(no subject)

[skygiants]

I think it was adiva_calandia who strongly recommended Dreamsnake to me years ago, and I dutifully put it on hold at the Brooklyn Public Library, and waited MULTIPLE YEARS, and it never came. But the Boston Public Library delivered it to me straight away, so score one for the other BPL! (I'm sorry, Brooklyn Public Library. I do still miss you!)

Dreamsnake is one of those quiet sci-fi novels that's more about the worldbuilding and the personal journey than about changing the world or saving the day (though the world is changed and the day is saved by the end, a little.)

The structure kind of threw me for a loop at first, because it seemed like it was going to be a straight line and then turned into a giant zigzag as the end-goals kept changing. Our heroine, Snake, is a healer whose main tools are a set of genetically engineered snakes that help her do things like mix up antibiotics and vaccinations -- the most important of which is the extremely rare alien dreamsnake, which basically generates morphine delivered via snakebite. When her dreamsnake dies on account of a tragic accident, she has to trek home to tell the rest of the healers and see if there's any chance she'll be able to continue her work when she's lost one of the precious dreamsnakes --

-- except then she bumps into a stable threesome in trouble (one of whom never has a pronoun attached to their name, which is an impressive feat when you're writing in third person, well done Vonda McIntyre) who give her a hint about where she might be able to find a new dreamsnake, so she decides to go on that side quest first --

-- except then she gets distracted by hanging out in a small town and helping an isolated teenager get through his issues about sex and developing an important relationship with an angry and abused little girl, which is a GREAT relationship and I love that it's the most important one in the book, but by this point we're 3/4 of the way through the book and she's nowhere near any of her end goals --

-- and then she finally hits the end point of the side quest, and when that doesn't work out and she's on her way home she then bumps into another side quest WHICH SHE PURSUES WITH ALACRITY and which then turns into a thrilling climax and conclusion --

-- so basically, Snake never actually reaches the destination which I initially assumed she would hit like a third of the way through the book. (Meanwhile, her hot nomad love interest spends the entire book attempting to follow her around and gets VERY CONFUSED. It's OK, dude, I would be too! He finally catches up at the end and is moderately useful at following instructions and being an assistant nurse at a key moment, well done Arevin.) But she does help a lot of people along the way, and illuminates a lot more of this probably-post-apocalyptic world and its variety of different cultures for the reader in a non-expository way, and grows as a person; it's a really good read!

You will probably like Dreamsnake if you like: stories about women being heroic in ways that don't have to do with beating people up; interesting and complex future worldbuilding; thoughtful handling of trauma and abuse; snakes.

You will probably not like Dreamsnake if you never in your life want to read about a woman being completely covered in snakes. Indiana Jones would not endorse this book.

Comments

[luzula]

Oh, I love Dreamsnake! I think I read it early enough that I did not think about things like structure and just enjoyed the meandering journey and the worldbuilding. I've enjoyed it a lot it on reread when I was older, too. I almost signed up to write it for Yuletide last year, but then I didn't.

[skygiants]

Ooh, I bet that would be fun to write for. Has there ever been Dreamsnake Yuletide fic? I forgot to check!

[genarti]

*steeples fingers*

[skygiants]

I believe I have told already that it definitely read like a 'HEY GEN READ ME' book to me. :D

[genarti]

You have, but I'm pleased to have this confirmed now that you've read the whole thing! (I can't remember if you had at the time of that conversation.) GOOD TO KNOW, ETC.

(I nearly replied to this with an RP journal. Good job, me.)

child sexual abuse cw

[vass]

Dreamsnake! I loved that book.

Have you read 'Of Mist and Grass and Sand'? It won the Nebula, and then she revised it into Dreamsnake. Except that it just goes just up to when the snake dies, so it's a lot bleaker. I think it's more coherent, for the reasons you mentioned, but I definitely liked the novel better, not least because of Melissa.

The thing with the sugar at the end was weird.

I'd forgotten about how Snake helps the teenaged boy with his sex issues. That is, I remember that part of the plot, and the stuff about biofeedback and birth control, but I'd forgotten he was a teenager. I read it when I was about thirteen or fourteen myself.

What I do remember going WTAF???!!! about at the time was when Snake discovers that Melissa's guardian is raping her, and tells Melissa (who's, I can't remember how old, but not yet at puberty) that sex doesn't have to like that, here, let me show you! And Melissa is like WHAT? NO! and Snake respects that, but even at the time I was disturbed that Snake made that offer in the first place, and I'm more upset now, as an adult looking back.

The Seventies.

Re: child sexual abuse cw

[skygiants]

I have not! I actually had no idea there was a short story first until I started looking up the book afterwards (and to write this review.) Just 'Of Mist and Grass and Sand' would be so much more depressing! I don't think I really got into the novel until around the middle, when she's hanging out somewhere for a while and actually forming connections. (I mean, I know she makes a connection with Arevin, but it's, like, three sentences and then the rest is pretty much just him being hot...sorry, Arevin. No disrespect.)

Yeah, he's, like, seventeen or so, I think? Not Melissa-young, but still quite young! THE SEVENTIES. (I had actually totally forgotten that Snake makes Melissa that offer. @__@ Maybe I blanked it out! Though Melissa is I think at puberty, she just looks younger, BUT STILL.)

[adiva_calandia]

YESSS. I am so glad you read it! I've just always found it such a remarkable book -- the slow pace and the quietness of it is so unlike any other sci-fi I've read, and I love the way McIntyre worldbuilds.

And, also, how many books do you get that have post-apocalyptic polyamory and ALSO people covered in snakes?

[skygiants]

Yeah, it's just, like -- it's a very considering kind of book. It takes its time and does what it wants to do, which I appreciate!

(However many it is, CLEARLY THERE SHOULD ALWAYS BE MORE.)

[rachelmanija]

I love this book. I've always wished McIntyre would write The Further Adventures of Snake and Melissa.

[skygiants]

Yes! I really was kind of sad we never got to actually see them reach the healers, I would love to see so much more even of just that sphere.

[jinian]

I haven't read this in years! Must reread.

[skygiants]

It's one of those books I missed out when I was not reading 1970s sci-fi in my youth because my parents only ever gave me Heinlein and Pohl!

[cahn]

Oh, I love Dreamsnake!

Melissa is clearly the best, because the Melissa-Snake relationship is made of awesomeness, but I have always been a big fan of Snake/Arevin, because a) I don't think I've ever read another book where the guy is keeping himself pure for her, while the woman has sex with various people because, you know, a woman's got needs, and everyone is totally cool with that, and b) like you said, Snake and Melissa do the hard work of saving themselves, and Arevin, when he finally gets on the scene, gets... to hold a bowl of water.

[skygiants]

HAHA YES I think Snake/Arevin is great for that very reason. Snake trots around thinking vaguely wistfully of Arevin on occasion, and Arevin is like SHE CHANGED MY LIFE, I ONLY WISH TO MAKE OUT WITH HER EVER AND FOREVER. Well done, Arevin, you held that bowl of water!