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A review by cellardoor10
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress
4.0
This is quite the sprawling epic, which I genuinely wasn't expecting. It covers almost a century of alternate future events in primarily the USA. I felt like there were really two books in one - early in Leisha's life, through The Trial (no spoilers about what), and then everything after that.
I also have to raise my eyebrows a little bit at Kress casting the fanatical, in-group/out-group obsessed antagonist as a Muslim woman. Amid a sea of people whose names do not (as far as I know) denote particular race/ethnicity, Jennifer Sharifi's ancestry is relatively clear via name alone. She cites the Quran and is constantly described as wearing an Abaya, which is in contrast to most other characters, who rarely have their clothes described. She is a frustrating, rigid character who brooks no exceptions to the tenets of her stringently-enforced "community". It seems like a little bit of lazy writing/characterization on Kress's part, to depend on American stereotypes of Muslims and Arabs to buoy a character that does not receive the depth and understanding of many others.
That said, the definition and boundaries of "community" is the heart of this book. Thomas Paine, Abraham Lincoln, and others are regularly quoted as part of the reasoning. I deeply appreciate Kress's thoughtful analysis of responses to the development of an intellectual elite, and the limited access to the ability to create them.
Interestingly, in the second half of the book, Kress creates new social stratifications which mirror some of those in LeGuin's writings. I'm still not sure I find these paeticular divisions of power, responsibility, and privilege convincing, but they are interesting.
Overall, a really effective and interesting analysis of social dynamics in an alternate near-future America. It has some weaknesses, but taken as a whole, it is an interesting melding of genetic science, technology, political science, philosophy, and sociology. In summary, thoughtful and realistic science fiction.
I also have to raise my eyebrows a little bit at Kress casting the fanatical, in-group/out-group obsessed antagonist as a Muslim woman. Amid a sea of people whose names do not (as far as I know) denote particular race/ethnicity, Jennifer Sharifi's ancestry is relatively clear via name alone. She cites the Quran and is constantly described as wearing an Abaya, which is in contrast to most other characters, who rarely have their clothes described. She is a frustrating, rigid character who brooks no exceptions to the tenets of her stringently-enforced "community". It seems like a little bit of lazy writing/characterization on Kress's part, to depend on American stereotypes of Muslims and Arabs to buoy a character that does not receive the depth and understanding of many others.
That said, the definition and boundaries of "community" is the heart of this book. Thomas Paine, Abraham Lincoln, and others are regularly quoted as part of the reasoning. I deeply appreciate Kress's thoughtful analysis of responses to the development of an intellectual elite, and the limited access to the ability to create them.
Interestingly, in the second half of the book, Kress creates new social stratifications which mirror some of those in LeGuin's writings. I'm still not sure I find these paeticular divisions of power, responsibility, and privilege convincing, but they are interesting.
Overall, a really effective and interesting analysis of social dynamics in an alternate near-future America. It has some weaknesses, but taken as a whole, it is an interesting melding of genetic science, technology, political science, philosophy, and sociology. In summary, thoughtful and realistic science fiction.