Uncharted Territory

A Novel

By: Connie Willis

Narrated by: Chelsea Stephens

"Connie Willis deploys the apparatus of science fiction to illuminate character and relationships, and her writing is fresh, subtle, and deeply moving." (The New York Times Book Review)

Findriddy and Carson are two explorers sent to Boohte to survey the ridges and scrub-covered hills of the planet. Back home, their adventures are followed by countless breathless fans, but the reality is far less romantic as they deal with dust, nitpicking regulations, and uncooperative aliens. Teamed with a young intern whose specialty is mating customs, and a native guide of indeterminate gender, the group sets out for a previously unexplored sector of the planet. As they survey canyons and cataracts, battle dangers, and discover alien treasures, they will soon find themselves in alien territory of another kind: exploring the paths and precipices of sex. And love.

©1994 Connie Willis (P)2020 Tantor

Passed the betchel test

Passes the betchel test. Not Connie Willis’s best, but still enjoyable.

Heteronormative and assumes binary gender

Good Story, Choppy Narration

Connie Willis is as good a storyteller as ever — fun characters, imaginative world-building, surprise plot twists.

But the narration was choppy and somewhat monotone. Given that the story was on the shortish side, it was okay, but Chelsea isn’t my favorite narrator.

A neat Departure

This was a different type of story from Ms. Willis's normal time travel books.
I really enjoyed the story, and the ending was very sweet

Lovely tale

Neat story of human dynamics and gender. I was a bit surprised by expectation of “male” and “female” as the only two genders across worlds and species, but the story held up in the end as a musing on gender expectations and relationships. And I would love to one day see Sarah falls….

Abrupt ending

The story line was okay but the ending was so abrupt and there was no plot arc and resolution really. Not worth my credit.