Slow River: A Novel - Softcover

Slow River won both the Nebula Award and the Lambda Literary Award for author Nicola Griffith. The book's near-future setting and devices place it firmly on the science fiction shelves, and the characters' matter-of-fact sexuality further label it as lesbian SF. But make no mistake, Slow River is no subgenre throwaway. Griffith's skill at weaving temporal threads through the plot bring protagonist Lore van de Oest to tragic life, and you will genuinely care about her in the end.

Born into a bioengineering family made wealthy by cleaning up after humanity, Lore leads a life of privilege and power. Riches don't bring happiness, though, and the van de Oest family hides its share of dark secrets. Lore is kidnapped, but escapes from her captors when she realizes her family isn't going to pay the ransom. Naked, alone, and wounded, she is saved by the brutally street-smart Spanner, who teaches Lore to survive by exploiting the Net (and human) weaknesses. To learn to trust, though, Lore must face her demons, one by one, until she can begin again.

Griffith's biotech-science details are accurate, and she fits them smoothly into the story in the manner of a cyberpunk master. This novel's real strength is its characters, though. The van de Oest family, Spanner, even characters who appear only briefly, are all distinct and consistent--not to mention very human. Lore herself seems so personal that Griffith's note about the story's disturbing aspects not being autobiographical was probably wise. Slow River is more than good enough to transcend genre and appeal to both queer SF readers and a more broad audience looking for an excellent character-driven SF story. --Therese Littleton

This is one of my favorite books I've ever edited--because it's extremely well written, deals with the near future in a realistic way, and has great characters, plus a narrative structure that's complex and interesting (unlike many SF novels). The science-fictional developments it tackles, primarily bioremediation, are on the cusp of happening today. The story really sucks you in. Other people seem to agree--here are some other fans and what they have to say:

"This is an astonishing piece of work that transcends its official genre--a sexually frank, emotionally
revealing character study.... My profound congratulations on a terrific second novel." - Dorothy Allison, Author of Bastard Out of Carolina

"No second-novel slump for English-born Nicola Griffith, whose first novel, Ammonite, won both
a Lammy and science fiction's Tiptree Award....In both theme and imagery, Slow River invites
comparison to such death-and-rebirth epics as the Sumerian descent of Inanna or the attempt of
Orpheus to bring Eurydice back from Hades...Rarely has this reviewer wished so fervently for a
sequel!"
--The Lambda Book Report

"With its persuasive characters trying to form identities in an unstable society, its midnight streets and shabby apartments, and its vast industrial engines, Slow River is a powerful prose poem on issues
that are already with us...."
--Locus (The Newsmagazine of SF and Fantasy)

When we at Del Rey began to think about the cover for this book, we knew we wanted something different--something that would match the uniqueness of the inside of the book on the outside. Our Del Rey cover designer put together various photo elements, rather than commissioning a painting: the face, the bubbly water, the microscopic creatures behind the "SLOW RIVER" type, the two halves of the face out of alignment with one another. Every element is connected with the setting and themes of the book, and EVERYONE loved the cover, from the author and myself to the art department, the sales reps, and the bookstore employees! (A rare agreement of opinion.)

SLOW RIVER went on to win the Nebula Award for Best Science Fiction Novel of the Year and the Lambda Award. Pretty good for what the author once self-deprecatingly described as "a book about sewage"!

--Ellen Key Harris, Editor, Del Rey Books