Ellsworth, Emurphy42, Fan-1967, Fireice,
Fluffernutter, Frankessay, GUllman, Gaius Cornelius, GrahamHardy, Grey Shadow, Grstain, Guillep2k, Henry Merrivale, Icowrich, Iridescent, JRM, Jask99, JoJan, John, Jonneroo, Junglejill,
KTo288, Kandeerlej, Karl Dickman, Kevinalewis, Khazar2, KnightRider, LGagnon, Lee M, Lefty, Mercurywoodrose, Mitcoyote, Mpeisenbr, Mr Minchin, Mustbe, Omeganian, Pakaran,
PatGallacher, Peter Grey, PresN, Primium mobile, Q Original, Rayc, Rednblu, Rich Farmbrough, Richard75, Rjcripe, Rjwilmsi, RomanSpa, RossF18, Sadads, SeeSchloss, Seth Ilys, Shanes,
Shobhit102, Stephen, Stephenchou0722, Stilgar27, Supergee, Tamfang, Template namespace initialisation script, Thismightbezach, Thomas Krtvlyessy, Transcendentalist01, Trench, VoX,
Wwoods, ^demon, 106 anonymous edits
1973 Rendezvous with Rama Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=599784946 Contributors: 2T, Aaron dub, AaronCBurke, AftonL8, Ahoerstemeier, Al E., Alienautic,
Ameliorate!, AniRaptor2001, Anna Sverige, Arch dude, Ashmoo, Aurelia19, Autonomium, Barfooz, BehroozZ, Benyon3, Berend de Boer, Black Archer, Brandon, Breals, Bryan Derksen, Caiyu,
Calton, Cattus, Cburnett, Chaheel Riens, Charles Matthews, Chaser, ChnaDragn, Cogiati, Comtraya, Conversion script, Crablogger, Cs302b, Cyclades, Cyde, DIREKTOR, DOHC Holiday,
DanielCD, David Gerard, DavidA, Davidhorman, Dawidl, Dazedbythebell, Demiurge, Dirk P Broer, DoctorJoeE, DoctorWho42, Dr. SW Bitely, Dunks58, Dunner99, Eamonnca1, Edward,
Ellmist, Emurphy42, Extraordinary, Fiona Walker, Fwwab, Garion96, Goldscarf2, GrahamHardy, Grandpallama, GregorB, Grey Shadow, Grstain, Grumbul, Hairy Dude, Halmyre, Hans
Dunkelberg, Henry Merrivale, Homestarmy, Hullaballoo Wolfowitz, Humphrse, Icairns, Icowrich, Imasleepviking, InternetMeme, Iridescent, Irishguy, J'onn J'onzz, JAF1970, JDspeeder1, JaGa,
James500, JamesBWatson, Janke, Jason Palpatine, Jay, Jefficus, JenFanOtto, Jeresig, Jerzy, Jessicadromgoole, Jg2904, Jivecat, John, Johnny Pez, K1Bond007, Kaelri, Kappa, Kbahey,
Kbthompson, Kevinalewis, Kjoonlee, Kuralyov, Kwib, Lady Aleena, Legionarius, Loudenvier, Lowellian, Magioladitis, MakeRocketGoNow, Mani1, Markeyeo, Martarius, Mbeinhorn,
Metamagician3000, Mjwadams, Monomorphic, Mr Minchin, Mstuomel, Mw66, NHCLS, NapoliRoma, Naught101, Obsidian Soul, Ogtec, Ohconfucius, Oldag07, PacificBoy, Paul A, Pepper
Black, PeterBrownlee, Philip Trueman, Pictureuploader, Pmcalduff, PresN, Prizrak, Q Original, Qonox, Queenmomcat, RSchlegel, Raul654, RedSpruce, Robert Fraser, RoyBoy, Rrzzrr, Runtime,
Ryo, Sadads, Scoutersig, Shadow Puppet, SimonPQ, Solomonfromfinland, Suffor, Sus scrofa, TallTales, Tarquin, TarsTarkas71, Template namespace initialisation script, Terraflorin, The Thing
That Should Not Be, Theblackdane, Thismightbezach, Timothy9958, Timwi, Tinkoo420, Transcendentalist01, Vedexent, WMMartin, Walter, Wereon, Wikidemon, Wolfkeeper, Yuriybrisk,
Yworo, 199 anonymous edits
1974 The Dispossessed Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=602070797 Contributors: 200.191.188.xxx, 200.255.83.xxx, 212.29.241.xxx, Accedie, Achero, Altes, Amelia
Paige, Ameliorate!, Andral, Andreas Kaganov, Antepenultimate, Apppletree, Arch dude, Ashmoo, Atanamir, Auntof6, Ausir, Bennycw, Benstrider, Blubro, Bluejay Young, Brianhe, Bridgecross,
Brinerustle, Bryan Derksen, Byelf2007, Caiyu, Calton, Cast, Chris the speller, Christopher Connor, Citynoise, Clicketyclack, Conversion script, Crazy head, Curps, DARC54321, David Gerard,
Deadflagblues, Delta43, Dismas, DoctorWho42, Doomsdayer520, Dstlascaux, Echosmoke, Ellmist, Embryomystic, Ferdinand Pienaar, Firsfron, Frank, FreeKnowledgeCreator, GabrielF,
Ghostofnemo, Gioto, Glump, Gorthian, Graham87, GrahamHardy, Greencoracle, Grendelkhan, Grey Shadow, Grstain, Gtbuzzard, GwydionM, Hathaldir, Henry Merrivale, Hibernian,
Hifrommike65, Hullaballoo Wolfowitz, Icowrich, Ike9898, Jaredroach, Jasantunes, Johan Andersson, JorgeAranda, Joshrhodes, Jwbittner, Kandeerlej, Kesal, Kevinalewis, Kingturtle, Klingon83,
Kuralyov, Laura1822, Lquilter, Lubby ai, Magioladitis, MakeRocketGoNow, Malinaccier, MartinHarper, MasterPrac, Mcc1789, Memetics, Nate Silva, Ningauble, Notinasnaid, Npd2983, Oliver
Pereira, Omegatron, Omnipaedista, Owen, Pablo-flores, Pass36, Passargea, Paul A, Paul Stansifer, Paxuscalta, Perry Middlemiss, Pgan002, Preaky, PresN, Quercusrobur, R'n'B, Rachel1, Ramurf,
Rich Farmbrough, Richard BB, Robina Fox, Rudam, Rydra Wong, Sadads, Sam Hocevar, Schmed2000, Scwlong, Sgt Pinback, Shamatt, Skobrin, Skomorokh, Sluffs, Starwiz, StevenoC,
Stillstudying, Susurrus, TAnthony, Tanakamotion, Tarikcwb, Taw, Template namespace initialisation script, Thadius856, Theuniversalparadox, Thismightbezach, Thnidu, TobyJ, Tresarah,
UninvitedCompany, Verdi1, Vgranucci, Ymatsui4, 90 , anonymous edits
1975 The Forever War Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=603279564 Contributors: 0x6adb015, Aerothorn, Alansohn, Altenmann, Amikake3, Andreas Kaganov, Andrew
Gray, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Ashdenej, Attilios, Baseballislife891, Besieged, Beyond My Ken, Biglovinb, Bjones, Blanche of King's Lynn, Bloggeratf, BobTinkelman, Bobamnertiopsis,
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ElmerHomero, Emperor, Eyu100, Fang Aili, Fences and windows, Ferndave, Filipo, Francis Sandow, GDallimore, Gilliam, Gioto, GoingBatty, Good Olfactory, GrahamHardy, Grahammoonie,
Granpuff, Grey Shadow, Gugaua, Gzornenplatz, HDCase, Hal 10000.0, Hamiltondaniel, Hapatrick, Henry Merrivale, Holme053, Hongooi, Hu, Icowrich, Imroy, In1984, Ingolfson, Iridescent,
JAF1970, JCDenton2052, Jdrice8, Jeremiahnelson, Jerzy, Jimbobtheking, Jivecat, Jmayer, John, Jsc83, Jurynel, KJN256, Kasreyn, Keith-264, Kensuke Aida, Kevinalewis, Kingal86,
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Ripberger, Rjwilmsi, Robert the Devil, Robina Fox, Rogermw, RoyBoy, Ryan4314, Sadads, Sam Hocevar, Scarfy, SeanDuggan, Serendipodous, Sietse Snel, Snori, Solomonfromfinland,
Spellmaster, TWX, Tabletop, Talkingwires, TangLab, Tauroctonos, Tectar, Template namespace initialisation script, The real Marcoman, Thenickdude, Thismightbezach, ThunderPeel2001,
Tim!, Toby Douglass, Tsuji, TwoTwoHello, Tra, UCaetano, UNSC Trooper, Varlaam, WRK, Wereon, Wfaulk, WilliamDenton, Wlievens, Yerpo, Zepheus, Zippy, Zotdragon, , 150
anonymous edits
1976 Man Plus Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=599908149 Contributors: Ameliorate!, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Brianhe, David Gerard, Eric, GrahamHardy, Grey
Shadow, Henry Merrivale, Hullaballoo Wolfowitz, Icowrich, Igno2, Jesse V., Johnny Pez, Kandeerlej, Kevinalewis, Lectonar, MakeRocketGoNow, MarSch, Mitchell k dwyer, Niceguyedc,
Northumbrian, Pegship, PresN, Q Original, Robina Fox, Sadads, Sango123, TheronJ, Thismightbezach, Wingman4l7, 20 anonymous edits
1977 Gateway Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=600626571 Contributors: Akubra, Ameliorate!, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Attilios, Bruce1ee, Clarityfiend, Costelld,
CrusssDaddy, David Gerard, Denimadept, DoctorWho42, Elendil's Heir, ElmerHomero, Freakofnurture, GrahamHardy, Grey Shadow, GwydionM, Henry Merrivale, Hullaballoo Wolfowitz,
Icowrich, Kalaong, Kandeerlej, Kevinalewis, King Zeal, MK2, Maury Markowitz, Melaen, Minimac's Clone, Misterkillboy, Mksmith, Mr Frosty, Oneiros, Ornithikos, Pegship, PresN, Q Original,
Queenmomcat, Rainbowbisbee, Robina Fox, Sadads, Spiros Bousbouras, Suvendi, Thismightbezach, Varnent, Vedexent, Xhienne, Ylee, Zepheus, 25 anonymous edits
1978 Dreamsnake Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=591293880 Contributors: Ameliorate!, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Atherton53, AvicAWB, Crystallina, DoctorWho42,
Don Braffitt, ElmerHomero, Geoff Plourde, Greencoracle, Grey Shadow, Henry Merrivale, Kevinalewis, Kmcveety, Mark Arsten, Melaen, PresN, Queenmomcat, Richard75, Runtime, Sadads,
Swhit41, Tassedethe, Thismightbezach, Tim!, Totalgoods12, Wireless Keyboard, Yllama, Zsinj, 3 anonymous edits
1979 The Fountains of Paradise Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=578512364 Contributors: 195.143.244.xxx, 213.253.39.xxx, 2T, Aleksandar Guzijan, Alygator, Anna
Sverige, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Arminius, Attilios, Big Bob the Finder, Bryan Derksen, Calton, Cattus, Cburnett, Chris the speller, Conversion script, Crablogger, Davandron, David
Gerard, DoctorWho42, ElmerHomero, Emdx, Extraordinary, GDallimore, Gargarean, GrahamHardy, GregorB, Grey Shadow, Grstain, Hans Dunkelberg, Hapatrick, Hemmer, Henry Merrivale,
Icowrich, Jason Palpatine, JediMasterOracle, Jmabel, John, Johnny Pez, K1Bond007, Kappa, Kevinalewis, KnightRider, Kosebamse, Legionarius, Lightmouse, LouScheffer, MakeRocketGoNow,
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Farmbrough, Rob Keniger, Robert Fraser, Robert Merkel, Sadads, Shsilver, Skywayman, Tabletop, Thismightbezach, Tinkoo420, Tuttt, Vedexent, Wmahan, Wolfkeeper, Yworo, 32 anonymous
edits
1980 Timescape Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=602381095 Contributors: Antepenultimate, Apollosrose, Arch dude, Branddobbe, Brianhe, Clarityfiend, David Gerard,
David spector, Dirk P Broer, DirkLangeveld, Doczilla, Donreed, Dugosz, Edward, Eekerz, Gaius Cornelius, Grey Shadow, Gwern, Henry Merrivale, Hu, Icowrich, Jacqueslacansan, Kandeerlej,
Kevinalewis, Lexor, Magioladitis, MakeRocketGoNow, Norm mit, Patchy1, Pegship, Pixiepeople, PresN, Q Original, RJHall, RoyBoy, Sadads, SarahLawrence Scott, Scott, Tim!, Wiki alf, 12
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1981 The Claw of the Conciliator Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=577721980 Contributors: Astropi, Attilios, Chris the speller, D6, DGG, David T Davis, Donfbreed,
Dynamic1, Emelye, Glimmer721, GrahamHardy, Icowrich, JLaTondre, Kandeerlej, Kuralyov, Mercurywoodrose, Nateji77, Nodulation, PresN, Robina Fox, Sinister Stairs, , 20 anonymous edits
1982 No Enemy But Time Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=584264585 Contributors: Antepenultimate, Attilios, Brianhe, Caerwine, D.Holt, DoctorWho42, ElmerHomero,
Frankesko, Grey Shadow, Henry Merrivale, Hmains, Kevinalewis, Kgwo1972, MakeRocketGoNow, Ntsimp, PresN, Sadads, Tim!, WCFrancis, 7 anonymous edits
1983 Startide Rising Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=605087890 Contributors: Albmont, Alfredsimpson, Ameliorate!, Andrew Gray, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Attilios,
Auric, Batmanand, BlankVerse, Bryan Derksen, Calton, Captain-tucker, Cglassey, Clarityfiend, Crystallina, DavidA, DazSap, Diceman, DoctorWho42, Dunne409, Erkman27, Etacar11,
Gadfium, Garion96, GrahamHardy, GreatWhiteNortherner, Grey Shadow, Guthrie, Harda, Henry Merrivale, Howcheng, Icowrich, JaGa, Jivecat, Kevinalewis, Kusma, Lcpousa, Lockesdonkey,
Macmelvino, MakeRocketGoNow, Metodicar, Mickea, Nateji77, PGHGEOLOGIST, Piotrus, Plange, PresN, Raul654, RedWolf, Remuel, Rich Carlson, Runtime, Santaduck, Skomorokh,
Snafu25, Squids and Chips, Stephen Gilbert, Terraflorin, Thismightbezach, Tony1, UtherSRG, Verdi1, Wwoods, Xentrion, Zepheus, var Arnfjr Bjarmason, 59 anonymous edits
1984 Neuromancer Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=606506862 Contributors: .schwrz, 200.191.188.xxx, 3HackBug77, 404notfound, Aciel, Adams kevin, Adrian.benko,
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Merrivale, Hoshisabi, Hu, Hu12, Hullaballoo Wolfowitz, IGlowInTheDark, Icowrich, Ictlogist, Ihavenolife, Istaro, J.D., Jaeger5432, Jafet, Jetike, JettaMann, Jim Henry, Jivecat, Jmreinhart, Jnc,
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SomeFreakOnTheInternet, Somercet, SpencerThiel, SqueakBox, Stephen Morley, Stephen Turner, Stevegiacomelli, StevenDH, Stevernyan, Szavost, Tanketz, Tassedethe, Template namespace
initialisation script, Terraflorin, Tgeairn, The Anome, The Interior, TheDoober, TheOldJacobite, Thismightbezach, Tobias382, Toby Douglass, Tony Sidaway, Troydupuissucks, Tubby,
Twentydevils, TwoOneTwo, Unint, Uucp, Vdo2000, Vedexent, Vegaswikian, Vegaswikian1, Vendettax, Venerable Bede, Vinni999, Viriditas, Voracious reader, Weirdoactor, Wellspring,
Wereon, Whiteandnerdy52, Wiki alf, Wikibofh, WikipedianProlific, Win7ermute, Wintermutee, Wjmallard, Wwwwolf, Xaliqen, Xeleer, Xh1d30, Xyzzyplugh, Yann, Zadcat, Zarvensha, Zoe,
ZoeB, Zoltancsaki, Zotdragon, Zuffi, 461 anonymous edits
1985 Ender's Game Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=605931600 Contributors: 4 Stars, 7urnip, 97198, ARTEST4ECHO, AThing, AaronCBurke, AaronSw,
AaronThomasMartin, Acather96, Accurizer, AceMyth, Adam Keller, Aericanwizard, AgainErick, AgentPeppermint, Aheartofjericho, Ahouhoulis, Airplaneman, Alansohn, Alastor85, Aldaron,
Alex Mitford, AlexChurchill, AlexanderKaras, All Hallow's Wraith, AllGloryToTheHypnotoad, Allan McInnes, Amcalabrese, Amytcheng, Andonic, Andrei Stroe, Andrevan, Andrewwellbrock,
Anonymous anonymous, Antepenultimate, Anthony, Aomarks, Arch dude, ArglebargleIV, Ariovistus, Arkarian01, Armenizorean, Armillary, Arthena, Asbestos, Assembled, Aswilkin, Attilios,
Ausir, Az1568, BD2412, BLGM5, Bagatelle, Baileytm, Barista, Barneca, Bartonhall, Ben James Ben, Besieged, Betacommand, Beware of moose, Beyond My Ken, BiT, Binksternet, Bkkbrad,
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Cybertooth85, DCGeist, DWP17, Damiantgordon, Daniel Simanek, DanielCD, Danio, DarkWizzard, Darkwind, Dave Kennedy, Davemcarlson, David, David.rand, Dawn Bard, Dead Horsey,
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GeneralAtrocity, GeoffreyYu7, Gihorn, Gilliam, GlobeGores, Glump, Gnowor, Godheval, Goodvac, GorillaWarfare, Gousha, Graham87, GrahamHardy, Grandpallama, Grandslammer07,
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201
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crassicaudatus, Outback the koala, Owen Lars, OwenBlacker, Oxymoron83, PWilkinson, Palthainon, Paul Magnussen, Pavel Vozenilek, Pawyilee, Pdcook, Peter Ellis, Philip Trueman, Phoenix
Hacker, Phronko, Pinkunicorn, Pipedreamergrey, Pmcalduff, Pnkrockr, Pokeybun, Porphyrogen71, PresN, Primalscreamtherapy, Princess Lirin, Professor Chaos, Proficient, ProjectPlatinum,
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That Should Not Be, The angel jean, The hegemon, The wub, TheHip14, TheNerd9, Thehelpfulone, Thethug89, Theunamedguy, Theunchosen, Thiefjehat, Thiseye, Thismightbezach, Thw1309,
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Una Smith, Undiente, Unforgiven24, Useight, Uucp, Valaggar, Valkyryn, Vanished User 1004, Vanished user 39948282, Vassosman, Vedexent, Venicemenace, Ventura, Verdi1, Vicarious,
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Willpv2, Wolfcomm, Writ Keeper, Wtf322, Xasodfuih, Xtrecate, YUL89YYZ, Yakushima, Yamamoto Ichiro, Yeng-Wang-Yeh, Yhelothur, Ylee, Yooden, Yossiea, Ypnypn, ZL123, Zaudragon,
Zaui, Zenibus, Zepheus, Zero g, Zhodsay, Zoicon5, Zziccardi, 1246 anonymous edits
1986 Speaker for the Dead Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=600241385 Contributors: -Demosthenes-, 041744, 66.185.84.xxx, ARTEST4ECHO, AVB, Acid2base,
AdamWill, Addihockey10, Algebra, Alphax, Ameliorate!, Andreasmperu, Andrei Stroe, Andrevan, Anna Sverige, Antepenultimate, Aphaia, Arch dude, Aris Katsaris, Armillary, Ausir, BD2412,
Beach drifter, Beardo, Berek, BigFoot48, BlackAndy, Bob00712, BrentRockwood, Bridgecross, Bryan Derksen, Byelf2007, Caiyu, Calton, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, ChKa,
Cheerioswithmilk, Cnilep, Conversion script, Darkskyz, David Gerard, DerekStephen88, Dewritech, Dismas, DmitTrix, DocWatson42, DoctorWho42, Download, Dyolf Knip, Dysprosia, Eisnel,
Evice, Flax5, Foofighter20x, Glane23, GrahamHardy, GregorB, Grey Shadow, Gunmetal Angel, Henry Merrivale, Higuyjoe225, II MusLiM HyBRiD II, Icowrich, InShaneee, InverseHypercube,
Islandboy99, JacobAGS, Jayron32, Jeremy Banks, Jhenderson777, Jsan, Jwrosenzweig, Kaszeta, Kevinalewis, Kimdime, Knives182, Koyaanis Qatsi, Kwi25, Leeborkman, Lesliearogers,
LilHelpa, Lino Mastrodomenico, Lucio, Luke poa, M C Y 1008, MC10, Malinaccier, Malinaccier Public, Marblespire, Markjoseph125, Martarius, Master shepherd, Maximus Rex, Menchi, Monk
praya, Mr Bucket, Mussulma, Mwanafunzi, Myclob, Nejee16, Nklatt, Novakyu, O.Koslowski, OGRastamon, Ocicat, PMHauge, Paul Magnussen, Pearle, Phoenix Hacker, Pipedreamergrey,
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Thismightbezach, Thspinto, Timkirtland, Timmmy, ToFeignClef, Transcendentalist01, Tuckerscreator, Twas Now, Una Smith, Unicorn's Machine, Unyoyega, Volland, Webdinger, Yooden,
Zandperl, Zegma, 217 anonymous edits
1987 The Falling Woman Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=544713867 Contributors: Arch dude, GrahamHardy, Henry Merrivale, Jihadcola, Jogers, Kaltenmeyer, Konig,
Otolemur crassicaudatus, PresN, Soupforone, Wpktsfs, 1 anonymous edits
1988 Falling Free Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=546416005 Contributors: Bearcat, ChrisGualtieri, Cyberherbalist, Euchrid, Headbomb, Ieneach fan 'e Esk, JesseW,
Nihonjoe, Princess Lirin, QuizzicalBee, Tbhotch, 3 anonymous edits
1989 The Healer's War Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=544713670 Contributors: Arch dude, Brianhe, Henry Merrivale, PresN, Robina Fox
1990 Tehanu Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=599800322 Contributors: Aericanwizard, Andreas Kaganov, Antepenultimate, Anticipation of a New Lover's Arrival, The,
Aranel, Arch dude, Atanamir, Ausir, Blanche of King's Lynn, Caiyu, Charlesf au, Clarityfiend, Coldsweetvengance, DESiegel, DGG, Fangz, Faolin42, FreeKnowledgeCreator, Fru1tbat, Ged UK,
Gil, Glimmer721, GoingBatty, Grey Shadow, Gryphon922, Hawkrives, Henry Merrivale, Hephaestos, Icowrich, JIP, Kandeerlej, Kusma, Lee M, Lowellian, MakeRocketGoNow, Malinaccier,
Mdw0, Npd2983, Ojevindlang, Owen, P64, Paul A, PresN, Quartermaster, Queenmomcat, RJHall, Rich Farmbrough, ShelfSkewed, UtDicitur, Vicki Rosenzweig, Whiterobe, Yongrenjie,
Zeppocity, 44 anonymous edits
1991 Doomsday Book Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=598480180 Contributors: Altarisse, Andreach, Antepenultimate, Antienne, Arch dude, Banedon, BigHaz, Bryan
Derksen, Caedus, Chaheel Riens, Cinnamon42, Crito2161, David Gerard, Deror avi, Deybear, Djdaedalus, DoctorWho42, Doczilla, ElmerHomero, Ffangs, Fvw, GDallimore, GoingBatty,
GrahamHardy, Gregmce, GregorB, Grey Shadow, Henry Merrivale, Hmains, Hu12, Icowrich, Itinerant1, JamieS93, Johandav, John, Jpbowen, Kennylucius, Languagehat, Lennylim,
MakeRocketGoNow, Mesmacat, Mlabar, Pearle, Piotrus, PresN, Princess Lirin, Purplefeltangel, Queenmomcat, RJFJR, RJHall, Sadads, Shortride, Shreevatsa, Sidath.senanayake, Snafu25,
Stormie, StudierMalMarburg, Tamfang, Terraflorin, Thismightbezach, Transcendentalist01, WBardwin, Zizhou, 44 anonymous edits
1992 Stations of the Tide Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=544922114 Contributors: Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Attilios, David Gerard, Good Olfactory, Grey Shadow,
Henry Merrivale, Icowrich, Kevinalewis, MakeRocketGoNow, Nbarth, Pjohanneson, PresN, RJHall, Rjwilmsi, Robina Fox, Tkynerd, 4 anonymous edits
1993 Mars trilogy Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=606088614 Contributors: "alyosha", Aardvark92, Acha11, Adrianhon, Aeusoes1, Againme, Alba, AlbinoFlea,
Ameliorate!, Analoguedragon, Andre Engels, AndrewBlanda, Angela, Anthony Appleyard, Arch dude, Aristophanes68, Arjayay, Art LaPella, AstroHurricane001, Athaenara, Auric, BD2412,
Babbler, Baptiste R, Bashir3, Bastin, Bearcat, Beardo, Belovedfreak, Bender235, Bendono, Bensin, Bobierto, Braincricket, Bryan Derksen, Canterbury Tail, CensoredScribe, CheekyMonkey,
Chmee2, ChrisRuvolo, Closedmouth, Cobusvw, Derekbd, Devatipan, Dhartung, Dimadick, Dirk P Broer, Djinn112, Dolfrog, Donmarkdixon, DouglasGreen, Dunner99, Earth, Edward, Ellmist,
Ericg, Evanh2008, Extension, F-451, Finlay McWalter, Fogelmatrix, Freddy011, Fuzlogic, Gaius Cornelius, Gasheadsteve, Gdr, Gioto, GoingBatty, Goustien, GrAfFiT, GrahamHardy, Grey
Shadow, Gwern, HK281993, Hacker72296, Hamiltondaniel, Hapatrick, Harriseldon, Heian-794, Helvetius, Henry Merrivale, Hibernian, HolyT, Howcheng, Huntington, Hypedupdawg, Icowrich,
Ingolfson, J Greb, JLaTondre, Jacoplane, Jaha123, Jaia, Jdmalouff, Jeandr du Toit, Joe Roe, John72296, JonMoore, JoshuaJSlone, Josquius, Jovrtn, Jsamans, Jwestbrook, Katana0182,
Kawayama, Keenan Pepper, Kelly Martin, Kevinalewis, Kilonum, Kingfish, Koavf, Kuralyov, Kusma, Larsie, Leutha, Lightmouse, Locofbo, LordZarglif555, Lost tourist, Lproven,
LuminousSpecter, Mad Scientist, Magnus Manske, MakeRocketGoNow, Manytexts, Mark Zinthefer, Markeer, Markonen, Martarius, Marzziano, MasterPlan, Maury Markowitz, Mboverload,
Meelar, Meile, Mercurius, MichaelSH, MikeSlattery99, Millahnna, Minigig, Montgolfire, Moocha, Mr. Billion, Mrwojo, MuzikJunky, N0mad, Nate1481, Nathanad, Ndteegarden, Nick Number,
NickBarlow, Nickwolf, Nihonjoe, Nikodemos, Noneofyourbusiness, Novangelis, Oleg Alexandrov, Oleg326756, Olliechick, One Salient Oversight, Oneiros, Orijit Dhar, Orodromeus, Ospalh,
P4k, PeerBr, Perry Middlemiss, Piotrus, PresN, Pwnage8, Pwrm, Q Original, QuantumEcho, Quarl, R'n'B, RL0919, RandomCritic, Range, Rekov, Rholton, Ritchy, Rob J. Elkton, Robert
Brockway, Sadads, Salsa Shark, Sam Francis, Sejanus, Seldon, Shnakepup, Siafu, Skywayman, Snafu25, SonniesEdge, Statue2, Stereorock, SteveCrook, Steveny123, Stormsweeper, Teemu
Ruskeep, Template namespace initialisation script, TheRedPenOfDoom, Thismightbezach, Thom2002, Tim!, Todfox, Tomhannen, Tomorrowsashes, Tony Sidaway, Trainthh, Uberpawn,
Urhixidur, Viriditas, Vmrgrsergr, Wareq, Whodarep08, Wjfox2005, Woohookitty, Wwoods, Zenswashbuckler, Zoicon5, var Arnfjr Bjarmason, 261 anonymous edits
1994 Moving Mars Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=578447543 Contributors: AnonMoos, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Attilios, Bryan Derksen, David Gerard,
Edward321, GrahamHardy, Grey Shadow, Henry Merrivale, Icowrich, Ivan.Romero, Kevinalewis, KnightRider, Korou, LGagnon, Lexor, Mad Scientist, Meelar, PresN, Q Original, RJHall,
Robina Fox, Template namespace initialisation script, Thue, Urhixidur, 11 anonymous edits
1995 The Terminal Experiment Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=601606147 Contributors: Abyssopelagic, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Bearcat, Deville, DivaNtrainin,
Doctor Sunshine, Fgrieu, FiverFan65, Gangasrotogati, Good Olfactory, Grey Shadow, Henry Merrivale, Icowrich, J 1982, Kandeerlej, Kevinalewis, Kraigus, Lectonar, Makgraf, Neelix, PresN,
Quuxplusone, RJHall, Reatlas, SimonP, TheoClarke, Zanimum, 8 anonymous edits
1996 Slow River Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=577630951 Contributors: Allen3, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Bearcat, Bonalaw, Gabrielbodard, GrahamHardy, Grey
Shadow, Grox, Henry Merrivale, John, Johndburger, Kaltenmeyer, Kevinalewis, Lectonar, MakeRocketGoNow, Mordicai, PresN, Richie Campbell, Robina Fox, Tim!, Yobmod, 4 anonymous
edits
1997 The Moon and the Sun Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=602777668 Contributors: Arch dude, Attilios, Gobonobo, Gshum24, Henry Merrivale, Hullaballoo
Wolfowitz, JLaTondre, Katharineamy, Kevinalewis, M-le-mot-dit, PresN, Robina Fox, 4 anonymous edits
1998 Forever Peace Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=591032466 Contributors: Aeusoes1, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Attilios, Calton, ChrisGualtieri, Dirk P Broer,
DoctorWho42, Edward, Fortdj33, GDallimore, GrahamHardy, Gregory j, Grey Shadow, Hatch68, Henry Merrivale, Hob, Icowrich, In1984, JW Bjerk, Kaltenmeyer, Kevinalewis, Khazar2,
202
LGagnon, Little Mountain 5, MakeRocketGoNow, Metamagician3000, Morwen, Mukkakukaku, Nateji77, Otolemur crassicaudatus, Q Original, Rjwilmsi, Robina Fox, Sadads, Scandum,
Snafu25, Thismightbezach, Tierce, Tim!, Viriditas, Waacstats, Yashgaroth, Zabieru, Zepheus, Zotdragon, 29 anonymous edits
1999 Parable of the Talents Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=566508377 Contributors: Ameliorate!, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Booksellergirl, Caiomarinho,
Classicfilms, Cleduc, French user, GrahamHardy, Gregmce, Henry Merrivale, Kevinalewis, Nareek, Neptune's Trident, PipOC, PresN, Robina Fox, Sadads, TheronJ, Thismightbezach, Walkiped,
4 anonymous edits
2000 Darwin's Radio Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=597858754 Contributors: Ameliorate!, Antepenultimate, Apankrat, Arch dude, Autarch, Caliga10, David Gerard,
DocWatson42, Dragon guy, EagleFan, Ebelular, ElmerHomero, Ermy2, Freemarket, Fyyer, GrahamHardy, Grey Shadow, Henry Merrivale, Hmains, Icowrich, Iolair, Jackbrown, Jask99,
Kevinalewis, Nzd, OldRightist, PresN, Q Original, Rjwilmsi, Sadads, Screwball23, Thismightbezach, Transcendentalist01, Waacstats, Zepheus, 19 anonymous edits
2001 The Quantum Rose Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=578544109 Contributors: Antepenultimate, Arch dude, David Gerard, Debresser, Eubulides, GrahamHardy,
GregorB, Grey Shadow, Henry Merrivale, Hullaballoo Wolfowitz, JacDT, Jack Merridew, Jacoplane, JamieJones, Michael Hardy, MikeWazowski, Oleg Alexandrov, Pegship, Pjakrsn, R'n'B,
RJHall, Robina Fox, Saberwyn, Sapphire1000, Thismightbezach, Tim!, , 14 anonymous edits
2002 American Gods Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=600742351 Contributors: A8UDI, Abhorsen327, Abu-Dun, Acather96, AdamBMorgan, AdamWill, Ajjunn, Andrei G
Kustov, AndrewHowse, Andrius.v, Andy5421, Anomen, Antepenultimate, Antlersantlers, Arch dude, Aristophanes68, Attilios, Avalonbound, AvatarMN, BD2412, Barsoomian, Barticus88,
Batsofdoom, Biblbroks, Bighominid, Bioman316, Bobblewik, Bogdangiusca, BradBeattie, BraneJ, CDThieme, Captain Assassin!, CaveatLector, Cbrazeal, Cdschuett, Cengime, CensoredScribe,
Cfickett86, Cfreeman03, Chinasaur, Ckatz, Coemgenus, Colonies Chris, Corti, Czolgolz, DJ Clayworth, Darkwind, Dave au, David Gerard, Deafgeek, Disastrophe, DoctorWho42, Dom Lochet,
DrOxacropheles, DuncanHill, EeepEeep, Electric23, Enric Naval, EricEnfermero, Firefly8679, Fishinginthemud, Flax5, Fonslayer, Funji, GDallimore, GadBeebe, Garion96, Gatemansgc,
Gcanyon, German vandalism, Ginsengbomb, Giraffedata, Glimmer721, Goatasaur, Gold penguin, GrahamHardy, Grapedog, Green0eggs, Grey Shadow, Gtrmp, Guanaco, Henry Merrivale,
Henrymrx, Heroville, Hu12, Icowrich, Iridescent, JTN, Jacqui M, JayzinSmith, Jisungyeah, Jogloran, John, Jonjon893, K1Bond007, Kaisershatner, Kalga, Kandeerlej, KdVeis, Kennylucius,
Kevinalewis, Koyaanis Qatsi, Kuralyov, Kutera Genesis, LGagnon, LadyDoor, LadyofShalott, Lahirud, Latnam, Leocomix, Libraryg, LittleWink, MJBurrage, Macduffman, Machenphile,
Marjoriethirion, Martarius, Martin Kozk, Matthew Auger, Mercurywoodrose, Michael Rawdon, Midasminus, MikeCapone, Mindfrieze, Mister Six, Misterstark, Morwen, Mrabbits, Mrzaius,
Mynameisnotpj, Myrrander, Mythgeek Ellipsis, Nandesuka, Nezu Chiza, Nickoli82, Nickpheas, Nihiltres, Noclevername, Noneofyourbusiness, Norm mit, Number 0, Ohconfucius,
Omnishambles8, One stone01, OpenToppedBus, Opus 17, Ortolan88, Osklil, Paul A, Pegship, Pentasyllabic, Peter Greenwell, Piandcompany, Pony English, PresN, Psych Wiki Project,
QuasiAbstract, Quotidianscribe, RJHall, RaCha'ar, Raul654, Ravstory, Rich Farmbrough, RingtailedFox, Rjwilmsi, Rob T Firefly, Robauz, Robofish, Rorschach567, Rumpelstilzchen, Sceptre,
Shockrockdoc, Shootingsyh, Shreevatsa, Signal2noize, Silence, Silentaria, Singingwolfboy, SoM, SoWhy, Solidsnake78, Stevertigo, SummerPhD, Sunray, TAnthony, TX55, TenPoundHammer,
The Anome, TheThomas, Titanium Dragon, Tokyogirl79, TomCat4680, Tommer man, Tony Sidaway, Tragicarus, Tredanse, UberMan5000, Usrfrnly, Vedenkeitin, Veternica, Walter Grlitz,
Warreed, Watch As I Wander, Widr, Wikipelli, Wilybadger, Woohookitty, Yuanchosaan, Zach Garner, Zidel333, Zotdragon, 370 anonymous edits
2003 Speed of Dark Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=579837691 Contributors: AmosWolfe, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Arkuat, Attilios, Azumanga1, Ben.c.roberts,
Caiyu, CaroleHenson, Charles Matthews, D4g0thur, David Gerard, Deathtowar, Ejph, Euchrid, GregorB, Grey Shadow, Henry Merrivale, JDP90, Jacoplane, Jfmantis, Jim Douglas, Kevinalewis,
LilHelpa, MakeRocketGoNow, Materialscientist, Mikee987, Mrzaius, Spiffytech, Voideater, Wereon, Wikipelli, Willy, your mate, 25 anonymous edits
2004 Paladin of Souls Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=544898127 Contributors: 3coma14, Aleph4, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Attilios, Binadot, Calton, Chowbok,
DoctorWho42, Glimmer721, GrahamHardy, GregorB, Grey Shadow, Henry Merrivale, Hinkhouse, Icowrich, JW Bjerk, Jacoplane, Kandeerlej, MakeRocketGoNow, Mlabar, Mrzaius, Murray
Langton, Nateji77, Oleg Alexandrov, Phil Boswell, PresN, Quantamike08, SarekOfVulcan, Sorasensei, Tamfang, Thnidu, Tim!, Warreed, Wwoods, 8 anonymous edits
2005 Camouflage Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=587145917 Contributors: A2Kafir, Abyssopelagic, Antepenultimate, Arch dude, Austinmiker, Bender235, BlazerKnight,
Bryan Derksen, Captain-tucker, Dracontes, GrahamHardy, Grey Shadow, Gtrmp, Henry Merrivale, Icowrich, Jacoplane, Jayjg, JustAGal, Kevinalewis, LilHelpa, Metamagician3000, Misza13,
Mrzaius, OcelotHod, Otolemur crassicaudatus, Q Original, Qwertyuiop742085421, Richard75, Rjwilmsi, Sadads, Sgt Pinback, Steveprutz, The Anome, Tim!, Tony Sidaway, Viriditas,
Zotdragon, 23 anonymous edits
2006 Seeker Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=592971802 Contributors: Andrew Gray, Attilios, Auric, Carl.bunderson, Chadkeeler, Dang Fool, GrahamHardy, Gstein, Henry
Merrivale, Icowrich, Jacoplane, Lilyj13, Maegereg, Makzhou, Meganhatton, Michaelmas1957, Njd27, Orosius, Pmsyyz, RJHall, RickMeasham, Rjwilmsi, Robina Fox, Sadads, ShakataGaNai,
Shsilver, The Raven is God, Tim!, Warreed, 13 anonymous edits
2007 The Yiddish Policemen's Union Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=593175711 Contributors: Abayer1138, Acbertrand, Andreas Kaganov, Aristophanes68,
AshcroftIleum, Astanhope, Barsoomian, Bearcat, Bender235, Bleons, Branddobbe, Brozhnik, Calibanu, CarmenMelody, CharlesMartel, Confusionball, CorsairSanglot, Cuchullain, Cuvtixo,
DanyaRomulus, Darkfrog24, Darklilac, David Shay, Dravecky, Elfonleft, Epeefleche, Error, FeanorStar7, FrenchieAlexandre, Fvasconcellos, GDallimore, Gabbe, GabrielF, Ganev, GirasoleDE,
Goochelaar, Grafen, GrahamHardy, GregorB, Ground Zero, H. Carver, HMishkoff, Heirpixel, Hobbesy3, Hu12, Hydriotaphia, Iustinus, J.delanoy, JTrundle, Jacoplane, Jappalang, John J. Bulten,
Jonathan.s.kt, Jvbishop, Keith Lynch, Kennylucius, KevinOKeeffe, Kevinalewis, Killdevil, Koavf, Kuralyov, Legotech, Lockesdonkey, MarritzN, MartinCollin, Matthew Degnan, Nathan
Hamblen, Nick Number, Nickpheas, Norm mit, Nyttend, Ogress, Onorem, Optakeover, Paul Magnussen, Per Ardua, Pikolo, Polylerus, PresN, Quartermaster, Rjwilmsi, Sadads, Sanmarting,
Shadzane, ShelfSkewed, Shsilver, Shunn, Skomorokh, Smilo Don, Solar-Wind, SpoolWhippets, Stemonitis, Steve, Tewfik, This, that and the other, Thmazing, Thumperward, TomyDuby,
TravisBrown, UN 2814, Vidor, Woohookitty, , 94 anonymous edits
2008 Annals of the Western Shore Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=579251918 Contributors: Anarkitekt, Armuk, Bertport, DGG, Hanberke, Harmonia Amanda, Iohannes
Animosus, JLaTondre, Kaltenmeyer, Kuralyov, Lordnibbler, Mercurywoodrose, Mistsrider, Moonriddengirl, MozKingOfOz, Niaz, Painocus, Pegship, PresN, Sadads, Syrthiss, Ugajin,
Walandablap, 8 anonymous edits
2009 The Windup Girl Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=600665857 Contributors: Aguynamededdy, Altarisse, Aristophanes68, BD2412, BFWB, Cfbolz, Dlewisperry,
Dravecky, Edwardc96, Emperor, Euchrid, FstrthnU, Geoff B, Glump, Grafen, GrahamHardy, Gymnophoria, Iceman87, JLaTondre, Kevinalewis, Kuralyov, Leszek Jaczuk, MarkVolundNYC,
Markjoseph125, Martarius, MisterScience, Nwh5305, Sadads, Skomorokh, Skyscrawler, SouthernNights, Stephenb, Supervidin, Susurrus, Tim!, Transcendentalist01, Unicorn's Machine,
VJDocherty, Victoriaearle, Waacstats, Wingman4l7, 34 anonymous edits
2010 - Blackout/All Clear Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=603935260 Contributors: Abyssopelagic, Altarisse, AvicAWB, Bilsonius, BobC32, Bsalad, Carabinieri,
Cg-realms, Dravecky, ElmerHomero, Enderminh, Green Cardamom, Hullaballoo Wolfowitz, Icowrich, Kaldari, Kschneyer, Lennylim, LilHelpa, Mklobas, Mlabar, Moonpaws8, OcelotHod, Petro
Gulak, Princess Lirin, Sadads, StAnselm, Stephenb, Terraflorin, TreacherousWays, VJDocherty, 25 anonymous edits
2011 - Among Others Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=590862726 Contributors: Attilios, Bbehrmann, Bearcat, Cfbolz, Conrob, DragonflySixtyseven, Dravecky, Fcoulter,
Glump, Gobonobo, GrahamHardy, JerryFriedman, John, KinkyLipids, Kworker, Malcolma, Mlabar, Morwen, Ringbang, Trntrff, Yel D'ohan, 2 anonymous edits
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