Still Forms on Foxfield

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected or wanted.
Review: I guess I was expecting Simak style science fiction. Meaning quiet, low key, rural, spiritual, pacifist, & even unabashedly sentimental. A story of a colony of Quakers being "discovered" set me up for that. Lesbian-feminist aspects & a sort of angriness underneath ruined that. Also the author gave a "kill all the men" philosophy more credence then it deserved. Why does it have to be women in charge or men in charge can't we be equal, while respecting the differences? I think the book's message is egalitarian, but she argued "Women good, Men worthless" better. The Quaker stuff was good, although she has some style problems. I hate to trash a book someone else loved, so I'll stop there. Except to say I probably had wrong expectations & maybe I'd "get it" if I were a woman. (Although I like books to be a little more universal than that)

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected or wanted.
Review: I guess I was expecting Simak style science fiction. Meaning quiet, low key, rural, spiritual, pacifist, & even unabashedly sentimental. A story of a colony of Quakers being "discovered" set me up for that. Lesbian-feminist aspects & a sort of angriness underneath ruined that. Also the author gave a "kill all the men" philosophy more credence then it deserved. Why does it have to be women in charge or men in charge can't we be equal, while respecting the differences? I think the book's message is egalitarian, but she argued "Women good, Men worthless" better. The Quaker stuff was good, although she has some style problems. I hate to trash a book someone else loved, so I'll stop there. Except to say I probably had wrong expectations & maybe I'd "get it" if I were a woman. (Although I like books to be a little more universal than that)

Rating:
Summary: An interesting "prophetic" book ...
Review: I remember reading this back in the 80's, some time after reading True Names, and thinking that she not only published earlier but likely got closer to true prophecy. I've reread it recently, and found that it stands up. In fact, its predictions of a wired world are just now coming true, though she wrote about them as happening centuries in the future. The main plot is about an isolated Quaker commune on another planet that is suddenly faced with an arriving ship full of people from Earth, who start handing out a piece of jewelry that is a combined health monitor and comm device, putting them in instant contact with all other humans who exist. The story is partly about their struggle for survival on a planet not designed for humans, and their coming to terms with an interesting alien species (a sort of intelligent plant with a hive mind). Meanwhile, they now are faced with the impact of full electronic contact with some very friendly humans who are by now nearly as alien as the aliens, who don't understand them or the local aliens, and are more concerned with assimilation than with understanding. And, as a bonus, there are feminist (and lesbian) subplots to complicate matters.

It's not space opera. But if you want psych-social ideas, alien contact, and an early concept of the Net that may come true in the next decade or so, this is a book you might want to find. Too bad it's out of print.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting "prophetic" book ...
Review: I remember reading this back in the 80's, some time after reading True Names, and thinking that she not only published earlier but likely got closer to true prophecy. I've reread it recently, and found that it stands up. In fact, its predictions of a wired world are just now coming true, though she wrote about them as happening centuries in the future. The main plot is about an isolated Quaker commune on another planet that is suddenly faced with an arriving ship full of people from Earth, who start handing out a piece of jewelry that is a combined health monitor and comm device, putting them in instant contact with all other humans who exist. The story is partly about their struggle for survival on a planet not designed for humans, and their coming to terms with an interesting alien species (a sort of intelligent plant with a hive mind). Meanwhile, they now are faced with the impact of full electronic contact with some very friendly humans who are by now nearly as alien as the aliens, who don't understand them or the local aliens, and are more concerned with assimilation than with understanding. And, as a bonus, there are feminist (and lesbian) subplots to complicate matters.

It's not space opera. But if you want psych-social ideas, alien contact, and an early concept of the Net that may come true in the next decade or so, this is a book you might want to find. Too bad it's out of print.

Rating:
Summary: a wonderful book, let me know if someone has enjoyed it too
Review: This book introduced me to Joan Slonczewski. It is not a great, trumpets-and-drums sort of novel. It actually consists of a very strange mix of science, belief, and emotion. But it made me think, and enjoy myself while doing so. It is a very refreshing read, it does not tire you out. I've read it numerous times and it still retains its charm. If there's anybody existing who has also read this book, or would want to, please let me know. I wouldn't want to think that I am alone in my appreciation of Foxfield.