Canopus in Argos
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Canopus in Argos is a sequence of science fiction novels by Doris Lessing which portray a number of societies at different stages of development, over a great period of time. The focus is on forced evolution being carried out on less advanced species and societies.
The novels take place in the same future history, but do not relate a continuous storyline. Each book covers unrelated events, with the exception of Shikasta and The Sirian Experiments, which tell the story of forced evolution on Earth through the eyes of Canopians and Sirians respectively.
The Canopus in Argos series as a whole falls into the category of soft science fiction due to its focus on human characters and social-cultural issues, and its de-emphasis of the details of scientific technology. This set of writings represented a major shift of focus for Doris Lessing, influenced by spiritual and mystical themes in Sufism, in particular by Idries Shah.[1]
- Shikasta (1979)
- The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four and Five (1980)
- The Sirian Experiments (1980)
- The Making of the Representative for Planet 8 (1982)
- The Sentimental Agents in the Volyen Empire (1983)
The five works have also appeared compiled in a single volume.
[edit] Summary
- Shikasta - A secret history of Earth from the perspective of the advanced Canopus civilization.
- The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four and Five - Depicts the influence of a series of cultures on the "zones" that are more or less advanced than their own.
- The Sirian Experiments - Focuses, like Shikasta, on the history of Earth, but from the perspective of visitors from Sirius rather than Canopus.
- The Making of the Representative for Planet 8 - The story of the civilization on a planet that, due to interstellar changes, is slowly facing extinction, and Canopus's relationship with them.
- The Sentimental Agents in the Volyen Empire - A story of Canopian agents on a less advanced planet; explores hazards of rhetoric.
