Reindeer People
 Omnibus edition | |
| |
| Author | Megan Lindholm |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Vincent Segrelles,Tom Kidd |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Prehistoric fiction,fantasy |
| Publisher | Ace Books,SFBC |
| Published | 1988 |
TheReindeer Peopleis aprehistoric fictionseries by American authorMegan Lindholm,published in 1988 by Ace Books.[1]
Synopsis
[edit]The story centers on a female healer called Tillu who is kidnapped by reindeer herders and bears a son, Kerlew, who has disabilities. It follows their move to a different tribe in pursuit of freedom, Kerlew's apprenticeship to ashamanand the growth of Tillu's relationship with a herdsman.[2][3]
Reception and analysis
[edit]Reviewing the French edition in 2004,Le Mondedescribed it as "a remarkable novel, fascinating, harsh" with a strong female protagonist, and lamented the delay in its release in France.[3]Scholar Nicholas Ruddick praised Lindholm's portrayal of "the flowering of Tillu’s selfhood" in a society where she does not fit in.[2]In 1989Vectorfound the first novel well-characterized,[4]andInterzonepraised the second book's depiction of prehistoric tribes as realistic.[5]A 1996 reference work was more critical, writing that Tillu was portrayed in "too modern" a fashion to fit within a historical setting.[1]In 1990Vectorstated that the depiction of magic inWolf's Brotherwas "refreshingly subtle" but was overall critical of the book, finding the characters "sketchily drawn", the story unengaging and the ending anticlimactic.[6]
According to Ruddick, theReindeer Peopleis set inBronze AgeLaplandand features a Paleo-Lappish society. Describing the series as a prehistoric romance, he writes that it has thematic similarities toJean M. Auel'sEarth's Childrenseries, in particular her historical romanceThe Plains of Passage.[2]A theme explored in the story is the liberty of women in the prehistoric tribe.[1]
Editions
[edit]- The Reindeer People.Ace Books. May 1988.ISBN0-441-71233-9.[7]
- Wolf's Brother.Ace Books. October 1988.ISBN0-441-71234-7.[7]
- A Saga of the Reindeer People(omnibus ofThe Reindeer PeopleandWolf's Brother). SFBC. May 1989.[7]
References
[edit]- ^abcHolliday, Liz;Morgan, Chris (1996)."Lindholm, Megan".InPringle, David(ed.).St. James Guide to Fantasy Writers.St. James Press. pp. 364–365.ISBN978-1-55862-205-0.
- ^abcRuddick, Nicholas (2012).Fire in the Stone: Prehistoric Fiction from Charles Darwin to Jean M. Auel.Wesleyan University Press. pp. 88, 150–151.ISBN978-0-8195-6972-1.Project MUSEbook 428.
- ^abBaudou, Jacques (November 4, 2004)."Le Soudain Succès de Megan Lindholm"[The Sudden Success of Megan Lindholm].Le Monde(in French). p. 6.ProQuest2518409372.
... un roman remarquable, fascinant, âpre.
- ^McNabb, Helen (October–November 1989)."The Reindeer People. Megan Lindholm"(PDF).Vector.No. 152. p. 26 – via Fanac.
- ^McDonald, Phyllis (May 1990)."Fantasy, Etc".Interzone.No. 35. p. 65.
- ^Broome, Terry (February–March 1990)."Wolf's Brother. Megan Lindholm"(PDF).Vector.No. 154. pp. 20–21 – via Fanac.
- ^abcBrown, Charles N.;Contento, William G. (2010)."Books, Listed by Author: Lindholm, Megan".The Locus Index to Science Fiction: 1984-1998.Locus.
External links
[edit]- Reindeer Peopleseries listing at theInternet Speculative Fiction Database