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Positive tags
Protagonist archetypes
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Synopsis
Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award: Nineteen stories of power and humanity from a science fiction master with otherworldly talent In a small house in the desert, a chimp named Rachel watches Tarzan on TV. Although her body is an ape’s, her mind is something different—a hybrid between those of a chimpanzee and a young girl. When his wife and child died, the doctor who created Rachel implanted his daughter’s brain into that of the chimp. Rachel remembers the jungle; she remembers high school. And when her father passes away, she will embark on the adventure of a lifetime. The Nebula Award–winning novella “Rachel in Love” anchors this haunting collection of stories, along with nominees “Bones” and “Dead Men on TV.” Pat Murphy, whose electric imagination is a testament to how wonderful science fiction can be, writes characters who struggle with alien lovers, vegetative wives, and the burden of seeing into the future. And always, like Rachel, they search for something more: not just what it means to be human, but what it is to be alive.
Tags
Is Points of Departure appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This Philip K. Dick Award-winning collection explores consciousness and identity through provocative stories including a chimp with a human girl's implanted brain. Mature themes of death, grief, and the nature of humanity make this best for older teens and adults comfortable with philosophical SF.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, mild sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include death of parent, death of child, and grief (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Readers who love thoughtful science fiction exploring what makes us human will be captivated by these imaginative character-driven stories.