Shaman

By Kim Stanley Robinson

Book Overview

Kim Stanley Robinson, the New York Times bestselling author of science fiction masterworks such as the Mars trilogy and 2312 , has, on many occasions, imagined our future. Now, in Shaman , he brings our past to life as never before. There is Thorn, a shaman himself. He lives to pass down his wisdom and his stories - to teach those who would follow in his footsteps. There is Heather, the healer who, in many ways, holds the clan together. There is Elga, an outsider and the bringer of change. And then there is Loon, the next shaman, who is determined to find his own path. But in a world so treacherous, that journey is never simple - and where it may lead is never certain. Shaman is a powerful, thrilling and heartbreaking story of one young man's journey into adulthood - and an awe-inspiring vision of how we lived thirty thousand years ago.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316098086
• ISBN13: 9780316098083
• Release Date: June 2014
• Publisher: Orbit
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Monotonous

Dull story. Very long. Only about one person basically. Dragged out daily events to the point where you just turn pages to get to next event. Liked the idea of a character becoming a Shaman but written like a first writing experience by author. I'll pass this book on instead of tossing it to someone who has difficulty reading involved books. I only finished book by not reading a lot of the second half of book. Sorry.

Vision of Homo Sapiens 30,000 years ago & the waning of the Neanderthal people

I really loved this book. It expanded my mind in regards to what it means to be Homo sapiens. KSR knows how to write about and accurately portray nature, landscapes and the ecological relationships that tie them all together. Great eye for detail & understanding of science and anthropology of our precursor ancestors. The people & culture of Homo sapiens clans 30K years ago in southern France, at a time when the African fauna were part of the local fauna. He describes fully believable characters & scenarios that stirred my imagination. The Neanderthals are the strange 'old people' both pathetic & dangerous at times. Rich in shamanic culture & sapient problem-solving with the tools at hand = The description of the Shaman's council at the Summer Meet of all the Clans was one of KSR's inventions that especially resonated with me (a retired field researcher in Africa, Tiber & western USA). What did we use before compasses, topo-maps & GPS? Shamans meeting from regions afar, would share their knowledge & model in rocks, pebbles, soil, sand, sticks, etc. the landscapes depicting distances, mountain ranges, river drainages & lakes, good-hunting and wildlife migrations of their respective regions. There is a fun lot to digest & learn here, if it appeals to you. Some KSR novels are long-slogs or unreadable while others are Brilliant. This one is Brilliant. Related See also: Bjorn Kurten, "Dance of the Tiger" & Werner Herzog documentary, "Cave of Forgotten Dreams". You will not be disappointed. (Y)