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Ladataan... A Woman of the Iron People: In the Light of Sigma Draconis (alkuperäinen julkaisuvuosi 1992; vuoden 1992 painos)Tekijä: Eleanor Arnason (Tekijä)
TeostiedotIn the Light of Sigma Draconis (tekijä: Eleanor Arnason) (1992)
- Ladataan...
Kirjaudu LibraryThingiin nähdäksesi, pidätkö tästä kirjasta vai et. Ei tämänhetkisiä Keskustelu-viestiketjuja tästä kirjasta. A for effort, D for execution? I don't remember where the recommendation came from, but I have it in my mind that someone recommended this to me as an example of anthropological science fiction. Sign me up!, I would have thought. A group of (one presumes) modern humans are set down on an alien planet, spread apart, so as to observe and interact with the local aliens. Most of the book tells the story of Lixia, one of the humans, and Nia, an alien she meets who is somewhat of an outcast. In this alien society, females live together in villages while males are driven out after puberty, and the two come together only for mating in the spring. There are, naturally, some who rebel against the order of things. The main problem is, without knowing anything about Arnason's background, I'm going to venture that she doesn't actually know much about anthropology. The aliens are, well, not that alien. (In fact, I think one human character remarks on how "surprisingly" human they seem; if there's an explanation, it wasn't even hinted at in this book, which is half of a duology.) There's something very conventionally moral about it. One of the reasons Nia is an outcast is that she wanted to live with her mate all the time, rather than mating with random males at the pre-appointed season! GASP! There's an implication that the humans will teach the aliens how to monogamously pair up, and about why rape is wrong. At the same time, the aliens manage to check quite a few Noble Savage boxes -- for example, war is unknown to them, and murder and theft are rare. On top of that, the characters are pretty flat. There's a point where Lixia does something potentially wrong, and she's concerned about the implications for her career. This is expressed by Lixia thinking, more or less, "I am concerned about the implications for my career." I never got a sense that she was upset, afraid, anxious... She's just a flat canvas who performs actions. Nia's personality is "wishes, without realizing it, to be human." Male human Derek's personality is "Lothario." So: the "science" was not thought-provoking, and the "characters" were not emotion-provoking. Points for an interesting premise, but this is not an interesting book. A for effort, D for execution? I don't remember where the recommendation came from, but I have it in my mind that someone recommended this to me as an example of anthropological science fiction. Sign me up!, I would have thought. A group of (one presumes) modern humans are set down on an alien planet, spread apart, so as to observe and interact with the local aliens. Most of the book tells the story of Lixia, one of the humans, and Nia, an alien she meets who is somewhat of an outcast. In this alien society, females live together in villages while males are driven out after puberty, and the two come together only for mating in the spring. There are, naturally, some who rebel against the order of things. The main problem is, without knowing anything about Arnason's background, I'm going to venture that she doesn't actually know much about anthropology. The aliens are, well, not that alien. (In fact, I think one human character remarks on how "surprisingly" human they seem; if there's an explanation, it wasn't even hinted at in this book, which is half of a duology.) There's something very conventionally moral about it. One of the reasons Nia is an outcast is that she wanted to live with her mate all the time, rather than mating with random males at the pre-appointed season! GASP! There's an implication that the humans will teach the aliens how to monogamously pair up, and about why rape is wrong. At the same time, the aliens manage to check quite a few Noble Savage boxes -- for example, war is unknown to them, and murder and theft are rare. On top of that, the characters are pretty flat. There's a point where Lixia does something potentially wrong, and she's concerned about the implications for her career. This is expressed by Lixia thinking, more or less, "I am concerned about the implications for my career." I never got a sense that she was upset, afraid, anxious... She's just a flat canvas who performs actions. Nia's personality is "wishes, without realizing it, to be human." Male human Derek's personality is "Lothario." So: the "science" was not thought-provoking, and the "characters" were not emotion-provoking. Points for an interesting premise, but this is not an interesting book. näyttää 3/3 ei arvosteluja | lisää arvostelu
Kuuluu näihin sarjoihinSisältyy tähän:
Embarking from an ecologically ruined Earth, the First Interstellar Expedition sets out to find a planet suitable for human exploration. In the light of the star Sigma Draconis they discover a primitive society newly born - where the evolutionary process has divided the sexes, where violence, fear and superstition reign. Driven by conscience and curiosity, Lixia, an earthborn anthropologist, follows an extraordinary female outcast called Nia across a strange and perilous world. And together they will bear witness to the friendship that could ultimately influence, and perhaps devastate, a fragile, emerging culture. - Back cover. Kirjastojen kuvailuja ei löytynyt. |
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Oletko sinä tämä henkilö? |
I presume that the cover is supposed to depict one of the main characters, an anthropologist. The character in question is ethnically Chinese, describes herself as being more flat-chested than average for a human female, and at no point does she wear a silly fashion bustier, nor does she hold a skull. OK, at one point a character does get his skull bashed in, but said skull does not get removed from his head. There is also a ‘tower’ in the story. It’s a primitive structure fashioned from reeds and organic materials. And there is a spaceship, although the one pictured doesn’t match the description provided. Sigh. The cover for the second half isn’t quite as egregiously random, but it’s not great, either. (Yes, the alien people are furry – but their fur is a slick pelt, like otters, and they have a thick, stocky build, like bears. They also wear clothes and don’t dance around naked, as pictured.)
Ignore the covers, and just get to the story. A criticism that the book could be more tightly plotted might have some validity. It can be a bit meandering. But I still loved it. (Maureen McHugh gets that kind of criticism, and I love her too.) If you’re interested in a first contact story with a strong anthropological focus, which concentrates on the gradual process of two very different women coming to understand each other – this is a book for you.
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