Other Nature [Paperback]

Stephanie A. Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1997

Set in a small community on the Oregon coast in the middle of the next century, after diseases have ravaged the civilized world, Other Nature tells the story of the end of this world and the beginning of a new one--of humanity saved but transformed by genetic engineering. "Wonderful . . . haunting."--Starlog.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While the publisher claims that Smith's first novel in a decade is more SF than fantasy (as were two previous books, The Boy Who Was Thrown Away and Snow-Eyes), it, too, will be more satisfying to readers of fantasy than to hardcore SF buffs. The primary nod to science fiction, besides the novel's being set in a dystopic future, is a scrap of paper?clearly a middle section of DNA sequencing?described by one character as being in a "language [that] is repetitious and indeed tediously limited." The community on which Smith focuses is one that claims to be well educated, yet it has no knowledge of even rudimentary science and technology. Among its members are Emily Zafieras and Maria Monkar, women who develop deep relationships with the children of the community (especially the mute Tomas Nitehammer, whose actions are presented as being intuitive), all of whom appear to have been born with some form of birth defect. There are enough inconsistencies in the limning of the community to frustrate readers who ask the most rudimentary questions, yet Smith weaves her story around the gaps skillfully, filling several (though not enough) with ancillary material or through implication. The author has made a bold attempt to tell as much by exclusion as by inclusion, and though weak moments?both in prose and reasoning?mar the narrative, this is still a fascinating, occasionally bold, work.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In the 21st century, humankind stands on the brink of extinction. The combined forces of environmental decay and debilitating diseases have brought civilization to a standstill. In a small Oregon community, however, a few survivors struggle to come to terms with the strange mutations that have transformed their children into the only hope for a viable future. In her first sf novel, fantasy author Smith (The Boy Who Was Thrown Away, Macmillan, 1987) tells a disturbingly haunting tale of humanity's next evolutionary step. Thoughtfully written, this title is suitable for large fantasy collections.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (June 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312863527
• ISBN-13: 978-0312863524
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,137,644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephanie A. Smith took her PhD at Berkeley in 1990 is currently a professor of English at the University of Florida. She has published three novels, Snow-Eyes, The Boy Who Was Thrown Away (Atheneum 1985, 1987), Other Nature (MacMillan, 1995), two works of criticism, Conceived By Liberty (Cornell 1995) and Household Words (Minnesota, 2006) along with a number of essays and short stories. She has held fiction residencies at Dorland, Norcroft and Hedgebrook, and has worked at Provincetown Fine Arts Center.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow..., June 4, 1998

By 

Jake Swearingen ([e-mail]) (Tulsa, Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Other Nature (Paperback)

I just finished reading _Other Nature_ about thirty minutes ago. I'm still in a bit of shock. It's that good.

Stephanie A. Smith is relative rarity in the Science Fiction genre, an author who doesn't insult your intelligence. You don't catch the rich subtleties, tough. She isn't going to shove your nose in it until you realize what she is trying to say.

The story, unlike so many science-fiction stories, doesn't depend on a nifty little idea. It's about people, and a small town.

This novel will probably be rejected by many, which is a shame. If more science fiction was like this, I would read it a lot more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars subtle, rich messages in this stark story, January 5, 1998

By 

[e-mail] Steve (no-relation) Smith (Los Alamos, NM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Other Nature (Paperback)

Stephanie Smith uses a possible (all too near) future to explore many subtleties about what it is to be human and to explore transcendence.

As Stephanie indicates in her own review, this book will not find it's audience easily, its subtleties may elude many. On the other hand, I find it on par with the widely heralded, often quoted, seminal work in the same (sub) genre, A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ. I find this less of a post-disaster novel than a study in human nature through the exploration of not-quite or perhaps more-than human nature.

Anyone who is intrigued by the subtleties of complex human relations and with possible ways we might transcend ourselves as a species and culture should read this book.

Yes, it can be dark and stark but I found rich subtle messages woven into that weft. Whether read literally or as somewhat of an allegory, I found it to be rich in substance to reflect on.

5.0 out of 5 stars lyrical and disturbing, June 21, 2005

By 

E. Henry "geeklizzard" (Redwood City, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Other Nature (Hardcover)

I read this overlooked classic around 10 years ago; scenes from it still haunt me and give me chills. S. A. Smith plays deftly with SF genre conventions and those of feminist science fiction to focus on questions of what it means to be human - not in the sense of "what it means to be human" in a speech of Captain Kirk, but instead in a way that made me think "How should I live my own life? What is important?" As post-apocalyptic fiction with brooding, thoughtful atmosphere it stands with John Crowley, Octavia Butler, Greg Bear, Gwyneth Jones, Peter Dickinson, Pat Murphy.

"But wait - this is just a story about some people in a small town community or some sort of Kim-Stanley-Robinson-esque hippie commune. Where is the science?" Well, yes. We all know what kind of novel would be written that focuses around the elided scenes in the protagonists' visit to (and escape from) the dystopian post-apocalpyse San Francisco; it's been written countless times. Here is the "other" story to that story. Very subtle and cool.