We Who Are About To... [B1769]

2005 PB, 118-pages, in excellent condition. Originally published in 1977, this is one of the most subtle, complex, and exciting science fiction novels ever written about the attempt to survive a hostile alien environment. It is characteristic of Russ's genius that such a readable novel is also one of her most intellectually intricate.

One woman's quest to die with dignity may doom them all. A multi-dimensional explosion hurls the starship's few passengers across the galaxies and onto an uncharted barren tundra. With no technical skills and scant supplies, the survivors face a bleak end in an alien world. One brave woman holds the daring answer, but it is the most desperate one possible. Elegant and electric, We Who Are About To... brings us face to face with our basic assumptions about our will to live. While most of the stranded tourists decide to defy the odds and insist on colonizing the planet and creating life, the narrator decides to practice the art of dying. When she is threatened with compulsory reproduction, she defends herself with lethal force.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Brutal and essential and I was shocked I hadn't come across it before."; "Astronauts are forced to land on a less-than-habitable planet where rescue will not be feasible. Russ paints the desire to repopulate the planet as something inherently evil and psychopathic as the protagonist's womb comes to be seen as communal property. This book is deeply thought-provoking and excoriates the ideals of imperialism and colonialism."; "Enjoyed this much more the second time around, the last third is still extremely challenging on a thematic level but also in terms of the form. This is definitely not for everyone but I got a lot out of this and it gave me a lot to think about."; "This is one of the best science fiction novels I've ever read. It's smart, bold, uncomfortable and addictive. It's quite short and accessible and should be read by everyone who's feeling overly comfortable with their reading, to shake things up a bit. That is, of course, if you manage to find the book. The refusal of big publishers to critically engage with difficult subject matter has kept Russ and other non-mainstream authors from the shelves. Luckily there's a cheap Penguin edition of this book, the only option out there currently in print."