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A review by carina_z
A Door Into Ocean by Joan Slonczewski
5.0
On the ocean-covered moon Shora lives an all-female society, called the „Sharers“, who inhabit rafts on the sea’s surface. Their community is a peaceful one; violence and murder are nearly unheard of and words for it don’t exist in Sharer language. Their lives are also deeply intertwined with their environment: They live of and with the ocean and the creatures, big and small, that inhabit them, without ever exploiting them. The web of life is honoured and protected by Sharers and they know their part in it. However, they are not primitive, but highly advanced in “life sciences”, being able to decode genomes within days, heal lethal wounds and more.
There has been interest from the planet Valedon in the resources on Shora for some time and a trade between the planets has been established, which the Sharers accept, although the traders’ activities negatively impact the ocean ecosystem. In time, however, a much more powerful figure, the Patriarch who rules over hundreds of planets, develops an interest in the life sciences of Shora. But when armed forces are sent to Shora in order to control the population, they face the unyielding resistance of the Sharers. Their pacifistic refusal to obey is soon met with ruthless violence by the colonial forces. The Sharers must make a difficult choice: Stay true to their peaceful way or use the hidden power of their life-shaping science to save themselves and their planet?
Joan Slonczewski has built an intricate and expansive world. Especially the Sharer community, their language, culture and way of living is fascinating and mesmerizing to read and so is the description of the ecosystem of Shora, which is clearly informed by Slonczewski’s extensive knowledge of biology. It’s a world that will swallow you up whole and feel incredibly real and vivid. “A Door into Ocean” is a rumination on environmental destruction and colonialization of indigenous peoples, but also on humanness, environmental protection and the strength of nonviolent resistance. It is full to the brim with wise quotes and interesting thought-experiments, while at the same time delivering a captivating story.
I’ve had this book on my radar for years and it took me a while to really get into it, once I started reading. But eventually it captivated me and my thoughts and has stayed with me after finishing it. Plus, it made for a really good book club read and discussion! I am very glad I finally read this classic SF story that – I can tell already – will develop into one of the more influential reads of my life and I can wholeheartedly recommend it.
There has been interest from the planet Valedon in the resources on Shora for some time and a trade between the planets has been established, which the Sharers accept, although the traders’ activities negatively impact the ocean ecosystem. In time, however, a much more powerful figure, the Patriarch who rules over hundreds of planets, develops an interest in the life sciences of Shora. But when armed forces are sent to Shora in order to control the population, they face the unyielding resistance of the Sharers. Their pacifistic refusal to obey is soon met with ruthless violence by the colonial forces. The Sharers must make a difficult choice: Stay true to their peaceful way or use the hidden power of their life-shaping science to save themselves and their planet?
Joan Slonczewski has built an intricate and expansive world. Especially the Sharer community, their language, culture and way of living is fascinating and mesmerizing to read and so is the description of the ecosystem of Shora, which is clearly informed by Slonczewski’s extensive knowledge of biology. It’s a world that will swallow you up whole and feel incredibly real and vivid. “A Door into Ocean” is a rumination on environmental destruction and colonialization of indigenous peoples, but also on humanness, environmental protection and the strength of nonviolent resistance. It is full to the brim with wise quotes and interesting thought-experiments, while at the same time delivering a captivating story.
I’ve had this book on my radar for years and it took me a while to really get into it, once I started reading. But eventually it captivated me and my thoughts and has stayed with me after finishing it. Plus, it made for a really good book club read and discussion! I am very glad I finally read this classic SF story that – I can tell already – will develop into one of the more influential reads of my life and I can wholeheartedly recommend it.