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Publisher's Summary

The Sharers of Shora are a nation of women on a distant moon in the far future. They are pacifists, they are highly advanced in biological sciences, and they reproduce by parthenogenesis - because there are no males. Conflict erupts when a militaristic neighboring civilization decides to develop their ocean world and sends in an army. A groundbreaking work both of feminist science fiction and of world-building hard science fiction, A Door into Ocean is the novel that made Joan Slonczewski's reputation as an important science-fiction writer.
©1986 Joan Slonczewski (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
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Critic Reviews

"[A] dreamy, poetic book...very much in the spirit of Dune or Le Guin's works. It's tough to build a world, particularly if you try to get the science correct. Author Slonczewski accomplishes that difficult feat and manages a gripping plot into the bargain. Maybe LeGuin has competition." ( San Francisco Examiner)
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful
4 out of 5 stars
By Suzanna on 07-21-13

Complex World-building Sci-Fi

This was a very interesting book, reminding me of some of Sherri Tepper's works. This book outlines a conflict between a patriarchal military culture and a water world populated by women whose technology is biologically based. The book moves slowly, but as I kept listening I was drawn into the story of how these two cultures interact.

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4 of 4 people found this review helpful

5 out of 5 stars
By Elisabeth Carey on 06-21-17

A compelling story well-told

This is a book that, in my opinion, does not show its age. It could have been published last week,

Two inhabited moons with very different cultures are part of a larger galactic empire, and increasing contact with the empire is causing its own strains. The more industrialized, military-inclined culture of Valendon wants to exploit the resources of Shora, a world virtually without land.

The Shorans have different ideas.

The are peaceful, cooperative, and communal. They are also all female. The reasons for this and its significance become clear as the story progresses, and it's the source of much of the conflict in the story.

Shora isn't the simplistic paradise it may appear on the surface. The Shorans, who call themselves Sharers, are doing a lot more than is visible at a casual glance, and two gender-determined cultures are anything but. The storyline of the young man, Sinel, rejects the whole idea that the traits the Sharers value might be gender-determined rather than cultural.

This isn't a fast-paced action story. It's thoughtful, deliberate, and fascinating. with characters who are interesting, complex, and unfolded with skill. The world-building is indirect yet convincing.

Highly recommended.

I bought this audiobook.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

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