What do you think?
Rate this book
City on a Star #1
Dryland's End
Five thousand years in the future, life itself is in jeopardy!
A rebellion of intelligent Cybernetic servants has left the Females of the galaxy virtually sterile, crippling the controlling political body – the Matriarchy. The race is on to find a solution, but will it be enough to save the Matriarchy as other galactic authorities attempt to dominate them using sabotage and all-out war? Dryland's End is Felice Picano’s science fiction adventure for the new millennium. The novel touches on many of today's most controversial subjects, such as interracial relationships, gender conflicts, gender identity, and same-sex pairings-and views them with a lens toward the future.
The epic scale of Dryland’s End , has been rewarded with two follow-ups. The “City on a Star” trilogy carries on with The Betrothal at Usk (Oct 2021) and A Bard on Hercular (Spring 2022). First published in 1995, This new edition features a foreword by the author.
"... like the best speculative fiction, this book provides the lucky reader with both an escape into the extraordinary and a mirror for humanity’s deepest issues and concerns." — Jeff Mann, Author of Edge"
In full-fledged sci-fi form, Picano has created entirely new civilizations, species, even new language forms for his society. A phenomenally well-written book." — Virginia Gazette
A rebellion of intelligent Cybernetic servants has left the Females of the galaxy virtually sterile, crippling the controlling political body – the Matriarchy. The race is on to find a solution, but will it be enough to save the Matriarchy as other galactic authorities attempt to dominate them using sabotage and all-out war? Dryland's End is Felice Picano’s science fiction adventure for the new millennium. The novel touches on many of today's most controversial subjects, such as interracial relationships, gender conflicts, gender identity, and same-sex pairings-and views them with a lens toward the future.
The epic scale of Dryland’s End , has been rewarded with two follow-ups. The “City on a Star” trilogy carries on with The Betrothal at Usk (Oct 2021) and A Bard on Hercular (Spring 2022). First published in 1995, This new edition features a foreword by the author.
"... like the best speculative fiction, this book provides the lucky reader with both an escape into the extraordinary and a mirror for humanity’s deepest issues and concerns." — Jeff Mann, Author of Edge"
In full-fledged sci-fi form, Picano has created entirely new civilizations, species, even new language forms for his society. A phenomenally well-written book." — Virginia Gazette
568 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1995
4 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Felice Picano
99 books210 followersFelice Anthony Picano was an American writer, publisher and critic who encouraged the development of gay literature in the United States. His work is documented in many sources.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 8, 2013
There is no doubt about Mr Picano's being a talented author: despite the many unnecessary abbreviations already pointed out by other reviewers, his writing is proficient.
What we have here is a long, hard SF novel, fairly well paced; its structure (one chapter for the outer space adventures of Ay'r and companions - one for the intrigues of politicians) is good; it deals with interesting issues such as racism, distribution of wealth, individual vs general interest, alternative sexuality. All this comes from a writer who does not specialise in SF only.
Characterization is unfortunately lacking: Ay'r lacks depth and acts inconsistently; P'al is someone whose thoughts and actions are inexplicable.
There is also a plausibility issue: a culture that can mesh the genes of three different people to produce a single embryo and possesses artificial wombs cannot have difficulties in conquering a virus who destroys the woman's womb. Such culture would have no problem in taking cells and nurturing them in an artificial womb.
A further issue is the sheer number of characters and settings introduced in the first chapters: it takes quite a bit of concentration to keep all the loose threads in mind until they finally begin to intertwine.
I took all stars out of the rating because I really do not like how Mr Picano treats some topics. Everyone is entitled to his own opinions but I simply cannot stand what he seems more than ready to condone.
To discuss the matter thoroughly I shall have to spoil the plot. Those who do not wish to know it in advance please stop reading now.
Yet I simply cannot cope with such a lax sense of what is right and wrong. Nothing (not even the end of humankind) can justify such lack of ethics and respect for human dignity and freedom of choice: an author is at freedom to mention anything for the sake of a good story but he should not try to convince us that what is wrong is right.
What we have here is a long, hard SF novel, fairly well paced; its structure (one chapter for the outer space adventures of Ay'r and companions - one for the intrigues of politicians) is good; it deals with interesting issues such as racism, distribution of wealth, individual vs general interest, alternative sexuality. All this comes from a writer who does not specialise in SF only.
Characterization is unfortunately lacking: Ay'r lacks depth and acts inconsistently; P'al is someone whose thoughts and actions are inexplicable.
There is also a plausibility issue: a culture that can mesh the genes of three different people to produce a single embryo and possesses artificial wombs cannot have difficulties in conquering a virus who destroys the woman's womb. Such culture would have no problem in taking cells and nurturing them in an artificial womb.
A further issue is the sheer number of characters and settings introduced in the first chapters: it takes quite a bit of concentration to keep all the loose threads in mind until they finally begin to intertwine.
I took all stars out of the rating because I really do not like how Mr Picano treats some topics. Everyone is entitled to his own opinions but I simply cannot stand what he seems more than ready to condone.
To discuss the matter thoroughly I shall have to spoil the plot. Those who do not wish to know it in advance please stop reading now.
Yet I simply cannot cope with such a lax sense of what is right and wrong. Nothing (not even the end of humankind) can justify such lack of ethics and respect for human dignity and freedom of choice: an author is at freedom to mention anything for the sake of a good story but he should not try to convince us that what is wrong is right.
Read
August 2, 2011I liked this book so much that after finishing it, I immediately felt a serious cumpulstion to give it away to someone who I knew would love it the way it deserves to be loved... No, really... It's the most successful and three-dimensional gender-queered space-opera I've ever read, not to mention that the narrative has a great b-story involving some captivating worldbuilding via an entirely tribal alien culture/ society. The vignettes are somehow more and less detailed than necessary down to sex scenes and murder plots... Take my opinion for whatever it's worth, but for me, the bottom line is this: The author's talent and his voice in the intoduction made me curious enough to know what could be going on in the life of someone who "thinks this s*it up". My interest is officially piqued and I'm definitely adding one of his memoirs to next summer's reading list..
October 8, 2020
So misogynist and racist. Offensive.
May 18, 2021
NOTE: This book was provided by ReQueered Tales for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
‘Dryland’s End’ is a truly epic sci-fi saga (726 pages for the printed version, no less, with two more instalments scheduled for release in 2021 and 2022) that can be read as a stand-alone novel. I wouldn’t call it a space opera—those come with a bit more über-grandiose oomph and gesturing, larger-than-life heroes, and operesque plots—but rather an intriguing tale of what could be. It’s a meditation on the rise and fall of a special political-societal universe where women have all the power, men playing a merely subservient role as procreators and “amusers”, if I may use this word. Picture our galaxy five thousand years from now. Three species coexist in the universe Felice Picano depicts: foremost are the Humes (which one presumes are the greatly enhanced successors of us humans), who together with the wasp-like Bella=Arthropods and the Delphinids form a triad that has learned to live peacefully together for the last thousand years. They’re held together by a matriarchial system I’d call “soft dictatorship” and that looks very much like a pyramidal empire based on a (female) warrior caste and myriads of administrative officials, with Her Matriarchy Wicca Eighth at the top in the role of supreme ruler.
The development and expansion of the three species is made possible by a very rare mineral, which allows ultrafast-speed travels and other technological wonders. The raw material is mined on an autonomous world of traders that has carefully remained outside the Matriarchy system and is ruled by an oligarchical council, the Quinx, that consists of the most rich and influential of its citizens. The high-speed travel combined with AI and robots has allowed the Matriarchy to seed remote planets, and the exceedingly long life-spans of the Humes enable them to wait one or two generations before they can see the fruits of their Seeding.
The main character of the novel, Ay’r Kerry Sanq, is sent on a mission to one of these half-forgotten Seeded Worlds by Wicca Eighth herself. In fact, the Matriarchy is at war with renegade Cybers—a group of machines led by an AI that has gained consciousness. Those renegades have found refuge on a space station and, as a first act of war, have released an infertility virus that makes almost all the women in the system sterile and therefore jeopardizes not only the Matriarchy but the survival of Hume-kind itself.
This, in a nutshell, is the starting situation of the novel. As you can see, the mere attempt of summing up the world invented by Picano is already a difficult task (and I’m not sure I have done an adequate job). The book is full of plots, subplots, intrigues and counter-intrigues, twists and turns that kept me not only busy turning pages in a half frenzy—once I started reading, I couldn’t stop—but also in awe. Planning and writing a book on such a scale, with so many strings weaving in and out of one another, with so many characters, so many levels and shades, is a titanic undertaking. Especially if the author has at heart to not lose his readers after a few pages. Felice Picano succeeded in that, no doubt.
Of course, in his introduction, he warns the readers that they might find it hard to get used to the invented futuristic slang; but I have read my fair share of sci-fi, dystopias, utopias, uchronias, etc., so it didn’t take me long to adapt. I admit that it was a pleasure reading this author’s easy-flowing, generous prose, follow his fertile imagination, discover his perfect worldbuilding skills, thoroughly needed in this sort of fiction, and accompany the characters on their journey, most of which I found intriguing, some of them even very endearing (namely the characters encountered on the sole continent Ay’r discovers on the Seeded planet). Some linguistical tics seemed a bit odd and made the sentences unnecessarily hard to read, notably the use of periods in frequently used abbreviations such as “Holo-comm.” (for holographic communications) or “Inter. Gal. Comm. Networks” (intergalactic communication networks), to quote but these two. More often than not, when terms become common enough, periods tend to be dropped even in writing (e.g. sax, rec room, admin, even acronyms like TMI, FYI, asap…). What I also regretted was that I had a hard time imagining one of the three species, that is the Delphinids (they are virtually absent from the book whereas I was able to paint a vivid mental picture of the arthropods, for example).
But these are minor niggles. The novel was really an amazing discovery with almost visionary depth and a unique setting not only in terms of remote and strange planets—something you always expect when reading science fiction—but also in terms of relationships (throuples are the thing-to-have in this imaginative universe) or societal norms (homosexual interactions are not only encouraged but endorsed, heterosexuality is frowned upon). An interesting (and probably quite plausible) take was the premise that even if you change the gender of the ruling caste and invert the power dichotomy (women in top positions, men in subservient ones), the outcome tends to be the same. This is shown throughout the book with perfect consistency. For fans of inventive science fiction with a political-philosophical twist, this is the perfect read.
‘Dryland’s End’ is a truly epic sci-fi saga (726 pages for the printed version, no less, with two more instalments scheduled for release in 2021 and 2022) that can be read as a stand-alone novel. I wouldn’t call it a space opera—those come with a bit more über-grandiose oomph and gesturing, larger-than-life heroes, and operesque plots—but rather an intriguing tale of what could be. It’s a meditation on the rise and fall of a special political-societal universe where women have all the power, men playing a merely subservient role as procreators and “amusers”, if I may use this word. Picture our galaxy five thousand years from now. Three species coexist in the universe Felice Picano depicts: foremost are the Humes (which one presumes are the greatly enhanced successors of us humans), who together with the wasp-like Bella=Arthropods and the Delphinids form a triad that has learned to live peacefully together for the last thousand years. They’re held together by a matriarchial system I’d call “soft dictatorship” and that looks very much like a pyramidal empire based on a (female) warrior caste and myriads of administrative officials, with Her Matriarchy Wicca Eighth at the top in the role of supreme ruler.
The development and expansion of the three species is made possible by a very rare mineral, which allows ultrafast-speed travels and other technological wonders. The raw material is mined on an autonomous world of traders that has carefully remained outside the Matriarchy system and is ruled by an oligarchical council, the Quinx, that consists of the most rich and influential of its citizens. The high-speed travel combined with AI and robots has allowed the Matriarchy to seed remote planets, and the exceedingly long life-spans of the Humes enable them to wait one or two generations before they can see the fruits of their Seeding.
The main character of the novel, Ay’r Kerry Sanq, is sent on a mission to one of these half-forgotten Seeded Worlds by Wicca Eighth herself. In fact, the Matriarchy is at war with renegade Cybers—a group of machines led by an AI that has gained consciousness. Those renegades have found refuge on a space station and, as a first act of war, have released an infertility virus that makes almost all the women in the system sterile and therefore jeopardizes not only the Matriarchy but the survival of Hume-kind itself.
This, in a nutshell, is the starting situation of the novel. As you can see, the mere attempt of summing up the world invented by Picano is already a difficult task (and I’m not sure I have done an adequate job). The book is full of plots, subplots, intrigues and counter-intrigues, twists and turns that kept me not only busy turning pages in a half frenzy—once I started reading, I couldn’t stop—but also in awe. Planning and writing a book on such a scale, with so many strings weaving in and out of one another, with so many characters, so many levels and shades, is a titanic undertaking. Especially if the author has at heart to not lose his readers after a few pages. Felice Picano succeeded in that, no doubt.
Of course, in his introduction, he warns the readers that they might find it hard to get used to the invented futuristic slang; but I have read my fair share of sci-fi, dystopias, utopias, uchronias, etc., so it didn’t take me long to adapt. I admit that it was a pleasure reading this author’s easy-flowing, generous prose, follow his fertile imagination, discover his perfect worldbuilding skills, thoroughly needed in this sort of fiction, and accompany the characters on their journey, most of which I found intriguing, some of them even very endearing (namely the characters encountered on the sole continent Ay’r discovers on the Seeded planet). Some linguistical tics seemed a bit odd and made the sentences unnecessarily hard to read, notably the use of periods in frequently used abbreviations such as “Holo-comm.” (for holographic communications) or “Inter. Gal. Comm. Networks” (intergalactic communication networks), to quote but these two. More often than not, when terms become common enough, periods tend to be dropped even in writing (e.g. sax, rec room, admin, even acronyms like TMI, FYI, asap…). What I also regretted was that I had a hard time imagining one of the three species, that is the Delphinids (they are virtually absent from the book whereas I was able to paint a vivid mental picture of the arthropods, for example).
But these are minor niggles. The novel was really an amazing discovery with almost visionary depth and a unique setting not only in terms of remote and strange planets—something you always expect when reading science fiction—but also in terms of relationships (throuples are the thing-to-have in this imaginative universe) or societal norms (homosexual interactions are not only encouraged but endorsed, heterosexuality is frowned upon). An interesting (and probably quite plausible) take was the premise that even if you change the gender of the ruling caste and invert the power dichotomy (women in top positions, men in subservient ones), the outcome tends to be the same. This is shown throughout the book with perfect consistency. For fans of inventive science fiction with a political-philosophical twist, this is the perfect read.
June 7, 2018
The book is well written, but I can't shake the feeling that the author was all like, "I know, lets make fun of Science Fiction" and then he did it in this book.
I love science fiction, but everything that's ever been wrong with science fiction is in this book:
1) Something familiar made huge (like bugs)
2) A person is suddenly a robot
3) Words with random apostrophes (') added
4) Random abbreviations, complete with a period (.)
5) A hero that has sex with anything and everything (he's apparently bi)
6) Earth flora and fauna on alien planets
7) Blatant violations of the known laws of physics (i.e. it has gravity because it spins, that sort of thing)
It does have some interesting social structures in it. People are all basically brown, so when they have light skin they seem "weird" to others. There is an explicit "Matriarchy" instead of an implicit "Patriarchy" but it's so hard to read because of all the random periods, apostrophes.
Then the fact they go ahead and expect to find that carp just randomly should show up on an alien planet crops up along with giant grasshoppers and it becomes insanely difficult to continue.
I love science fiction, but everything that's ever been wrong with science fiction is in this book:
1) Something familiar made huge (like bugs)
2) A person is suddenly a robot
3) Words with random apostrophes (') added
4) Random abbreviations, complete with a period (.)
5) A hero that has sex with anything and everything (he's apparently bi)
6) Earth flora and fauna on alien planets
7) Blatant violations of the known laws of physics (i.e. it has gravity because it spins, that sort of thing)
It does have some interesting social structures in it. People are all basically brown, so when they have light skin they seem "weird" to others. There is an explicit "Matriarchy" instead of an implicit "Patriarchy" but it's so hard to read because of all the random periods, apostrophes.
Then the fact they go ahead and expect to find that carp just randomly should show up on an alien planet crops up along with giant grasshoppers and it becomes insanely difficult to continue.
December 3, 2018
How can all of the reviews here be so right and yet contradict each other in many ways? Whatever, I flew through the book, enjoyed almost all of it, and am torn between giving it away or keeping it to myself. For what it's worth, since everyone has mentioned target readers, I'm a straight female.
March 17, 2010
Excellent book, for all that straight females are obviously not the book's intended audience. But don't let that stop you from enjoying the ambitious scope, beautifully realized worlds, and clear prose. While there are long sections of exposition, the 500+ page book flies by. However, I was troubled by what I would call narrative exploitation of "female" biology, which is problematic in terms of dubious consent and downright horrifying for one female character. The author, through the scruples of some of his characters, acknowledges that some of his conceits are morally troubling, especially when applied to young men, but that doesn't stop him from constructing a narrative where the reader is meant to be glad when female biology is exploited by cyber-germ warfare, nearly all women are stripped of their ability to bear children, and men come in to save the day with a conceit. This summation sounds far harsher than I mean it to be, because the book is so complex, interesting, and well-written. Just remember that it's not feminist sci-fi; it's gay male sci-fi written for gay sci-fi fans, and it's not entirely without good female characters.
December 2, 2014
Dryland's End by Felice Picano
We are at the end of a millenary Galactic Empire. A Matriarchy rules. Unfortunately, a virus has developed that has rendered women infertile and unable to reproduce. This, obviously, threatens their dominance.
Ay'r, the protagonist, his companion Pa'l, and a representative of the Matriarchy, are sent to the flooding world Pelagia on a mysterious mission. The book has a magnificent prose that narrates the exploration of the doomed world of Pelagia, its rapidly developing tribes, and the strange mythology of the inhabitants.
The homosexual ability to reproduce becomes the central research that Ay’r’s parents were developing in Pelagia, and Mr. Picano guides us through this discovery in a brilliant and enjoyable way.
Meanwhile, a cyber-rebellion threatens the Matriarchy and all humanity. The solution to this crisis is somewhat linked to what happens on Pelagia...
In spite of its gay thematic, it is one of the best science fiction books ever written.
We are at the end of a millenary Galactic Empire. A Matriarchy rules. Unfortunately, a virus has developed that has rendered women infertile and unable to reproduce. This, obviously, threatens their dominance.
Ay'r, the protagonist, his companion Pa'l, and a representative of the Matriarchy, are sent to the flooding world Pelagia on a mysterious mission. The book has a magnificent prose that narrates the exploration of the doomed world of Pelagia, its rapidly developing tribes, and the strange mythology of the inhabitants.
The homosexual ability to reproduce becomes the central research that Ay’r’s parents were developing in Pelagia, and Mr. Picano guides us through this discovery in a brilliant and enjoyable way.
Meanwhile, a cyber-rebellion threatens the Matriarchy and all humanity. The solution to this crisis is somewhat linked to what happens on Pelagia...
In spite of its gay thematic, it is one of the best science fiction books ever written.
December 13, 2013
I typically don't read science fiction but this was really interesting, and intriguing. It is a bit of a long read, but the characters and situations are so well defined that I wanted it to keep going.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews