Science Fiction Aficionados discussion
Monthly Read: Themed
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A Door Into Ocean by Joan Slonczewski
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When I voted for this book I requested both my libraries acquire it. Crickets. Then I tried interlibrary loan online and could not find it. Guess the hard copy is rare.
Oh - well written comment Juniper!. I agree with many aspect, and yes the clickflies were cool though had some odd aspects.My two more negative reactions were that the noble and wise savage did go too far - it was getting to me by the end. And the writing dragged for me in the middle third - took a some pushing to get through.
One comment I have not seen - I felt that the "feminist-sf" aspect was barely there for me. The gender of the sharers mattered little to me in the story/presentation. Though adding the allusions to rape late in the book did make it matter, and to me confused the story and added an oddly under-played, and painful, aspect?
Again I agree. Interesting to compare to a favorite novella of mineHouston, Houston, Do You Read?
Now that story contrasted male vs female ("gender essentialism" - like that!) - don't know if I would call it feminist either. But the gender aspect was certainly much more central to the story.
And looked: it was written in 1976 vs Door into Ocean in 1984. So from the same cultural era I would say...
Joan Slonczweski is an American microbiologist and an author who has twice won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.
Her first win was for Door Into Ocean, published into 1987. Per my good buddy Wikipedia, The novel shows themes of ecofeminism and nonviolent revolution, combined with Slonczewski's own mastery of knowledge in the field of biology.
Intriguing!