Kirinyaga:
A Fable of Utopia
by Michael Resnick
This short novel by Michael
Resnick is actually what they call a "fixed up" novel, comprised of a series
of ten interconnected short stories, all of which were originally published on
their own. Because of this, Kirinyaga is actually one of the most acclaimed
science fiction novels ever published -- each of the stories included was
nominated for multiple awards, and two of them actually won Hugo Awards in their
respective years of release. The stories all involved a transplanted tribe of
African Kikuyu, who have settled on a protected artificial planetoid, whose
atmosphere and weather patterns are controlled by orbiting technicians. The
Kikuyu people, under the guidance of their Mundumugu (witch doctor) are
attempting the preserve their primitive culture, so that all traces of their
existence are not wiped out by their assimilation in more advanced modern
cultures and communities. Koribe, the mundumugu, teaches by means of parables,
but as the stories progress, his hold over his own people weakens and their
utopian experiment may be endangered. It's extremely well written, and thought
provoking fiction at its best. But you may find yourself intensely disliking the
protagonist. None-the-less, it makes the reader consider the plight of other
ancient cultures on the brink of cultural annihilation -- what if a Native
American tribe, or a group of Inuit, or Australian aborigines were given the
opportunity to relocate to a protected place with the sole purpose of
recapturing their ancient ways? Or is this even a worthwhile quest? Read Kirinyaga:
A Fable of Utopia and you can be the judge! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [subscribe to Scott's It's All Geek to Me! newsletter or any of the libraries' 37 other monthly booklist newsletters!]
[ Wikipedia
page on the novel Kirinyaga ] | [ official Mike Resnick web site ]
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