In a semi-tropical London, surrounded by paddy-fields, the people feed off the sun, like plants, the young are raised in Child Gardens and educated by viruses, And the Consensus oversees the country, 'treating' non-conformism. Information, culture, law and politics are biological functions. But Milena is different: she is resistant to viruses and an incredible musician, one of the most extraordinary women of her age. This is her story and that of her friends, like Lucy the immortal tumour and Joseph the Postman whose mind is an information storehouse for others, and Rolfa, genetically engineered as a Polar Bear, whose beautiful singing voice first awakens Milena to the power of music.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Geoff Ryman was born in Canada in 1952 but moved to America when he was eleven. He moved to London in 1973. He began writing science fiction in 1976. His other novels include Was and 253. He currently lives and works in London and Oxfordshire.
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More About the Author
Geoff Ryman is a Canadian living in the United Kingdom. His first book based on events in Cambodia was published in 1985, the award-winning The Unconquered Country. The King's Last Song was inspired by a visit to an Australian archaeological dig at Angkor Wat in 2000. He has been a regular visitor since, teaching writing workshops in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap twice, and publishing three further novellas set in Cambodia. In Britain he produced documentaries for Resonance FM, London, on Cambodian Arts. He has published nine other books and won fourteen awards. He teaches creative writing at the University of Manchester.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Odd and Beautiful,
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This review is from: Child Garden (S.F. Masterworks) (Paperback)
This is a strange and, at times, difficult book. I found the character of Milena gripping. The structure of the book worried me, but at the end I was satisfied, if heartbroken. It's true, if you're looking for a plot driven sf novel, look elsewhere, this is a character driven novel that follows an emotional plot. If you want a beautifully told meditation on love, childhood, art, and death, as well as a fascinating and original fantasy, then please try this book. You'll, at the very least, be astounded by Ryman's imagination.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and Frustrating in equal measure,
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This review is from: Child Garden (S.F. Masterworks) (Paperback)
Lots of interesting ideas and references with good pedigree, but there's lots of tedium in this book as well. Love the GEs, but couldn't quite square all the behaviours attributed to them. The idea of Milena's relationship with Thrawn was much more promising than the execution of it ended up being - The attempt to have Milena feel guilt about Thrawn's ultimate demise felt half-hearted and contrived to me. I lost patience with the fractured chronology and focus on detail that almost seemed like a tactic at times. By the end I regretted suspending disbelief for 388 pages. The fascinating stream-of-consciousness string of ideas keeps you hooked, but the clever details end up seeming like slapped-on accessories instead of integrated elements of the organic whole of a story.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Well-Written but Virtually Plotless,
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This review is from: Child Garden (S.F. Masterworks) (Paperback)
Ryman has written some of the best short fiction of the last decade or so and I've read just about everything he's published (or at least everything I can get my hands on). This book is part of a wonderful SF series of reprints, and I'd say really does belong on your bookshelf if your a serious SF reader. That said, this book is about 200 pages too long. It has virtually no plot and I could only finish it because of the polish of Mr. Ryman's prose. Like a lot of British writers, his stories are filled with characters who take little action to resolve whatever conflict might be falling upon them. Here is a story about a young woman in a culture that's dying in a lush, green future with a subplot involving theatrical productions of one kind or another. It begins well then simply slows down and crawls to the end where we've either lost interest in what's happening or have forgotten why we're reading the book in the first place. When Ryman is limited to the short form, he sizzles (this is Gene Wolfe's gift as well). When he tackles novels, he tends to get flabby. Read this book because it is by Geoff Ryman and because it is part of the S.F. Masterworks series, but know that it's a slow ride to the end. Whether it's worth it or not has to do with why you read. I feel I have to read the important writers writing today (and I want to be a better writer myself from learning what they do well and what they don't do as well). But the average reader, in for a good time on a summer's day, might want something a bit more concise and energized that The Child Garden.
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