
A Door into Ocean
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Narrated by:
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Rosalyn Landor
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By:
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Joan Slonczewski
A groundbreaking work both of feminist science fiction and of world-building hard science fiction, A Door into Ocean is the novel that made Joan Slonczewski's reputation as an important science-fiction writer.
©1986 Joan Slonczewski (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
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Refreshing pacifism vs tired noble savage trope
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While the basic plot is quite traditional: a native population overcoming a more powerful outside entity that is intent on total subjugation by peaceful means, the underlying premise falls short on several accounts. Shora is a total water world which means the human female population must have migrated to that world at some point in the distant past implying they have a history, but this never seems to manifest in terms of their understanding of their opponents. In addition, they have conveniently managed to adapt biological mechanisms for every form of advanced technology: insects are use as digital storage devices; fish become long distance communication; and plants supply all medical needs including vines that conduct microsurgery. At the same time, they are dedicated to living in harmony with all the rest of the life on Shora up to the point of tolerating species that kill them to maintain balance. On the other hand, they are constantly introducing genetically engineered lifeforms into the environment without any negative consequence; they are perfect in that their technology never has a downside. Also, they have managed to also learn about quantum mechanics without even having a grasp of the periodic table. Their world is reminiscent of the Flintstones with water replacing rocks. Probably, the most frustrating aspect of the story is that the all the major players on both sides seem totally incapable of even the barest understanding of what the other side is thinking. Lastly, the overuse of "sharing" which is the term for any interaction between two people becomes annoying.
The narration is adequate, although character distinction is minimal and pacing drags a bit.
Overly shared hyper-hydration
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Complex World-building Sci-Fi
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Imaginative and thought provoking
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Two inhabited moons with very different cultures are part of a larger galactic empire, and increasing contact with the empire is causing its own strains. The more industrialized, military-inclined culture of Valendon wants to exploit the resources of Shora, a world virtually without land.
The Shorans have different ideas.
The are peaceful, cooperative, and communal. They are also all female. The reasons for this and its significance become clear as the story progresses, and it's the source of much of the conflict in the story.
Shora isn't the simplistic paradise it may appear on the surface. The Shorans, who call themselves Sharers, are doing a lot more than is visible at a casual glance, and two gender-determined cultures are anything but. The storyline of the young man, Sinel, rejects the whole idea that the traits the Sharers value might be gender-determined rather than cultural.
This isn't a fast-paced action story. It's thoughtful, deliberate, and fascinating. with characters who are interesting, complex, and unfolded with skill. The world-building is indirect yet convincing.
Highly recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
A compelling story well-told
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Might be a better read than listen
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long but good
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What did you love best about A Door into Ocean?
The vivid writing brought me right throughWhat about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?
The narrator did an amazing job conveying the peaceful feeling of Shora and the peaceful beliefs of the sharers.Any additional comments?
I gave the story 4 out of 5 stars only because there was all this build up to a climax that was not very climactic.I felt like I was in Shora
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If you don't like feminism, don't bother obviously. It's tiring to read reviews complaining that this is a feminist book for having an all female society, when 99% of scifi is about male characters and worlds, dominated by men... this is a book by and for women, and for men intelligent enough to care about what that kind of speculation means to women of our world.
My top 3 books of all time
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audio reread
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