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almog142's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting but took me about 70 pages to understand what's going on
mburnamfink's review against another edition
3.0
I couldn't imagine a more 70s piece of science fiction if it showed up and challenged me to a disco dance competition, and I own a replica Zardoz mask. Tiptree weaves a tripart plot about telepathy, alien minds, and salvation.
THE DESTROYER is some kind of immense and ancient interstellar war-machine on an endless journey between systems, obliterating intelligent life by forcing their stars to go nova. It speaks in ITALICS ALL CAPS. Tyree is a gas giant world soon to be targeted by THE DESTROYER, where a civilization of telepathic wind dwelling mantas have a complex and peaceful society based around the wisdom of Fathers, and shared engram-experience patterns. On Earth, Dr. Daniel Dann is a drug addicted medical advisor to a U.S. Navy psi project to develop telepathic communications, which will be used to transmit orders to nuclear submarines.
The Tyreen embark on a desperate plan to transmit some of their minds telepathically to Earth, which might ensure their survival but is also their worst kind of crime. Dr. Dann mopes about his alienation and sexual frustration and the futility of the project. Then as doom approaches Tyree, Dann swaps minds with Giadoc, a Tyreen scientist. He learns telepathy, tries to heal the others as they seek shelter from THE DESTROYER deep within the gas giant, and then when all is lost, it turns out that THE DESTROYER has been partially hijacked by Margorie Omali, a brilliant African-American computer programmer, and TOTAL, a variant of the ARPANET. Dann, the Tyreens, and everybody struggles for mental integrity within the vast bulk of THE DESTROYER.
There's at least two really cool ideas here, gas giant civilizations and alien berserkers, and bunch of stuff about telepathy and alternate senses and socialities. As I've heard, Tiptree has a keen and ironic eye for gender politics, and there's some good style there, but so much of the story is buried under flopsy cruft that it's hard to discern what happens, or why we should care. The Tyreen's are so utopian they can't seem to conceive of their extinction except rationally. The whole thing feels rather half-baked.
I think I'd like to read some of Tiptree's short stories, but this first book has not impressed me.
THE DESTROYER is some kind of immense and ancient interstellar war-machine on an endless journey between systems, obliterating intelligent life by forcing their stars to go nova. It speaks in ITALICS ALL CAPS. Tyree is a gas giant world soon to be targeted by THE DESTROYER, where a civilization of telepathic wind dwelling mantas have a complex and peaceful society based around the wisdom of Fathers, and shared engram-experience patterns. On Earth, Dr. Daniel Dann is a drug addicted medical advisor to a U.S. Navy psi project to develop telepathic communications, which will be used to transmit orders to nuclear submarines.
The Tyreen embark on a desperate plan to transmit some of their minds telepathically to Earth, which might ensure their survival but is also their worst kind of crime. Dr. Dann mopes about his alienation and sexual frustration and the futility of the project. Then as doom approaches Tyree, Dann swaps minds with Giadoc, a Tyreen scientist. He learns telepathy, tries to heal the others as they seek shelter from THE DESTROYER deep within the gas giant, and then when all is lost, it turns out that THE DESTROYER has been partially hijacked by Margorie Omali, a brilliant African-American computer programmer, and TOTAL, a variant of the ARPANET. Dann, the Tyreens, and everybody struggles for mental integrity within the vast bulk of THE DESTROYER.
There's at least two really cool ideas here, gas giant civilizations and alien berserkers, and bunch of stuff about telepathy and alternate senses and socialities. As I've heard, Tiptree has a keen and ironic eye for gender politics, and there's some good style there, but so much of the story is buried under flopsy cruft that it's hard to discern what happens, or why we should care. The Tyreen's are so utopian they can't seem to conceive of their extinction except rationally. The whole thing feels rather half-baked.
I think I'd like to read some of Tiptree's short stories, but this first book has not impressed me.
riduidel's review against another edition
3.0
Ce roman est étonnant, déroutant, différent de beaucoup de choses que j'au pu lire.
On y suit les destins entremêlés d'une bande d'extra-lucides divers, d'une race d'extra-terrestres ressemblant à un mélange de raies et de calamars volant dans l'athmosphère, et d'une espèce de créature de l'espace informe, mais proche dans l'esprit de la créature de cauchemar du 5ème élément. Ils se rencontreront forcément, et leur destin en sera changé.
C'est un roman très étrange, et les tyrennis, ces extra-terrestres, n'y sont pas pour rien : entre leur communication visuelle et leur univers perceptif très différent du nôtre, ils nous plongent immédiatement dans un monde typiquement inconnaissable au sens le plus essentiel du terme : nul ne pourra jamais voir leur monde, dont la forme même est indéterminée. Bien sûr, c'est également le cas de la créature de l'espace (que j'ai du mal à appeler le Destructeur). Au milieu de tout ça, nos amis extra-lucides forment, en quelque sorte, un océan de normalité humaine, même s'ils sont quand même assez singuliers, car sujets d'une expérience militaire visant à détecter des potentiels de télépathie.
Et pourtant, cette apparente normalité va vite rejoindre toute l'altérité des tyrennis pour s'en aller encore plus loin.
Bon, j'ai un avis un peu mitigé sur ce roman. Certains éléments sont particulièrement poétiques (comme les tyrennis) ou prenant (comme le secret de Margaret que Daniel Dann partage bien malgré lui). Hélas, à côté de ça, certains éléments n'ont que peu d'utilité. En particulier, la fin qui n'en finit pas de finir.
Néanmoins, je pense pouvoir dire que c'est une lecture particulièrement éclairante. Notez bien que je ne me livrerai pas, malgré tout ce qu'il y aurait à dire, sur les aspects féministes de ce roman, parce que je ne pense pas que ce soit ce qui en fait un bon roman. Parce que c'est un bon roman, essentiellement pour sa partie centrale, qui voit chacun découvrir une altérité plus grande que tout ce qu'il aurait pu imaginer. A ce titre, et à bien d'autres en fait, je pense que vous devriez le lire tranquillement, sans trop vous prendre la tête avec ces aspects féministes, mais en savourant toute la profondeur de l'altérité qui se dégage de cette oeuvre.
B
On y suit les destins entremêlés d'une bande d'extra-lucides divers, d'une race d'extra-terrestres ressemblant à un mélange de raies et de calamars volant dans l'athmosphère, et d'une espèce de créature de l'espace informe, mais proche dans l'esprit de la créature de cauchemar du 5ème élément. Ils se rencontreront forcément, et leur destin en sera changé.
C'est un roman très étrange, et les tyrennis, ces extra-terrestres, n'y sont pas pour rien : entre leur communication visuelle et leur univers perceptif très différent du nôtre, ils nous plongent immédiatement dans un monde typiquement inconnaissable au sens le plus essentiel du terme : nul ne pourra jamais voir leur monde, dont la forme même est indéterminée. Bien sûr, c'est également le cas de la créature de l'espace (que j'ai du mal à appeler le Destructeur). Au milieu de tout ça, nos amis extra-lucides forment, en quelque sorte, un océan de normalité humaine, même s'ils sont quand même assez singuliers, car sujets d'une expérience militaire visant à détecter des potentiels de télépathie.
Et pourtant, cette apparente normalité va vite rejoindre toute l'altérité des tyrennis pour s'en aller encore plus loin.
Bon, j'ai un avis un peu mitigé sur ce roman. Certains éléments sont particulièrement poétiques (comme les tyrennis) ou prenant (comme le secret de Margaret que Daniel Dann partage bien malgré lui). Hélas, à côté de ça, certains éléments n'ont que peu d'utilité. En particulier, la fin qui n'en finit pas de finir.
Néanmoins, je pense pouvoir dire que c'est une lecture particulièrement éclairante. Notez bien que je ne me livrerai pas, malgré tout ce qu'il y aurait à dire, sur les aspects féministes de ce roman, parce que je ne pense pas que ce soit ce qui en fait un bon roman. Parce que c'est un bon roman, essentiellement pour sa partie centrale, qui voit chacun découvrir une altérité plus grande que tout ce qu'il aurait pu imaginer. A ce titre, et à bien d'autres en fait, je pense que vous devriez le lire tranquillement, sans trop vous prendre la tête avec ces aspects féministes, mais en savourant toute la profondeur de l'altérité qui se dégage de cette oeuvre.
B
linwearcamenel's review against another edition
challenging
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
scherzo's review against another edition
4.0
Brimming with ideas and imagination, interesting human and alien characters, outer space and alien world are vividly described.
lordofthemoon's review against another edition
4.0
A small group of military personnel are experimenting with telepathy and accidentally get in contact with an alien race called the Tyrenni. Their world is under threat from a giant being destroying whole solar systems, and they realise that their only hope of survival is to take over their human contacts.
This was a great book. I've heard people say that Tiptree's novels aren't as good as her[1:] short stories, then I'd love to read some of those, since this book was amazing. Her characters were sketches but detailed ones, all sympathetic, the descriptions of the alien world and civilisation were vivid. Well worth reading.
[1:] Yes, her: James Tiptree Jr was the pen name of Alice B. Sheldon
This was a great book. I've heard people say that Tiptree's novels aren't as good as her[1:] short stories, then I'd love to read some of those, since this book was amazing. Her characters were sketches but detailed ones, all sympathetic, the descriptions of the alien world and civilisation were vivid. Well worth reading.
[1:] Yes, her: James Tiptree Jr was the pen name of Alice B. Sheldon
imyril's review against another edition
4.0
I am entirely blown away by Tiptree.
Speechless.
I have low expectations of classic SF, but Tiptree has taught me a sharp lesson in how much more interesting things became in the 70s. A traditional Cold War military story - in which the Navy try to use telepathy to communicate with submarines - is subverted by the non-traditional characters long before you begin to appreciate the dilemma and politics of the desperate aliens trying to reach out across the ether. Expect much musing on gender roles, morality and the nature of the individual. Surprisingly modern in its outlook, and unexpectedly optimistic.
Full review
Speechless.
I have low expectations of classic SF, but Tiptree has taught me a sharp lesson in how much more interesting things became in the 70s. A traditional Cold War military story - in which the Navy try to use telepathy to communicate with submarines - is subverted by the non-traditional characters long before you begin to appreciate the dilemma and politics of the desperate aliens trying to reach out across the ether. Expect much musing on gender roles, morality and the nature of the individual. Surprisingly modern in its outlook, and unexpectedly optimistic.
Full review