Customer Reviews

The Psalms of Herod

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Esther Friesner is known as a writer of comic fantasy and science fiction. Here, she switches to a much grimmer view of the world. Her dystopia is disturbing to say the least.

Friesner's story is set in a post-holocaust future where women are chattel and one alpha male rules each homestead, staying in power through sheer brutatlity. Human biology has changed, and sexual relations are rigid and fraught with peril--women who have sex when they are not fertile die from it, so rape is equivalent to murder. Most women do not have monthly periods, and those who do are killed. Children who are not the offspring of the alpha male are routinely slaughtered. This social order is underpinned by harsh religious doctines that justify the status quo and turn infanticide into a virtual sacrament. Friesner's story concerns the fate of one women, Becca, and her attempts--ultimately successful--to escape with her life from the power of the alpha male.

In many ways, Friesner's dystopia is reminiscient of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale." The inferior position of women, their role as sexual and reproductive objects, and the perversion of religious doctrine to justify the situation are common to both books. But Atwood's future is mild by comparison to Friesner's. In Atwood's Tale, some remnants of civilized behavior remain. Violence is implied, but is less visible on the surface, since it is the power of a corrupt state that reinforces coercion by individuals. In Friesner's world, however, the violence is out in the open and is the only way for a man to get or to keep power. Behavior is reduced to its most basic--sex, hierachy and violence are explicitly linked.
As in Atwood's book, it is the extrapolation and exaggeration of aspects of our own culture, that makes the book so disburbing.

This book was a very disturbing but engrossing read. I could not put the book down once I picked it up, Becca of Wiserways is a throwback to the women in today's society. With a period that comes once a month and a mind that hungers for more than what a decent woman in her society is expected to want. A very dangerous thing to be, when women are considered nothing more than breeding stock. Her life and its trials is our only chance to view this strangly familiar but totally alien culture. Ms. Freisner did a wonderful job of setting up the reader, I would have liked a more complete view from other characters about what was going on in their aspects of the story but for the most part the book read well. If you want to think about the story you read, if you want more than mind candy consider reading this. It is fantastic picture into what we as a population can degenerate into when civilization in ripped to shreds.

This is a dark tale of a collapsed civilization. The setting is the far future, and the world has become barbaric. Most importantly, all women are treated like animals, only good for breeding. The main character is a young girl who dares to hope for freedom from this oppression. This novel is full of action and suspense. There are many interesting characters, like the outcast jewish man that becomes her companion. Great fantasy novel.

This book grabbed my attention and wouln't let it go until Iwas done. Like Friesner's other novels and anthologies on women, thisbook is intended to inspire our symapthies toward the weaker sex while at the same time inciting us to cheer all the louder for the main character. The world created by Friesner was structured around a twisted and perverted form of Biblical scriptures. The tale's telling is somewhat straightforward; if you are unaccostomed to such luxury in a science fiction novel, you will either relish it in this book or absolutely hate it. The characters are certainly not fully developed yet, and the raw, unfinished nature of the book provokes a wish of future similar fare. The shadowy, gripping texture of the plot makes it worth the read, although one may only hope that the next book trumps this one in quality. Definitely worth the time of reading it.

Quite a fascinating book. Ms Freisner has some very disturbing ideas here. Infants left on a hill to perish, harsh judgement for the "abomination" of homosexuality, and complete rejection of female individuality, among other things. This is a hard look at a society that has altered/interpreted the writings of the bible to suit their needs (is this something we all do?). The main character rebels against an oppressive society with impressive fortitude, although I wondered where this courage comes from when her entire upbringing has been so controlled. I enjoyed the book, but think that Ms Freisner could have expanded her ideas significantly as too much of the culture is left hidden from us. The reader is left wanting more. I am eager to read the sequel (unfortunately out of print) but uncertain that this will bring satisfaction. Psalms of Herod grew progressively more vague as I read and I fear The Sword of Mary will follow this pattern. Overall, this book is definitely worth reading. Ms. Freisner has shown impressive creativity and a knack for keeping the reader interested.