The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four and Five

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The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four and Five (1981) is one of a set of unconventional science fiction novels written by Doris Lessing. They are linked by the name Canopus in Argos, but each is a story in its own right and separate from the others. It is very different from the standard "space opera" approach. The name may be intended as a reference to William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, but it is a distinct work with its own themes and message.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Shikasta, the first book in the series, gives an imagined history of the Earth in which superior aliens from Canopus and Sirius play a role. This story concerns the interactions between "zones" connected to Earth but not quite part of it. The main differences between the "zones" are attitudes to sex, power and the rights of women. Some superior power forces the different peoples to interact and learn from each other.

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