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The Companions
Three planets have been recently discovered in deep space, and prosaically named to reflect their respective environments. Jungle, lush and foreboding, swallowed up an eleven-member exploratory team more than a decade earlier, while hot, harsh, and dusty Stone turned out to be phenomenally rich in rare ore, the most profitable new world to be found in a century. But it is the third, Moss, that could well prove to be the most enigmatic . . . and dangerous.
Enlisted by the Planetary Protection Institute -- an organization founded to assess new worlds for potential development and profit -- famed linguist Paul Delis has come to Moss to determine whether the strange multicolored shapes of dancing light observed on the planet's surface are evidence of intelligent life. With Delis is his half sister, Jewel, the wife of one of the explorers lost on Jungle. Working together, they are to determine the true nature of the “Mossen” and decipher the strange "language" that accompanies the phenomenon.
Yet the great mysteries of this bucolic world -- three-quarters covered in wind-sculpted, ever-shifting moss -- don't end with the inexplicable illuminations; there is the puzzle of the rusting remains of a lost fleet of Earth ships, moldering on a distant plateau. Perhaps the biggest question mark is Jewel Delis herself and her mission here at the far reaches of the galaxy. Leaving an overpopulated homeworld that is rapidly becoming depleted of the raw materials needed for human survival, Jewel is a member of a radical underground group opposing a recent government edict that will eliminate all of the planet's “nonessential” living inhabitants. And it is here, at the universe's unexplored edge, where the fate of endangered creatures may ultimately be decided -- though it will mean defying ruthless and unforgiving ruling powers to repair humankind's disintegrating relationship with the beasts of the Earth.
Enlisted by the Planetary Protection Institute -- an organization founded to assess new worlds for potential development and profit -- famed linguist Paul Delis has come to Moss to determine whether the strange multicolored shapes of dancing light observed on the planet's surface are evidence of intelligent life. With Delis is his half sister, Jewel, the wife of one of the explorers lost on Jungle. Working together, they are to determine the true nature of the “Mossen” and decipher the strange "language" that accompanies the phenomenon.
Yet the great mysteries of this bucolic world -- three-quarters covered in wind-sculpted, ever-shifting moss -- don't end with the inexplicable illuminations; there is the puzzle of the rusting remains of a lost fleet of Earth ships, moldering on a distant plateau. Perhaps the biggest question mark is Jewel Delis herself and her mission here at the far reaches of the galaxy. Leaving an overpopulated homeworld that is rapidly becoming depleted of the raw materials needed for human survival, Jewel is a member of a radical underground group opposing a recent government edict that will eliminate all of the planet's “nonessential” living inhabitants. And it is here, at the universe's unexplored edge, where the fate of endangered creatures may ultimately be decided -- though it will mean defying ruthless and unforgiving ruling powers to repair humankind's disintegrating relationship with the beasts of the Earth.
564 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
34 people are currently reading
745 people want to read
About the author
Sheri S. Tepper
74 books1,083 followersSheri Stewart Tepper was a prolific American author of science fiction, horror and mystery novels; she was particularly known as a feminist science fiction writer, often with an ecofeminist slant.
Born near Littleton, Colorado, for most of her career (1962-1986) she worked for Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood, where she eventually became Executive Director. She has two children and is married to Gene Tepper. She operated a guest ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She wrote under several pseudonyms, including A.J. Orde, E.E. Horlak, and B.J. Oliphant. Her early work was published under the name Sheri S. Eberhart.
Born near Littleton, Colorado, for most of her career (1962-1986) she worked for Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood, where she eventually became Executive Director. She has two children and is married to Gene Tepper. She operated a guest ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She wrote under several pseudonyms, including A.J. Orde, E.E. Horlak, and B.J. Oliphant. Her early work was published under the name Sheri S. Eberhart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
September 28, 2015
A mature and well-crafted work.
I personally find the sci-fi scenario where humans are squished together in huge building complexes that they rarely leave, and all other lifeforms have been forced into extinction due to humanity's lack of caring or active malevolence, to be truly terrifying, as it is all too likely that that is truly the direction that we are heading in.
I thought Tepper's point that a race that cannot co-exist in its natural environment is unlikely to be able to co-exist with itself is also relevant....
I find it incomprehensible that the forces behind environmental destruction are often those also touting Christianity as a prerequisite for civilisation...
If an all-knowing, benificent god created all life on this earth, then is not wantonly destroying that life the worst blasphemy imaginable? An insult to god's creation?
But - that's what they're doing, and I liked how she linked the anti-environmentalists to far-right religious groups in her theoretical IGY-HFO group.
HOWEVER
Also, I think that she didn't really do enough with the discussion of genetic tampering that was brought up with the use of Zhaar technology. Is it ethical to tamper with a creature's natural way of existence to "improve" it? Is it really "saving" the species? This is a complex and relevant issue, and it was mostly avoided.
Making the Simusi so wholeheartedly and irrevocably evil, after linking them with the lovable and benign dogs, also created some oddities in the plot, I thought. It seemed that Tepper couldn't make up her mind whether "pets" are enslaved or not. Sometimes it seemed like she was arguing FOR having domestic animals, with all the old saws about friendship between species, and maybe the dogs think they've domesticated us - then in the scenes with the Simusi and their human slaves, the parallels are drawn (very heavy-handedly) to indicate that we have terribly enslaved domestic animals.... I was like, say what you want, but make up your mind!
I personally find the sci-fi scenario where humans are squished together in huge building complexes that they rarely leave, and all other lifeforms have been forced into extinction due to humanity's lack of caring or active malevolence, to be truly terrifying, as it is all too likely that that is truly the direction that we are heading in.
I thought Tepper's point that a race that cannot co-exist in its natural environment is unlikely to be able to co-exist with itself is also relevant....
I find it incomprehensible that the forces behind environmental destruction are often those also touting Christianity as a prerequisite for civilisation...
If an all-knowing, benificent god created all life on this earth, then is not wantonly destroying that life the worst blasphemy imaginable? An insult to god's creation?
But - that's what they're doing, and I liked how she linked the anti-environmentalists to far-right religious groups in her theoretical IGY-HFO group.
HOWEVER
Also, I think that she didn't really do enough with the discussion of genetic tampering that was brought up with the use of Zhaar technology. Is it ethical to tamper with a creature's natural way of existence to "improve" it? Is it really "saving" the species? This is a complex and relevant issue, and it was mostly avoided.
Making the Simusi so wholeheartedly and irrevocably evil, after linking them with the lovable and benign dogs, also created some oddities in the plot, I thought. It seemed that Tepper couldn't make up her mind whether "pets" are enslaved or not. Sometimes it seemed like she was arguing FOR having domestic animals, with all the old saws about friendship between species, and maybe the dogs think they've domesticated us - then in the scenes with the Simusi and their human slaves, the parallels are drawn (very heavy-handedly) to indicate that we have terribly enslaved domestic animals.... I was like, say what you want, but make up your mind!
November 1, 2024
It has been a while since I read any Tepper and I forgot how distinctive her voice was. Her prose at times reads like a stream of consciousness (for better or worse) and most of her books pack enough ideas for trilogies or more. The Companions combines a dystopian Earthern society scattered throughout many planets, all kinds of aliens, detailed speculations on language and linguistics, mystery, species war and last but not least, speculations of humanity's relationship to animals, dogs in particular. Whew!
Our lead and narrator, Jewel, starts the novel back on Earth, although she was born and partially raised on Mars. Earth has become on gigantic city, or rather an entire interconnected series of archologies-- massive buildings housing billions of people. Nothing survives of the natural environment outside of 'arks' and some parkland owned by the very rich. Her half-brother Paul, a famed linguist, often ventures to alien worlds to help with translations and such. Tepper's gender reflections permeate the text, with males typically obnoxious and/or odious. Paul, for example, is an egoist of no small degree, has several 'concs' to keep him happy (concs are some sort of artificial 'love bots' with a mysterious provenance) and enjoys making Jewel serve him. She and Paul share an apartment (tiny).
Tepper tells the story with many prolonged flashbacks to Jewel's earlier life. Her mother created odd but touching representational art, and her magnum opus consisted of a exploration into a Martian cavern, where bones of humans and dogs from 50,000 years ago were found; she put it to a musical score and added flowing colors and such. Where did the humans and dogs come from? One mystery of the text. While the main plot involves Jewel and Paul traveling to the world of Moss to investigate the potential intelligent life forms there (Earthers have a special government agency to do such things), they only get there more than halfway through the novel. Prior to their travels, Tepper gives us Jewel's life story, her befriending some dog breeders (most animals on Earth have been banned), covertly working with the Earth agency dealing with aliens and alien worlds (behind Paul's back) and in general her life's trials and tribulations.
The planet Moss possesses some rather odd life forms, and occasionally, strange flame like creatures emerge from the moss forest and seem to dance before going up in smoke. Are they intelligent? If so, the planet will be left alone (intelligence has become defined has possessing language). It seems the moon of this planet, Treasure, was bought by some Earth folk to create an Ark, where some animal species from Earth can thrive; in this case, dogs. Dogs, the titular companions, have been specially breed and enhanced somehow; they can speak to a degree and live for decades.
Besides the curiosities on Moss, Tepper brings in a wide range of aliens and their stellar empires, including several species who seem destined to war and involve humanity. The "Ancient" races have abolished some nasty alien races in the past, but rumors of one shape changing race in particular never really faded... Lots to like here, but jeez, this became overwhelming at times. 2.5 stars, rounding up for its sheer audacity!
Our lead and narrator, Jewel, starts the novel back on Earth, although she was born and partially raised on Mars. Earth has become on gigantic city, or rather an entire interconnected series of archologies-- massive buildings housing billions of people. Nothing survives of the natural environment outside of 'arks' and some parkland owned by the very rich. Her half-brother Paul, a famed linguist, often ventures to alien worlds to help with translations and such. Tepper's gender reflections permeate the text, with males typically obnoxious and/or odious. Paul, for example, is an egoist of no small degree, has several 'concs' to keep him happy (concs are some sort of artificial 'love bots' with a mysterious provenance) and enjoys making Jewel serve him. She and Paul share an apartment (tiny).
Tepper tells the story with many prolonged flashbacks to Jewel's earlier life. Her mother created odd but touching representational art, and her magnum opus consisted of a exploration into a Martian cavern, where bones of humans and dogs from 50,000 years ago were found; she put it to a musical score and added flowing colors and such. Where did the humans and dogs come from? One mystery of the text. While the main plot involves Jewel and Paul traveling to the world of Moss to investigate the potential intelligent life forms there (Earthers have a special government agency to do such things), they only get there more than halfway through the novel. Prior to their travels, Tepper gives us Jewel's life story, her befriending some dog breeders (most animals on Earth have been banned), covertly working with the Earth agency dealing with aliens and alien worlds (behind Paul's back) and in general her life's trials and tribulations.
The planet Moss possesses some rather odd life forms, and occasionally, strange flame like creatures emerge from the moss forest and seem to dance before going up in smoke. Are they intelligent? If so, the planet will be left alone (intelligence has become defined has possessing language). It seems the moon of this planet, Treasure, was bought by some Earth folk to create an Ark, where some animal species from Earth can thrive; in this case, dogs. Dogs, the titular companions, have been specially breed and enhanced somehow; they can speak to a degree and live for decades.
Besides the curiosities on Moss, Tepper brings in a wide range of aliens and their stellar empires, including several species who seem destined to war and involve humanity. The "Ancient" races have abolished some nasty alien races in the past, but rumors of one shape changing race in particular never really faded... Lots to like here, but jeez, this became overwhelming at times. 2.5 stars, rounding up for its sheer audacity!
March 23, 2012
Those who dismiss Sheri S. Tepper's books as too strident in their feminist and ecological concerns need only take a look at the 2012 U.S. Republican presidential campaign for retort. It provides almost too many examples of the ways in male public discourse at the very highest levels that women—and their reproductive systems—are reduced to mere vessels, sluts, and handmaidens, almost as extremely as they are in Tepper's dystopian Gibbon's Decline and Fall. That Tepper always has axes to grind in her novels should not lead anyone instantly to dismiss her. They're valid axes.
That said, The Companions is one of the few Tepper novels I never bothered to re-read after its initial release. When I picked it up again recently with no clear recollection of the plot, I was only a few pages in when I remembered dismissing it as "Tepper's dogs-in-space novel", in 2003. And yeah. It does have dogs in space.
What I didn't notice the first time around, however, was how beautifully-written huge chunks of the novel actually are, and how rich the world-building, and how complex the linguistic systems that Tepper explores. The primary story of Jewel Delis and the dogs she's attempting to save is both affecting and sweet, and had me sniffling back tears by the book's end.
True, a lot of the book's climax seems accomplished by having the main characters explicate a heck of a lot of material, and sometimes the book's premise seems almost too richly elaborate. But there's force and sheer will powering the novel's plot, colored as always by both Tepper's intertwined fatalism and humanism.
That said, The Companions is one of the few Tepper novels I never bothered to re-read after its initial release. When I picked it up again recently with no clear recollection of the plot, I was only a few pages in when I remembered dismissing it as "Tepper's dogs-in-space novel", in 2003. And yeah. It does have dogs in space.
What I didn't notice the first time around, however, was how beautifully-written huge chunks of the novel actually are, and how rich the world-building, and how complex the linguistic systems that Tepper explores. The primary story of Jewel Delis and the dogs she's attempting to save is both affecting and sweet, and had me sniffling back tears by the book's end.
True, a lot of the book's climax seems accomplished by having the main characters explicate a heck of a lot of material, and sometimes the book's premise seems almost too richly elaborate. But there's force and sheer will powering the novel's plot, colored as always by both Tepper's intertwined fatalism and humanism.
May 14, 2012
This book might have worked if it had been expanded into a series of 4 or more novels of the same length. As it stands, Tepper bit off more than she could chew, or at least relate convincingly in one book. Too bad, because it started off with promise, and I was hooked for the first 300 pages. However by the end the relationships ended up falling flat, failing to probe much psychology or show growth. All alien species: bugs, tentacled, lizard, whatever acted some variation of human. The war element, supposedly planned over generations of bug-alien lives ("invented in the minds of the ancestors") was derailed when a lizard alien daddy coincidentally observed what happened to his female offspring. That easy? Really? After thousands of years of planning? Why now? Too convenient...
Other things that bugged me:
The dogs -- I was all for them until they started acting like humans too. They leave their trainers because they are told that they are superior beings deserving of more honor. Really? Doesn't sound like the tail-wagging, unconditionally loving, slobbery thing I have...
The world -- was... also human! Faithfully guarding the entrance to the "special time-warp paradise thingy" (which is never explained adequately, in my mind), wiping out disrespectful merchant families if provoked...
The willogs -- tree creatures that grow themselves eyes and ears and write poetry? I was a fan of Treebeard, but in a scifi novel I'd like some explanation of how cognizance is formed -- wood brain? leaf brain? moss brain? something, please.
Jewel and her brother Paul -- we are told he traumatizes her and indeed he seems like an egomaniacle, semi-sadistic jerk, but no good explanation for why other than that his mommy was too. Jewel sticks with him because he takes her on trips off-world and his apartment is nicer. But why does he need her--because she does his laundry? Don't they have robots or something for that in the future? Anyway, the whole thing seemed a missed opportunity for probing dysfunctional brother-sister relationships, need/abandonment issues, whatever. Something to make the characters deal with something and grow.
Jewel and Wit -- Though repeatedly being told they never really loved one another and didn't have much in common, they remain obsessed with one another for years (even though Wit disappears early on). Why? Because their smell is "imprinted" on one another. But no worry, there's a cure for that -- wash away the imprinting. At least give me a relationship that I could have cared about for a few hundred pages, if the solution was going to be Jewel taking a bath.
Oh and did I mention that all the aliens act human? Sure there are the zen monks that have tentacles, the neanderthals that are reptilian, the crusaders that are spiders -- but nothing truly alien worthy of Card or Leguine or even Tepper herself in Grass. At least the evil alien zhar shape-shifters (spooky) could have been scary. But they act so, wait for it... human! Don't inspire much shock or awe.
Things I liked:
The idea of smell used as a language is cool. Moss had potential for being an interesting planet. Ecological themes -- interesting idea about what might happen on earth with extreme overpopulation.
To wrap up, too many elements were introduced for the author to probe any element with insight. The ending is rushed, with improbable, deus ex machina saves the day plot developments. I give it two stars instead of one because: 1)writing/language isn't awful 2)Jewel character might have been interesting if given a chance 3)first 300 pages had promise -- too bad it went downhill...
Other things that bugged me:
The dogs -- I was all for them until they started acting like humans too. They leave their trainers because they are told that they are superior beings deserving of more honor. Really? Doesn't sound like the tail-wagging, unconditionally loving, slobbery thing I have...
The world -- was... also human! Faithfully guarding the entrance to the "special time-warp paradise thingy" (which is never explained adequately, in my mind), wiping out disrespectful merchant families if provoked...
The willogs -- tree creatures that grow themselves eyes and ears and write poetry? I was a fan of Treebeard, but in a scifi novel I'd like some explanation of how cognizance is formed -- wood brain? leaf brain? moss brain? something, please.
Jewel and her brother Paul -- we are told he traumatizes her and indeed he seems like an egomaniacle, semi-sadistic jerk, but no good explanation for why other than that his mommy was too. Jewel sticks with him because he takes her on trips off-world and his apartment is nicer. But why does he need her--because she does his laundry? Don't they have robots or something for that in the future? Anyway, the whole thing seemed a missed opportunity for probing dysfunctional brother-sister relationships, need/abandonment issues, whatever. Something to make the characters deal with something and grow.
Jewel and Wit -- Though repeatedly being told they never really loved one another and didn't have much in common, they remain obsessed with one another for years (even though Wit disappears early on). Why? Because their smell is "imprinted" on one another. But no worry, there's a cure for that -- wash away the imprinting. At least give me a relationship that I could have cared about for a few hundred pages, if the solution was going to be Jewel taking a bath.
Oh and did I mention that all the aliens act human? Sure there are the zen monks that have tentacles, the neanderthals that are reptilian, the crusaders that are spiders -- but nothing truly alien worthy of Card or Leguine or even Tepper herself in Grass. At least the evil alien zhar shape-shifters (spooky) could have been scary. But they act so, wait for it... human! Don't inspire much shock or awe.
Things I liked:
The idea of smell used as a language is cool. Moss had potential for being an interesting planet. Ecological themes -- interesting idea about what might happen on earth with extreme overpopulation.
To wrap up, too many elements were introduced for the author to probe any element with insight. The ending is rushed, with improbable, deus ex machina saves the day plot developments. I give it two stars instead of one because: 1)writing/language isn't awful 2)Jewel character might have been interesting if given a chance 3)first 300 pages had promise -- too bad it went downhill...
August 3, 2021
I hadn't read a Sheri Tepper book since maybe 20 years ago, which is around when she wrote this one. So I wondered what I'd think of her writing in this newer era. Yes, it seems a bit dated, but it made me remember her gift of making people, aliens, and planetary consciousnesses come alive.
Jewel, the main viewpoint character, is originally from Mars but moved to Earth as a child, when her mother died. Earth is all tall buildings, with few if any undeveloped places. Most animals are extinct. The popular political party wants even the remaining dogs and cats exterminated--after all, Earth is for humans. (This looks much like current anti-immigrant rhetoric and environment-destroying practices.)
As a preteen, Jewel got involved with a dog sanctuary, which is breeding extra-smart dogs, and is even more involved as an adult. Earth is also a member of a galactic network of species that keep an uneasy peace amongst themselves. Jewel has traveled to several planets as an aide to her brother, who is a premier linguist and also either sociopathic and/or a complete narcissist.
The Earth government finally bans all animals. Jewel takes the most important dogs and their trainers with her to another planet where her brother has a job.
That's all in the first third of the book. From there, Tepper introduces new plot elements fast and furiously. Various alien races, human innovations, past events, weird places. If you can suspend disbelief about events and human/alien actions, it's a fun ride. By suspending disbelief, I mean ignoring things like: most alien races, and another batch of humans, all speak in similar pidgins; a bunch of corporate humans marooned on a planet for a couple hundred years go totally feudal with royalty and beaten-down women; and sometimes one can bamboozle starfaring aliens by saying, basically, they went thataway (we're not the droids you want)!
The thing about Tepper's writing is that she managed to insert so much warmth and empathy into it. Jewel and the dogs love each other, and some of the other female characters also have that warmth. It's a bit like Clifford Simak's writing. Or Deanna Troi. Also there's the worldmind element, which is a Gaia kind of thing, pretty impressive.
Jewel, the main viewpoint character, is originally from Mars but moved to Earth as a child, when her mother died. Earth is all tall buildings, with few if any undeveloped places. Most animals are extinct. The popular political party wants even the remaining dogs and cats exterminated--after all, Earth is for humans. (This looks much like current anti-immigrant rhetoric and environment-destroying practices.)
As a preteen, Jewel got involved with a dog sanctuary, which is breeding extra-smart dogs, and is even more involved as an adult. Earth is also a member of a galactic network of species that keep an uneasy peace amongst themselves. Jewel has traveled to several planets as an aide to her brother, who is a premier linguist and also either sociopathic and/or a complete narcissist.
The Earth government finally bans all animals. Jewel takes the most important dogs and their trainers with her to another planet where her brother has a job.
That's all in the first third of the book. From there, Tepper introduces new plot elements fast and furiously. Various alien races, human innovations, past events, weird places. If you can suspend disbelief about events and human/alien actions, it's a fun ride. By suspending disbelief, I mean ignoring things like: most alien races, and another batch of humans, all speak in similar pidgins; a bunch of corporate humans marooned on a planet for a couple hundred years go totally feudal with royalty and beaten-down women; and sometimes one can bamboozle starfaring aliens by saying, basically, they went thataway (we're not the droids you want)!
The thing about Tepper's writing is that she managed to insert so much warmth and empathy into it. Jewel and the dogs love each other, and some of the other female characters also have that warmth. It's a bit like Clifford Simak's writing. Or Deanna Troi. Also there's the worldmind element, which is a Gaia kind of thing, pretty impressive.
July 4, 2016
I can't begin to say how angry I am at the blurbing of this book. It doesn't even begin to hint at how awesome and wide-ranging and epic it is. Without prior knowledge that Tepper is amazing (which I knew from reading Beauty), I would have had zero reason to expect this to be at all something I would like.
The blurb tells you that humans have arrived at Moss to see if there's intelligent life - which is true; that Jewel is accompanying her half-brother "to help Paul decipher the strange language of the Mossen" is not true, since she's no linguist, and that "she has a secret mission too" is only half-true, since it's not exactly an official thing that she's doing. "A new law on Earth means the imminent massacre of all beasts great and small" is strictly speaking true, but it suggests that there are still many such creatures on Earth which is simply not what we are shown - almost all non-human creatures have long since been got rid of. And that "the Planet Moss, itself a living entity, is not sure it cares for any of the species currently living on its surface" is I guess kind of true but doesn't give any indication of the complexity of what's going on. And I certainly couldn't write the blurb, but I'm not paid to do so.
So what should it have said? Well, clearly humanity have space travel, but personally I think it would have been good to include the fact that humanity is part of a vast interplanetary network involving dozens of different species, and in fact there's a hugely important narrative thread that involves several different species manoeuvring around one another for dominance in ways that are depressingly familiar. That puts quite a different spin on the narrative than simply "humans are exploring new planets!!"
As well, like in Beauty, Tepper includes a significant and fairly blunt environmental message. Earth is basically nothing but enormous and depressing tower blocks; people get around wearing veils and robes so they don't get in the faces of all the strangers they have to share very little space with; the oceans are nothing but algae farms, sewers, and oxygen farms. This is clearly shown to be a less than ideal way of living, and at least some of the aliens are shown to be disapproving of humans because of the way they treat their planet and other creatures.
Tepper is also making other political, philosophical statements. One character says, upon revelation that they have a faster-than-expected communication method and why haven't they always used it:
"Because time spent is part of living ... Slowness, ripening; slowness, dancing; happiness spent in doing, smelling, understanding. If everything is all the time instantaneous, prompt and sudden, then no one is having any time to enjoy! Life becomes a plethora, a glut, a surfeit of instantaneous amusements barely leavening the job, the task, the thing to get through somehow that life becomes. Who would live a do this, do that, right now, hurry up, finish, all the time finish? Such life no peace! It is a disease." (434)
Take that, modern life.
And while the politics are important and not exactly subtle, this is also not only a polemic but a deeply riveting story about Jewel - who has had one deeply unpleasant childhood and whose relationship with her half-brother is nowhere near as congenial as the blurb suggests, and found meaning in caring for the few remaining dogs on the planet, who must now be found alternative places to live. We get flashbacks to her childhood and therefore have a deeper understanding than might otherwise be possible; I really like that she is the narrator, and that she's reflecting on her own views and development. I love that Tepper gets around the awkward fact that she wants to include information from places that Jewel has zero contact with by saying, as Jewel, "oh yes, I found out about this later..." - it's transparent but it's also entirely gleeful and it works.
I loved this book and I love Tepper. I loved the gradual revelations about people and species and history, I loved that there was still some mystery at the end, I loved the politics and that it wasn't all entirely easy.
The blurb tells you that humans have arrived at Moss to see if there's intelligent life - which is true; that Jewel is accompanying her half-brother "to help Paul decipher the strange language of the Mossen" is not true, since she's no linguist, and that "she has a secret mission too" is only half-true, since it's not exactly an official thing that she's doing. "A new law on Earth means the imminent massacre of all beasts great and small" is strictly speaking true, but it suggests that there are still many such creatures on Earth which is simply not what we are shown - almost all non-human creatures have long since been got rid of. And that "the Planet Moss, itself a living entity, is not sure it cares for any of the species currently living on its surface" is I guess kind of true but doesn't give any indication of the complexity of what's going on. And I certainly couldn't write the blurb, but I'm not paid to do so.
So what should it have said? Well, clearly humanity have space travel, but personally I think it would have been good to include the fact that humanity is part of a vast interplanetary network involving dozens of different species, and in fact there's a hugely important narrative thread that involves several different species manoeuvring around one another for dominance in ways that are depressingly familiar. That puts quite a different spin on the narrative than simply "humans are exploring new planets!!"
As well, like in Beauty, Tepper includes a significant and fairly blunt environmental message. Earth is basically nothing but enormous and depressing tower blocks; people get around wearing veils and robes so they don't get in the faces of all the strangers they have to share very little space with; the oceans are nothing but algae farms, sewers, and oxygen farms. This is clearly shown to be a less than ideal way of living, and at least some of the aliens are shown to be disapproving of humans because of the way they treat their planet and other creatures.
Tepper is also making other political, philosophical statements. One character says, upon revelation that they have a faster-than-expected communication method and why haven't they always used it:
"Because time spent is part of living ... Slowness, ripening; slowness, dancing; happiness spent in doing, smelling, understanding. If everything is all the time instantaneous, prompt and sudden, then no one is having any time to enjoy! Life becomes a plethora, a glut, a surfeit of instantaneous amusements barely leavening the job, the task, the thing to get through somehow that life becomes. Who would live a do this, do that, right now, hurry up, finish, all the time finish? Such life no peace! It is a disease." (434)
Take that, modern life.
And while the politics are important and not exactly subtle, this is also not only a polemic but a deeply riveting story about Jewel - who has had one deeply unpleasant childhood and whose relationship with her half-brother is nowhere near as congenial as the blurb suggests, and found meaning in caring for the few remaining dogs on the planet, who must now be found alternative places to live. We get flashbacks to her childhood and therefore have a deeper understanding than might otherwise be possible; I really like that she is the narrator, and that she's reflecting on her own views and development. I love that Tepper gets around the awkward fact that she wants to include information from places that Jewel has zero contact with by saying, as Jewel, "oh yes, I found out about this later..." - it's transparent but it's also entirely gleeful and it works.
I loved this book and I love Tepper. I loved the gradual revelations about people and species and history, I loved that there was still some mystery at the end, I loved the politics and that it wasn't all entirely easy.
January 22, 2013
This is another winner by the engrossing Sheri Tepper. As with her other books it is very different from each other she has written, and different from mainstream SF. In this one, about 700 years from now, the Earth has been stripped of most vegetation and animals, and people live in 100 sq mile "urbs", consisted of ten tower blocks each way. There are people who live down near the bottom of these 200 story towers, and those who live at the top, in penthouses that were in trust for their families use. The rest are occupied by the number of people who need the space and no more. They are connected by a series of tubes that go up the buildings and down and sideways, and over to the next. Pets are not allowed, and are kept either in the penthouses, or on exempt 40 acre estates that have been turned into preservationist lands. There is a movement to ban all animal life on earth as it is taking up too much air, water and food, and so a band of humans, who appreciate the love of companion animals, have gotten together, loosely spread apart, and in secrecy, established breeding programs, buying up small, unwanted planets, seeding them with vegetation if needed, terraforming, or for animals like dogs, small prey, so that eventually all the animals can be released onto these planets. But the announcement of imminent extermination sends the arkists into a flurry and they take off for the planets, ready to begin new lives with their animals.
Jewel Delis works with dogs, having discovered a group that has been breeding a group of dogs to be bigger, faster, and stronger and healthier than their forebears, more like the dogs of old. Her brother Paul, a self-absorbed, childish but brilliant linguist, takes her on his trips to other worlds to study language and she uses her time to look at alien cultures, and try to learn. Eventually she chooses to accompany him on a voyage to Moss, one of three allied planets. She brings the dogs with her, as well as their trainers, since the edict has gone out and they must be moved. When they arrive at the planet, it seems as if there are no animals, birds, and no "intelligent: life, although that is still being disputed by scientists sent there to discover if there was, since different rules would govern the outcome.
What follows is a marvelous, heart-tugging look at what animals mean to humans, the bonds they face; what constitutes intelligent life; and what it means to understand the world you live in. Filled with aliens both good and bad, wars, and some marvelous new life forms, it is a joy to read. Read once before in 2007.
Jewel Delis works with dogs, having discovered a group that has been breeding a group of dogs to be bigger, faster, and stronger and healthier than their forebears, more like the dogs of old. Her brother Paul, a self-absorbed, childish but brilliant linguist, takes her on his trips to other worlds to study language and she uses her time to look at alien cultures, and try to learn. Eventually she chooses to accompany him on a voyage to Moss, one of three allied planets. She brings the dogs with her, as well as their trainers, since the edict has gone out and they must be moved. When they arrive at the planet, it seems as if there are no animals, birds, and no "intelligent: life, although that is still being disputed by scientists sent there to discover if there was, since different rules would govern the outcome.
What follows is a marvelous, heart-tugging look at what animals mean to humans, the bonds they face; what constitutes intelligent life; and what it means to understand the world you live in. Filled with aliens both good and bad, wars, and some marvelous new life forms, it is a joy to read. Read once before in 2007.
July 8, 2008
I just finished reading this book. I decided last summer that it would be fun to read a Tepper novel a year, and this one was June 2008's selection.
I found The Companions more metaphorical than many of Tepper's other novels. In this science fiction novel...
er, only the setting is science fiction. It's actually a mystery...
er, well, it's not only a mystery and it's certainly not a procedural!
The ideology is very feminist
but it's style is epic!
Anyway! You get the idea - Tepper takes on a lot! It's pretty admirable, even if sometimes, it seems like she gets an idea and just runs with it!
In any case, this time, Tepper takes on our treatment of animals. Pets. The environment.
Here, in Earth in the distant future, the world is completely covered by humans and the immense skyscrapers where they live. There is no room for anyone, and a group of fanatics has arisen that wants to kill all animals. Most animals are gone.
The Tepper heroine this time is a woman who decides to help dogs survive in this terrible world. She becomes involved with a group of people who have power, but only if they keep their goals hidden from the fanatics. What they are doing is illegal but moral.
Meanwhile, and there are a lot of meanwhiles in this epic novel, the heroine also has access to other worlds. Her half-brother is a great translator, and it appears that some being can speak on a fairly new world. The heroine goes with her half-brother and a number of dogs in order to -- supposedly -- simply help translate. However, there's always more than that going on in a Tepper novel, and this one couldn't ever be the exception.
I enjoyed contemplating the status of pets. Have we enslaved dogs...or have they enslaved us? The epic nature of the novel - where more and more beings and more and more plotlines, and more and more secrets! arise makes for a long book, but I found it ulitimately satisfying.
I found The Companions more metaphorical than many of Tepper's other novels. In this science fiction novel...
er, only the setting is science fiction. It's actually a mystery...
er, well, it's not only a mystery and it's certainly not a procedural!
The ideology is very feminist
but it's style is epic!
Anyway! You get the idea - Tepper takes on a lot! It's pretty admirable, even if sometimes, it seems like she gets an idea and just runs with it!
In any case, this time, Tepper takes on our treatment of animals. Pets. The environment.
Here, in Earth in the distant future, the world is completely covered by humans and the immense skyscrapers where they live. There is no room for anyone, and a group of fanatics has arisen that wants to kill all animals. Most animals are gone.
The Tepper heroine this time is a woman who decides to help dogs survive in this terrible world. She becomes involved with a group of people who have power, but only if they keep their goals hidden from the fanatics. What they are doing is illegal but moral.
Meanwhile, and there are a lot of meanwhiles in this epic novel, the heroine also has access to other worlds. Her half-brother is a great translator, and it appears that some being can speak on a fairly new world. The heroine goes with her half-brother and a number of dogs in order to -- supposedly -- simply help translate. However, there's always more than that going on in a Tepper novel, and this one couldn't ever be the exception.
I enjoyed contemplating the status of pets. Have we enslaved dogs...or have they enslaved us? The epic nature of the novel - where more and more beings and more and more plotlines, and more and more secrets! arise makes for a long book, but I found it ulitimately satisfying.
May 10, 2021
If you consider works of science fiction as thought experiments, thought experiments of "what if X or Y were different, what would the world look like", this book is fairly successful. On the premise that the world gets overcrowded in the future with an exploding human population, the author embarks on several consequences of such an existence. Another interesting idea that this book explores is the relationship between a species and it's planet; including how communication happens between the two - essentially, two way (species <-> environment) sensory perception and responses. However, I very soon found myself frustrated by the superficial skimming of interesting topics before embarking on tangents - rather like a very patchy spider's web that has numerous unfinished explorations. Add to that superfluous story threads about 5-8 alien races, awkward and stilted human relationships, alien species-blending technology etc. I think the book would be best enjoyed by people who are interested in topics of evolution and dont mind that the author has tried to cram too many ideas in one book.
August 12, 2011
I read this on someone's recommendation, and I will admit I was slightly biased against Tepper after being traumatized by The Gate to Women's Country. While I found this story engaging and interesting, I believe it suffered from the "10 pounds of crap in a 5 pound bag" problem.
The story is all over the map and spans multiple worlds, races, ideas, etc. and gets somewhat disjointed. About halfway through I wondered how the hell does this story get wrapped up in one book? She just keeps adding more and more like it is a Game of Thrones with spaceships!
The answer, sans spoilers, is Deus Ex Machina :-p
That said, there are some interesting ideas and some emotionally moving scenes that made the read worthwhile.
The story is all over the map and spans multiple worlds, races, ideas, etc. and gets somewhat disjointed. About halfway through I wondered how the hell does this story get wrapped up in one book? She just keeps adding more and more like it is a Game of Thrones with spaceships!
The answer, sans spoilers, is Deus Ex Machina :-p
That said, there are some interesting ideas and some emotionally moving scenes that made the read worthwhile.
September 11, 2009
This is Tepper's Treasure Hunt book. She borrows from other authors and puts it all together in a book that doesn't quite fail and doesn't quite succeed.
First, who does she borrow from? Well, she definitely follows the David Brin "Uplift" concept for the main underpinning of the book. Brin does a much better job of building the concept of alien races planting, growing and tending younger races as they reach for the stars. Tepper's races are less developed than Brin's, but she definitely borrowed the idea from him.
The concept of a planet being "alive" is explored in many other books, but most notably in the later Asimov-inspired "Foundation" books. His planets however, are not as passive and inviting as Moss and perhaps Tepper has improved on his idea. Genetic engineering and application of same to other races and beings is taken directly from Niven's "Ringworld" series and he does a better writing job with the science of it than Tepper does. So much more could have been done by Tepper in this regard.
Other lesser homages are given to Tolkien (delightful tree-like people), Orson Scott Card (animals turning the tables on humans)and Joan Vinge (use of hallucinogens to escape the overcrowding and chaos of Earth). Of course, no author is completely original, so these things are not slams.
My only problem with Tepper (always) is that she becomes "preachy" when she should be telling a story. She is a phenomenal story-teller (see "Grass" and "Beauty") and has haunting female characters ("Gate to Women's Country" and "Northshore/Southshore"). If she spent more time on those than the constant return to environmental issues and population control, it would come off better. Her long expositions which drip of sermonic elements are hard to read at times. Tolkien once warned C.S. Lewis of this in one of their many conflicts as part of the Inklings. He suggested that Lewis write a good story and leave the sermon in the details of the story instead of the exposition. "Leave the author out of the story" were Tolkien's words.
Tepper, leave yourself out of the story...at least, hide behind a tree while doing it. Or some grass. Perhaps some moss even.
First, who does she borrow from? Well, she definitely follows the David Brin "Uplift" concept for the main underpinning of the book. Brin does a much better job of building the concept of alien races planting, growing and tending younger races as they reach for the stars. Tepper's races are less developed than Brin's, but she definitely borrowed the idea from him.
The concept of a planet being "alive" is explored in many other books, but most notably in the later Asimov-inspired "Foundation" books. His planets however, are not as passive and inviting as Moss and perhaps Tepper has improved on his idea. Genetic engineering and application of same to other races and beings is taken directly from Niven's "Ringworld" series and he does a better writing job with the science of it than Tepper does. So much more could have been done by Tepper in this regard.
Other lesser homages are given to Tolkien (delightful tree-like people), Orson Scott Card (animals turning the tables on humans)and Joan Vinge (use of hallucinogens to escape the overcrowding and chaos of Earth). Of course, no author is completely original, so these things are not slams.
My only problem with Tepper (always) is that she becomes "preachy" when she should be telling a story. She is a phenomenal story-teller (see "Grass" and "Beauty") and has haunting female characters ("Gate to Women's Country" and "Northshore/Southshore"). If she spent more time on those than the constant return to environmental issues and population control, it would come off better. Her long expositions which drip of sermonic elements are hard to read at times. Tolkien once warned C.S. Lewis of this in one of their many conflicts as part of the Inklings. He suggested that Lewis write a good story and leave the sermon in the details of the story instead of the exposition. "Leave the author out of the story" were Tolkien's words.
Tepper, leave yourself out of the story...at least, hide behind a tree while doing it. Or some grass. Perhaps some moss even.
January 12, 2023
Unfortunately for the late Ms. Tepper (to whom I pay hero cultus due to her influence on my reading and writing life) all her books are compared to 'Grass', the first and favorite of hers I ever read. None can live up to it. I've only read this one once, and it was years and years ago. I remember the usual disappointment in it not be Grassy, but still liking it. Hence the 4.
Re-reading it as my Car Book next. We'll see how it holds up.
1/11/23 Downgrading this to a two. Love me some Sherri S., but this book is such a disappointment. It's the pandemic's fault for it taking me so long to finish, but boy am I glad I did because I didn't enjoy it at all this time around, and that's rare for me to say about this author. It pisses me off, too, because, as always, her worldbuilding is fanfriggingtastic. But there's not a single relatable, likeable, or frankly, interesting character in this book. Some cool alien beings, but nobody you get invested in. So much potential, so much waste.
But I'm donating this one. I have enough of her books that I love that I don't want to mistakenly pick this turkey up again.
Re-reading it as my Car Book next. We'll see how it holds up.
1/11/23 Downgrading this to a two. Love me some Sherri S., but this book is such a disappointment. It's the pandemic's fault for it taking me so long to finish, but boy am I glad I did because I didn't enjoy it at all this time around, and that's rare for me to say about this author. It pisses me off, too, because, as always, her worldbuilding is fanfriggingtastic. But there's not a single relatable, likeable, or frankly, interesting character in this book. Some cool alien beings, but nobody you get invested in. So much potential, so much waste.
But I'm donating this one. I have enough of her books that I love that I don't want to mistakenly pick this turkey up again.
November 12, 2019
Sherri Tepper has long been one of my favorite SciFi writers. In fact, two of her books, “The Family Tree” and “The Gate to Women’s Country”, are high my list of all time favorites in any genre. Her imagination is seemingly boundless. Ironically, that seems to be my one complaint here. There is almost too much to keep up with. Overcrowded earth, evangelist anti-pet movement, wicked mother-in-law, husband lost on another planet, talking dogs, several alien races, languages of all sorts, including one of smells, and more. Phew… Still enjoyed wading through it & teared up in the end as I thought of my own animal companions.
February 13, 2014
Sheri Tepper considers the politics of trashing a planetary environment. In this future, all non-sentient animals are banished from Earth as requiring too many resources (air, water, food) -- a heart-wrenching threat for us animal-lovers. But humans are just one of many sentient species in the Galaxy, and Earth is just one planet. The villains were too villainous, however, without shades of gray. Also, too many dogs, not enough cats.
January 26, 2014
Complex aliens, political struggle and dysfunctional interpersonal relationships make this by far the best Tepper novel I have read. In places the depiction of alien species and ecologies is equal to the work of David Brin. Unfortunately the end is somewhat rushed and the author reverts to the heavy handed morality tale present in so much of the rest of her work.
May 28, 2013
Why are humans and dogs so close? What happens, if Earth gets too crowded for any creatures not human? Tepper involves numerous aliens and worlds to answer those questions. It left me sure that we need our pets.
March 28, 2018
Sheri S Tepper is my favorite sci-fi author. Even with the social and political bend. She still tells a wonderful story. And this one along with Grass are my favorites of hers. I wish I could get my hands on her earlier work. I’ve heard they don’t have the same political tone as the newer novels.
July 11, 2018
There can be little doubt that Sheri Tepper did lots of research and world building. Lots of it.
Unfortunately, she put all of it in the first two-thirds of the book. By the time I got to the actual story, I could've cared less.
Unfortunately, she put all of it in the first two-thirds of the book. By the time I got to the actual story, I could've cared less.
Read
January 19, 2016Made it about halfway through. Awfully bleak and constant stress about the dogs. No, thanks.
August 13, 2023
If more people read books like this one and took the message seriously, homo sapiens might have a better chance of being around a hundred years from now. Sheri Tepper's books are frightening because so many of them accurately describe the self destructive behaviors of mankind and predict the future outcomes those short-sighted behaviors are leading to. Books written a decade ago are now becoming reality. This book in particular is a frightening look at a dystopian future that has already begun. I've recently seen serious articles demanding that all migratory waterfowl should be exterminated to protect the poultry industry from bird flu, and others demanding that aquariums/fishkeeping must be banned because it uses too much electricity. And the many strident articles claiming that cattle burping methane are the cause of global warming and must be eliminated. (and if you believe that, you did a damn fine job killing off all the bison and antelope in North America and you had best kill off all the African migratory herds of wildebeest, zebra, antelope, elephants, et al, as fast as you can to save the climate) You may think these are fringe crazies today, but this is where we are headed within the next thirty years. To a world where no other life but human can be tolerated, because of the sheer overpopulation of homo sapiens. The thing with Tepper's books is that she always manages to save us through some outside agency, deux ex machina. I can only hope we are so lucky.
August 31, 2024
I'd forgotten how good Sheri Tepper is - and I have no idea why it's taken me so long to read this (and I have two copies!) but I thoroughly enjoyed it. A future grossly overpopulated Earth is part of a galactic community - with several belligerent species coexisting uncomfortably. Earth is almost entirely devoid of anmal life other than humans but a small group is devoted to preserving the remainder by establishing them on other planets. The protagonist is Jewel Delis, half-sister to a gifted linguist, and both are sent to Moss, a planet with an interesting ecology...
The Companions of the title are either 'comps' - android ceatures that can be moulded by their owners into whatever is desired (that's a crude description - but they seem to be contributing to a falling birth rate even while the Earth continue to be crowded) - or possibly dogs, long regarded as evolving together with humans... The truth is more complex than that bald description - and the revelation will have consequences for humanity as well as other galactic races...
An excellent story!
The Companions of the title are either 'comps' - android ceatures that can be moulded by their owners into whatever is desired (that's a crude description - but they seem to be contributing to a falling birth rate even while the Earth continue to be crowded) - or possibly dogs, long regarded as evolving together with humans... The truth is more complex than that bald description - and the revelation will have consequences for humanity as well as other galactic races...
An excellent story!
June 15, 2021
This is so close to a masterpiece that it’s annoying. Tepper is an incredible writer, but there are just too many ideas going on in here that many of them don’t get good development. There are ideas of overpopulation, environmentalism, tribalism, the racist use of religion, and bioengineered concubines. Any one of these could be a novel on their own, but are all fighting for attention or left unexplored.
The pacing of the story is inconsistent too, with a very slow beginning that picks up speed towards the middle and ends up going too fast by the end and culminates in a bit too tidy of an ending.
All of this sounds negative, but the content that the flawed framework is holding is absolutely phenomenal. Tepper’s description of wildlife, unique aliens, and wild imagination make the book well worth reading despite its flaws. Objectively, it probably warrants a 3 star rating, but the highs are high enough that I really feel like it deserves a 4.
The pacing of the story is inconsistent too, with a very slow beginning that picks up speed towards the middle and ends up going too fast by the end and culminates in a bit too tidy of an ending.
All of this sounds negative, but the content that the flawed framework is holding is absolutely phenomenal. Tepper’s description of wildlife, unique aliens, and wild imagination make the book well worth reading despite its flaws. Objectively, it probably warrants a 3 star rating, but the highs are high enough that I really feel like it deserves a 4.
December 21, 2017
I love Sheri S. Tepper, but this was not one of her best. It was a big book, and some of the storylines were left without a satisfactory resolution. The characters were not well-developed, and some things that were presented as science are actually magic. But I think the part that bugged me most was that she could not decide on the spelling of a (admittedly minor) character's name. "Aunt Hatty" and "Aunt Hattie" were both used several times, sometimes with the different spellings occurring within the same paragraph.
I won't be coming back to this one.
I won't be coming back to this one.
May 10, 2025
I really liked the first quarter or so but ultimately I feel the story got too convoluted with too many ideas, too many different beings, each with their own histories and aims for the future. There were a couple ideas / story developments I (one involving shape-shifting) that stuck me as unnecessary and -to be honest- a little silly. I really liked the world Moss that Tepper created and some of her descriptions of it like:
“Colour out of a drugged fantasy”
“Time a measurement of nothing much”
And this description a little closer to home:
“The tideless porridge that had once been the Pacific Ocean”
I was really hooked in the beginning but my enthusiasm waned as the book went on.
“Colour out of a drugged fantasy”
“Time a measurement of nothing much”
And this description a little closer to home:
“The tideless porridge that had once been the Pacific Ocean”
I was really hooked in the beginning but my enthusiasm waned as the book went on.
September 28, 2022
Filled with different alien races and alien cultures that Earthers are still learning to understand and cope with 700 years in the future. Earth itself is supremely over populated and many Earthers are jealous of any other Earth animals using up 'their' (the humans') resources, such as air, water and space. Quietly opposing them are the Earthers trying to save the few animals left from extinction. Jewel Delis shows us what one person is capable of, given the opportunity and some help from the higher ups. A good book to get one thinking about what ifs that ended up being a great adventure as well.
Read
February 12, 2023In the future Earth is overpopulated. The local floral and fauna are being evacuated to other planets to make room for off world retirees. Jewel Delis a member of animal rights group get involved with an expedition to the planet Moss. Moss has unusual life forms which Jewel's brother Paul a linguist maybe able to communicate with. Jewel tags along with some dogs needing sanctuary. There plots within plots and twist a plenty. It is a page turner. New things keep happening such hostile aliens and extra dimensional portals. I am little weary of Tepper's world view. She seems to blame men for the world's ill (I missed it here someone had to point it out to me). I may pass on next one.
June 27, 2025
Ok, this book was a complete mess. But an imaginative mess! The plot was an unstructured combination of 'and then... and then... and then...' and the ending was an absurd deus ex machina, and I get the sense that one of the characters was just Tepper working out some feelings about a guy she really doesn't like very much. But also, we've got a fundamental story that's basically about humans and dogs and how well they go together, and a rather charming sentient plant who would be an excellent crossword puzzle solver. Tepper is capable of really sophisticated and effective storytelling. This isn't it. But the imagination that makes her best work sing is definitely on offer here.
May 28, 2018
I imprinted young on Tepper's writing, and I enjoyed this book immensely, despite it containing substantial elements that are variously clunky, cringeworthy, and Problematic. It's second-wave feminist environmentalist science fiction, with everything that implies, both good and bad.
With an overly twisty plot, some schadenfreude at the expense of the defeated villains that is nasty even by Tepper's standards, and all the black-and-white morality of late Tepper, it lacks the intellectual and emotional power of something like Grass, but I'm glad I read it, anyway.
With an overly twisty plot, some schadenfreude at the expense of the defeated villains that is nasty even by Tepper's standards, and all the black-and-white morality of late Tepper, it lacks the intellectual and emotional power of something like Grass, but I'm glad I read it, anyway.
February 13, 2017
A green feminist tract: another mirror of the present masquerading as speculative fiction and transparently illiberal in its conclusions: that the bad part of humanity (warlike, pack creatures, alpha males) was genetically engineered and the good part (co-operative, preserve the planet etc) is the baseline. Whatever the political orientation, racialist or feminist, such deterministic stories dumb down the human.
August 4, 2020
Beautifully written, fascinating ideas, but plot-wise there were so many balls in the air that I wound up confused probably 75% of the time. I still enjoyed and finished it, but with little to no idea about what exactly was going on. Seemed like, as others have said, it would have been better off as a whole series instead of condensed into one book. Any one of the sub-plots could have more than filled up it’s own 250 page book.
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