Shikasta: Re, Colonised Planet 5

By Doris Lessing

The first volume in the Canopus in Argos: Archives series is presented as a compilation of documents, reports, letters, speeches and journal entries, and purports to be a general study of the planet Shikasta–clearly the planet Earth–to be used by history students of the higher planet Canopus and to be stored in the Canopian archives.

For eons, galactic empires have struggled against one another, and Shikasta is one of the main battlegrounds. Johar, an emissary from Canopus and the primary contributor to the archives, visits Shikasta over the millennia from the time of the giants and the biblical great flood up to the present.

With every visit he tries to distract Shikastans from the evil influences of the planet Shammat but notes with dismay the ever-growing chaos and destruction of Shikasta as its people hurl themselves towards World War III and annihilation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 17, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307777669

Doris Lessing

Doris May Lessing is a British novelist, poet, playwright, biographer, and short story writer. She is the winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature. Her works include: The Grass Is Singing; a five novel sequence collectively entitled Children of Violence; The Golden Notebook; The Good Terrorist; and five novels collectively known as Canopus in Argos: Archives.

Reviews for Shikasta

[amandrake_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wildly idealogical, but interesting, and sometimes touching. Doris Lessing confronts the human and the political with originality and without flinching.

[hindins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book and re-read it several times throughout high school, each time finding more depths. While 'technically' it is science fiction it has few of the hallmarks of the genre which is not surprising given that its author is one of the great literary authors of the twentieth century. I suspect few are aware of this foray into science fiction which is a shame.

[lisamorr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this one. Much of it is told in reports on the condition of Shikasta, a world that is being managed by an alien race by doing some genetic engineering (bringing a race of giants to the planet, with the expectation that the giants will interbreed with one of the indigenous species), in the hope that it will be successful. Because of a variety of issues, including a problem with the connection between Shikasta and the aliens and also by interference by a corrupt alien race, Shikasta has gotten off-track in terms of its development. Agents of the alien race visit the planet from time to time, reporting on its progress. There are also sections where these agents become part of the planet's society, somewhat like reincarnation. Then they try to implement their roles in helping the planet get back on track, although they don't seem to be completely aware of their roles, and sometimes they fail. The last part of the book includes a rather interesting trial where all the problems of the world are blamed on one race. This book is part of a series and I'll definitely look to read more.

[baswood · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Shikasta was a logical step for Lessing taking up themes that she had explored in Memories of a Survivor. In that novel she had written about the breakdown of civilisation as seen by an elderly woman peering out of her ground floor city flat and who only ventured outside on local foraging expeditions. It provided a gritty reality to a dream world that she imagined behind her living room wall. In previous novels Lessing had used her experiences as a political activist in Southern Rhodesia, as a single woman in post war London and as a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown to pin point ideas and themes that were shot through with a realism that was gripping and drenched in the life and times through which she lived. Shikasta opened out into something more ambitious, because Lessing sought to make her themes global: everything now was to be imagined and everything linked to the history of our civilisation.She needed a medium in which to capture her ideas and she chose science fiction. Influenced no doubt by the novels of Olaf Stapledon particularly "Last and First Men” and "Star Maker" which attempted to put the broad sweep of our civilisation into the perspective of the universe: Lessing used these ideas to explore the human condition. There is very little science in her science fiction; this did not concern her, she wanted to create a scenario where she could put the human race under her microscope and expose the fault lines that she had observed through her own experiences and her knowledge of history. It should be no surprise that the outlook is pretty bleak. The history of Shikasta (our Earth) is told by journals, reports and letters from representatives from Canopus; a higher civilisation that along with the Sirians work to keep the universe in harmony. Johor is the person who is tasked with protecting and nurturing Shikasta and it is a thankless task. Shikasta means the broken one but it did not start out like this. Johor first knew it as Rohanda a world blessed with a nature that supported a variety of life. It was one of the most hospitable worlds in the Universe and needed special attention. A race of giants in tune with the harmony of the spheres were bused in (by space ship) to support the emergent ape like humanoids who were the most intelligent of the earths inhabitants. With the support of the Giants the natives developed a harmonious civilisation that promised to be a cornerstone of the Canopus empire. Unfortunately within the Universe there was also Shammat a rapacious empire bent on destruction and they also had eyes on the Earth. They were able to introduce a degenerative disease into the native population which weakened their harmony with the Universe and with each other; they increasingly put themselves first, became greedy, and exploitative. Their protectors; the giant race had to leave.,We pick up the story of Shikasta just as it emerges from its second world war. Johor receives a number of reports from his representatives detailing through individual cases the problems that are burgeoning on the planet. The most serious problem seems to be a generation gap, the youth of the world start to blame their parents for the state of the earth, which is steadily moving towards a third world war. Food production is not keeping pace with the population, the air is being poisoned by industry, there are water shortages and a small percentage of the population have become very rich to the detriment of the rest. Johor realises that he must take more direct action and he chooses to be born on the planet to parents who will provide him with some support. He becomes George Sherban and we follow his growth into becoming a youth leader through the diary of his sister Rachel. He is powerless to stop the catastrophe that is developing but we follow his career second hand through his sisters diary. The final set piece of the novel is the Youth Conference hosted by Geoge Sherban which becomes a show trial for the white race colonisers who are blamed for the destruction of the planet. Shikasta is now ruled by the benevolent Chinese dynasty, but they are benevolent in name only and all the faults of previous rulers and colonisers are just as apparent. George Sherban can only work to save something from the wreckage.Lessing has divided the novel into three parts, the first tells the story of Rohanda and it is here that her writing is at its lyrical best. She imagines a world where all is in harmony; the cities are built according to mathematical formulas that are in keeping with the landscape. There are round cities. crescent cities, star shaped cities and square cities all vibrating in harmony through the stones that have been placed by the giant race. Johor is stationed on the planet and notices the first dissonance in the vibrations and it is through him that we see the degenerative disease take hold.The second part finds Johor in Zone 6. This is the place where the dead souls from various planets wait to enter a firmament to become reborn. It is here he receives reports from Shikasta and they tell of disaffected young people struggling in a world that has no future for them. These read like case histories and Lessing is able to pin point the ills of modern civilisation through these missives. The degenerative disease is having its effect in Zone 6 which is turning into a wasteland. Johor finds people(souls) who he has trusted in the past and persuades them to follow him down to be reborn on Shikasta The third part describes the career of George Sherban and Lessing is able to paint a vivid picture of a world collapsing into a dystopia. George Sherban and his family move around the less fortunate countries where the parents work in hospitals for the common good and George gets on with the life of being a sort of prophet. It is Rachel’s diary that details this part of the story and Lessing once again takes her novel into the nitty gritty of the life of poor families trying to survive in ever worsening conditions. The final youth convention is described by a representative of the Chinese government. The novel is not without its faults. I found the second section which details the issues faced by young people to be a sort of catch all for the ills of modern civilisation. Lessing uses them to hammer home her views on society and even if you sympathise with her left of centre opinions (and I do) they become a little repetitive and they add nothing to the overall flow of the novel. To enjoy the novel you must be able to swallow the science fiction elements; for example a benevolent higher civilisation that protects and guides fledgling civilisations and has representatives on earth. However Lessing uses them merely as a device for the working of her novel, we learn very little about Canopus, even less about the Sirians. It is a bleak view of the human race and ultimately one which is unable to help itself and the idea that higher powers control our destiny will not be welcome to some readers. (Lessing does however avoid any religious connotations). Despite all of this one cannot fail to be impressed by the scale of the novel or of passages of her most thoughtful prose. Brimful of ideas and it does have that sense of wonder that will appeal to some science fiction readers. 4.5 stars.

[questbird · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is about my fourth reading of this book. Shikasta remains one of my favourite science fictional tales, and the most powerful of Doris Lessing's 'space fiction' Canopus in Argos: Archives sequence. It is the history of the world from the point of view of benevolent, immortal but not all-powerful aliens (Canopus, as well as their rivals or opposites Sirius and Shammat), one of whom incarnates in order to help guide the world back to a saner path. The structure of the book is a collection of documents. The first half of the book contains reports and background about Shikasta, 'the wounded one' by Canopus, one of the alien empires which has observed the planet since time immemorial. The second half has document relating to agent Johor, who incarnates as George Sherban, a kind of quiet Messiah, in the last days -- our near future, compellingly and bleakly realised by letters, diaries and reports from Earth. Interestingly, none of the documents in the second part are authored by George Sherban -- but they nearly all concern him or his effect on the world. The subject of the book is the madness and unsustainability of the modern world; Shikasta rages against it. It remains a relevant and powerful work.

[jwhenderson_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Doris Lessing who was awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize for Literature wrote Shikasta, the first volume of her series Canopus in Argos, in 1979. Having read many science fiction novels over the years I was not prepared for this unique approach to the genre. Lessings' space novel is told from the point of view of the alien Canopeans who compete with their rivals from the planet Shammat for the guidance of civilization on Shikasta (Earth). A cosmic accident of some kind (not caused by Shammat) disrupts the energy flows between Shikasta and Canopus. This leads to the breakdown of the harmony of Shikastan civilization, and dominance by Shammat. As an immediate effect, the life span of living beings on Shikasta is shortened from several hundred years to the average life span of a contemporary human. All kinds of evil aspects of modern society (mostly that of political violence and abuse of power) start to arise from this energy disruption. Throughout the Canopeans have agents visiting Shikasta to report on the events and finally living as Shikastans . The novel uses many different styles including historical reports, sociological studies, memos and the diary of the sister of the protagonist, George Sherban (aka Johor). It is a fascinating display of imagination even though it is dated in some ways (the Soviet Union and Communist China are depicted as they existed thirty years ago) and the level of technology presented does not incorporate the immense changes in computing. However, it demonstrates a political world that is not too different from the one in which we live. Overall I enjoyed her writing style and look forward to my next Lessing work, her first novel The Grass is Singing.

[usagi_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Audacious and invigorating. Frighteningly prescient almost 30 years later.

[anamuk_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first of Doris Lessing's SF series "Canopus in Argos: Archives)Shikasta is the Canopean name for Earth, it was originally Rohandra, but a cosmic misalignment allowed the Shammat to gain a hold.The bulk of the book details how various Canopean agents are trying to keep the worst excesses of the Shammat from harming Earth. The book starts with a retelling of Genesis, and then moves on to the 20 Century where the author casts a satirical eye of the politics of the time. This is one of the things good SF should do, picking out human traits and examining them in an unusual framework.

[ledge_5 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

A thoroughly miserable and plodding book. There are no protagonists, only antagonists. The humans are without exception ignorant, brutal, myopic, and self-centred. The Canopeans are smug, patronising, hypocritical, and utterly incompetent. As a rewriting of the bible it serves more than anything to boldly restate the problem of evil, and thoroughly endorse the solution that God is perhaps not good, and certainly not omnipotent, instead completely useless. But 500 pages of phone-book like prose is not necessary to reach that conclusion.

[boktravaren · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best sf novels ever written

[isabelx_21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Canopus in Argos: ArchivesRe: Colonised Planet 5ShikastaPersonal, Psychological,Historical Documents Relating to Visit by Johor (George Sherban)Emissary (Grade 9)87th of the Period of the Last DaysThe first witness was brilliantly chosen. (From a certain point of view.) She was a delegated from Shansi Province. A girl of about twenty. She was, of course, well-fed and neatly dressed and looked healthy and at once the atmosphere lost tension. We are not popular. That is the penalty we have to pay for our superiority!This book takes the form of an academic text for first-year students of Canopean Colonial Rule. It covers the whole history of Shikasta from prehistoric times, and it is clear from the start that Shikasta is Earth.Initially the Canopeans had high hopes for the planet Rohanda, the fruitful, the thriving. But their long-term project to mould the physical and spiritual development of its inhabitants was spoilt when Rohanda came under the influence of the criminal planet Shammat, and the link to Capopus was broken. From then on, Rohanda was known as Shikasta, the broken, the hurt one, and however much the Canopean agents tried they were unable to undo the damage caused by Shammat. I found the middle part of the the book very depressing, with the Canopean agents tell the story of various humans whose lives were sent off track by the power of Shammat. It was so depressing that I nearly gave up reading, but luckily I didn't as the final third of the book was the most involving.There are other ways of accessing Shikasta, but Canopean agents who need to be there for the long term are incarnated as humans, and they enter Shikasta via Zone 6, where souls wait to be reborn. Some agents live a whole human life without remembering their true identity and purpose, but when Johor is incarnated as George Sherban, he spends his life working with youth groups around the world, culminating in a youth congress that conducts a mock trial of the white faces for the evil they have done in the past. But the Canopeans don't want to lose the Europeans' wide genetic diversity, and the Chinese contingent doesn't realise that every aspect of the congress is being manipulated to leave the delegates wondering why they are trying the white races, when it is the Chinese who now run everything and patronise the other races 'for their own good'.And there was just one casual comment somewhere in the book that made me think that the Canopeans might not be quite as altruistic as they appear.