Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!SSteinberg.SoftArts@MIT-MULTICS
From: SSteinberg.SoftArts@MIT-MULTICS@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: A Rave for Courtship Rite
Message-ID: <11819@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Sep-83 17:39:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.11819
Posted: Mon Sep 19 17:39:00 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 26-Sep-83 02:10:05 EDT
Lines: 16

I just finished reading Courtship Rite by Donald Kingsbury and
would like to recommend it highly.  It is a well constructed
intrigue with lovable characters.  It is set on the planet Gita
which is exceedingly hostile to human life.  Most of the native
vegetation is poisonous except for eight plants known as the
sacred eight.  The clans follow rigorous "culling" procedures
in which those with low genetic "kalothi" are eatten during
times of famine.  The five protagonists are members of a group
marriage and are searching for a sixth.  They have chosen a
particular biologist but are redirected by the Prime Predictor
and told that they must marry a heretic who has numerous
followers in a politically important area.  Needless to say,
her heresy includes the renunciation of cannibalism which has
endeared her to many, but has also made her many enemies.  The
plot twists and turns as these political intrigues often do but
that just keeps the pages turning.