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Why is Science Fiction Holding Us Back?
Book Review: The Word for World is Forest
Urula Le Guin’s 1972 novel The Word for World is Forest depicts a future where Earth (Terra) can no longer grow trees. But we have found a planet Athshea with millions of trees. We are harvesting that lumber.
Chapter 1
This chapter puts us in the perspective of Colonel Davidson. Davidson is half military and half logging company executive. While he is not at the top of the colony’s hierarchy, he is quite influential.
To help with the logging and camp tasks, the Terrans have enlisted the help of a native species called the creechies. The creechies are humanoid but half our size and covered in green fur.
While the creechies have learned a little English, they are not too bright, capable of only repetitive tasks. They are somewhat disobedient and often take naps. Davidson talks about the proper way to handle them, which is similar to how we handle our domesticated animals. The Terrans give them food and shelter. By the end of Chapter 1, I put the creechies a little above the donkey in terms of animal hierarchy. Like it or not, humans have used animals to further human development.
