Now that everyone's had time to read it, it's time to talk about The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell in detail. Did we like the book? Were the characters compelling? Did the end work for us? Was it an effective alegorical exploration of the Columbian contact with the Americas? And why are the answers to all these questions "no"?
This book featured a lot of graphic imagery, so be aware we have in-depth discussions of rape, torture, and isolation in this episode.
If you'd like to skip the discussion of the plot and jump right to our deeper discussion of the themes, then jump from about 15:05 to 52:40. We wanted folks who haven't read the book recently, or don't intend to read it, to be able to understand the plot and enjoy the rest of the episode, but not everyone will want a recounting of the novel they just read.
During the course of the novel we mentioned a few articles, videos, and books, including:
Next week we'll be discussing Arthur C. Clarke's short story "The Star" (pdf) in the context of The Sparrow to compare and contrast them.
As always, we'd love to hear from you! Tweet us at @spectologypod, submit the episode at r/printSF, or email us at spectologypod@gmail.com with your thoughts about the book.
Many thanks to Dubby J and Noah Bradley for doing our music and art.
In Conversation: Our Favorite Aliens in Science Fiction
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24.2: Wittgenstein's Mistress post-read: In February reading this seemed like a good idea.
Things We Like: Quarantine Edition! What to do, watch, and play while you're stuck inside.
24.1: Wittgenstein's Mistress pre-read: Philosophical Science Fiction & being lonely at the end of the world
23.2: The Ghost Network post-read w/ Ben Roswell: Celebrity, Internet Culture, Architecture, and Secret Utopias
In Conversation: 2019 Recap, Book Stats, & Reader Questions
23.1: The Ghost Network pre-read w/ Ben Roswell: Experimental Narratives, Storytelling Games, and Postmodern Literature
22.2: A Memory Called Empire post-read: Matters of Taste, Culture Shock, and Historical Worldbuilding
In Conversation: How & Why to Vote for the Hugo Awards
22.1: A Memory Called Empire pre-read: Martine's academic work, historical ambassadors, and what it means to be a member of an empire
18.3: Stanley Chan discusses Chinese Science Fiction, the process of translating his novel Waste Tide, and trends in technology.
21.4: Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand w/ Bee: Radical visions of Identity, Class, and Gender
21.3: Ice by Anna Kavan post-read with Charlotte Geater: Experimental & Postmodern Fiction, and Death Meditations
21.2: Childhood's End post-read w/ Seth Heasley: Religion, Psionics, and Big Ideas in Science Fiction
21.1: Classic SF pre-read: On creating cannons, and how to read problematic fiction & authors.
20.2: An Unkindness of Ghosts post-read: Slave States, Trauma, and Theocracy
In Conversation: Fancasting Binti, Black Tom, the Culture, and Ninefox Gambit
20.1: An Unkindness of Ghosts pre-read: Reading with privilege, using genre conventions, and truth in fiction
19.2: Zone One post-read: Depression, Surviving the Apocalypse, and New York City in fiction
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