The Just City
Author | Jo Walton |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Fantasy |
Publisher | Tor |
Publication date | January 2015 |
Pages | 368 (Hardcover) |
ISBN | 978-0-7653-3266-0 |
Followed by | The Philosopher Kings |
The Just City is a science fiction/fantasy novel by Jo Walton, published by Tor Books in January 2015. The sequel The Philosopher Kings was published in June 2015.
Synopsis
The Greek gods Athene and Apollo collect 10,000 human children from throughout history, and place them on the island of Thera prior to its volcanic destruction. There, a collection of adult supervisors (who are likewise from throughout history) will raise the children to achieve the ideal society as described in Plato's Republic — which becomes much more difficult when Socrates arrives.
Reception
At NPR, Amal El-Mohtar called City "(b)rilliant, compelling, and frankly unputdownable", comparing it to a Socratic dialogue,[1] while at Booklist, Michael Cart described it as a "remarkable novel of ideas", conceding that it may be somewhat "abstruse", but emphasizing that this does not detract from the quality of its plot and characterization.[2]
Publishers Weekly stated that City was "impressively ambitious", but criticized Walton for overuse of sexual violence and for a "reductive" portrayal of the Greek gods.[3] Similarly, Kirkus Reviews considered the protagonists to "have a certain appeal", but stated that the novel was "more thought experiment than plot".[4]
References
- ↑ The Consolations (And Controversies) Of Philosophy In 'The Just City', at National Public Radio, by Amal El-Mohtar, published January 15, 2015; retrieved March 5, 2015
- ↑ Just City, by Jo Walton, at Booklist, by Michael Cart; published December 1, 2014; retrieved March 5, 2015
- ↑ Review: The Just City, at Publishers Weekly; published October 13, 2014; retrieved November 4, 2014
- ↑ THE JUST CITY by Jo Walton; at Kirkus Reviews; published September 16, 2014; retrieved November 4, 2014
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