Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Avon Books (1998), Mass Market Paperback
Pages
472
Description
Tedla is young, beautiful and blond but is neither he nor she. On a far-off world, an asexual class of blands exists to serve their fellow humans, protected and isolated from contact with the rest of the universe. But no bland has ever left its sheltered homeworld--until now. Tedla has been found in an alley light-years away from its planet. And it has just tried to commit suicide. Val, an expert in alien cultures, helps Tedla recuperate and in doing so, uncovers the secret tortured world of the blands.
Awards
Gaylactic Spectrum Award (Shortlist — Novel — 1999)
Otherwise Award (Shortlist — 1998)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
472 p.; 6.5 inches
ISBN
0380797992 / 9780380797998
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User reviews
LibraryThing member Jellyn
The Gammadians are an offshoot of the human race who have created a planet full of humans who are neuter until adolescence, when they become either male, female, or remain neuter. The neuters are asexual and are called 'blands', forming an underclass who takes care of all the menial tasks due to
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their lower intelligence. They're not even classified as 'human'.I really liked this world and learning more about the main character. It explores gender, slavery, and what happens when cultures come into contact with each other.I believe this is out of print, which is a shame. Fortunately we have the internet to help us find OOP books. Show Less
LibraryThing member rbaech
Superb book. The character of Tedla challenges the reader to analyze gender roles, which frankly are assigned almost as arbitrarily in our culture as in Tedla's.
LibraryThing member macha
a seminal study of the nature of gender, the use of eugenics, and how to define humanity, delivered through the eyes of isolated cultures in the far future - with appealing characters, and a passionate message.
LibraryThing member BananaSquirrel
Just as good the second time. What a wonderful book.
LibraryThing member burritapal
I love Gilman's work; the second one I've read from"Twenty Planets." For all the harm to people that gender does, what would happen if you were assigned no gender, and had no reproductive organs? Well, it would cut down on the problems of overpopulation, if a third of humanity were genderless. That
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could save destruction of the planet. But what if it were a giant eugenics program, and the genderless were used as menials, and were oppressed, cruelly, violently? Show Less