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Storyteller
On the planet of Thalassa, a world in which history is chronicled from one generation to the next by Storytellers, one woman who calls herself Teller has a profound impact on the life of Samad, a young street boy who has become apprenticed to her.
372 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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373 people want to read
About the author
Amy Thomson
24 books64 followersAmy Thompson is an American science fiction writer. In 1994 she won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Most of her work is considered hard science fiction and contains feminist and environmental themes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 29, 2010
There is a good story here. . . underneath very pedestrian storytelling -- which is rather ironic, for a novel about the power stories (and memories) have in our lives. It is a coming-of-age novel, but the characters surrounding Samad (the young boy) seem never to have grown up themselves, and from his introduction (when he is eight) Samad thinks and talks and acts exactly as mature as Teller (who is even older than Samad knows). It is a companion animal fantasy and succeeds in that regard, but as a result the har don't feel alien enough for the science fiction setting that is clear in the backdrop at all times and which becomes foreground in the last third of the novel. The central metaphor inherent in the harsel mode of reproduction is very satisfying as it weaves through the rest of the story, but its execution left quite a bit to be desired, and the novel got bogged down in the middle with paroxysms of grief. In short, it's a story in search of a writer: if Thomson was a better technician (something she conveniently makes Samad off-stage with a bit of hand-waving that felt far too much like wish-fulfillment) I believe I might have loved this book; as it is, I could see recommending it to a middle-schooler (whose parents don't mind frank discussion of sex) but not to an intelligent, well-read adult.
October 2, 2015
This is a hidden jewel! I found this book in paperback on a $1.00 book rack at Dollar General. After I started my book blog I began scouring all of the Dollar Generals in my area for other copies to have as giveaways, but it was to no avail. This story wraps around you like a warm blanket. It has the most unique and heartwarming friendship I have ever read, contained within its pages. I am saving my pennies to buy copies on the internet, so I can share this book in a few giveaways. Talking about it makes me want to riffle through the moving boxes, so I can hug it. The paperback is less than $5 on Amazon, and I am telling you it is well worth the price. I will be reviewing this on my blog and will bring the link once it is posted.
October 24, 2019
Fantasy novel involving telepathy, loving mentorial relationships, and gender fluidity. I thought the author's first book was much better. This one didn't really grab me.
August 26, 2018
I enjoyed the general story. I love a pioneer/origin story.
I thought the writing and details of the story were mostly too juvenile that I thought this was meant to be a children’s book until the sudden fuck words thrown in and the random sexcapades.
I loved that the main characters are an old woman and a gay kid. It’s refreshing to have something other than a white male coming of age story. However, I don’t know anything about being gay or coming of age as a gay person to know if this part of the story was done right. It did seem a little stereotyped to me.
The ending with Abeha-offspring/Abeha-Teller-continuing-entity cheapened all the grief Teller and Samad went through. Let them die. I thought the harsels and the world was beautifully alien until that “rare” ending with the harsel who can keep memories more than alive inside him. It was just too convenient and perfect in a world that is already too perfect because it’s secret overlord is somewhat of a control freak. I really wish it would have ended with Samad leaving for Jump Pilot school and leaving Thelassa to the Thelassans and the Hars. A better epilogue would have been him coming back hundreds of years later and seeing what Thelassa would become without Teller’s constant influence.
I thought the writing and details of the story were mostly too juvenile that I thought this was meant to be a children’s book until the sudden fuck words thrown in and the random sexcapades.
I loved that the main characters are an old woman and a gay kid. It’s refreshing to have something other than a white male coming of age story. However, I don’t know anything about being gay or coming of age as a gay person to know if this part of the story was done right. It did seem a little stereotyped to me.
The ending with Abeha-offspring/Abeha-Teller-continuing-entity cheapened all the grief Teller and Samad went through. Let them die. I thought the harsels and the world was beautifully alien until that “rare” ending with the harsel who can keep memories more than alive inside him. It was just too convenient and perfect in a world that is already too perfect because it’s secret overlord is somewhat of a control freak. I really wish it would have ended with Samad leaving for Jump Pilot school and leaving Thelassa to the Thelassans and the Hars. A better epilogue would have been him coming back hundreds of years later and seeing what Thelassa would become without Teller’s constant influence.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2015
An amazing book, with a memorable Mediterranean-inspired world and characters. The storytelling is beautiful and evokes the best of folk tales. There are several sweet episodes focusing on the virtue of kindness, both in Teller's stories and in her life and in Samad's. The harsels are some of the most interesting "bond animals" I've ever seen, and their songs continue the book's theme of the power of stories. I am so glad I picked this up from the secondhand section at a whim, because it's an absolutely beautiful book that I never would have found otherwise.
January 15, 2011
Storyteller is a lyrical science fiction novel set on the watery planet of Thalassa. Reminiscent of Robert Heinlein's "Citizen of the galaxy" it tells the tale of homeless orphan Samad who happens to meet Teller. A storyteller, Teller and Samad bond and the story of what happens next is delightful and touching.
December 7, 2017
A great story with memorable characters, and a really interesting take on the "humans bonding with telepathic sentient creatures" SF/F trope. The story surprised me because it doesn't follow the typical narrative path of a lot of bonding stories I've read before. The main character, Teller, who is bonded to the alien harsel Abeha, is a very old woman. And the story isn't about her young protege Samad being welcomed into the Super Special Club of Bonded Humans where he'll have a chance to show everyone how great he is by saving the day (a common cliche in such stories, and where this probably would have gone if it had been written with less skill). It's really a story about growing old, grieving, and letting go. It's a story about memory, and how the people we meet in our lives can profoundly influence us. There's no epic deeds here, just people living their lives and trying to make the best choices they can.
I also enjoyed the fact that Thallassa, as a planet, has a culture that's a true melting pot of Greek, Spanish, and Arabic influences--something a little different from what I usually read. There is some truly deft worldbuilding in this book. Well worth the quest I underwent to track this book down.
If I have to make a niggling critique, I'd say that Samad, at one point, does fall a bit into the Marty Stu cliche by becoming super handsome AND super skilled AND super respected at a young age, but considering everything else the story has going for it, I'm willing to forgive :)
I also enjoyed the fact that Thallassa, as a planet, has a culture that's a true melting pot of Greek, Spanish, and Arabic influences--something a little different from what I usually read. There is some truly deft worldbuilding in this book. Well worth the quest I underwent to track this book down.
If I have to make a niggling critique, I'd say that Samad, at one point, does fall a bit into the Marty Stu cliche by becoming super handsome AND super skilled AND super respected at a young age, but considering everything else the story has going for it, I'm willing to forgive :)
November 10, 2020
My first impression of this book was that it had some similarities, plot-wise, if not in style, to Citizen of the Galaxy and a few other Heinlein works. The main thread begins when Teller, an itinerant senior master storyteller, rescues a young beggar, Samad, from being punished for theft, and, as Heinlein once said, "when you free a slave, you become responsible for making sure they can survive on their own (not a politically correct sentiment at all, is it?)" So, she ends up adopting the boy and they begin their travels around the world of Thalassa, and Samad's education.
Thomson uses this framework to gracefully show us the story of how the Pilot first landed on Thalassa - its creation myth - and guided the settlers who finally arrived by starship later into creating a peaceful colony, in harmony with the harsels, the dominant intelligent sea creatures on the planet. The Pilot had lost her "Jump" abilities when she was shipwrecked, but bonded with the eldest and greatest of the harsels via mindspeech.
As Teller and Samad travel together, she relates, bit by bit, all of the stories that tie the colonists to their traditions, and we are also given all the background information that we need to understand the planet and its cooperative races, without ever feeling like we've just gotten a massive data dump. The book is billed as for young adults, and it maintains a PG rating aside from some mild heterosexual and homosexual scenes, where Samad figures out just who he is, as he grows into a young adult, and becomes a master storyteller himself.
Thomson uses this framework to gracefully show us the story of how the Pilot first landed on Thalassa - its creation myth - and guided the settlers who finally arrived by starship later into creating a peaceful colony, in harmony with the harsels, the dominant intelligent sea creatures on the planet. The Pilot had lost her "Jump" abilities when she was shipwrecked, but bonded with the eldest and greatest of the harsels via mindspeech.
As Teller and Samad travel together, she relates, bit by bit, all of the stories that tie the colonists to their traditions, and we are also given all the background information that we need to understand the planet and its cooperative races, without ever feeling like we've just gotten a massive data dump. The book is billed as for young adults, and it maintains a PG rating aside from some mild heterosexual and homosexual scenes, where Samad figures out just who he is, as he grows into a young adult, and becomes a master storyteller himself.
March 4, 2018
I wanted to like this book. It features a strong female lead, the power of changing a narrative, sea creatures with wit and telepathy, and non-traditional protagonists.
It unfolds like a fairy tale, with light, generous touches and strong characters.
The plot is a bare thread, supported only by the characters. This is where it started to lose me, as the two main characters (and their whale friend) are elevated above all other characters in terms of longevity, caring, and their own relationship to one another. It feels, in the end, like the story supports a benevolent dictatorship. Having the right intentions is always rewarded.
Fairy tales work because they inspire fear and have a grounding in emotional reality. Although there are emotions aplenty in this book, the characters live in a benevolent, caring world full of support systems and generosity. This is a light, fluffy tale with good writing and some pieces I'll remember.
Yet it felt too easy, and the world too dreamy. In the end, that made me pull away in disbelief and frustration.
The depiction of gay men was also stereotyped and distant, frustratingly ungrounded in humanity.
It unfolds like a fairy tale, with light, generous touches and strong characters.
The plot is a bare thread, supported only by the characters. This is where it started to lose me, as the two main characters (and their whale friend) are elevated above all other characters in terms of longevity, caring, and their own relationship to one another. It feels, in the end, like the story supports a benevolent dictatorship. Having the right intentions is always rewarded.
Fairy tales work because they inspire fear and have a grounding in emotional reality. Although there are emotions aplenty in this book, the characters live in a benevolent, caring world full of support systems and generosity. This is a light, fluffy tale with good writing and some pieces I'll remember.
Yet it felt too easy, and the world too dreamy. In the end, that made me pull away in disbelief and frustration.
The depiction of gay men was also stereotyped and distant, frustratingly ungrounded in humanity.
May 31, 2017
This is a wonderful tale of love, acceptance, and family, whether it be between humans or between humans and another species. Although set in the future when humans have colonized other planets, the story is very relatable. It demonstrates how humans can live in harmony with the natural world. This harmony is achieved, initially, through the efforts of one human woman (Teller) and one of the harsels (sentient aquatic species), and is maintained by Teller and thousands of others (human and harsel) who understand the value of living in harmony.
My only complaint about the book is Thomson's failure to have Teller counsel her adopted son about safe sex when he becomes sexually active. Teller never tells him to be careful where he goes, who he has sex with, or to practice safe sex. There is no excuse for this omission.
My only complaint about the book is Thomson's failure to have Teller counsel her adopted son about safe sex when he becomes sexually active. Teller never tells him to be careful where he goes, who he has sex with, or to practice safe sex. There is no excuse for this omission.
January 14, 2025
This is not a book I would normally pick up, but I received it from a book exchange with a friend. I loved the diversity of characters- an elderly woman, a coming of age boy, a telepathic space whale. The world is unique and immersive, and plot lines were emotional.
I did find the prose a tad young for my taste and it felt very middle grade at times. My biggest struggle was that everything felt a little too convenient. Maybe I’m just jaded from reading so much grimdark, but every conflict resolved too easily.
(Small spoiler ahead re ending)
while the happily ever after ending was cute, I did feel it cheapened the grief and acceptance the characters went through and once again felt too convenient/ deus ex machina.
I did find the prose a tad young for my taste and it felt very middle grade at times. My biggest struggle was that everything felt a little too convenient. Maybe I’m just jaded from reading so much grimdark, but every conflict resolved too easily.
(Small spoiler ahead re ending)
while the happily ever after ending was cute, I did feel it cheapened the grief and acceptance the characters went through and once again felt too convenient/ deus ex machina.
February 12, 2018
It is like Heinlein's Citizen of the Galaxy as the cover on my copy claims, but for me it was more like the stories of Ursula Le Guin. I thought it was very well done. It's a book of caring deeply about someone in particular and for others in general. I'm sorry for those who reviewed this book and weren't able to see the beauty I saw in it. It's easy to see why Amy Thomson has won prestigious awards. This book brings to mind a quote from Lao Tzu: Being loved deeply by some one give you strength; Loving someone deeply gives you courage.
November 28, 2023
This is one of my top three favourite books of all time, and I'm not sure anyone I know has read it. Characters that come alive right off the page - an engaging and heartwarming story - themes that are highly topical and relevant - I keep coming back to this book again and again, only to find something new about it that makes me love it all the more. If you ever have a chance, PICK THIS UP AND READ IT!
October 14, 2017
The story teller tells a story about the Kingdom of Morocco. In the story we learn that the art of storytelling is dying out. The result of this is a great drought throughout their kingdom. The story is a stories within a story which could be confusing for some children. However the illustrations make up for this, they are beautiful and really capture the stories that are being told.
March 10, 2020
OH MY what a beautiful and touching story and love that memories do indeed live on..this is a wonderful sci fi book though looking at it you'd think it was fantasy..perhaps a bit..but space travel is evident and it's an alien world that it takes place on..really good, enchanting!
February 28, 2019
Slow start but it picks up & goes some really great places.
August 16, 2023
Own and read this book over covid some time. Enjoyed.
August 6, 2025
I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. The characters take you on quite the journey. I really enjoyed the story.
May 14, 2020
Through an alliance with sentient sea creatures, a rejuvenated failed Jump Pilot uses her storytelling skills to help a struggling human colony survive. Gaylactic Spectrum Award Nominee for Best Novel (2004), Endeavour Award Nominee (2004).
September 29, 2014
Ms. Thomson is one of the greatest world builders I've read. The people, or beings, who inhabit her planets are wonderful. This book is no exception.
The world of Thalassa is even more of a water world than our Earth. It is metal-poor, and when people first arrive, they end up bonding with the large "fish" that swim in the oceans, the harsel. Hars are telepathic, to those who can hear, and they not only learn words, but communicate in song. They have giant holds in their bodies for specially built pods to carry their humans and cargo as they ply the oceans.
The bonds between a har captain (the human) and the har and strong and life-long.
Teller, a master storyteller who travels Thalassa telling stories, teaching the history of the planet, while keeping a secret meets and rescues a young orphan, Samad. Teller plans to find him a good family, but he sees it as being thrown away by this woman who tells stories, and refuses to let her go without him.
Teller has a har, Abeha, who also bonds with Samad. They both have their reasons for bonding with Samad, and neither thinks to ask what he wants. And as he becomes an adult, there are the inevitable clashes between adults and child.
There is a portion of the book which may bother some, but I think Ms. Thomson handled it well, with sensitivity and grace. Samad is homosexual. The most important aspect of that portion of the book is how it confuses him, and how when his mother, Teller, finds out, she is totally accepting. Frankly, I thought it was well handled, and such a small portion of the book barely worth mentioning; however, I know there are those out there in Reader Land who may have a different view than I on the subject.
I whole-heartedly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good fantasy novel. It is not an adrenalin gusher, it is thoughtful, delightful, there are places where I used a hanky (or three), and there are places where I not only chuckled, but also laughed out loud. A truly fun book.
The world of Thalassa is even more of a water world than our Earth. It is metal-poor, and when people first arrive, they end up bonding with the large "fish" that swim in the oceans, the harsel. Hars are telepathic, to those who can hear, and they not only learn words, but communicate in song. They have giant holds in their bodies for specially built pods to carry their humans and cargo as they ply the oceans.
The bonds between a har captain (the human) and the har and strong and life-long.
Teller, a master storyteller who travels Thalassa telling stories, teaching the history of the planet, while keeping a secret meets and rescues a young orphan, Samad. Teller plans to find him a good family, but he sees it as being thrown away by this woman who tells stories, and refuses to let her go without him.
Teller has a har, Abeha, who also bonds with Samad. They both have their reasons for bonding with Samad, and neither thinks to ask what he wants. And as he becomes an adult, there are the inevitable clashes between adults and child.
There is a portion of the book which may bother some, but I think Ms. Thomson handled it well, with sensitivity and grace. Samad is homosexual. The most important aspect of that portion of the book is how it confuses him, and how when his mother, Teller, finds out, she is totally accepting. Frankly, I thought it was well handled, and such a small portion of the book barely worth mentioning; however, I know there are those out there in Reader Land who may have a different view than I on the subject.
I whole-heartedly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good fantasy novel. It is not an adrenalin gusher, it is thoughtful, delightful, there are places where I used a hanky (or three), and there are places where I not only chuckled, but also laughed out loud. A truly fun book.
August 11, 2016
The best part of this book was the description of the unusual ecology of the distant planet Thalassa, where most of the book takes place. The mother character was easy to relate to. The other characters were believable, except for the "boy" character. His character changed to meet the plot requirements, and changed in sometimes unbelievable ways. Still, the storytelling style draws you into the story, and the descriptions keep you there. Then the "boy" flips his characteristics, which pushes the reader out of the story. If you persevere past the latest incarnation of "the boy" the rest of the story proceeds nicely. This book was shortlisted for the Gaylactic Spectrum Award in 2004.
October 10, 2012
I think this is a wonderful story. It wanders a little, and is long winded at times, but for the most part a very endearing plot. I loved the human characters as much as the non-human ones. I was not sure I was going to like the ending and the direction the main character was going to go, but at the end, it was happy and all of the expectations were fufilled. Lovely sci-fi world, wonderful, intelligent non-human beings - who could ask for more? After finishing the book, I feel that I must have read this story before, but it must have been a long time ago. Some things that happened just seemed so familiar. However, I am not sorry that I spent the time ito read it again.
June 9, 2015
This book is one of my favorite books of all time. An absolutely fabulous SF fantasy about a telepathic partnership between a female traveling storyteller and her companion harsel, a giant sea-beast, set on a distant oceanic world dotted with inhabited islands. It'll grab you by the heart and wring it out by the time you've finished reading. I re-read it every few years.
June 30, 2011
I liked it a great deal. It meanders a lot in the end third and the worldbuilding outshines the writing, but dang I love the harsels as a species and the core cast is loveable and sympathetic without being saccharine.
August 15, 2012
It was ok, but I couldn't get into it. Maybe I'll give it another shot on another day. I originally got it thinking that it was a collection of short stories because of its title and I didn't really look at it, so maybe I'm being unfair. But I'll give it another try at another time.
April 10, 2008
This was definitely a different kind of SF novel. It was probably the most feminine SF I have read. I would be interested in her other books as well.
October 16, 2008
This book rocked! I could not put it down :)
June 19, 2010
This is an absolutely amazing story. Deep, full, rich. Read this book!
April 15, 2013
Fantastic book. Where did this author go? Sigh. Realized she's not had anything new novel-length under this byline for a decade. Anyone know if she's writing under a pen name?
December 9, 2015
Great story,and good writing! The Halocaust info was tough to take but the writing isnt too graphic so even wimps like me can read it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews