Singer from the Sea

Cover

Singer from the Sea is a 1999 novel by Sheri S. Tepper. The protagonist, Genevieve, discovers the horrifying secret behind her society. Her world, Haven, is a patriarchal society in which the men from the wealthy classes are exceptionally long-lived, nearly immortal, while the women tend to die in childbirth or of a wasting disease. Genevieve's quest unveils the horrifying truth of human sacrifice that underlies the men's longevity.

Further reading

• Book discussion group on feministSF mailing list (Sept. 2000)
• Robert Francis, SFSite featured review
• Helge's Notebook - Self-published review, treating Tepper's larger themes and her characterizations, thoughtfully. Marred by its author's stranger ideas about feminism:

  Tepper's description of the male conspiracy of silence is directly derived from the 1980s feminist view (in the USA, at least) that the political failures of feminism were the consequence of a male conspiracy, endemic in any male dominated culture. This view receives less credit these days, not necessarily because it is entirely wrong, but because new voices in feminism are demanding a more positive, less victimized role for themselves.

  Conspiracy? Weird.
• Creative Karma - review focuses on prose & pacing
• Paper Frigate - briefly considers stem cell issues