Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Del Rey (1980), Edition: 1st, First Edition, Mass Market Paperback
User reviews
LibraryThing member cissa
This is not space opera. While some of the conflicts have wide implications, Slonczewski keeps the focus narrow- on THIS colony, and THESE issues. I really like that. I am getting bored with sf that always seem to have to Save The Universe!!! and prefer things on a more human scale.
The culture
Nothing super-dramatic happens. It's about the small stuff- the stuff that makes up our lives- like, figuring out how to negotiate with those very, very different. In some ways, it reminded me of Le Guin's "The Dispossessed" in terms of culture clash, and there is not higher praise I can give.
Don't read it for the explosions, which are rare and not plot-central. Read it for the interactions, and the hope that entities with good hearts can find common ground.
The culture
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clashes are depicted very thoughtfully- the ones the colonists had with the aliens (mostly historical); the ones the colonists had with the Authority that swept in and demanded allegience, and the ones said Authority had with the aliens. One could see and sympathize with all the various motivations, and that made it fascinating to me.Nothing super-dramatic happens. It's about the small stuff- the stuff that makes up our lives- like, figuring out how to negotiate with those very, very different. In some ways, it reminded me of Le Guin's "The Dispossessed" in terms of culture clash, and there is not higher praise I can give.
Don't read it for the explosions, which are rare and not plot-central. Read it for the interactions, and the hope that entities with good hearts can find common ground.
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LibraryThing member psybre
Still Forms on Foxfield is this author's first published novel, and it shows. Although the alien world's chemistry, biology and physics are solid and interesting to read, the staccato and stilted dialog and pace suffered in this novel for what seems like an infodump about the Religious Society of
This reader spent some of his formative years in the Quaker community. I am versed in their religious views, and have lived in communities designed to abide by consensus, and so the actions of the characters as the plot moved forward seemed to me telegraphed and unsurprising. Perhaps fascinating to someone unfamiliar with Quaker practice, a constant reiteration of "what the light tells them to do" became tedious to me.
Outside my subjective difficulties with the novel, the science fiction regarding the indigenous life forms' and their involvement with the colonists, is very good, and shows promise. I can recommend this book for hard science fiction lovers who aren't particular to dialog or plot and like reading speculative fiction just for the ideas. My mother has borrowed the book to read, so perhaps she'll share her views and this review will become more balanced.
Two out of five stars.
2008-11-04
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Friends (Quakers) and an extrapolation of their rituals, beliefs, social values and other philosophies in the light of space colonization.This reader spent some of his formative years in the Quaker community. I am versed in their religious views, and have lived in communities designed to abide by consensus, and so the actions of the characters as the plot moved forward seemed to me telegraphed and unsurprising. Perhaps fascinating to someone unfamiliar with Quaker practice, a constant reiteration of "what the light tells them to do" became tedious to me.
Outside my subjective difficulties with the novel, the science fiction regarding the indigenous life forms' and their involvement with the colonists, is very good, and shows promise. I can recommend this book for hard science fiction lovers who aren't particular to dialog or plot and like reading speculative fiction just for the ideas. My mother has borrowed the book to read, so perhaps she'll share her views and this review will become more balanced.
Two out of five stars.
2008-11-04
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LibraryThing member tursach_anam
I actually really liked this book. However, Slonczewski has written a couple of my favorite books, so I'm biased. I agree that this book didn't live up to its potential. There were some great ideas waiting to be developed that didn't happen, which was a shame. However, I enjoyed reading it and
I think the key concepts of the novel were - the pluses and minuses of a system that tries to impose equality based on majority rule (UNI government), the beliefs and doubts of a religious person as viewed through Quaker eyes, a cursory view of how technology might develop and benefit us in the future, and an intriguing yet undeveloped view of an unlikely alien life form. So, there's lots there - it just wasn't fleshed out as fully as I'd have liked.
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every time I put it down I was looking forward to reading the next part. I think the key concepts of the novel were - the pluses and minuses of a system that tries to impose equality based on majority rule (UNI government), the beliefs and doubts of a religious person as viewed through Quaker eyes, a cursory view of how technology might develop and benefit us in the future, and an intriguing yet undeveloped view of an unlikely alien life form. So, there's lots there - it just wasn't fleshed out as fully as I'd have liked.
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LibraryThing member astrologerjenny
I enjoyed this sci-fi novel very much. Culture clash is always fertile ground for a story. In this one, we are introduced to a bunch of Quakers from Earth who have managed to survive for four generations as colonists on a new planet, Foxfield. In the meantime, they’ve developed a peaceful
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relationship with some strange and sensitive indigenous beings. When the book begins, Earth – which has gone off in some new directions – makes contact again. This book was written about thirty years ago, but there are some things very familiar about these future earthlings. For one thing, their technology connects them to each other, no matter where in the universe they are. They basically exist en masse all the time, while the citizens of Foxfield are more accustomed to privacy, solitude and autonomy. Interestingly enough, the indigenous beings on their planet see themselves as all part of one whole, but their approach to unity is very different, and they are the ones who finally set the boundaries for the earthlings.
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LibraryThing member et.carole
This book was hilariously poorly written, and had decided themes of American superiority, acceptance but degradation of homosexuality, and anti-industrialism. Fantastically bad.
Awards
Prometheus Award (Nominee — Novel — 1982)
Original publication date
1980
Physical description
6.9 inches
ISBN
0345287622 / 9780345287625