Ahira's Hangar

Now I am reading Ammonite by Nicola Griffith. Just started and so far so good. Similar premise to Glory Season, a single planet out of contact from the other human colonized worlds of space is rediscovered after hundreds of years. On this planet however, there are no human men at all. It is known that an infectious agent inhabits this world and fatality is 100% for the men and maybe 20 - 30% for the women. The main character is an anthropologist who wants to study the unique culture, or cultures, developed here and to find the mystery of their survival for hundreds of years without regular human like reproductive biology.

More to follow. If anyone else would like to comment and talk, please I wecome the dialogue taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i></i>

I am reading Ammonite by Nicola Griffith. Continuing on this book was the winner of the James Tiptree Award in 1993 and the Lambda award.

More to follow. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i></i>

Sounds very good! I'm interested in hearing more. And now Danlo looked in that direction, too. He remembered that snowy owls mate in the darkest part of deep winter, and so along with this beautiful white bird perched in a tree a hundred feet away, he turned to face the sea as he watched and waited.

Ahira, Ahira, he called out silently to the sky. Ahira, Ahira<i></i>

I would, too, please. I have not heard of this book before, and it sounds very interesting! Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
****Tavern Wench of DOGMA, the Defenders of George Martin's Art****<i></i>

Another plot going on in this book is the rediscovery of this planet, known as Jeep, was by a huge commercial conglomerate, known in the text as the Company, that has commercially exploited other planets and presumably wants to do the same here. However, the unknown pathogen prohibits all but very rudimentary exploitation and exploration. Another of our main character's, Marghe Taishan, assigned tasks is the testing of a potential vaccine to the pathogen.

MOre to follow. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i></i>

for information regarding ms. Griffith www.nicolagriffith.com

Ammonite won the James L. Tiptree award in 1993. I will now give you some of the comments of the award's committee for that year regarding the book. These comments do not belong to me, they are either copy righted by the authors themselves or the Tiptree committee.

First some comments by Urusula LeGuin Quote:...this is the strongest pure science fiction on the list - doing only what SF can do...Is it gender bending?...When you eliminate one gender what's left? (answer the whole world)...alot of books like Moby Dick eliminate one gender and nobody thinks about it....Kate Clinton has the answer "When women go off together it is called separatism. When men go off together it is called Congress"

Now some comments by Jean Gomoll, a Madison WI area fan, and member of the committee that year. She calls the book a rite-of-passage novel, since Marghe, goes through tremendous changes in the book. She continues with the comment Quote:Its gender bending message was that sexuality is only a minor part of human relationships and the planetary human community is only by happenstance, only composed of women.

Remarkably this was first novel by Ms. Griffith. More of my own comments to follow. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i>Edited by: taraswizard at: 8/16/03 3:57 pm
</i>

Since the novel's begining, Marhge Taishan, main character, anthropologist, governmental liason, viral vaccine guinea pig, has voluntarily entered this viral hot zone, the planet Jeep, made initial contact with the company contigent, went in search of her missing assistant, been kidnapped (adopted) by a tribe of nomadic herdswomen. Witnessed their slaughter, narrowly escaped almost certain death after the slaughter, met one of the community's resident wise women (viajera). Began to understand the secrets of Jeep's mystery. And now is starting a new direction for her own life (maybe this is a "road to Damascus" story).

This is quite the story and Nicola Griffith's writing is really tops; however, so far I found myself enjoying Glory Season more. But I can tell more as I get further along. <i></i>

Just finished this yesterday afternoon.

I will give here some concluding some comments by the author, before moving on to my own comments. Ms Griffith's comments may sound a little harsh; however Quote:"Are women human?" That question forms the subtext of more speculative fiction noves - fantasy, SF, horror, utopia and dystopia- than I can count. She continues by saying Ammonite is intended to be a body blow to any feeling that question has any continuing relevance. She continues Quote: I am tired of token women being strong in a man's world by taking on male attributes; strutting around in black leather, spike heels and warparound shades, killing people; or riding a horse, swearing alot, carrying a big sword, and killing people; or piloting a ship through hyperspace..., and killing people. She continues saying she is also tired of women only worlds inhabited by wise, kind, beautiful, vegetarian amazons who would never dream of killing anyone. Also, tired of reading about women who are aliens and aliens who are really women. One of her conclusions is that a women only world would shine with the entire spectrum of human behavior, its strengths and foibles, there would be collectivist and individualist, tyrants and idealist, they would be generous and mean, weak and strong. Just like everyone else.

Ms Griffith's conclusion are if she makes you think about what this world would be like, then she has done her job. <i>Edited by: taraswizard at: 8/23/03 6:41 pm
</i>

So of my own comments.

After attending DragonCon, in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend, I will add the following. IMO, this book is significant, the writing of Nicola Griffith is outstanding, her characters have depth and are rounded (taking a begining fiction class at local comm. college), none are all good or bad, and the abandonded women from the Company outpost now find themselves becoming another part of this world's communities with a unique contribution to add, bringing their skills, to help this world and its inhabitants find meanings. Adding to the knowledge base of Jeep, through their ability to decipher and read the records of the original visitors, hopefully to decode the mystery of the Jeep virus, its origin, and relationship to a an aboriginal lifeform called 'goth'.

It's a cool book and should be readily available. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i></i>

Sounds very promising...if I ever run into a copy (or if my town's library has it) I think I will give it a try... Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
****Tavern Wench of DOGMA, the Defenders of George Martin's Art****<i></i>

I ran into this at Borders today, remembered your recommend, grabbed it. I am looking forward to getting a chance to read it and compare it to two books with themes a bit similar, that I have read -- Davis Brin's Glory Season and Sherri Tepper's Gate to Women's Country. Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
****Tavern Wench of DOGMA, the Defenders of George Martin's Art****<i></i>

Duchess wrote a bit ago Quote:I ran into this at Borders today, remembered your recommend, grabbed it. I am looking forward to getting a chance to read it and compare it to two books Duchess, sorry for not replying sooner, but with my being all unemployed now for the first time in 23+yrs. Well, I could be a little wonky....and sorta outa touch with things.

I think you will like the book. My feelings are sorta strange... Since I read this and Glory Season so close together, it is really hard for not to compare them to each other. But while attending WindyCon a few weeks ago my feelings became clearer. David Brin's was a more fun read, I really enjoyed reading GS. But curiously I do not see my self going back and reading it anytime soon if ever. I know I will be rereading parts of Ammonite, and maybe the whole thing, in the future, and I know when I do I will get something out of it I either missed the first time through, or will delight with something I have forgot since the first time. Another book that is like that for me is Dune.

When you finish, I would be interested in your comments. Sherri Tepper is an author I want to add to my need to read list. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i></i>

Since finishing this book in the early fall, I have casually done some on-line research about this book and its authoress. I was amazed at the reactions to this book on Amazon.com in their readers reviews section. Go check it out, one will not believe the responses there. OMG. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i></i>

Am I the only one who didn't think that much of this book? The whole scenario didn't ring true for me, with a man-only virus just a cheap device to get rid of men from the book (who when they were featured in satellites orbiting the planet, were invariably devious, bad, weak)

Must be a chick-lit thing <i></i>

Actually, Frank Herbert wrote a book with a female only virus, called The White Plague, which told of the affects on society and on men when all of the women started dying off...I would imagine that Ammonite (which I haven't had time to read yet) must be in a similar vein to the Herbert book (which I thought was a pretty good read). ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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