Transfigurations

The Hugo- and Nebula-nominated novella "Death and Designation Among the Asadi" forms the first part of Transfigurations, the notes and journal of an anthropologist studying the mysterious hominid Asadi on a strange planet. The story continues when his daughter comes to investigates his disappearance. We join in with the characters as they speculate on the Asadi, creating and abandoning hypotheses in a way that seems very credible in the story as they learn more about these weird creatures. A dense, even dry book, but continually fascinating,and the last section of the book provides us with surprising answers to all our questions, incidentally turning from an anthropological investigation to a horror novel. Lots of plot twwists, startling revelations - even about Earth's far past - but not a lot of characterisation,no very likeable people. I had inevitable comparisons to make with parts of Simmons Hyperion, a synthesis of horror and anthropology. I wonder if Simmons read this and was influenced. Complex, original and mesmerising, Transfigurations was nominated for the British Science Fiction Association Award in 1980. Read for my Masterworks challenge. Excellent and fascinating, but some parts are shocking and unpleasant, so be prepared.