Sideshow (One Last Wish) [Paperback]

Sheri S. Tepper (Author)

Book Description

Series: One Last Wish | Publication Date: February 1, 1993

On the planet of Elsewhere, the Council had  always enforced the governing of each province in  the manner the people had chosen, so long as each  respected its neighbors' local customs--and so long  as the people remained within their homelands.  Generations later, inhabitants have begun to question  this tradition. The Council has received  mysterious messages and reports of strange manifestations  across the planet. Now, Enforcer Fringe Owldark has  been sent with a small crew of seven, each  possessing an unusual talent, to investigate their worst  fear--the arrival of the Hobbs Land gods. Free will  and the reality of God are just too of the  timeless issues this courageous band of humans must  confront as they strive to decide if complete tolerance  and leaving others alone is evil. . .and what they  should do if it is. Vividly imagined and  exquisitely rendered, Sideshow is Sheri S. Tepper's most  controversial novel yet.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Loosely related to her earlier books Grass and Raising the Stones, Tepper's newest big novel questions the desirability of further evolution. A sentient fungus has infested most of the galaxy, reworking the life forms it inhabits to enhance their physical and spiritual comfort. The people of the planet Elsewhere, however, see the fungus's contented hosts as slaves; to preserve free will on Elsewhere, the rulers have imposed absolute cultural relativity within which pleasant and unsavory societies coexist, their integrity rigidly maintained by Enforcers. But powers have arisen to challenge the status quo: creatures resembling dragons are reported in unexplored regions, and evil entities in the computer network are manifesting themselves in a deadly way. The planetary provost, Boarmus, sends a crew of three Enforcers with an assortment of misfits to investigate the dragons, while he tries to thwart the net-beings. The pointlessly complicated plot veers off into long digressions that add only pages to the main story, and though Tepper tries to raise the stakes with debates over current issues such as isolationism and sexism, she fails to grapple with the complex implications of these concerns. After her last book, Beauty , this one is a disappointment.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The world of Tolerance, where each province governs itself without interference from its neighbors, suffers from a sickness at its core, and only a small group of misfits and alien travelers can find the key to the world's survival. This final volume in the triptych that includes Grass ( LJ 9/15/89) and Raising the Stones ( LJ 8/90) begins slowly, as the author painstakingly introduces her characters to the complexity of the plot, but ultimately Tepper's imaginative vision holds forth and delivers one of her most challenging works to date. Libraries interested in acquiring significant sf should consider this rewarding but difficult title.
Copyright 1992 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: 496 pages
• Publisher: Spectra (February 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553560980
• ISBN-13: 978-0553560985
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,467,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars GOOD READ--INTERESTING PLACES & CHARACTERS, June 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Sideshow (One Last Wish) (Paperback)

The book was just a teensy bit slow to start. Many characters, destined to meet later on, were introduced, but you also got to know them pretty well and, most importantly, care about them. Some of the premises, like the abilities of the core personalities, didn't seem quite plausible, but it didn't detract too much from the story, at least for me.

Many interesting viewpoints concerning the concept of diversity and religious practices were explored through the characters: How far should we go in respecting another's diversity? At what point should someone step in, if indeed they should step in at all, to put a stop to what others might see as barbaric practices? Are we really free or just products of our individual cultures and upbringing? Are the choices we make really our own? Do our supposedly objective views and moral codes change when events wear a more personal face?

All in all, most of the characters were pretty likable, though Danivon was a little too stiff and seemingly perfect for my liking. His olfactory abilities were rather interesting though. The different cultures visited in the book were also quite, uh, interesting--actually they were a bit frightening. A few events towards the end of the book even managed to surprise me, but just a bit. :-)

I would definitely recommend this book as a good read. It gave me food for thought, made me rethink some of my own ideals. Really, once the characters were introduced, and the action picked up, I couldn't put it down. =RTK=

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plot-heavy but fascinating, November 2, 2002

By 

C. Bradburn (Royal Oak, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sideshow (One Last Wish) (Paperback)

This was my introduction to Sheri Tepper and, while I didn't understand all the references to the previous happenings in this trilogy, I couldn't tear myself away. I liked the characters a lot, I loved the world (altho it is a little similar to one of Jack Chalker's series), and I thought the overall plot was good. If you like plot-driven books (as most SF books are), you probably will enjoy this one. Plus, the sheer variety in this world is fascinating. I would probably recommend that you start off with Grass, tho it didn't hurt me to do it backwards. This book will always have a place in my heart since it introduced me to a great SF writer.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book, July 24, 2009

By 

M "CultOfStrawberry" (I wait behind the wall, gnawing away at your reality) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sideshow (One Last Wish) (Paperback)

I read this after reading Grass, and was pleased to note a couple of familiar names and faces. Personally, this is one of my favorite of Ms. Tepper's works, and the commentary on religion and tolerance amidst various barbaric practices in this book make it a worthwhile read.

This book would have achieved 5 stars if it wasn't for the Tepper-style deuz ex machina that I have come to expect from her books. This one wasn't as obvious or contrived as some of her other books (Family Tree, The Visitor, Gibbon's Decline and Fall) and it was a bit of a letdown, but the ending was better than some of her other books, so a solid 4/5 stars.