Phoenix Café [Paperback]

Gwyneth Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1998

The concluding and most powerful volume in the SF masterpiece, The White Queen trilogy, "Phoenix Cafe" is "a flamboyant, wildly imaginative, and deeply moving novel about (of all things) the aliens among us" ("Washington Post Book World")

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

Third volume of the trilogy (White Queen, 1993; North Wind, 1996) about the exploitation of Earth by baboon-like, hermaphrodite, serially immortal aliens. Catherine is a human/alien hybrid. Though biologically human, her father is the influential Aleutian, Lord Maitri; mentally, Catherine herself the reincarnation of Clavel, the Aleutian Third Captain from the First Expedition. Now, after 300 years, the Aleutians are preparing to leave, and a human conspiracy, led by Misha Connelly and his friends at the Phoenix Cafe, are plotting against them. Catherine feels guilty for the rape she committed as Clavel, so she allows Misha to abuse and manipulate her. Then the Americans, who've permitted no contact with the Aleutians, prepare to receive a trade delegation. Maitri lies dying. Catherine discovers that Misha's plotters have been preparing ghastly biological weapons to use against the Aleutians, in retaliation for the aliens' refusal to share their advanced technology--though it turns out that they've developed the technology independently anyway. The biological weapons are for one human faction to use against another. Maitri dies, Catherine gets some explanations for her strange experiences, and the Aleutians depart. Wonderful aliens, unpleasant gender conflicts, heavy-handed metaphors, imperceptible plot: It all adds up to a churning, unsatisfying, rather unwieldy wrapup. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Readers who prefer neatly ordered narratives and precisely delineated characters will do well to avoid the nested levels of ambiguity that are Jones's stock in trade. But a tolerance for uncertainty seems appropriate in any thoughtful exploration of alienness. Anyone willing to take up the challenge should read this trilogy from the beginning. -- The New York Times Book Review, Gerald Jonas --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (November 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312868340
• ISBN-13: 978-0312868345
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,552,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gwyneth Jones, born in Manchester UK, 14th February 1952, is the author of many novels for teenagers, fantasy, horror and thrillers, using the name Ann Halam, and several highly regarded sf and fantasy novels for adults. Her critical essays and reviews are collected in Deconstructing The Starships, 1999 and Imagination/Space 2009. Among other honours she's won two World Fantasy awards, the Children of the Night award, the Philip K Dick award, the BSFA award and the Pilgrim award for Science Fiction criticism. Several of her novels have been nominated for the Arthur C Clarke award, the latest being Spirit, 2009; she won the award for Bold As Love in 2002. She lives in Brighton, UK, with her husband and son, some goldfish and two cats called Ginger and Milo; likes old movies, practices yoga & has done some extreme tourism in her time. Hobbies include gardening and cooking, and playing with her websites.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Final and the finest volume of the WHITE QUEEN trilogy., April 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Phoenix Cafe (Hardcover)

In White Queen the aliens arrived, and not everyone on Earth was pleased. North Wind brought us back to an Aleutian-run Earth. With Phoenix Café, three hundred years have brought us to a nearly decimated Earth, but one with a united purpose -- everyone wants the Aleutians gone, especially the Aleutians. Miss the Aleutian characters from previous books? You're in luck. Or not. Almost no one in Phoenix Café is who or what they appear. That's part of what Jones does best, destroying assumptions and keeping the reader off-balance. Assumptions about sex and sexuality are the first to go.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phoenix Cafe, February 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Phoenix Café (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book. It brings to an end one of the best trilogies I have ever read in SF. The characters are,as ever in a Jones novel, well developed in a 3 dimensional way (no make that 4 dimensions since time is a very important element). The development of the electronic arts scene is mind blowing. The science is convincing. There is rather a lot of weird sex but who's complaining?

I was just sorry when it ended that I would not be meeting these people again.