Nicola Griffith
Slow River (1995)
Author: Nicola Griffith
Genre: Science Fiction
Plot Summary:
A few weeks before her 18th birthday, Lore Van de Oest, the daughter of a multi-billionaire, is kidnapped. She manages to survive only to find herself naked, injured, without her implanted identification chip, and alone. That is when she is discovered by Spanner. Spanner aids Lore, calling a medic to treat her wounds and giving her shelter, but there is a price: Lore must pay off her debt by aiding spanner in her illegal activities. Unable to cope with her troubled past, Lore chooses to stay with Spanner instead of returning home. After living with Spanner for a few years Lore decides to leave Spanner and try to earn a living by legal means, not only does she have to get a legitimate identification chip she also has to get Spanner to help her adjust the information to match Lore's information. There is however a price, Lore must help Spanner pull of one last scam. SPOILER: Lore assists Spanner and gets her new identity, where she meets Magyar. With Magyar's help Lore confronts her past and discovers that it was her mother that abused her sisters, not her father as she originally thought, and it is her sister that is responsible for her kidnapping. She eventually returns to her family leaving her life with Spanner behind.
Geographical Setting: Earth
Time Period: Near Future
Appeal Characteristics:
This is the 1996 Nebula award winner. The main character, Lore, is a lesbian. The story is fast-paced and switches between the past and present of Lore's story. The present story is told in 1st person, while the past is told in 3rd person.
Read-alikes: If you liked Nicola Griffith's writing style you might try another one her books, particularly Ammonite her first novel and also award winning. Daughters of a Coral Dawn, by Katherine V. Forrest, would appeal to those readers who enjoyed the erotic sex scenes and lesbian relationships present in Slow River . Daughters of a Coral Dawn is the first in series of novels that focuses on a new planet colonized by women and their reactions to finally being ‘discovered’ by man. For those readers who enjoyed the well developed protagonist and disproportion of wealth theme present in Slow River , will enjoy Spin State by Chris Moriarty. Spin State is the first of a two part novel series, in which the female protagonist, Major Catherine Li, is forced to defy the odds of her poor mining family and serve as a UN Peacekeeper. While serving as a peacekeeper Li is forced to solve a string of brutal crimes, which forces Li to deal with her past. For readers who enjoyed the darker tone and criminal plot present in Slow River will enjoy The Wood Wife. The Wood Wife, by Terri Windling, is a Fantasy novel that tells the story of ex-poet Maggie Black who becomes embroiled in a dark and mysterious plot who must outwit her opponents if she wants to survive. For those who enjoyed the erotic/graphic sex scenes and troubled relationships present in Slow River will enjoy The Price of Pleasure, by Joanna Wylde. The Price of Pleasure is the first book in the Saurellian Federation series, which focuses on Calla and Seth their quest to find sexual and emotional fulfillment. Readers who enjoyed the near future setting, a female protagonist, and the award winning writing style of Slow River will enjoy Unquenchable Fire, by Rachel Pollack. Jennie Mazdan is faced with life altering decisions after she finds herself impregnated by an unknown agent. If you enjoy the way Slow River switches between past and present day you might try Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, which is a Science Fiction thriller. Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin might also be of interest if you enjoyed the survival aspect of Slow River. In Rite of Passage Mia Havero has to survive a month alone in the wild of the colony, it also won a Nebula Award. In Memory by Linda Nagata, the main character is a strong female character in the thriller science fiction story that might be appealing. Those interested in another science fiction novel with a lesbian main character might try the Daughters of a Coral Dawn by Katherine V. Forrest, the first in the series.
Red Flags: Homosexual and heterosexual sex, pornography, drugs, violence, strong language, child abuse
|top|
|
