Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Bantam Books (1988), Edition: Book Club (BCE/BOMC), 311 pages
Description
The Presences mean something different to each of Jubal's colonists. In some, these towering crystals inspire awe, in others fear. A small band must break through the long silence between humanity and the Presences to strike a new alliance - and bring about the end of a tyrannical dynasty. Sheri S. Tepper's world has the depths of galaxies. Her characters come alive like stars burning in the black of space. The tale she tells will leave you astounded.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Black_samvara
Alien first contact… it takes a while because the humans get shunned for years on account of not being truthful. I am very fond of this bit: “…sang of greed and pride, things that the viggies understood to some extent. She sang of lying, which they did not understand but were willing to take
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on faith. Then together they sang of what they had learned,…” Show Less
LibraryThing member firebird8
I really liked this one. It felt realistic both the characters and the situation. I really loved the little indigenous sentient life forms on the planet that sang to the crystal life forms, and that the one crystal formation that humans had spent so much puzzlement on was mad.
LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
I can't help suspecting that this book was written directly after Tepper read Anne McCaffrey's "Crystal Singer" (1982), was horrified by its portrayal of the exploitation of alien worlds, and said, "I'm going to show a different perspective on this!"
Both books feature an alien world of harsh yet
It fits with Tepper's usual ecological awareness.
Of course, there are other elements on the planet: governmental, corporate, and religious, who would just love to destroy the unique crystals, for their own immediate profit... which of course leads to much dramatic conflict.
Published in 1987, this book is not quite as adeptly written as many of her more recent books, but, if one can disregard the distracting resemblance to the earlier book, it's a pretty good sci-fi thriller with an action-filled climax.
Both books feature an alien world of harsh yet
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dramatic aspect, covered with large crystals that respond to sound (esp. singing), are extremely sharp and dangerous, prone to slicing up people, but yet have an elite/apart group of people (singers) to work with them. But in McCaffreys book, the 'Crystal Singers' sing to shatter the crystals in specific ways for mining, and in Tepper's the 'Tripsingers' sing to *avoid* shattering the crystals, allowing caravans and other travellers to pass through them unharmed.It fits with Tepper's usual ecological awareness.
Of course, there are other elements on the planet: governmental, corporate, and religious, who would just love to destroy the unique crystals, for their own immediate profit... which of course leads to much dramatic conflict.
Published in 1987, this book is not quite as adeptly written as many of her more recent books, but, if one can disregard the distracting resemblance to the earlier book, it's a pretty good sci-fi thriller with an action-filled climax.
Show Less
Subjects
Original publication date
1987-12
Physical description
311 p.; 8.3 inches