Dreamsnake (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Vonda McIntyre (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

An award-winning novel set in the post-apocalyptic future follows a young woman who travels the earth healing the sick with the help of her alien companion, the dreamsnake, pursued by two implacable followers. Reissue. PW.

From AudioFile

This award-winning science fiction book presents a strong and courageous healer who confronts her world head on with compassion and strength. Anna Fields narrates with her usual mastery of the nuances of plot, mood, and character. She offers up enough differentiation to help the reader distinguish the characters and maintains the fast pace of the story while supporting the clear and forceful writing of the author. Fields adds to the haunting sense of reality and possibility that underlies the events set forth. This tale about snakes and their healing power will cause many listeners to have new respect and appreciation for these often maligned creatures. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Spectra (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553296590
• ISBN-13: 978-0553296594
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #611,839 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lyrical and Beautiful, December 8, 1999

By	Caleb Liu (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dreamsnake (Hardcover)

Vonda N McIntyre rose to fame with this book, which won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. I believe that this book represents a totally different form of science fiction from the type representative of John Campbell which is deeply scientific in nature. McIntyre is more concerned with characterization and this is what makes this story so unforgettable.

Snake, the protagonist is especially well drawn out, someone any reader can relate to, yet possesing her own character traits. Her sense of duty as a healer is well portrayed. In fact, most of the characters in the novel, with the exception of the villian North, were extremely well drawn.

This is essentially the tale of how Snake searches for a new Dreamsnake, which she uses to cure illnesses, and recounts the situations Snake finds herself in. The presentation of the post nuclear holocaust world and its distopic and fractured society is highly believable.

I agree that the story is somewhat fractured and that the plot seems to me to be stuck together, but McIntyre links it together brilliantly through her narrative. The narrative succeeds in casting a spell on the reader, such that the events no longer become the focus. My sister, when I asked her about the book several months after she read it, could tell me little of the plot, but commented on the lyrical quality of the narrative.

In conclusion, it is a captivating book, and worth reading.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best post-holocaust stories ever, September 19, 2000

By	Daniel J. Elmore (Wheaton, MD United States) - See all my reviews

Dreamsnake is one of only 15 books to win both the Hugo and the Nebula. As such, I had high hopes for it, and I was not disappointed. True, it doesn't have ground-breaking vision of books like Gateway or Ringworld, but what it lacks there, it more than makes up in conventional world-building and, even more importantly, characterization.

The story takes place in a post-holocause Earth, where a limited amount of bio-technology is all that is keeping humanity to shrinking back to a hunter-gatherer society. The most obvious example of this is the dreamsnake, whose venom enables healers to ease the pain of the wounded, and comfort the dying. Snake, the main character, is such a healer. However, her dreamsnake is killed, and she must seek out another, or cease to be a healer. The story carries the reader from the Great Dessert, to the healer station where they breed dreamsnakes (with little luck), to Center, the sole spaceport where humans from off-world still come, and finally to the mysterious domes. And as we explore this compelling world, we also get to explore the inner workings of Snake, and see what makes her tick.

However, while the story is a very pleasing one most of the way through, one gets to the end and can't shake the feeling that the author left some important questions unanswered. This story is definitely ripe for a sequel, but McIntyre doesn't look to be very interested. Pity.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual and Amazing, August 6, 2005

By	D. Sidwell (River Heights, UT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a delightful and haunting mix of excellent, gripping prose, and a totally new idea for a sci-fi/fantasy novel. The protagonist uses snakes to heal people. I happen to love snakes and have several as pets, but to those of you who do NOT like snakes, get this book and read it! You'll love being freaked out by the author's excellent descriptions of her healing reptiles.

Not that the book is all about freaking out anyone: the story is that the healer's snake, Grass, gets killed by frightened villagers. This is a tragedy because all Grass ever did was help patient's feel comfortable and happy. Without Grass, she can't heal, so she goes on a quest to find another dreamsnake. A unique and interesting surprise ending reveals the origins of the snake.

Part adventure, part ancient medicine, part love story, this is a haunting, lovely book.