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A review by wealhtheow
Alanya to Alanya by L. Timmel Duchamp
2.0
To prevent humans from doing further harm to their planet or to themselves, the Marq ssan render all silicon-based technology useless. To regain the tech that this future society depends on, the Marq ssan demand that each and every country send three female representatives to negotiate. In the US, former spy, current history teacher Kay is tapped for the "honor". She is prepared for any eventuality except the one she finds: that the Marq ssan are truly aliens, and her only allies.
This was a frustrating book. I was excited by the set-up. What would life be like in a city without telephones, transportation, elevators, computers or tv? Would living in a city become untenable? What would take the place of instantaneous communication--runners? bike messengers? What about food--would people start growing their own on rooftops? And leisure activities--without tv or the internet, and with most of the jobs shut down (thanks to no tech), how would people pass the time?
None of these questions are answered.
I did like the aliens. They are as disquieted and disgusted by human biology as humans find them. The aliens that work most closely with the women find themselves changing; they become more active, less concerned with concensus, and more bold. I was glad to see that the situation was hard on the aliens, as well, instead of the usual portrayal of their god-like benevolence.
This was a frustrating book. I was excited by the set-up. What would life be like in a city without telephones, transportation, elevators, computers or tv? Would living in a city become untenable? What would take the place of instantaneous communication--runners? bike messengers? What about food--would people start growing their own on rooftops? And leisure activities--without tv or the internet, and with most of the jobs shut down (thanks to no tech), how would people pass the time?
None of these questions are answered.
I did like the aliens. They are as disquieted and disgusted by human biology as humans find them. The aliens that work most closely with the women find themselves changing; they become more active, less concerned with concensus, and more bold. I was glad to see that the situation was hard on the aliens, as well, instead of the usual portrayal of their god-like benevolence.