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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... four millennia ago, before super-diets and hybridization from seventy colonized planets had turned all humanity (so she had been told) into Scandinavian giants. The young lieutenant, who was two meters and a third tall, or three heads ...
... four millennia ago, before super-diets and hybridization from seventy colonized planets had turned all humanity (so she had been told) into Scandinavian giants. The young lieutenant, who was two meters and a third tall, or three heads ...
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... four hours a day of solid nirvana , station NOTHING , turns off all stimuli when you want it to , operates psionically . We call it a Trivia because that's what it is and because forty years ago it was a Tri - V and I.
... four hours a day of solid nirvana , station NOTHING , turns off all stimuli when you want it to , operates psionically . We call it a Trivia because that's what it is and because forty years ago it was a Tri - V and I.
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... four winds puffing at the corners , which was rather a loss ) " from here to here , " he said . “ B is a neutral base . They can get you off - planet . " " Is that all ? " " No , that's not all . Listen to me . If you want to ...
... four winds puffing at the corners , which was rather a loss ) " from here to here , " he said . “ B is a neutral base . They can get you off - planet . " " Is that all ? " " No , that's not all . Listen to me . If you want to ...
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... fours and pretend to be yaks . I'm not fooling . " " Poseidon ! " said she , under her breath . " Oh , one other thing , " he said . " We can't have induction currents , you know . Might happen . You'll have to give up everything metal ...
... fours and pretend to be yaks . I'm not fooling . " " Poseidon ! " said she , under her breath . " Oh , one other thing , " he said . " We can't have induction currents , you know . Might happen . You'll have to give up everything metal ...
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... four hours each Earth day , the boy who called himself Machine because he hated the lot of them . " If you touch him , ” said Alyx evenly , “ I shall kill you , ” and as they gasped and giggled ( Gunnar gave a rueful smile ; he had been ...
... four hours each Earth day , the boy who called himself Machine because he hated the lot of them . " If you touch him , ” said Alyx evenly , “ I shall kill you , ” and as they gasped and giggled ( Gunnar gave a rueful smile ; he had been ...
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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