Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Kirinyaga: A Fable of Utopia (A Fable of Utopia #1)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 382 ratings · 46 reviews

Kirinyaga: A Fable of Utopia collects Mike Resnick's famous Kirinyaga stories and ties them together in a thematic arc that has novel-like continuity. The story focuses on Koriba, a mundumugu (sort of like a witch doctor and a wise man rolled into one) of the Kikuyu tribe. Koriba feels that his tribe has been corrupted by "European" technology, so he helps to establish a s...more

Paperback, 293 pages

Published June 1999 by Del Rey (first published March 1998)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Best Science Fiction

337th out of 881 books — 902 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 651)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Aug 27, 2012 Stacey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Stacey by: Tracy Erickson

Shelves: all-time-favorites, owned-hardcovers, science-fiction

Quite by accident, I've been reading a lot of stories about righteous people who do wrong things for what they believe are right reasons. Some of these people reap the consequences of their decisions, and some do not. Some see the error of their choices, and a very few go on blindly believing that nobody else really understands, only they can see that they are right, and only they are able to interpret what is true.

The religion of my childhood referred to itself as "The Truth." As a child, I tru...more Quite by accident, I've been reading a lot of stories about righteous people who do wrong things for what they believe are right reasons. Some of these people reap the consequences of their decisions, and some do not. Some see the error of their choices, and a very few go on blindly believing that nobody else really understands, only they can see that they are right, and only they are able to interpret what is true.

The religion of my childhood referred to itself as "The Truth." As a child, I trusted in everything that implied, up to and including believing that there could be only one truth, and not realizing that there are many such groups who call themselves by those precise words.

In "The Truth," there are many rules, and the less thinking one does, the more following is possible. People act like they are happy when they choose not to think. But the truth is not "The Truth," and acting is not the same as being. Among the many rules in my particular "Truth," were rules regarding whom could teach, and whom could lead. There were rules governing relationships, permitted and proscribed activities, gender roles, clothing, and possessions, just as there is conformism in every society, to a greater or lesser degree. In my "Truth," to the greater degree, there were also rules regarding treatment of those who did not keep to the other rules, as well as instruction to repudiate any succumbed to "independent thinking."

Koriba, the mundumugu - a witch doctor and spiritual counselor - tries to hold his people, in the Utopia he helped to create, to unreasoning rules and tradition which do not allow for personal growth and change, and prevent cultural progress. His reasons are clearly in protection of what he thinks is perfect justice and ideal society, but he forgets to love the people in loving the ideas. The stories are brilliant in their execution.

These stories hurt my heart, but they are cathartic too. I lived in my own Kirinyaga. I know what it means to walk to Haven.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Feb 14, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fbr-2012

I was torn on this one. I wanted to like it going in and was actually captivated by the opening story, "One Perfect Morning, with Jackals". That was a great introduction to the new world set up by the Eutopian Council (clever name, that) called Kirinyaga, an attempt to get back to the roots of the Kikuyu tribe of what we barbaric Europeans call "Kenya".

And here's where the being torn comes in. As I read story after story, I realized that I didn't like the narrator, Koriba. At first I'd sympathiz...more I was torn on this one. I wanted to like it going in and was actually captivated by the opening story, "One Perfect Morning, with Jackals". That was a great introduction to the new world set up by the Eutopian Council (clever name, that) called Kirinyaga, an attempt to get back to the roots of the Kikuyu tribe of what we barbaric Europeans call "Kenya".

And here's where the being torn comes in. As I read story after story, I realized that I didn't like the narrator, Koriba. At first I'd sympathized with him, but after some of his rulings as mundumugu, I wanted someone to leave him out for the hyenas. Then I decided I didn't much care for the stories as a whole. Each one started with an animal parable told by Koriba to his ~~sheep~~ people, in order to teach them the evils of European influence and the godliness of ~~Koriba himself~~ their deity, Ngai. Then something would happen in the village, someone would attempt to ~~think for themselves~~ explore the forbidden technology or culture of Europe. Or of the Kenyans from Earth, which Koriba referred to as "Black Europeans". Koriba would declare them to be wrong and ~~bully or blackmail~~ tell them parables to show them the error of ~~not doing as he says~~ turning from the path of Ngai.

Anyway, the final chapter/story is "The Land of Nod", and it brings the entire book full circle, creating a satisfying and reasonable ending for the story as a whole. Satisfying beginning, satisfying ending. Hmmm....Lots of books can claim one or the other, but both?

So I thought about it. At first, I planned to give it a 2-star. It seemed to fit the "it's ok but I didn't really love it" definition of a 2-star. Or to be more blunt, "didn't really like it."

But I did. At times. I liked the story "For I Have Touched the Sky" quite a bit. Had I read this by itself, I would have been "wow!" It was heartbreaking and touching, and by the end of it I was (view spoiler). While the other stories weren't as effective as this one, they did hit me in a similar way.

I think that had I read the stories as they originally came out, I would have appreciated them more. But all at once, they became rather redundant and tiring. I'll give it a 3-star because when I did like it, I found it to be very effective and touching. It wasn't consistently touching all the way through, though. So 3 is where I'll settle...(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Feb 03, 2011 Stephen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, award-nominee-hugo, award-winner-hugo, multiple-award-nominee, multiple-award-winners, award-nominee-nebula, locus-all-time-science-fiction-poll, award-nominee-locus, award-winner-locus, science-fiction, short-fiction, single-author-collections, 1990-1999

5.0 stars. WOW!! This was an exceptional collection of inter-connected short stories that should be seen as one complete story. The cosmetic premise of the of the stories is about a group of 22nd century Kenyans unhappy with its evolution into "another European city" who emigrate to a planetary colony in order to live simply and in harmony with the land as their ancestors did. The real or underlying premise of these stories are about the struggle of one person against the inevitability of progre...more

14 likes · like · see review

May 12, 2012 Christopher Hivner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kirinyaga is a collection of short stories tied together in the form of a novel. A planetoid called Kirinyaga is set up as a utopia, so the Kikuyu people can live as their ancestors did before the Europeans inculcated their ideas into Kenyan culture. The driving force behind this is a man named Koriba who acts as their witch doctor/wise man. The villagers live in enough fear of him that they take his word as gospel even if in their hearts they disagree. Koriba is disingenuous however, as in his...more

like · see review

Dec 07, 2009 Cv Rick rated it 5 of 5 stars

I would rate Mike Resnick as not only a master storyteller, but also a master of the parable. While on the surface this is the story of Koriba, the witchdoctor, or Mundumugu of his tribe, the Kikuyu. This is a couple centuries in the future when Koriba has the will to get a planet terraformed so that his people can emigrate from the disgustingness that is Kenya with all its European influences and get back to the traditional soil-tilling, mud-hut living past that is the right of his people. So o...more

like · see review

Jun 19, 2009 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was the perfect Book Club book. I think that this is a book worth reading, discussing, and enjoying no matter what your genre preference is. It is a quick read, entertaining, well written, engaging, and thought-provoking. I am very impressed with this writer's talent.

I spent a good deal of the book frustrated or angry with the main character (who is telling the story from his own perspective) but I still couldn't put the book down. It was too fascinating! The picture of the society he drew...more This was the perfect Book Club book. I think that this is a book worth reading, discussing, and enjoying no matter what your genre preference is. It is a quick read, entertaining, well written, engaging, and thought-provoking. I am very impressed with this writer's talent.

I spent a good deal of the book frustrated or angry with the main character (who is telling the story from his own perspective) but I still couldn't put the book down. It was too fascinating! The picture of the society he drew was such an accurate portrayal of human nature.

This story is set in a future where humans have the ability to terraform "planetoids" in our solar system. There is a belt of "Utopian" worlds where different groups of people have a charter to develop their own Utopian society on a newly created world. In this book, the main character is the witch doctor for the Kikuyu, an ancient Kenyan tribe who have refuted all European inventions and influences to reclaim their lost culture and heritage. They are on their own world of Kirinyaga to create a Kikuyuan Utopia. You then have the anachronism of a space station in the sky, controlling the weather, and a population on the planet living without any modern comforts.

***Warning! Sad things happen to children and babies in this book due to the harshness of their living conditions, their religion, and the witch doctor's decisions. These were not at all graphic, they were dealt with matter-of-factly, I just have a hard time dealing with anything sad happening to little ones, even if it was a part of a normal life in our ancient history.

***Spoiler Alert***!

My favorite part of this story is when Ndemi finally stands up to Koriba and leaves him to get educated on earth so he can return to teach his people truth and knowledge instead of Koriba's lies. Their disagreement about the goodness/necessity of facts vs. fables was interesting. I also loved the ending. It was so poetic! It created a strong image in my mind that will be with me for a very long time.

My favorite theme of this book relates to the importance of change; and how the desire to maintain things in status quo leads to stagnation and death. I like the different things that the author pointed out about the idea and fable of Utopia.

Overall, this book was a really great read! I think it should be on our Highschoolers' required reading lists. It was that profound! A classic!(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 01, 2009 Beth A. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Beth A. by: Mary Cate

Shelves: sci-fi, favorites, own

This is a story of obsession. Koriba is the leader of a group of people who live on a planet terraformed to be like Africa and designated as a Kikuyu Utopia. Koriba detests the European culture that has taken over Kenya, and how the European and Kenyan cultures have overtaken the identity of the Kikuyu people.

His Utopia is established as a place for the Kikuyu people to return to their original culture and live in harmony with the land. He is their mundumugu, or witch doctor. He is their “teache...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 19, 2012 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Almost 3 instead of 4 - I can accept the behaviour of the main character on Kirinyaga, but his behaviour in Kenya is without sense. He is well educated man and he has to understand how the society functions. However, he is constantly acting like a complete social idiot and he REALLY doesn't understand what the problem with his behaviour is. Also, he is religious and believes in the old god Ngai and that is ok. On the other side, he is confused that why his God did not manifest in his biggest tim...more

like · see review

Feb 18, 2012 Becky rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, dystopias, mythology, nook, religion-related, reviewed, science-fiction, shortstories-collections, challenge-1010

Kirinyaga is a collection of inter-related short stories that center around a terraformed planet designed to be the new home of the Kikuyu tribe of Africa, where they can live their lives in the old, traditional way, without interference from modern society.

I almost stopped reading this book 2 chapters (stories, technically) into it. Two main reasons for this:
1- I really dislike parables. They are usually obvious, simplistic, and preachy.
2- I intensely dislike Koriba, the main character.

Pres...more Kirinyaga is a collection of inter-related short stories that center around a terraformed planet designed to be the new home of the Kikuyu tribe of Africa, where they can live their lives in the old, traditional way, without interference from modern society.

I almost stopped reading this book 2 chapters (stories, technically) into it. Two main reasons for this:
1- I really dislike parables. They are usually obvious, simplistic, and preachy.
2- I intensely dislike Koriba, the main character.

Pressing on, because I really did want to give this one a chance, I did come to see that the parables tied into the story, and it made sense. I still felt that they were obvious, simplistic, and preachy, but there was a kind of layering there that helped make them bearable within the stories.

The stories themselves were quite repetitive, and I felt that the outcome for Kirinyaga was pretty obvious right from the start. It was just how it would get there that was in question.

Coming back to Koriba... Ugh. Where to start? He's highly idealistic, a Type A personality. Hypocritical, uncompromising, hard to sympathize with, and manipulative, but very clever. I feel like I would have enjoyed this story much more if I had been able to identify with Koriba. I understand the desire to maintain tradition and culture, but the way that he went about it was so wrong to me, that every time I would start to feel a shred of agreement with him, he'd up the ante and I'd retreat again.

His ideal is rigidly maintaining the traditional Kikuyu lifestyle, as interpreted and controlled by himself, and never, ever deviating, even the slightest bit. No matter the cost. If people suffer, they suffer. If they die, they die. That's the Kikuyu way. It was disgusting to see the extents that he would go to to prove his point.

I just couldn't understand him. Not at all. I'm a fan of compromise, but he sees life in stark black and white terms. He's very much a fan of the "You're either with me or against me" line. There is no middle ground, no room for anyone else to think or want anything, because all that matters to Koriba is what he thinks and wants for Kirinyaga and for himself, as the self-proclaimed "last true Kikuyu". He pulls the strings, and keeps the rest of the people ignorant and superstitiously fearful, thinking that that's the only way to form a Kikuyu Utopia.

Perhaps if the story had been told from the perspective of a new inhabitant of Kirinyaga, trying to adapt, or even from Koriba's trainee, I would have liked it better. As it is, I think it was interesting, but could have been shorter, and it definitely made me think. (less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 15, 2013 Tabasco rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book, it reflects a lot of today's reality, expecially our world's quick changes, and its many conflicts between past and present. An old scientist from Kenya, desperate because the "good old days" of Kenya's uncontaminated tribal life have gone, decides to recreate that world artificially, on another planet. Despite the futuristic concept, this is not much of a science fiction book, it's rather a book of ideas. The stories are interconnected, and they are part of the same overarchi...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 06, 2010 Bryan Schmidt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Yes, yet another Resnick review from me. Before I get to the actual review, let me answer the inevitable resounding "Whys?" echoing from my many readers (2, 3? I've lost count, time for another census). I started reading Resnick for two reasons: 1) because after hearing he was a huge Africa fan who used his African experiences in his stories, I looked him up, noted our mutual interest in Africa and crosscultural writing, and I got an email a few days later with a buttload (yes, that is an actual...more Yes, yet another Resnick review from me. Before I get to the actual review, let me answer the inevitable resounding "Whys?" echoing from my many readers (2, 3? I've lost count, time for another census). I started reading Resnick for two reasons: 1) because after hearing he was a huge Africa fan who used his African experiences in his stories, I looked him up, noted our mutual interest in Africa and crosscultural writing, and I got an email a few days later with a buttload (yes, that is an actual unit of measurement) of attachments of his Africa short stories, all of which were featured in major publications and all of which were either nominated for or had won awards. 2) because he is the most published and awarded SF writer ever. 3) because once I read one of his books, I got hooked. His prose style is similar to mine (yeah, right, as if mine were this good), and I love the way he writes powerful characters and situations and lets the questions fly out of what develops. Also, whether or not they are answered is up to the reader.

So, that's why more Resnick, and I am not done yet, but will be taking at least a one book pause to read my buddy Ken Scholes' "Antiphon," a) because I have a copy a month ahead of its actual publication date; b) because I promised to not only review it but participate in discussions with a readers' group; and c) because I have been begging him for an early copy for a year since finishing the second in the series because the series is so freaking awesome, it's painful to have to wait. In fact, sidebar, if he could have just had the decency to put those twins off until he finished the series, he could have taken a nice break from writing without so cruelly abandoning his fans.

Okay, enough Resnick-Scholes ranting. Here's the review:

Kirinyaga is the most award-winning science fiction novel ever. Some call it a collection of stories, because Resnick wrote the chapters as short stories, sold them, won awards on them, and then assembled the book, but since together they create a coherent whole, I disagree with that assessment. This is a novel, and no one story would truly be complete without the others.

Kirinyaga tells the story of Koriba, a well intentioned Kikuyu man from Kenya who sets about to lead his people to set up their own traditional Utopia, a planet named Kirinyaga after the holy mountain of their god, Ngai, on Kenya. The goal of the settlers is to live the way their ancient ancestors lived with no European influence or niceties. They will hunt and farm for their food, live off the land in traditional bomas (huts) and rule their society with the traditional councils of Elders advised by the mundumugu, Koriba.

The story is really one of the best of intentions gone awry. Koriba's desire is to preserve the sanctity of his people's ways, but as time goes on and the original settlers die or age, the new minds begin asking questions not easily answered. Things become even worse as his chosen successor is exposed to ideas through Koriba's own computer and begins questions Koriba's ideas and the ways of his people publicly, which leads others to do the same.

Watching his utopia unravel along with his influence, Koriba faces tough decisions and challenges about the future.

That's all I'll say to avoid spoilers for anyone who hasn't actually discovered this yet, but I will make some comments on Resnick's Africa stuff in general.

Of the African works by him I've read, this is the most blatant in adhering and examining their cultural traditions. In books like Inferno, Paradise, and Purgatory, Resnick used African history and a mix of traditions like metaphors to tell science fiction stories examining the larger human condition and particularly Westerner's attitudes and approaches to those of other cultures or worlds. In other stories and books, he has examined this from different angles, but in this case, he delves into African's own attitudes about their own worlds and traditions. The same questions and ideas which led to the real erosion of traditional African cultures arise again through these stories and lead the reader to examine why the erosion occurs in every culture and ask whether it's good or bad. The answers are never black and white, nor are they simple, but they are worth asking.

Resnick's prose is simple enough for even a ten-year-old to grasp, but the questions and ideas he posits with it are deeply rich and complex and may require several readings even for adults to unravel and fully fathom. I know I have been reading and rereading and plan to do so again, and if you want scifi that challenges your world view, asks questions, and teaches you while still entertaining, I highly recommend this stuff, because it will reward you greatly for the effort.

For what its worth... (less)

like · see review

May 18, 2009 Ben Babcock rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-read, anthologies, from-library, science-fiction, via-io9, utopia-dystopia

Mike Resnick's Kirinyaga is an example of how science fiction isn't necessarily a genre; it's just a setting. Kirinyaga is technically science fiction, because it involves colonizing another world (the eponymous planetoid Kirinyaga, named for the mountain upon which the god of the Kikuyu, Ngai, lives). However, Kirinyaga isn't about spaceships or combat with high-tech weaponry or vast, evil empires. It's a collection of fables, and an extremely well-written one at that.

The narrator of Kirinyaga...more Mike Resnick's Kirinyaga is an example of how science fiction isn't necessarily a genre; it's just a setting. Kirinyaga is technically science fiction, because it involves colonizing another world (the eponymous planetoid Kirinyaga, named for the mountain upon which the god of the Kikuyu, Ngai, lives). However, Kirinyaga isn't about spaceships or combat with high-tech weaponry or vast, evil empires. It's a collection of fables, and an extremely well-written one at that.

The narrator of Kirinyaga is Koriba, the mundumugu of the Kikuyu people who choose to settle on Kirinyaga and attempt to create a utopian society. Koriba is the ultimate type of reactionary: he desires a return to a past that not even he, an old man, can recall. He wants to return to the ways of the Kikuyu's ancestors, ways that went virtually extinct by his lifetime (in the 22nd century).

Koriba's belief that any European influence is corrupting plays a major role in the conflicts throughout the ten stories in this book. As he explains it to the Kikuyu: "if you accept one European thing, soon they will insist you accept them all." This slippery slope argument is unsound, of course, but it's understandable why Koriba thinks this. He grew up in a Kenya dominated by European values, which have eroded his people's proud past. Yet in his attempt to create a utopia, Koriba so vehemently opposes change that he runs the risk of stagnation. In the end, Koriba comes to the realization that most would-be utopians have: achieving a utopia is impossible, because the conditions necessary for a utopia are insufficient to sustain the human spirit.

Kirinyaga is also the answer to the often-expressed desire to live in more pastoral times. Some people labour under the impression that there was, at some point in human history, a great Golden Age, where there was little suffering, there were plentiful crops, and there were prosperous people. The hardships and tribulations of the Kikuyu on Kirinyaga demonstrate that "simpler times" were not necessarily "better times" and bely Koriba's belief that European technology is the root of evil.

But if that's the case, does that mean that we must necessarily surrender our past traditions in order to survive? No. Part of Kirinyaga's failure owes to the fact that no matter how much you try, you can't turn back the clock. Having been exposed to European values once, there's no way to remove cultural contamination. Fleeing to another planet doesn't work as long as one maintains a connection to the outside world.

Utopia is an impossible dream, and striving for it is madness. As "The Lotus and the Spear" demonstrates, people require conflict and adversity in order to have meaningful lives. A life with conflict is not a utopia, yet a life without conflict has no meaning. Koriba has some very admirable qualities, including his obstinacy; unfortunately, his refusal to accept even a modicum of change means that he can't survive in an ever-changing world.

The brilliance of Resnick's stories isn't the moral, of course; that's old hat. Instead, it's the package. Each chapter is a fable, and there are even fables-within-the-fable that Koriba tells to his people. Just as Koriba's fables pass on his wisdom to the Kikuyu, Resnick's fables pass on his themes on utopia. You can't make everybody happy. And sometimes, gods die. Finally, humans always have to change and adapt, even if this creates conflict. But even that isn't a blank cheque for survival. There are no guarantees.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Feb 15, 2009 Chanpheng rated it 5 of 5 stars

Collection of Resnick's stories on a group of traditionalists relocating to a terraformed world to preserve their ancient culture, free of the influence of European influence. The narrator is the 'Witch Doctor,' one of the original founders of the movement, who manipulates the world through his interpretation of their god, Ngai. There are interesting conflicts, which remind me of many culture clashes from the US, but even more timely, a fundamentalist viewpoint that all good comes from the ancie...more

like · see review

Sep 24, 2008 Nicolas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: anticipation, enfant, fable, dystopie, innocence, afrique, rayon-fantasy-et-sf

Kirinyaga raconte donc, du point de vue de Koriba, le shaman ou plutôt mundumungu du village, la vie d’une utopie africaine sur un planétoïde placé, apparement, dans le système solaire. L’histoire est racontée avec un talent consomé, et il n’est pas une ligne du récit qui ne semble soigneusement pensé pour faire réfléchir le lecteur. Du début à la fin, on est emporté par Mike Resnick, écrivain amoureux de l’Afrique, qui compose ici un livre beau, puissant, mais terriblement triste.
L’avantage de...more Kirinyaga raconte donc, du point de vue de Koriba, le shaman ou plutôt mundumungu du village, la vie d’une utopie africaine sur un planétoïde placé, apparement, dans le système solaire. L’histoire est racontée avec un talent consomé, et il n’est pas une ligne du récit qui ne semble soigneusement pensé pour faire réfléchir le lecteur. Du début à la fin, on est emporté par Mike Resnick, écrivain amoureux de l’Afrique, qui compose ici un livre beau, puissant, mais terriblement triste.
L’avantage de ce roman, c’est qu’il pousse le lecteur à s’interroger sur la raison d’existence des coutumes, qu’elles soient africaines, comme c’est le cas dans cette histoire, ou française, européenne, ou n’importe quoi d’autre. Quelle importance ont pour une société ces coutumes ? Qu’est-ce qui les rend si indispensables à Koriba, pour qu’il impose à tout son peuple cette stagnation inique ? C’est là l’une des vraies forces du roman. Loin de prendre parti pour un héros, pour un sauveur, Resnick nous fait suivre les pas d’un homme qui a choisi de créer cette utopie, qui la fait vivre et la porte, du moins de ce que l’on en voit. Pourtant, cet homme est très loin d’être parfait. Comme je le disais plus haut, il préfère la conservation des coutumes Kikuyu à toute autre attitude, le poussant à faire tuer les enfants nés par le siège, car les Kikuyus ont toujours fait ainsi, et globalement, à rejeter tout ce qui n’est pas authentique selon lui. C’est là la plus grave de ses erreurs, et on en suit les conséquences, de plus en plus graves dans tout le déroulement de l’histoire.
Et c’est là que réside un formidable message d’espoir. En effet, loin de se laisser manipuler, la société Kikuyu toute entière, par le biais des enfants, réputés les plus faibles, va se rebeller contre cette stagnation, qui ne peut pas être une utopie, et Koriba finira par se faire chasser, se croyant, assez faussement, selon moi, le dernier des Kikuyus. Le grand jeu dans ce roman, c’est de bien saisir la limite entre l’utopie et la dystopie, qui est ici particulièrement étroite. En effet, cette société se fonde exclusivement sur l’interprétation des traditions que fait Koriba. Et on ne peut pas dire qu’il sorte grandi de cette étude. Combien de personnes sont ainsi sacrifiées sur l’autel de cette utopie folle, ou les vieux sont livrés aux hyènes, pour abréger leurs souffrances, et où les jeunes sont pourchassés lorsqu’ils comprennent que ce monde ne peut leur offrir que la stagnation ? Et toute la force de Resnick est dans ce constat, amer mais juste, qu’une utopie ne dure qu’un temps, celui de ses créateurs.
Je ne l’ai peut-être pas assez dit, mais ce roman est tout à fait fabuleux, et peut à mon goût remplacer n’importe quel autre livre dans votre top 1. Récompensé dix fois par la critique (car publié par morceaux), il s’agit à mon goût du meilleur roman de sf possible, car intelligent, et surtout très émouvant, dans le bon sens du terme (par exemple Toucher le ciel, la meilleure nouvelle à mon goût).(less)

like · see review

Jan 16, 2012 SF_Fangirl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

This is a wonderful book/short story collection. It's a very interesting sci fi novel because it's told from the POV of educated man who is pursuing a Kikuyu utopia which is defined as the state the Kikuyu tribe in Kenya was in before the western world imposed itself and change their culture and religion. So the "hero" fights to maintain primitive customs like leaving the old, infirm, and babies born breech out to be eaten by wild animals. It's also a thought-provoking, examination of what a uto...more

like · see review

Aug 19, 2012 Philip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

As someone living in Kenya, this book was extremely fascinating. I don't know why more people in Kenya aren't talking about it (or have talked about it in the past) or using it in their high school English classes (hint, hint, Wes). Really does raise lots of good questions and means for debate about colonization of Africa and reclaiming/retaining lost culture. I also especially love the way African-esque fables are woven into the narrative. I don't know how much of an impact/interest level it wo...more

like · see review

Mar 03, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction, read-in-2012

This book asks the question of whether we can rebuild a way of life that has long since disappeared? Can things ever be the same? Koriba and a number of other emmigrants leave Kenya to create a new world.....a replication of their ancestral homeland, Kirinyaga. Koriba is the Mundumungo, or medicine man....keeper of

the memories, history and connection to Ngai, their god. As modern technology and European influences threaten to destroy what they have made, Koriba finds himself alone, fighting a l...more

like · see review

Oct 04, 2010 Hazelgreenluv rated it 1 of 5 stars

I rated this book as "I didn't like it" because I didn't like it. But, at the same time, I have to admit this is a great book.
It's beyond the genre.
Among the short stories in this book, "For I Have Touched the Sky" is absolutely amazing and well-written.

I just can't relate to most of the characters and they annoyed me so much that it was like a torture for me to read through this book.
That's why I didn't like it. Still, it's worth reading.

like · see review

Apr 23, 2011 Terry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Feb 15, 2012 Colleen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: group-read, sci-fi

I'm gonna be really lazy with this one, and just link to Jen's review. I think she generally summed up my feelings, and I don't feel like writing out a review after posting about it this morning in the group. *shrugs*

1 like · like · see review

Mar 05, 2010 Amanda Moore rated it 3 of 5 stars

My father-in-law told me to read this book. I wasn't into it at first, but the more I read, the more I liked it. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it. I do enjoy good social-science fiction.

like · see review

Jan 31, 2011 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars

I reviewed this years ago in SF Age, so I'm not going to repeat that here. I'll just say that my opinion hasn't changed. This is a worthwhile book, well worth anyone's time.

like · see review

Jul 08, 2008 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sf, collections

This was quite well-written, and definitely made me think a great deal. The individual stories are engaging, and the world as a whole intriguing. The only trouble I had was relating to the protagonist, Koriba, and his goals for his world. Are they good goals to have? Even if they are worthy goals, are the methods he uses good one? I understand the desire to fight against the homogenization of culture, but the idea that even giving his people a choice would corrupt the culture he's trying to pres...more

like · see review

Jul 24, 2011 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant, a lovely series of short stories that create a greater tapestry of the birth and eventually downfall of a utopia.

like · see review

Aug 02, 2012 Jean-Pascal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Version française. Livre passionnant et dérangeant qui n'a d'ailleurs rien de purement SF.

like · see review

Aug 22, 2012 Serena rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm still trying to figure out this book. I am still not sure I liked it or not.

like · see review

Apr 11, 2013 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

An exercise in understanding and the nature of lore.

like · see review

Jan 25, 2009 Bonnie Jeanne marked it as to-read

Kirinyaga by Mike Resnick (1999)

like · see review

May 24, 2011 Sarah Sammis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-1998

That explains the sense of deja vu.

like · see review

May 12, 2008 Brandie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those in search of Utopia

Even though this was a collection of short stories, it read like one continuous book. Each story was a portion of one man's life during his quest for forming a utopia. Can you really make a utopia for a whole society? Will it only be achieved for a select few and if so, what about the others living in that society? Can there truly be a utopia for all?

I really enjoyed the stories. Some were hard to read, given my own personal beliefs and views. But that aside, it was a really good read (or listen...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 21 22 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (9)

More editions...

Genres

Science Fiction

28 users

Short Stories

5 users

Fantasy

4 users

Cultural > Africa

3 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

2 users

Fantasy > Mythology

2 users

Science Fiction > Utopia

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Persistence of Vision
by John Varley
Exhalation
by Ted Chiang (Author)
The Changed Man
by Orson Scott Card
Who Needs Enemies?
by Alan Dean Foster
The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge
by Vernor Vinge

About Mike Resnick

Michael "Mike" Diamond Resnick (born Chicago, March 5, 1942), better known by his published name Mike Resnick, is a popular and prolific American science fiction author. He is, according to Locus, the all-time leading award winner, living or dead, for short science fiction. He is the winner of five Hugos, a Nebula, and other major awards in the United States, France, Spain, Japan, Croatia and Pola...more

More about Mike Resnick...

Books by Mike Resnick

Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future (Santiago)

The Buntline Special (Weird West Tales, #1)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Kirinyaga: A Fabl...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Kirinyaga: A Fable of Utopia
avg rating	preview: Kirinyaga: A Fable of Utopia Goodreads rating: 3.97 (382 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/858859.Kirinyaga?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1286753588l/858859.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/858859.Kirinyaga?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Kirinyaga: A Fable of Utopia by Mike Resnick[/url]

Kirinyaga: A Fable of Utopia (A Fable of Utopia #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website