The embryos that are brought in and the older children brought in from other sources are deliberately selected, not for variety, but for similarity with the 'Nekkarese'. Note for contrast that in Norton's Zero Stone books the narrator, Murdoc Jern, is specifically identified as a 'duty child', brought as an embryo onto Korwar specifically to INCREASE genetic variation, and carried to term by a host mother--who argues that such a 'duty child' has no rights of inheritance; an argument that Jern could probably have contested legally, but chooses not to.
McCaffrey's casual assumption that people would seek out 'their own kind' and live, not generally in exclusive enclaves most planets have regular commerce with other worlds, and interstellar travel, though 'too slow' by the standards of the society, is in fact quite fast , but still in self-segregated groups, is not consistent with what has happened on Earth, mostly. Why would it be so in an interstellar federation?
McCaffrey also apparently had quite a strong repugnance for drug use. The evidence indicates that drug use is rarer in the galactic federation than in our own societies due largely to restrictive policing by the quasi-military 'Service' , but McCaffrey still shudders away from the idea that people might become addicted to drugs, and demonizes the addicts.
I should point out that the Corviki understanding of Romeo And Juliet is perhaps not quite so similar to that of creatures of other cultures as the characters and the author seem to think. There's some recognition of the differences in interpretation of the universe at large and Shakespeare in particular, but there's too much of a tendency to assume that Shakespeare is universally explicable.
Women in general in this federation are treated with an odd mixture of separatism and integration. That is, they're generally present in all segments of society, but they're still often treated as if they were not quite human. What else they might be is not clear. It reminds me of the James Thurber essay in which Thurber, having heard that some humans might be of feline rather than primate ancestry, concludes that this may include all women, and that when his hostess asks him if he'd like some coffee with his milk, she might not be joking, after all.
Dec 10, Angus Mcfarlane rated it liked it Shelves: The ship who sang is a historical science fiction piece that comprises short vignettes which exercise both technological speculation and contemporary commentary. I liked the angle on time and space travel that is taken: Ambiguity is also retained throughout regarding the trustworthiness of the central wor The ship who sang is a historical science fiction piece that comprises short vignettes which exercise both technological speculation and contemporary commentary.
Ambiguity is also retained throughout regarding the trustworthiness of the central worlds government: The use of medicines to cure the various ailments in different star systems seems to reflect the mood of the times the book was written in. I was reading The Emperor of All Maladies concurrently with this - it documents the optimistic mood on medicine in the 60's that having defeated all comers with immunizing drugs, cancer was the only disease, and it too would soon succumb to chemotheraputic treatments.
There was also a similarity with Dan Simmons Olympos in the use of Shakespeare as a muse, although on a far smaller scale in this book. The book feels a little dated in its pace and the pre-? Jul 29, Arkadeb rated it it was amazing Shelves: I just love these old-time optimistic science fiction books! Jan 03, Jane Jago rated it it was amazing. This is both happy and sad and it is so well written Jul 24, Brystan rated it liked it Shelves: I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book! I really liked that it was a collection of short stories. It made it somehow easier for me to read, and though each short probably could have been fleshed out to be their own novel or novella, I still felt satisfied at the end of each one.
This book could easily be the subject of a college lit course one that I would have actually wanted to take! From the biblical themes to discussions of morality, and even the types of roma 3. From the biblical themes to discussions of morality, and even the types of romance explored I've never read an Anne McCaffrey book before, and I'm glad this was the first one.
Sep 19, Doreen rated it liked it. First off, I'm late to the Anne McCaffrey oeuvre. Someone gave me a stack of her books, and I thought I'd start with Dragonflight, for which she's best known. Bad idea, as that is a novel of extremely unlikeable people who do cruel things to one another also, the "romance" was entirely forced and grossed me out. The Ship Who Sang has characters that it's much easier to root for, and the scientific ideas are progressive and unique.
Helva is exceedingly naive for someone of her experience. She's 16 or so when she falls in love with Jennan, and about 26 when she bonds with Niall, and I suppose that a single decade, as well as her isolation from the perils of physical love, make it more difficult for her to chart the course of a healthy relationship. It's probably just personal, but I did not find Niall's behavior at all loving or romantic, just obsessive, manic and creepy. I'm definitely delving way too deeply into the psychology of the writer here, but it's hard to read these books without thinking that the author had a problem with sexual love.
While these books may have been ground-breaking in the 60s, they present a view of women much less emancipated, emotionally and sexually, than in the writing of, say, Thomas Hardy half a century before. I'll be reading the rest of the afore-mentioned stack because they're not unreadable books; it just bothers me that the heroines of McCaffrey's books so far never seem to be happy without the approval of a guy, and that this is not presented as a tragedy but as a somehow "natural" order of things. May 19, Helen rated it it was amazing. I love singing, which attracted me to the title, and I was entranced by the idea that Helva had been born with severe physical disabilities but was mentally bright, so her brain was wired up to control spaceship parts rather than limbs, and to access computer data storage as well as what is in her brain.
But she still has human needs, and develops this extraordinary talent to sing as a hobby and a way of engaging her feeli This was the first Anne McCaffrey book I read, and I fell in love with it.
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But she still has human needs, and develops this extraordinary talent to sing as a hobby and a way of engaging her feelings. She also has a need to love and be loved, and this book is about how she deals with love and loss. I loved this library book so much that I went out and bought a copy when I started earning money.
I then bought another copy when I moved to the UK and had to leave my books behind. I love the characters - they are so distinct, although if you've read any of Ann McCaffrey's other books you may recognise some of the personalities - who cares, they work well and spark off each other. May 06, Alex Satrapa rated it it was amazing. Anne Mccaffrey was a prolific writer of Science Fantasy. If you are a hard science fiction fan i.
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Anne deals mainly with the emotional issues of the protagonist, with the science fiction setting as a dressing. If you view Anne's writing as Science Fantasy or Space Opera, and accept that the genre by necessity requires the protagonists to be pseudo super-heros or borderline Mary-Sues, you'll love Anne's writing. I loved the book, as much for the inspiration to get back into reading fiction and science fiction in particular as for the easy-to-read love story that this book really is.
The character development is reasonable if a little hackneyed, but Anne's writing language is wonderful enough to keep you entertained right through to the last page. It's worth noting that The Ship Who Sang is a novel composed of short stories that were written separately, so the transitions from chapter to chapter can seem a little jarring. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say. Jan 06, Barbara rated it liked it Shelves: If I was reading this for the first time I'd only give it 2 stars but it gets 3 from me for sentimental reasons as I loved it when I first read it as a teenager.
It was an interesting experience reading it again after so long. It would be considered wildly political incorrect if it was written today. This didn't bother me the first time I read it, and d If I was reading this for the first time I'd only give it 2 stars but it gets 3 from me for sentimental reasons as I loved it when I first read it as a teenager. This didn't bother me the first time I read it, and doesn't now, but I now see that it is a controversial view. What did make me blink this time was the comment on IVF. In the book it is said it is sometimes used for frivolous reasons not just "sensible" ones like ensuring the birth of a son to carry on the family name or business.
An odd blind spot given that in the book there doesn't seem to be any gender segregation in the workplace. Jobs appear to be done as often by a female as a male. As I said above, these days I'd give this 2 stars as it is more a collection of short stories rather than an in-depth novel. Also, at times the language seems a little florid and overwrought to my curmudgeonly middle-aged self. Still, the world is an intriguing one and I'm pleased I encountered it for the first time when I did.
Feb 22, Raj rated it liked it Shelves: Helva has been wrapped in a titanium 'shell' since birth, a shell that protects and nurtures her, as her own body is broken and useless. Inserted into a spaceship that becomes her body, she travels the stars with her partnered 'brawn', working for the Central Worlds government as a medical ship, trying to pay off the debt she incurred for her upbringing and spaceship body.
But Helva is unique amongst Brainships, she is the ship who sings. This book brings together several short stories about Helv Helva has been wrapped in a titanium 'shell' since birth, a shell that protects and nurtures her, as her own body is broken and useless. This book brings together several short stories about Helva that McCaffrey wrote in the s and a new conclusion at least, it doesn't have a separate copyright date on it that brings closure to her story.
Some of the attitudes in the writing, especially in the earlier stories, were a bit odd and of their time especially attitudes towards disability but I still enjoyed the book. A major theme in the book is one of loss as Helva mourns for her first brawn, finds ways of coping and eventually gains contentment. This feels well-drawn and organic, happening over a number of years.
Aug 04, Christine Ricci rated it really liked it. At first I was a little disappointed because I felt I needed more evidence of the four years or so that Helva spent with her love to deserve such a grieving process. However, I found that I eventually, felt there was no need. The relationships throughout the novel are quite compelling and speak to the many types of relationships I see in my life.
The novel seems to be an expansion of the idea that everyone you know, was put into your life for a reason.
You know them for the time it was important At first I was a little disappointed because I felt I needed more evidence of the four years or so that Helva spent with her love to deserve such a grieving process. You know them for the time it was important for you to know them. Of course, it was well-written, but I admit a little confusing at times. Sometimes McCaffrey would write about how the underlying meaning of so-and-so's argument didn't get past Helva, and then not explain the underlying meaning.
I didn't always get it, on my own. Overall, beautiful language, but I think it is the relationships and Helva's funny, intelligent and witty character that made up the spine of this novel. Oct 03, Kaila rated it it was ok Shelves: I have a memory of reading somewhere that Anne McCaffrey couldn't read the story without crying, but I didn't feel much emotion from it myself. The whole middle part about actors and taking on an alien "envelope" body so that they could perform Shakespeare It's just too weird for no real reason.
The whole book reads as sexist as basically every woman exists for this or that man and if they don't This was the first Anne McCaffrey book I've picked up. Hers is one of those names in Sci-Fi that can seem daunting to dive in to.
The Ship Who Sang (Brainship, #1) by Anne McCaffrey
I came with so much hesitant expectation. I was worried that if I didn't like it I'd be put off her whole award-winning back catalog, but her writing is astoundingly accessible when you consider she's often held up with other pillars of the genre like Bradbury and Heinlein. The book flowed like a series of short stories connected by the growth and development of the ma This was the first Anne McCaffrey book I've picked up. The book flowed like a series of short stories connected by the growth and development of the main protagonist, and offered a slightly different view of the Utopian future among the stars a topic quite prevalent in the work of her contemporaries specifically a future including those people considered physically disabled or disfigured.
The depth of beauty attributed to this kind of character is wonderful and touches a deep respect for all human life that is often missing in Sci-fi. The futuristic lingo feels a bit clunky here and there but over all doesn't detract from the otherwise really solid writing. If you've never read McCaffery before I think this book is a great place to start. It works as both a stand alone novel or as a gateway to her series following the same main character.
Jul 14, Sic Transit Gloria rated it it was ok.
Helva was born horribly misshapen, but that doesn't mean she has to be a burden on society. Instead, she is hooked up to a computer and taught how to pilot a spaceship. Now that she's actually assumed a ship to pilot, she must deal with the matter of finding a human partner and surviving the harsh galaxy. Quite simply, this book is typical of McCaffery: Brilliant concept, horrible execution. I've actually put a great deal of thought into the idea of connection paralyzed babies to computers to ena Helva was born horribly misshapen, but that doesn't mean she has to be a burden on society.
I've actually put a great deal of thought into the idea of connection paralyzed babies to computers to enable them to experience life. Unfortunately, McCaffery comes at this problem without realizing how drastically computers would advance. I chuckled internally every time the book mentioned tapes. However, as I mentioned before, although the concept was good, the rest was the typical rubbish of Anne McCaffery. The characters are stereotypical and flat, the "love" at least at the end is just really a perverted form of lust, the plot was fragmented, the science is unbelievable Given that another trope of McCaffery's series is that they get worse as they go on, I'm not going to get the next ones to read.
This book was mentioned in connection with Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice series, as an example of earlier SF with sentient ships - so when I found it for super cheap at Worldcon75's used books stall, I grabbed the copy. The short story feel definitely affected the novel's structure, as there wasn't a bigger overarching plot, but shorter adventures. The character development was cont This book was mentioned in connection with Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice series, as an example of earlier SF with sentient ships - so when I found it for super cheap at Worldcon75's used books stall, I grabbed the copy.
The character development was continuous, but this definitely felt more like a collection of stories. I didn't connect super much with the characters, mostly because the writing style was a little detached at times - but I did like Helva. This book definitely has its issues, but it was interesting to read - I haven't read a lot of older SF. His interaction with Helva was too much of the "raaah I will be mean to you and yet it's somehow romantic" variety. Oh I know your motives are good, they always are I wish sometimes you had a few bad motives, you might understand a little more about human beings.
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And that applies to your country too, Pyle. But the quiet American does not learn. To the end he remains determined that belief is more important than peace, ideas more vital than people. His worldly innocence is a kind of fundamentalism: Reading the novel again reinforced my fear of all the Pyles around the world. They do not mean to hurt us, but they do. Greene's great achievement is to allow a cynic like Fowler to champion the cause of life by insisting on the authenticity of those deaths Pyle considers to be merely symbolic. Fowler is at least idealistic enough to believe that there is not an idea on this earth worth killing for.
When Pyle interrogates Fowler as to what, if anything he believes, he says "Oh, I'm not a Berkeleian. I believe my back's against this wall. I believe there's a Sten gun over there. Greene's work does mean exactly that. The hope he offers us is of the kind that only close observers can give.
He defends us with details, and the details fight the good fight against big, featureless, impersonal ideas like Pyle's. Too much time has been spent defending Greene against the taint of journalism; we should think of him instead as the greatest journalist there ever was. If more journalists could report as well as Greene bringing us the explosion in the square, how long could we retain the stomach to fight the wars we do?
The devil is in the details for Greene, but redemption is also there. The accretion of perfectly rendered, everyday detail makes us feel human, beats away the statisticians, tolls us back to ourselves. How many journalists can write reportage - or anything else - like this? I have read so often of people's thoughts in the moment of fear: I admire their control. I thought of nothing, not even of the trap-door above me: I ceased, for those seconds, to exist: I was fear taken neat. At the top of the ladder I banged my head because fear couldn't count steps, hear, or see.
Then my head came over the earth floor and nobody shot at me and fear seeped away. When Greene died in , Kingsley Amis - a man not given to generous estimations of his peers - gave him a neat, fitting obituary: Until today, he was our greatest living novelist. An unpretentious man, in and of the world, who wrote for readers and not critics, and produced as many words per day as a journalist.
English writers these days work in spasms, both in quantity and quality, and so keen are they to separate "entertainments" from "literature" that they end up writing neither. This was one of the few distinctions Greene did not concern himself with. When William Behrman finally comes face to face with his disowned daughter, he must choose between familial love and justice, the two great forces that have driven his career.
On the west coast, women are starving themselves and undergoing cosmetic surgery to fit an ideal beauty type.
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Nutritionist David Knight is working overtime to convince his high-profile clients that beauty is not about going vegan and getting fake boobs. On the east coast, restaurants are closing down and the seafood industry is floundering, as environmentalists wage a war on "processed" food. A scheming environmental activist sets her sights on David and Deirdre. If her plan is to succeed, she must keep them apart, and make sure the world never discovers the relationship between soul and body, beauty and truth, art and food.
A collection of twelve short stories from the literary Salon des Refuses, including a foreword about the current editorial policies demonstrating the follies satirized in the fiction. Hall has done just that, and done it exceedingly well. She stands as a sweet-voiced harbinger of Beauty, Truth and Passion in a culture that is quite often disinterested in these ideals.
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Hall on a job well done, and feel that her work will resonate for years to come. A cycle of twenty-five formal sonnets, honoring the global victims of Communism, Fascism and Socialism. A Cherub sent to Earth to earn her wings, Joyce learned to sing of pure Seraphic things; She satirized the Seven Vices men Had served, in helpless bondage to the yen. With aid of Saint Cecilia and her choir, Joyce lifted human beings from the mire. None thought a blog would serve as Heaven's tool, But that is where Angelic Creatures rule. The Cherub taught the people how to laugh At evil, with precise celestial staff.
Canto I Prelude. A collection of light verse, free verse, prose-poetry and non-fiction vignettes celebrating priceless time spent in a cabin in the woods. A collection of quips, jottings, tidbits, criticisms and witticisms from the diary of an Aesthete who believes that the Pen is mightier than the Sword, and that the bon mot must be used to vanquish folly. The Symbol of the Sacred Heart: What Cupid can Contribute to a Culture of Liberty. Friday June 29, 3: A trio of articles touching upon various aspects of contemporary aesthetics, originally published in The New Individualist.
The New Individualist June Yet, it will simultaneously recognize that it is not enough to be against these trends. Aesthetic revolutionaries must also hold up shining examples of what is possible and right. We must supportfinancially, intellectually, and spirituallyartists, writers, and musicians who value and promote beauty in their art. We must point out examples of life-affirming art, and encourage others to take note. It's about redeeming human values. For in today's culture wars, that is what is at stake.