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| Review Summary |
Humans try to colonize a forest planet and enslave the native inhibitants. The Athsheans are fed up with the situation and led by one of them they rebel.
irina, Resident Scholar
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By the time LeGuin wrote this novella, first published in _Again, Dangerous Visions_ in 1972 and awarded the Hugo the following year, she was firmly in control of her themes. Small military and logging colonies have been established by humans on what they call "New Tahiti" in order to send wood back to Earth, 27 light-years distant. Macho Captain Don Davidson runs roughshod over the slave labor employed to build settlements and help with harvesting the dense forests that cover the small amounts of land surrounded by oceans on the planet, which the small green furry creatures native to the planet know as Athshea. A rebellion by the Athsheans, who possess the ability to dream while awake and sing in contest and triumph, and whose towns are run by the women, leads the two species to the brink of all-out war. LeGuin presents a parable of colonial imperialism, with muted echoes of Vietnam and My Lai, and a tribute to the great forests of her beloved Pacific Northwest, in this proto-feminist eco-novella that includes plenty of action.
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Detailed literary breakdown of The Word for World is Forest |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 15%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 25%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%
Tone of book
- very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story
Yes
Plotlets:
- colonizing/homesteading another planet
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Cultural problems, alien culture
Yes
Culture clash-
- one culture tries to impose its culture on another group
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- slave
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
- deluded
- emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an above average amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
Terrain
- Forests
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body:
- humans in a futuristic society
- humans in a primitive/fantasy society
- inhabited by friendly aliens
- primitive aliens
- empty, or nearly empty world
Planet outside solar system?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- none/very little science jargon needed
- some scientific explanation
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
- rape/molest (yeech!)
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
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