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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... 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 more than herself, very handsome and ebony- skinned, said, “I'm sorry, ma'am, but I cannot ...
... 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 more than herself, very handsome and ebony- skinned, said, “I'm sorry, ma'am, but I cannot ...
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... turned aside , just as if she had finally managed to do something offensive and All I did , she thought , was take off my shift . One of the nuns fell to praying . " All right , Agent , " said the lieutenant , his voice a bare whisper ...
... turned aside , just as if she had finally managed to do something offensive and All I did , she thought , was take off my shift . One of the nuns fell to praying . " All right , Agent , " said the lieutenant , his voice a bare whisper ...
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... turned into- " He stopped and turned to her . " You know all this , " he said accusingly . She shook her head . " Trans - Temp- " " Told me nothing . " " Well , " said the lieutenant , " perhaps it's best . Perhaps it's best . What we ...
... turned into- " He stopped and turned to her . " You know all this , " he said accusingly . She shook her head . " Trans - Temp- " " Told me nothing . " " Well , " said the lieutenant , " perhaps it's best . Perhaps it's best . What we ...
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... 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 . Her aim was off . They felt soapy . She complained to the lieutenant , who ...
... 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 . Her aim was off . They felt soapy . She complained to the lieutenant , who ...
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... turning , Alyx saw someone come out of the far Wall with the lieutenant , the first blond person she had seen so far , for everyone except the lieutenant seemed to be some kind of indeterminate , mixed racial type , except for Maudey ...
... turning , Alyx saw someone come out of the far Wall with the lieutenant , the first blond person she had seen so far , for everyone except the lieutenant seemed to be some kind of indeterminate , mixed racial type , except for Maudey ...
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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