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When a peaceful nation of well-organized peasants is overrun by the army of an expanding industrialized neighbour, the people of Çiron must forge a pact with the strange and fearsome race of flying humans dwelling high above in the mountains.In scenes of excellent bloodshed, the invaders are routed at the end – but the outcome is by no means obvious, despite the aid of a renegade invader, Lieutenant Kire, and, more significantly, of the winged people, regal, fierce, libidinous, leathery masters of the sky.The gloriously strange fantasy world comes newly alive in Delany’s masterful prose – the setting was first used by him in 1962 in a short story. He nudges into the light many less than obvious truths about character. His unique talent for getting inside physical sensations and making them tangible with words, significant in shaping outlook, is much in evidence and ensures that the strategies employed by both sides in the bloody conflict are nailbitingly uncertain.
When a peaceful agrarian society faces total annihilation by an industrialized military force, the inhabitants of Çiron must secure an alliance with a reclusive, winged race to survive. The protagonist, Lieutenant Kire, finds himself caught between the rigid expectations of his invading army and the visceral, alien reality of the mountain-dwelling people. As the conflict escalates, the narrative explores the physical and psychological toll of warfare through a lens that emphasizes sensory detail and tactical uncertainty. The story unfolds as a high-stakes struggle where the survival of a culture depends on bridging the gap between two vastly different species.
This work is characterized by the author's signature focus on sensory immersion and the intricate mechanics of social and military conflict. The narrative structure suggests a deliberate attempt to subvert standard fantasy tropes by grounding the fantastical elements in tangible, often brutal, physical realities. Readers likely encounter a dense, challenging prose style that prioritizes the internal logic of the world over traditional heroic archetypes. The thematic exploration of power dynamics and the cost of survival remains a central thread that defines the experience of the text.
Page Count:
224
Publication Date:
1998-08-17
Publisher:
Voyager
ISBN-10:
0006499392
ISBN-13:
9780006499398
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