Carnival (novel)
Carnival is a 2006 novel by Elizabeth Bear. It takes place on the planets Old Earth and New Amazonia, and follows the ambassador-spies Michelangelo Kusanagi-Jones (aka Angelo; aka Michelangelo Osiris Leary Kusanagi-Jones) and Vincent Katherinessen, as they come to New Amazonia and interact with various women, including Lesa Pretoria, duelist and politician.
New Amazonia is a matriarchy, in which men are politically disempowered and regulated. They can achieve recognition and glory through the gladiatorial contests of the "Carnival" festival, which are depicted in the novel, but they remain attached to female households and have little power. "Gentle males" (the planet's term for homosexual men) have somewhat more freedom than "stud males." Kusanagi-Jones and Katherinessen are welcome as diplomats only because they are "gentle males," who have been in love with each other for decades. However, homosexuality is unacceptable on New Earth, and they have been kept apart for many of those years.
Their apparent mission is to bring the secret of New Amazonia's mysterious power source back to New Earth, in exchange for great works of art by women. However, both are separately planning to act as double agents against the extremely repressive New Earth regime, and each intends to betray the other in the process.
On New Amazonia, they are hosted by Lesa Pretoria, in charge of security for the planet. Lesa's household includes her mother, Elena Pretoria, her daughter Katya Pretoria, the male Robert who sired both her children, and her son Julian Pretoria, whom she desperately hopes will be "gentle."
Kusanagi-Jones and Katherinessen are introduced to the prime minister, Claude Singapore and a variety of local politicians. They are also, unbeknownst to them, being watched by a transcended intelligence known as Kii, a member of the race of "dragons" that designed the city. As the novel progresses, they uncover a variety of intrigues and complications, leading eventually to the kidnapping of Kusanagi-Jones and Lesa Pretoria.
Notes
The book contains a reference to a Matthesen necklace named Fear Death by Water (p.87) among the works of art being repatriated to New Amazonia.
Editions
- 2006: Bantam Spectra, ISBN 0-553-58904-0. Cover art by Steve Stone / Bernstein & Andriulli, Inc. Cover design by Jamie S. Warren Youll.