8 /10 1 Votes
Language English Publication date 2013 Pages 352 pp ISBN 9781905784509 | 4/5 Goodreads Publisher Tartarus Press Media type Print Originally published 2013 Genre Science Fiction Country Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rupetta (2013) is a science fiction novel by Australian writer Nicole Bourke, writing under the pseudonym of "Nike Sulway". The novel won the 2013 James Tiptree, Jr. Award.
Contents
Plot summary
The novel follows the story of Rupetta, a mechanical woman built in rural France in 1619 and endowed with sentience and immortality. In order for Rupetta to function properly she must be "wound" like a clock. The responsibility for this "winding" falls on the female descendants of Rupetta's creator Eloise. The novel explores the interactions over the generations between Rupetta and her "winders".
Reviews
George Williams in The Australian found: "The book is notable not just for its original story but its form. It is written in an unusual, lilting style that somehow manages to capture the emotional resonance of the scene, whether it be happy, melancholy, earnest or reflective. The style brings to mind a children's fairytale...Rupetta is a rich, complex work wrapped in an engaging style. It is not a book that can be pigeonholed. It has elements of fantasy, romance and even gothic horror in the mould of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. At the same time, it contains lengthy discussions on questions such as the meaning of knowledge."
The James Tiptree, Jr. Award jury noted that the novel was: "A deft blend of fantasy, science fiction, romance, and even gothic horror, this beautifully written story challenges the reader’s expectations about gender and of a gendering society. It examines power and what makes an object of power, relationships and love, sexuality and identity, and how culture is shaped and history is made."