Customer Reviews

Dark Water's Embrace

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's hard to decide what to say about this powerful example of great storytelling. Few books have plunged me into such a powerful, sad emotional state as did parts of this wonderful story. I was not totally hooked from the very begining, but once I got beyond a few chapters I could not put it down. The stark contrast of hate, prejudice, hard-headed stupidity versus acceptance, kindness, caring and unselfishness makes for an emotional knock out. A completely original, imaginative, and most memorable masterpiece. Run out & buy it!!

"Dark Water's Embrace" revolves around a tiny colony of humans marooned on an alien planet, whose biology induces in them a high rate of mutation and infant mortality. In their struggle for life, they encounter odds that predict their long-term survival is impossible. Interspersed in this impending tragedy is the story of the planet's previous - and now ominously extinct - native race, the Miccail.

But more than this, "Dark Water's Embrace" is a first-class social treatise on human nature. In it, author Stephen Leigh conveys how blind faith, obstinate prejudice and racism work against the human, in totally irrational yet completely familiar ways, leading him to self-destruction. The issue in particular in this well-paced story is the element of the Miccail's third gender. Without spoiling the reader, suffice to say it allows the book to deal with the notion of alternate sexualities, or what we call "deviant sexuality" and how, in the context of a science fiction drama, mankind's stubborn inability to re-adapt or re-evaluate old and now irrelevant taboos can spell his doom.

Stephen Leigh writes in bite-sized chapters (or sub-chapters?), each alternating between different times, different people, different contexts and even mediums. With this he strips away a strict chronological linearity and makes the unfolding very much timeless. The weaving of his plot is without cliché, a credit to its relative simplicity. A small glossary is provided for some of the colonists' colloqualisms as well as the Miccail's language - this incidently reflects on Leigh's attempts to make his worlds culturally distinctive, an authorial effort which always deserves praise.

Although the central theme of alternate sexuality may "disturb" some readers, in my opinion, Stephen Leigh has successfully rendered his story with abundant grace, intelligence as well as compassion. The solemn-tragic atmosphere of the story unfolds with feeling as well as dignity, and at no point does it descend into anything tasteless or gratuitous, not even in terms of sex. The lessons of sacrifice which take place across time are particularly moving. And ultimately we are treated with a conclusion brimming with humility, enlightenment and hope, out of nothing less than the quest for preservation and procreation of life, regardless of its means.

I knew of Stephen Leigh from his contributions to George R.R. Martin's WILD-CARD series and bought this novel on the strength of it. This is an enormously entertaining, thought provoking novel which I really enjoyed. There have been previous sci-fi novels with similar themes of human/alien sexuality but this one stands out from the crowd.Unbelievable value for money. I shall be keeping an eye out for everything else Stephen Leigh has written after this one.

What a fascinating read! Compelling, ambitous and intelligent. The handling of multiple storylines is deftly handled, and the thought provoking issues raised make this story one of the best reads in a long time. Evolution, gender, society and survial are explored in parallel but intertwining stories -- one human, one alien. Highly Recommended.

Moody, atmospheric, and sometimes grim, Leigh has created an eerie world which feels complex and real. The mystery presented to the characters has several layers, and a very satisfying conclusion. Contains some intensely emotional sequences which heighten the book's appeal.

Stephen Leigh's DARK WATER'S EMBRACE is a profound exploration of the human differences of gender, and the true fluidity of the continuum between "male" and "female" and "other."

If you've ever felt different, clumsy, alienated, unable to fit into the steretypical sex and gender roles, then I recommend this novel highly. You will find yourself in it, and you will find a measure of healing. On the other hand, if you've always felt comfortable with your gender, I still recommend you take a look to see how other individuals in our midst live, and how they feel.

The agony and shame of social shunning and persecution and the slow gentle balm of understanding is portrayed against the backdrop of a very satisfying science fiction metaphor of a haunting alien world.

The narrative is rich with alien "terms" of the world Mictlan and yet suprisingly effortless to remember and fast-paced, and everything can be easily gleaned from the context or can even be looked up in the handly glossary. I found the "Ker" gender pronouns very smooth and easy to get used to.

Comparisons can be drawn to Ursula K. Le Guin's treatment of gender and sexuality, but I believe this work stands on its own and contributes unique elements to the tradition.

It is not surprising that this book won the Spectrum Award for best novel of 1999.

I bought this book on a whim (it was on my recommended list) and read in in one day. Wow. Very interesting writing style, combined with wonderful characters and a fabulous idea... I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys "What if?" stories.

A century ago, a tiny group of humans was stranded on a not entirely hospitable planet. The descendants struggle to survive the elements, as well as their own mutations and infertility. Anaïs is not entirely male or female, so she's seen as a threat to the community since she's also a lesbian. In order to survive, the community instituted a breeding program which states that all women need to have children. With the unearthing of the remains of one of the planet's native population, Anaïs finds what could be the keys to the community's survival, but fear of the unknown and of difference rules here, and Anaïs might not survive to implement the changes. It's an intriguing story of third genders, that is confused by the shifting viewpoints and time periods (Anaïs's time, the time when the native population's civilization was beginning to end, and the time when the humans were first struggling to survive on the planet). The other storylines give information that Anaïs could never know, so it's almost necessary to make the novel work, and I found myself more interested in the third gender information than about the characters and the interplay between them. It's overall a great book, but the varying of the viewpoints might put off some readers.

Although the book is an award winner, reading it is like wading through wet cement.
As for the purchase and delivery from Amazon, there were no problems whatsoever.

One of the delightful things about Leigh's work are his believable aliens. These aliens feel more than 'humans with different shapes.' Instead, they challenge the reader to accept 'this is how we work.'

I found in this book, he treats the human race the same way. The people of this colony have had a difficult time of settlement. We see a society in reverse: a modern culture adapting and adjusting to a challenging planet, and Leigh doesn't spare us the details: the difficulties incurred by having such a small population base, the essence of how fading technology blends and reblends into the new culture that's arisen (with the lack of the overused 'and such and such was made, by the great and powerful Anchients...'). He paints a picture, and sets it to life.

Leigh's works are a robust an entertaining read, and challenge readers in ways I don't feel much of contemporary sci-fi does or will. He contains elements in his books, such as sex, but it's presented off-camera, and has a distinct purpose in the book. It fulfills part of the plot, and illustrates some element of the society. It isn't gratuitous, or fanservice, nor is it preachy, nor is it ever something as simple as 'boy meets girl': it's part of an overall tapestry and story you'll receive when reading this book.