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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... things sometimes!) somehow holding him down in a position he could not get out of without hurting himself to excruciation. She let him go. She sat down on the balloon- inflated thing they provided for sitting on in these strange times ...
... things sometimes!) somehow holding him down in a position he could not get out of without hurting himself to excruciation. She let him go. She sat down on the balloon- inflated thing they provided for sitting on in these strange times ...
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... things and I don't really mind- " " Please , Agent , " said the young officer . " But I don't think , " said the ... thing , an agency , a means or an instrument , anything but a People , or as she said " a People People " ) he began ...
... things and I don't really mind- " " Please , Agent , " said the young officer . " But I don't think , " said the ... thing , an agency , a means or an instrument , anything but a People , or as she said " a People People " ) he began ...
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... thing that passed for a decent door , the kind of thing she had run through , roaring with laughter , time after time at her first day at Trans - Temp , just for the pleasure of seeing it open up like a giant mouth and then pucker shut ...
... thing that passed for a decent door , the kind of thing she had run through , roaring with laughter , time after time at her first day at Trans - Temp , just for the pleasure of seeing it open up like a giant mouth and then pucker shut ...
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... - mine , you use something a little less deadly and four weeks later you go down in heavy shielding and dig up any damn thing you like , and that's that . And if you want to colonize , we have something that kills every form of.
... - mine , you use something a little less deadly and four weeks later you go down in heavy shielding and dig up any damn thing you like , and that's that . And if you want to colonize , we have something that kills every form of.
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... thing for all of you would be to get down on all 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 ...
... thing for all of you would be to get down on all 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 ...
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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