Book Review: Ethan of Athos
by Lois McMaster Bujold.

Reviewed by Anonymous.

"...Ethan braces himself for his first encounter with those most alien of aliens...females of his own species..."
- From the back cover blurb, Baen Books, fifth printing, 1999.

Imagine a planet of men only, where its inhabitants have remained separated for centuries from the cruel taunts of others who despise the "Planet of Fags" - where in-vitro births are the norm according to the rites of "God the Father".

Then imagine a twist: Dr Ethan Urquhart of Athos is forced to leave the sanctuary of his planet in search of new genetic material in order to continue his planet's population growth. He finds himself upon a space station that harbours criminals, spies and - gasp! - even women. Most surprisingly, he becomes totally dependent upon the help of one woman, Elli Quinn, for his survival and, ultimately, the survival of his planet.

This plot is fun and friendly. It contains spies who cross and double-cross, while its protagonist must come to terms with women, those people whom he has been taught to fear most. Perhaps there is even a message here about tolerance.

Significantly, this story was originally published in 1986, when the mainstream media's only comments about gays were: AIDS!, AIDS! and AIDS!! Bujold's matter-of-fact acceptance of a gay planet, complete with a credible single-sex culture and religion, must have been a refreshing breath of fresh air, and remains so today.

Her story also contains significant implications regarding genetics and in vitro technology. These messages were later reflected in the outstanding 1997 film, "Gattaca", but unlike this worthy predecessor, this former story appears to have been overlooked - perhaps because of its lighthearted tone and its acceptance of homosexuality as normal.

'Ethan of Athos' is easy to read and arguably resembles the tone of 'slash' or 'Mary Sue' fan fiction - and is possibly the legacy of such material. Nevertheless, it delivers a crisp, efficient and professional presentation of characters, vivid space station scenery and potential social messages.

It also fits snugly into Bujold's wider series of novels and introduces other characters and worlds that apparently feature in her other books.