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A review by explikator
Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
„Dreamsnake“ was first published in 1978 and won the Nebula and the Hugo in its time. It was praised for its fresh feminist approach to the dystopian genre. In many ways it reads like a feminist version of „A boy and his dog“. (Harlan Ellison, 1969).
Though Vonda N. McIntyre is the less experienced writer, her story of ‚Snake‘ and her snakes is less aged and more optimistic. McIntyre conducts interesting experiments in „Dreamsnake“. For example there’s one character whose gender is not revealed, because ‚it‘ is described without using gender pronouns at all.
‚Snake‘, the main protagonist, is a strong, self-sufficient woman, who knows about her flaws and is not intimated by the obstacles McIntyre throws at her. The classical love story is reversed, as Snake’s lover, Arevin, has to follow her and clearly is more dependent on her affection than vice versa. But: Though ‚love‘ is described as something that’s not worth depending on, it kinda wins at the end.
„Dreamsnake“ is worth a read, only 230 pages, but its storytelling and its rhythm may make it difficult for modern readers sometimes. „Snake“ is one of the new female heroines that appeared in the late 70ies – Sigorney Weaver (‚Alien‘, 1979) would be a good cast. Without books like „Dreamsnake“ the modern wave of feminism would not have taken place.
Why does Snake not inject the genetically modified venom directly? Why has a real f**king snake to bite you? Apart from this, the showdown at the end of the story came out of nothing for me. The great conflict – how can Snake confront her teachers – is not a topic at the end. Instead we find a UFO-ex-machina which solves the problem after Snake and Melissa get tortured enough to earn their reward. That and the sudden end of the book disturbed me.
Though Vonda N. McIntyre is the less experienced writer, her story of ‚Snake‘ and her snakes is less aged and more optimistic. McIntyre conducts interesting experiments in „Dreamsnake“. For example there’s one character whose gender is not revealed, because ‚it‘ is described without using gender pronouns at all.
‚Snake‘, the main protagonist, is a strong, self-sufficient woman, who knows about her flaws and is not intimated by the obstacles McIntyre throws at her. The classical love story is reversed, as Snake’s lover, Arevin, has to follow her and clearly is more dependent on her affection than vice versa. But: Though ‚love‘ is described as something that’s not worth depending on, it kinda wins at the end.
„Dreamsnake“ is worth a read, only 230 pages, but its storytelling and its rhythm may make it difficult for modern readers sometimes. „Snake“ is one of the new female heroines that appeared in the late 70ies – Sigorney Weaver (‚Alien‘, 1979) would be a good cast. Without books like „Dreamsnake“ the modern wave of feminism would not have taken place.