The Ghost Sister

by Liz Williams

Book Overview

The fate of a planet lies with an outcast woman and a mysterious visitor.... In this richly imagined and thought-provoking novel, Liz Williams tells the story of a world engineered to preserve the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553583743
• ISBN13: 9780553583748
• Release Date: June 2001
• Publisher: Spectra
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 0.8" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Ghost Sister

Humans return to a long-lost colony. But do they bring enlightenment or destruction to the people who have become natives of Monde D'Isle?I've been working my way through Liz Williams' books and enjoying them; this is my favorite so far. She creates a beautiful and fascinating world, peopled with interesting and well-drawn people. Ideas are particularly strong in her work, and Ghost Sister, with its genetically modified, wild and tormented not-quite-humans, is no exception. I found the stifling ideology that informs the new human mission to be believable, if fanatical, and quite frightening; I spent the last quarter of the book in terror that I was about to read another That Ancient Light. The characters are sympathetic and vivid, particularly the questioning, idealist Elerres.Williams is a good sentence-level writer, but at times an overly formal, slightly stiff diction creeps into this particular novel, which lessens its emotional immediacy. Elerres' narration seems particularly prone to this. I would have liked the climax to be a bit bigger and more dramatic, and I wanted to see more of the world -- which in itself is an indication of good worldbuilding, since I got the impression there was more to see. Williams doesn't seem to write in series, but more work set among the Mondhaith would be welcome.

Excellent, thought-provoking novel

This is one of the most interesting and well-written science fiction novels I have read in years. The premise is creative and touches upon fascinating questions about the ways that human subjective experience differs from that of our evolutionary cousins. And the characters are interesting and never "stock" types. Kudos to Liz Williams; I will be on the look-out for her next book.

Intelligent fantasy for thinking people

Liz Williams' first novel fulfils the promise of her short stories. This is an intelligent book which skilfully combines a richly realized fantasy setting with clever science-fiction ideas; the blurring of the boundaries between the magical and the scientific is reminiscent of Ursula Le Guin.This is a story in which you are invited to immerse yourself completely in the mindset of two very alien cultures - and explore what happens when these cultures collide. It is a thoughtful exploration of the philosophical aspects of cultural miscommunication, in a situation where all concerned are acting for the best. Williams' trademark sense of place means that the country through which the characters pass is evocative and beautiful; the land itself, to which the characters are so tightly bound, is an important aspect of the book, and Williams' superior descriptions do it great justice. An excellent first novel, and I am looking forward greatly to her second.

Fascinating moral dilemna

I've read Liz Williams' short stories, and she has never disappointed me, so I was confident in buying this book without even looking at the back cover.Inside I found views of two well-defined and interesting cultures, from the points of view of insiders and outsiders. Neither culture is quite what its members think, and the interaction between a few individuals shatters their illusions about themselves and their worlds, and forces choices about the future. This book deals as much with confronting one's own culture as confronting another.I was riveted by the moral questions, and by the way the characters acted and reacted during the upheavals caused by contact.

Unique speculative fiction

The founders of the colony on remote Monde D'Isle established the prime directive of harmony with nature. Thus, the life cycles of the descendants tie into the planet's pulse including a feral urge to unleash their animal instincts. The weak are systematically killed. Somehow Mevennen ai Mordha survived her time out in the wild, but upon returning everyone knew something was wrong with her. Her family wanted to kill Mevennen as befitting the weak as only the strong survives. Only her brother Eleres and the Satahrach Luta kept her alive. However, as the tides have increased in velocity, Mevennen suffers increasing fits. To save his beloved sister Eleres takes her inland to an abandoned tower. Not long afterward off-planet individuals arrive. Mevennen believes she sees a ghost while the visitor insists she is a Gaian anthropologist sent to help the people. THE GHOST SISTER is an engaging science fiction novel that follows closely a culture that seems like nomads living within the cleansing of Ancient Sparta. The story line moves slowly forward to insure the reader understands the civilization and the key players. Fans of speculative fiction that focuses on characters and lifestyles will enjoy Liz Wlliams's THE GHOST SISTER.Harriet Klausner