Communipaths

Coyote Jones Series #1

by Suzette Haden Elgin

Ace Double Novel 441-05595-075
Noblest Exp In The Galaxy, Louis Trimble, grade B+
Communipaths, Susette Haden Elgin, grade C

Genres: Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

Paperback

About the author

Suzette Haden Elgin was an American science fiction author. She founded the Science Fiction Poetry Association, and is considered an important figure in the field of science fiction constructed languages. Elgin was also a linguist; she published non-fiction, of which the best-known is the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense series.

Born in 1936 in Missouri, Elgin attended the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in the 1960s, and began writing science fiction in order to pay tuition. She has a Ph.D. in linguistics, and was the first UCSD student to ever write two dissertations (on English and Navajo). She created the engineered language Láadan for her Native Tongue science fiction series. A grammar and dictionary was published in 1985. She is a supporter of feminist science fiction, saying "women need to realize that SF is the only genre of literature in which it's possible for a writer to explore the question of what this world would be like if you could get rid of [X], where [X] is filled in with any of the multitude of real world facts that constrain and oppress women. Women need to treasure and support science fiction." [1]

In addition, she published works of shorter fiction. Overlying themes in her work include feminism, linguistics and the impact of language, and peaceful coexistence with nature. Many of her works also draw from her Ozark background and heritage.

Elgin became a professor at her alma mater's cross-town rival, San Diego State University (SDSU). She retired in 1980.

Reviews

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Communipaths was a short, engaging read, but I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. The multiple perspectives are well-written, but transition between each other in an odd fashion, and after the conflict that took up the rest of the novel, I thought that the ending was depressingly unsatisfying. I also found it slightly odd that, in a novel made up almost entirely of smart and tough sci-fi women who could explode the galaxy, an outer space folk singer named Coyote Jones served as the focus of so many of the chapters. However, the idea of an outer space folk singer named Coyote Jones is so impressive that I really didn't care if he felt shoehorned in or not.

I enjoyed reading The Communipaths, but it was so full of confusing, non-committal ideology and had so many unfinished feeling stories for its 100 page length that I can't easily recommend it. Still, I'm curious to read the author's other work and see how, in a longer novel, her style works.

[Simon Vozick-Levinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Communipaths' is an excellent 1970 SF novella about telepaths in a future society and the ethical trade-offs surrounding their place in society. It's very well written, with thoughtful themes that reminded me of Le Guin's novels and Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go (and a dash of swashbuckling space adventure thrown in for fun). Looking forward to reading more of Elgin's work, much of which is sadly out of print.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Communipaths was a short, engaging read, but I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. The multiple perspectives are well-written, but transition between each other in an odd fashion, and after the conflict that took up the rest of the novel, I thought that the ending was depressingly unsatisfying. I also found it slightly odd that, in a novel made up almost entirely of smart and tough sci-fi women who could explode the galaxy, an outer space folk singer named Coyote Jones served as the focus of so many of the chapters. However, the idea of an outer space folk singer named Coyote Jones is so impressive that I really didn't care if he felt shoehorned in or not.

I enjoyed reading The Communipaths, but it was so full of confusing, non-committal ideology and had so many unfinished feeling stories for its 100 page length that I can't easily recommend it. Still, I'm curious to read the author's other work and see how, in a longer novel, her style works.

[Kent · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incredibly bare-bones story that has a lot of good ideas, but leaves the reader wanting more due to thin or non-existent storytelling and fleshing-out of the characters, world, purposes, and motivations.

[Brown Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

An intriguing premise marred by the choice to put all the action "off-camera."

Living "ansibles" unite the human "galaxies" with their quantum telepathy but their work is, well, coerced and unconditional. In this story, we see the end of the old regime in the form of a telepath so powerful, the need for forced labor is eliminated. The path to this freedom lies through the destruction of an "insane" woman (who doesn't want to relinquish her child, which counts for crazy in this society.) Elgin does not coerce your sentiments here, staying true to the principles she seems to espouse in the story.

An agent of the powers-that-are-no-longer-perhaps quits and abandons society as a result. Whether you care or not is probably predicated on reading the other stories in which he appears.

So: an uncomfortable read. Gird your loins.

[Randee Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of "Native Tongue," so I tend to give anything by Elgin a shot.

"Communipaths" touches on all of the Elgin notes fans will expect: women's choices, close family units and, of course, methods of communication (in this case, everyone has varying "psi" abilities, including telepathy). From 1970, it has a distinct "of that era" SF feeling, in that it feels more about presenting the quandary and building the world around that than in the resolution, which comes abruptly and in the space of a single paragraph. I had to read it three times to assure myself that this is how our antagonist resolves.

Not bad -- I liked the universe it took place in and would read more on that -- but limited.

[Steven T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Communipaths was excellent, probably the most interesting sci-fi I've read by a female writer. I'd give it 4.5 stars. I was happy to learn that it is the first part of a trilogy and look forward to reading the next two books. I found the quasi-utopian community that Elgin depicts particularly interesting and quite appealing.

The Noblest Experiment is really a sort of second-rate espionage novel in sci-fi drag. As such, I'd give it 2.5 stars. There is the curious use of a "vibrator" as a weapon, which makes for many, unintended not doubt, funny passages.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I ever read by Suzette Haden Elgin, and it made me a lifelong fan. Her story of a psychically talented baby torn from her mother's arms by a tyrannical government made a vivid impression--especially since I read it in the maternity ward.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Communipaths" was a very good Sci-Fi book, that looks at its cultures in the universe while centered on a good story. As for "The Noblest Experiment in the Galaxy", it read more as a spy novel that happened to take place in space. It was a very good spy novel, but not really good Sci-Fi.

[SciFiOne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ace Double Novel 441-05595-075
Noblest Exp In The Galaxy, Louis Trimble, grade B+
Communipaths, Susette Haden Elgin, grade C

[Marko]

I have the german edition: Der Q-Faktor