Books › A Time Of Changes
A Time Of Changes
First published 1979 · 320 pages
A philosophical sci-fi journey into a world where the very concept of the self is a deadly sin.
What it feels like
This Nebula Award-winning classic offers a deeply introspective and philosophical reading experience, immersing you in a far-future society where the ultimate taboo is the self. The narrative unfolds at a steady, contemplative pace, wrapping the reader in an initially oppressive atmosphere of extreme emotional repression and cultural isolation. As the protagonist undergoes a profound psychological awakening, the mood shifts toward something rebellious and liberating, though fraught with the constant peril of exile or death. The prose is earnest and thoughtful, focusing on the internal friction between dogmatic societal conditioning and the innate human need for connection. It is a perfect match for readers who crave vintage science fiction that uses interplanetary settings to dissect language, individualism, and the raw essence of what it means to be human.
- Mood
- oppressive
- alienating
- awakening
- contemplative
- Tone
- philosophical
- earnest
- introspective
- rebellious
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- the power of self-expression · rebellion against dogma · cultural isolation · the meaning of humanity · individualism vs collectivism
- The writing
- Thoughtful and introspective, focusing heavily on internal psychological states and the weight of forbidden concepts.
- The arc
- Moves from a state of repressed, alienated silence to a dangerous and liberating embrace of individual identity.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love classic, philosophical science fiction that uses alien cultures to explore fundamental questions about human nature and language.
Content notes
- themes of exile and execution
- psychological repression
About the book
In the far future, Earth is a worn-out backwater and humanity is spread across the galaxy on worlds that began as colonies, but now feel like home, each with its own long history of a thousand years or more, and each with its own unique culture. One of the strangest is on Borthan, where the founding settlers established the Covenant, which teaches that the self is to be despised, and forbids anyone to reveal his innermost thoughts or feelings to another. On Borthan, the filthiest obscenities imaginable are the words “I” and “me.” For the heinous crime of “self-baring,” apostates have always paid with exile or death, but after his eyes are opened by a visitor from Earth, Kinnall Darival, prince of Salla, risks everything to teach his people the real meaning of being human.
Description from Open Library.
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