Audio: The Gate to Women's country - Sheri S Tepper

Women rule in Women's Country. Women live apart from men, sheltering the remains of civilization. They have cut themselves off with walls and by ordinance from marauding males. Waging war is all men are good for. Men are allowed to fight their barbaric battles amongst themselves, garrison against garrison. For the sake of his pride, each boy child ritualistically rejects his mother when he comes of age to be a warrior. But all the secrets of civilization are strictly the possession of women. Naturally, there are men who want to know what the women know. And when Stavia meets Chernon, the battle of the sexes begins all over again. Foolishly, she provides books for Chernon to read. Before long, Chernon is hatching a plan of revenge against women. 

Audio CD, 12 h

Published June 5th 2018 by Tantor Audio (first published November 1st 1987)

Post apocalyptic

For review

MY thoughts:

This would be the perfect book club listen. There is soooooo much to discuss. The whole book is one big discussion. I do not even know where to start.

Men destroyed the world, with their bombs, with the guns. They do remember that they had things long ago (since in some sci-fi apocalyptic ones people have just forgotten, which I never get.) Like that they used to have cars, washing machines, but now they do not. Though a lot has been forgotten since women do not want people to remember.

Women rule the world, well they rule this parcel of land (and I can not put my finger on where it takes place. But then I get ideas further in). Women live in cities, men live outside in garrisons and fight wars, but mostly they play sports, train and drink beer (and the women do not mind.) Women do all the work, farming, fishing, making things. Having babies and sending boy children out when they grow older.

At first this world makes me wonder. How can it be a good idea that they men are outside and the women inside? That they men get to come in twice a year for fun times at Carneval? But the more I listen then more I understand, they might not be going about it the perfect way, but it truly is better that the men are outside. Except for those that have "returned" and they co-exist peacefully inside. And yes it does make me wonder if men are brutes who love war and women are the voice of reason. And then I see, maybe men are brutes...

SO much more that could be discussed, but spoilers!

Anyway the book is about Stavia, we see her at 10, 13 and 22. How she meets a young soldier and falls for him, and how she shows him things that are forbidden to the men. Oh Stavia! You said you would not be a fool for a man. But the book also shows her at 37 so we know she comes out ok, but SO much goes down before that. I liked Stavia, she is smart and she only wants the best for her friend Chernon (who is a bastard! Grrr.).

I'd love to say more, but yes secrets. Just let me say that the entire world is not Women's country and it is clear that Women's country is the only way to live in the end.

Such an interesting listen!

Narrator Emily Durante

I truly liked her voice for Stavia, it changed with every year, but still kept the essence of her. She did a great job

Fish Tails - Sheri S. Tepper

In FISH TAILS, two of Tepper's beloved characters - Abasio and Xulai (A PLAGUE OF ANGELS and THE WATERS RISING) - and their children travel from village to village scattered across the sparsely populated land of Tingawa. They are searching for others who might be interested in adopting their sea-dwelling lifestyle.

Along their journey they encounter strange visitors from the far-off world of Lom, characters from Tepper's nine-book True Game series of novels - Mavin Manyshaped, Jinian Star-eye, and Silkhands the Healer - all of whom have been gathered up by an interfering, time-traveling, rule-breaking do-gooder to do one last good dead on earth before its metamorphosis is complete. For the waters are rising and will soon engulf the entire planet, transforming it utterly and irrevocably. 

My thoughts:

This is a strange book, a weird book. A very well-written book. A analytical book. A philosophical book. A book about the environment, social order, and just about the stupidity of men. We really are a stupid race.

The book had so many lovely quotes, I'd love to write down all of them but that would be one long review. So here are some.

They were talking about old religions

"I am not joking. While millions of children were starving at various places on the earth, some religions were still insisting that it was sinful to prevent excess births. I am fascinated by the religions of that time. Without exception they simply denied reality. They were completely myth-driven. Self-inflicting pain was a common religious practice..."

"If a man seeks to make his faith a law, this action alone disproves his faith, for the law cannot define kindness."

"If a man seeks to kill others who believe otherwise, this action alone disproves his faith, for those who kill are not kind."

It was a long time since I went quote crazy, but she just tells it so well, so cleverly. About every subject too.

This is a sci-fi book. It takes place in the future where we have killed the earth, then we invented machines that went on killing us. Those left live in a strange medieval world mixed with some tech at times. And people are still stupid and do stupid things. But some are trying to save the human race as the waters are rising and soon we will all drown.

I would not recommend this book without having read earlier books. Sure it is strange, so for that reason I am sure you could jump right in and still understand, but to really grasp it you really must start at book 1.

The main characters of Abasio and Xulai, Needly and her grandma, are all fascinating. And truth be told, I can't really tell you much. Because as I have said before, Tepper writes strange books. You have to be in the zone. To read about them discuss monkey-brain willy-waggers, the future of the earth and how men became men and forgot the earth. To see them meet new people and strange things man have created. There is a lot of talking going on, and I found myself nodding my head and agreeing.

Conclusion:

I do recommend this series, just, take your time with it. 

Cover

I like the woman

Pages, 720
Published December 26th 2014 by Gollancz
Plague of Angels #3
Sci-fi
For review

Review: The Waters rising - Sheri S.Tepper

Series: A plague of Angels #2
Genre: Futuristic fantasy sci-fi
Pages: 512
Published: Dec 2011
Publisher: Gollancz
Source: For review

The long-awaited and much-demanded sequel to A PLAGUE OF ANGELS, continuing the story of Abasio, once a farmboy, now, so Blue, his talking horse, is happy to inform people, a man who goes hither and thither helping orphans in this world where renascent mythical beasts and fairy tale 'archetypes' now live. When he comes across little Xulai from Tingawan, one of the Ten Thousand Islands, far across the western Sea, she informs him that she too is an orphan, and implores his help carrying out the last request of the Princess Xu-i-lok, who has been dying since the day she married Duke Justinian, who refused the royal order to marry Alicia, the Prince's sister. Xulai is Princess Xu-i-lok's Soul Carrier, and the task she must complete means visiting the scary forest in the dead of night - but it is the only thing that will bring the princess a measure of peace. Abasio, helper of orphans, promises though she must do this alone, he will be near, to aid her if necessary and it is, for there are dark things abroad. Xulai's job is not yet done, for with the princess now dead, the grieving Duke is left a widower - and Alicia, Duchess Altamont, still wishes to marry him. It's not just the man she wants, but his lands too and her plans do not bode well for anyone except her .

My thoughts:

This book was strange, but wondrous strange. But then all Tepper books I have read have been like that, she takes in things and turns into something utterly amazing and weird.

First, yes it is book two, but book 1 does not have to be read to understand this book. The only person from book 1 around is the hero Abasio. But here is he is all new and a bit different. I do not know how much time has gone by, and it takes place in a new land. It is a new book and it was published almost 20 years after book 1.

 I thought book 1 gave me answers what might have happened to our earth, but here I finally found out what The Big Kill, and the Time when no one moved around was. This our earth, which we destroyed and in its wake technology was no more. Which makes this a futuristic sci-fi book in a fantasy world. She explains it well at one time, how people when they do not understand something makes it into magic. There are a few things left over from the old times, and some do know things. Like when the baddie, Alicia curses someone. Some say it is magic, some know better. She took the pattern of that person and sent a cloud. Yes DNA and virus. The mix works so well, because what would happen if 99% died out? If machines were destroyed? 

And like that was not enough, now the waters are rising and even the highest mountain will be under water. Can humankind be saved? And do we deserve to be saved?

It's a book to read slowly because now and then something new comes along and everything slowly dawns on me. It's a good book, it is a strange story and I can't believe that this used to be earth. There are talking animals, the Kraken, a lovestory, and wicked witches. There is also a child's journey and the question why she is so important?

Conclusion:

Tepper needs to be read to be understand. I do not think I can make her world justice. But when you step in to her world you will be enchanted with it.

Cover:

Now I get it ;=)

Review: A plague of Angels - Sheri S.Tepper

Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi/ post-apocalyptic

Pages: 576

Published: Oct 13, 2011 (1994)

Publisher: Gollancz

Source: For review

Atop a twisting, canyon-climbing road, a witch lurks in a fortress built strong enough to keep out dragons and ogres. In an enchanted village, a young orphan is maturing into a beautiful woman. A young man seeks adventure in the big city after running away from his family and their small farm. Now a strange and terrible prophecy will set off a chain of events that will bring these three together, in a tale of heroism, romance and an age-old battle. But this is not the fantasy world you expect. The Place of Power is manned by strange, robotic creatures who leak radiation. The Archetypal Village knows what is expected of it, as do the inhabitants. In the city, gangs battle with guns and bombs. And the prophecy may lead to death for all.

My thoughts;

It is hard to describe this book, honestly it is just one of those books you have to read to understand. I have read a Tepper book before, and she does have a way to build a story. It's filled with marvelous things.

This book starts as fantasy, but nothing is as it seems. No it is this strange mix of fantasy and sci-fi and Tepper does it so well. She mixes things up and little by little I get to understand this world. Is it Earth? Is it a new planet? Is it a fantasy world? Well, I will not tell you that, read and see. What I can tell you is that it is a world that got destroyed by war, by stupidity, by humans. Some left for another planet and those left behind struggled to get by. In the countryside there are villages and farmers. In the cities gangs rule with weapons. In Archetypal villages archetypes live; oracles, prophets, heroes, princesses, witches. Why? To save the rest from those who might cause trouble. There are also Edgers who live behinds walls and have technology, and the place of power where Families rule and use androids. But there are also ogres and dragons in the forest. Like I said, nothing is what it seems. 

There you go, a world so strange, but still very real. There are reasons for everything and we get to know why things are like they are. Books are burned if they are older than 50 years, because if you can’t read about the past, you can’t remember it and you can’t go to war over silly things. There are people out there trying to save nature. And while I read I kept wondering what, and how. The clues are there and it was so fun finding out more. I love a well created world and that it sure is. 

About the story then. Well a young man leaves for the city and becomes a ganger. And orphan is taken to an archetypal village and at the place of power a woman wants just that, power, and to go to the stars. These stories are all connected. I liked Abasio, the boy who leaves for the city. He knows the cities are bad, his own mum had been a gangers concubine and fled. But still he leaves. Orphan is a mystery, and someone is out after her. But she is just a sweet girl. And then there are others that they meet, good people, and bad people. 

I liked it, it was a freaky book, in a good way. I love fantasy so of course I was all over that angle, and sci-fi is fun too. This mix here, more fantasy than sci-fi is another great mix. There is technology, just not much, or used that much. Therefore it makes it the more interesting. She also has a way to keep you interested, because you can’t see anything coming. 

What to call this book then? Post-apocalyptic, dystopia, fantasy, sci-fi, your call. Whatever suits you. And that is also its strong side, it can be something for everyone.

Conclusion:

I do recommend it if you want to try something different. Tepper is a master storyteller and she will keep on surprising you. 

Rating:

Interesting and good