Kirinyaga: A Fable of Utopia

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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Customer Review - Civilisation [on DVD]

Civilisation
by Kenneth Clark [DVD 909 Cla]

I really appreciate that the libraries still have this documentary production -- I remember seeing it in school classes when I was growing up, and then viewing it back when there was an AV department at the downtown library (I think it might have been on 3/4" videotapes!!). This is an incredible, and beautiful, examination of the history and development of Western European culture in the areas of the arts and architecture (and, to a certain degree, philosophy). The production is lavish, and provides an excellent introduction to cultural history for those not familiar with it (or those wanting a refresher course). One of the BBC's first color documentaries, this has help up well over time! [Note: In 2011 the BBC remastered this entire series and aired it for the first time in the UK in High Def. -- reviewed by Jeff M. - a regular customer at the Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you seen this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.