The Telling
LC Class PS3562.E42 T45 2000 | | |
| Preceded by | Four Ways to Forgiveness | |
|---|---|---|
The Telling is a 2000 science fiction novel by
Plot summary
Sutty is a woman who travels from Earth to the planet Aka to provide observations as an outside observer. On Aka, all traditional customs and beliefs have been outlawed by the state. Sutty experiences and tells of the conflicts there between the repressive state capitalist government, and the native people who resist.[1]
Historical parallels
Le Guin constructed the recent historical situation of Aka as a parallel to the history of China during the
Publication history
The Telling was published in 2000 as part of the Signed First Editions of Science Fiction series by Easton Press, who describe themselves as releasing 'works of lasting meaning, beauty and importance.'
Reception and critical analysis
It has been noted that The Telling is just as much a story about religion and politics as it is a story about storytelling.[3] It has also been noted as having a standard Le Guin writing approach because it has a clear outside observer/narrator and a setting that includes strongly contrasting civilizations.[4]
Gerald Jonas, reviewing The Telling for The New York Times, found it to be "an anthropological puzzle story" but because the main character Sutty has little personal stake on Aka she comes across as "little more than a mouthpiece for the author's personal vision of the good society."[5]
Awards
The Telling won the Endeavour Award which recognizes distinguished novels or collections in 2001.[6] It also won the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 2001.[7]
Translations
The Telling was translated into Hebrew as ההגדה(The Haggadah) by Ornit Shachar (אורנית שחר), into German as Die Überlieferung (collected in the volume Grenzwelten) by Karen Nölle, and into Turkish as Anlatış by Kemal Baran Özbek.
References
- ^ "Sam Reviews The Telling by Ursula K Le Guin". The Lesbrary – Lesbian and Bi Book News and Reviews. July 23, 2022. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
- ^ "sffworld.com synopsis of The Telling". Archived from the original on 2000-11-21.
- ^ Seed, David A Companion to Science Fiction (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture), (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2005), page 417.
- ^ Turtledove, Harry The Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century, (New York, NY: Del Rey Books, 2005), page 388.
- ^ "Science Fiction", The New York Times, October 1, 2000.
- ^ "Endeavour Award History". Endeavour Awards. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2011-07-10.
- ^ "2001 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2011-07-10.
Further reading
- Bernardo, Susan M.; Murphy, Graham J. (2006). Ursula K. Le Guin: A Critical Companion (1st ed.). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-33225-8.
- Cadden, Mike (2005). Ursula K. Le Guin Beyond Genre: Fiction for Children and Adults (1st ed.). New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-99527-2.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-4793-0.
- Moylan, Tom; Baccolini, Raffaella (2003). Dark Horizons: Science Fiction and the Dystopian Imagination (1st ed.). New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-96613-9.
External links
- The Telling at Worlds Without End
- The Telling in Hebrew at Opus