Classics on the Side: Ammonite, by Nicola Griffith

About this event

Please note, this month’s book contains violent and sexual content, as well as other potentially triggering themes and references. Individuals are encouraged to research the book before reading. “Classics on the Side” is an additional, informal book club meet-up, which focuses on older and classic works from the sci-fi and fantasy genres. To see the Classics on the Side booklists, visit our Goodreads account: https://www.goodreads.com/classics_on_the_side_kc Join us to discuss “Ammonite” by Nicola Griffith. Published in 1992, this sci-fi novel explores gender, identity, and societal evolution on an alien world. It won the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Science Fiction and Fantasy in 1993. Book synopsis from Amazon: Change or die. These are the only options available on planet Jeep. Centuries earlier, a deadly virus shattered the original colony, killing the men and forever altering the few surviving women. Now, generations after the colony lost touch with the rest of humanity, a company arrives to exploit Jeep—and its forces find themselves fighting for their lives. Terrified of spreading the virus, the company abandons its employees, leaving them afraid and isolated from the natives. In the face of this crisis, anthropologist Marghe Taishan arrives to test a new vaccine. As she risks death to uncover the women’s biological secret, she finds that she too is changing—and realizes that not only has she found a home on Jeep, but that she alone carries the seeds of its destruction. . . . Ammonite is an unforgettable novel that questions the very meanings of gender and humanity. As readers share in Marghe’s journey through an alien world, they too embark on a parallel journey of fascinating self-exploration.