Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
64th out of 171 books
—
151 voters
The Terrorists of Irustan
by
Louise Marley (Goodreads Author)
In this brilliant novel from the author of Sing the Light, a talented medicant defies the rule of men -- and changes the lives of every woman on the planet.
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
July 1st 2000
by Ace
(first published 1999)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
257)
this is my third or so read of this book, so, not a first impression...
this is a maybe uncategorizable novel--it has SF elements, certainly (civilization on a distant planet), dystopian ones (a society in which women are veiled, largely uneducated, pretty much property although not called slaves), feminist ones in droves, and social commentary up the wazoo. so what is it?
i don't know, but it's unique, and it's heartbreaking, and it will remain on my shelves forever.
as i read through this time, i...more
this is a maybe uncategorizable novel--it has SF elements, certainly (civilization on a distant planet), dystopian ones (a society in which women are veiled, largely uneducated, pretty much property although not called slaves), feminist ones in droves, and social commentary up the wazoo. so what is it?
i don't know, but it's unique, and it's heartbreaking, and it will remain on my shelves forever.
as i read through this time, i...more
2 likes
·
like
· see review
view 1 comment
How many times in your life do you get to read an unforgettable book that makes an impression on you? As a lifelong reader, I've read and forgotten more books than I could count. Only a precious few end up on my "recommend to the book club ladies" list. I made them read this one and they agreed it was a marvelous choice for discussion.
In a setting that favors Earth's Middle East both in lands and customs, the struggle for women not to just survive but thrive somehow in a male dominated society...more
In a setting that favors Earth's Middle East both in lands and customs, the struggle for women not to just survive but thrive somehow in a male dominated society...more
I didn't think they wrote feminist SF like this anymore. Okay, I know this book is not particularly recent, but it feels like it should be from the 80s. Not that I am complaining. It's a Handmaid's Tale sort of dystopia, one that in this case is a fictional future far-right take on Islam. With, yes, veiled women. Our heroine, Zahra, is a "medicant" (please note, in case you have done the same thing, that I read this as "mendicant" about five times; no, that would be a different sort of book) who...more
I quite enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant little feminist queer surprise in a genre heavily populated by straight white men. Especially considering that I just picked it up rather randomly as the library was closing.
That said, I'm troubled with the use of the veil as a symbol of women's subjugation. It's not the main subject of the book, but it is used as dramatic effect to symbolize and reinforce the fact that the women are powerless and confined. I suppose that is the historical meaning of...more
That said, I'm troubled with the use of the veil as a symbol of women's subjugation. It's not the main subject of the book, but it is used as dramatic effect to symbolize and reinforce the fact that the women are powerless and confined. I suppose that is the historical meaning of...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Take a far-right, imagined extremist version of Islam, dump it on a futuristic mining planet, add a hefty helping of additional gendered slavery, and season with fed-up female resistance, and you have the strange brew that is The Terrorists of Irustan. In Margret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, there's a line somewhere about how extremist Eastern religions are not that far from extremist Western religions, and The Terrorists of Irustan is a little bit what I imagine a faux-Middle Eastern counterpa...more
The first time I read this book I don't think I really understood its significance. It's easy to identify with the characters and the reader suffers through their hardships and celebrates their triumphs. The women of Irustan are the same women who suffer injustice and lack freedom in our world today. Zahra, the main character, gives these women a voice and shows how women can take hold and change their fate with education, determination, and love. Terrorists of Irustan is a testament to the stre...more
Using the servant's tools to dismantle the master's house.
Irustan is a world where all the women are veiled and all the men are conscripted into service in the mines that make the planet profitable. The gender lines are extremely sharp. Men are the public, working face, and women are hidden, behind the scenes. Men also have nothing to do with the needs of the body. Women are responsible for cooking, cleaning, washing, and crucially, healthcare.
I have seen several commentators talk about the reli...more
Irustan is a world where all the women are veiled and all the men are conscripted into service in the mines that make the planet profitable. The gender lines are extremely sharp. Men are the public, working face, and women are hidden, behind the scenes. Men also have nothing to do with the needs of the body. Women are responsible for cooking, cleaning, washing, and crucially, healthcare.
I have seen several commentators talk about the reli...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Marley does an excellent job of setting up a horribly claustrophobic society in which women are veiled, sheltered, set aside, property. Through an interesting quirk, the women are also the healers, and the men want nothing to do with dealings of the body. It's this prejudice of the men that Zahra is able to exploit to make her statement and do what she can for the women around her.
That said, it's a flawed book. The two women of Zahra's circle in the worst domestic situation are the two married t...more
That said, it's a flawed book. The two women of Zahra's circle in the worst domestic situation are the two married t...more
An interesting but sad book. It was a bit hard to read sometimes, since the female characters are so helpless to protect themselves in so many ways. Still, it's an interesting commentary on womens' lives in the Middle East (though of course it was a fictional, future sci-fi colony modeled on the current Middle East) and the way religion and tradition shape society.
A fantastic portrayal of suffragettes all over the world. This is about a veiled society that defines different as terrorist. It is not what we now know to be TERRORISTS but one can see how a culture has to change when the rules of old hold it in stasis. It will fail.
This book is incredible. It is powerful, with graphic, emotional detail. I haven't read this book in two or three years, since it's out of print, and I still am enthralled by it, and the story inside. Definitely worth the read.
One of the few sci-fi books I own. A dramatic, lyrical read, with a feminist slant that is somewhat belabored. Still a good story with strong,likable characters.
Oct 05, 2012
Lynne
marked it as to-read
I loved Marley's Singer series, and hooray feminist lit. OTOH, so many possible ways to slip into Islamophobia. Let's hope she hasn't.
Marley creates a very different world, and peoples it with wonderfully well-fleshed characters. I really enjoyed this one.
Clearly a political book and meant to be a critique of modern Islamist states. Yet I still could not put it down.
Fascinating, brilliant, and realistic work of political fiction. This is a good sci-fi novel for people who don't like sci fi.
Really somewhere between a 3 and a 3.5.
Very thought provoking.
I learned a lot about Prion diseases reading this book, I actually ended up reading about Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease because of it, but the characters and story are rather shallow and predictable and there's a certain heavy handed morality to the whole thing that is just a little off-putting.
I read this a while ago, but it remains in my mind as one of those really great reads.
If you liked A Handmaid's Tale, you'll probably enjoy this.
If you liked A Handmaid's Tale, you'll probably enjoy this.
Jul 14, 2008
Bob Alberti
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
SF fans with an interest in feminist issues
Shelves:
convergence-2008-picks
A captivating feminist tale set on a planet settled by Muslims.
May 15, 2013
Levon
marked it as to-read
Apr 18, 2013
Lance Schonberg
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction
Apr 07, 2013
Kate
marked it as to-read
Apr 06, 2013
Owen
added it
Mar 30, 2013
Michelle
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Louise Marley, a former concert and opera singer, writes stories of the fantastic. Sometimes set in the past, sometimes in the future, and often in a curious present, her novels tend to be feminist, often musical, occasionally dark, but always with compelling, colorful, and complex characters. Louise is in demand as a teacher of writing workshops for adults and young adults.
More about Louise Marley...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
