Picnic on ParadiseA new kind of sci-fi heroine, the tough-as-nails Alyx, is introduced in this Nebula Award finalist that Poul Anderson called an “extraordinary” novel. Set in a semi-utopian world, Joanna Russ’s groundbreaking debut novel is the story of Alyx, a female soldier, survival guide, and agent of the Trans-Temporal Authority. Displaced in time from her ancient Greece, Alyx is tasked with safely leading a group of pampered human vacationers—including some unconventional nuns and a detached teenager known as the Machine—across an uninhabited scenic terrain to a relief station. But the journey proves more challenging than anticipated as they confront one another’s failings; the physical dangers of an icy, hostile wilderness; and Alyx’s own personal demons. Long before the kick-ass heroines of current science fiction and fantasy, Russ unapologetically introduced readers to a short, strong, middle-aged (for her world/time) woman of twenty-six who knows how to survive but struggles with the emotional nuances of her charges and the confusion of her own mixed feelings. With iconic characters like Alyx, Russ “four decades ago helped deliver science fiction into the hands of the most alien creatures the genre had yet seen—women . . . [and] helped inaugurate the now flourishing tradition of feminist science fiction” (The New York Times). |
From inside the book
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... believe you're the proper Trans-Temporal Agent; I think—” and he finished his thought on the floor, his head under one of his ankles and this slight young woman (or was she young? Trans-Temp did such strange things sometimes!) somehow ...
... believe you're the proper Trans-Temporal Agent; I think—” and he finished his thought on the floor, his head under one of his ankles and this slight young woman (or was she young? Trans-Temp did such strange things sometimes!) somehow ...
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... believe you . Please put on your clothes . " " Please , Agent , " he said again , as if his voice were failing him , but she did not move , only sat naked and cross - legged with the old scars on her ribs and belly showing in a ...
... believe you . Please put on your clothes . " " Please , Agent , " he said again , as if his voice were failing him , but she did not move , only sat naked and cross - legged with the old scars on her ribs and belly showing in a ...
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... believe me . Not to history . Not to old she - wolves with livid marks running up their ribs and arms , and not to the idea of fights in which people are neither painlessly killed nor painlessly fixed up but linger on and die - slowly ...
... believe me . Not to history . Not to old she - wolves with livid marks running up their ribs and arms , and not to the idea of fights in which people are neither painlessly killed nor painlessly fixed up but linger on and die - slowly ...
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... believe it ? Or refugees , rather . Caught up in a local war . A war on the surface of a planet , mind you ; I don't believe I've heard of that in my lifetime . " " I have , " said Alyx , “ quite a few times , " and with the lightest of ...
... believe it ? Or refugees , rather . Caught up in a local war . A war on the surface of a planet , mind you ; I don't believe I've heard of that in my lifetime . " " I have , " said Alyx , “ quite a few times , " and with the lightest of ...
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... believe I've ever seen snow before . " There was a sound behind her , and she turned . The lieutenant had fainted . They weren't right . She had palmed them a hundred times , flipped them , tested their balance , and they weren't right ...
... believe I've ever seen snow before . " There was a sound behind her , and she turned . The lieutenant had fainted . They weren't right . She had palmed them a hundred times , flipped them , tested their balance , and they weren't right ...
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Common terms and phrases
Agent Alyx shook Alyx thought androids arms baby began binoculars bolts breath cave climb close cried crossbow damned dead ears ebook electromagnetic spectrum epigram everything eyes face feeling feet fell finally fingers front Gavrily giggled girl gloves grabbed Gunnar hair hands holding hood hurt inside insulated suit Iris Iris's Joanna Russ keep kill kind knees knew laughed legs lieutenant living doll long underwear looked Machine marriage Maudey Maudey's meters Minoans mouth move neck never night numbers nuns pack Paradise picnic Prince of Tyre pulled Raydos Raydos's rock rope science fiction shook her head shoot shoulder shouted shut side silently sleep slowly smiled snow softly someone sorry staring stood stopped stupid talking tell thing thought Alyx threw took Trans-Temp trying turned voice walked wall watch whispered wienie wind woman Youth Core