I read Star Hunters and The Nowhere Hunt and it shows a
swerve in the path of the stories, when Aleytys, the star of the series, joins
an organization that's kind of a detective agency, repo team and protection
service. She does it because one of
their agents helped her out and she thinks it sounds like a good use of her
skills and it pays well. She's still on
a quest to find her mother and her people but it's no rush.
A lot of interesting twists and turns go on amidst the straight plot of
her mission.
What Ms. Clayton does especially well is create an alien culture in
which Aleytys must work. In The
Nowhere Hunt, almost half or more of the story is told by the natives of
the planet where Aleytys must go. An
entire culture is created as the background of the story, except it's not
really the background but a major player in the story.
The same is true for Star Hunters, of course. It's a mission where Aleytys was requested by
those of the planet to help. That part
of the story turns out to be something twisted and interesting. But the majority of the story is about the
natives and what they go through. At one
point it seems to be the coming of age of one of the characters. It's also a nice story of female empowerment,
women's rights in a very repressive society.
I don't know that Ms. Clayton deliberately wrote allegories of the
world she lived in and the changes that were necessary but most writers who use
reality as a basis for character development wind up doing it. Like poems, a good story reveals a lot about
the character of the author rather than only about the character of the
characters.
Previously I suggested that Ms. Clayton may have had some hippy in her, maybe she did, maybe not
but the creation of a strong female character like Aleytys gave her ample room
to display the dysfunction of society.
She points out stereotypes and the dangers of assuming people are
automatically like us just because we manage to communicate. Several situations display the difficulties
that women have in breaking from traditional standards.
It isn't just that she points them out and creates changes she shows
the power and hope that such change could
inspire. Unfortunately, like the hippy
movement, only those already predisposed to change will actually change. When dealing with the peer pressure of an entire society (including politics, economics,
prejudices, isolationism and the continual degradation of the supporting
infrastructure) most wind up a part of the situation or living in a commune or
a hermitage.
While very few people read this I'm still making a point, the point on
one hand is that while few read this, even fewer will think it credible or of
any value. The idea that Ms. Clayton may
have introduced changes to the world culture through her science fiction is no
less credible than any other author touching those of the world. Those who read her books were moved or
entertained. She did make an impact and
it showed her heart. I recommend looking
up her website, put together as a memorial to her. It will show how many people she touched.
Fear No Art.
We all hear of that saying but how many people care what it means or
why it's necessary.
Artists of all media reflect the world around them, showing what we
love, hate or hope for. Many artists
merely reflect the works of artists they seek to emulate. The reason we should not Fear Art is that it
also points to freedom… or I should say FREEDOM.
Every artist is pointing at beauty, love or another of the great
motivating ideals that rule all cultures.
We know that even in the most repressed culture there is a seed
germinating and seeking sunlight, the seed is hope. Everyone everywhere
seeks a breath of fresh air or a drink of pure water… it is human nature.
So why am I going off on a rant?
Eh, don't bother asking.
If you need to ask, you don't know enough. Since you don't know enough, think about the
ignition temperature of paper. Or why
soylent green is not a color. I'm
writing this on the Fourth of July. A
day of celebration for something long past.
I write a lot, especially when the muse grabs me. The thing I have often wondered about my
stories, as they go past a hundred thousand words, is why those in the story
are somehow trying to save the world?
I've created a line of good seers fighting a line of wicked for control
of the future. I've created a kidnapped
and imprisoned woman who guides an ancient House into a saving role in their
future. Another is a tale wherein a
woman is the pet of two immortal aliens who need a plan to change the future of
mankind, to save the world and all free humans.
The same type of thing evolves in the books I have epublished and will
soon put out as Smashwords editions.
So, dropping the rant, I go back to Jo Clayton and the next book Ghosthunt.
Unfortunately I can't read someone else's book and write my own so I go
back and forth, a lot.
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