Documents Relating to the Sentimental Agents in the Volyen Empire - Softcover

Doris Lessing

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9780586060506: Documents Relating to the Sentimental Agents in the Volyen Empire
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0586060502 ISBN 13: 9780586060506
Publisher: Panther, 1985

Synopsis

Documents Relating to The Sentimental Agents in the Volyen Empire is an sf novel by Nobel Prize in Literature-winner Doris Lessing. It concludes her five-book Canopus in Argos series & comprises a set of documents that describe the final days of the Volyen Empire, located at the edge of our galaxy & under the influence of three other galactic empires, the benevolent Canopus, the tyrannical Sirius & the malicious Shammat of Puttiora. The Sentimental Agents is a social satire written in the tradition of Jonathan Swift & George Orwell focusing on the debasement of language in political rhetoric. In this fictional universe it's propaganda that keeps fragile empires afloat. When language becomes too distorted, some succumb to a condition called "undulant rhetoric" & are placed in a Hospital for Rhetorical Diseases. Because of its focus on characterization & social/cultural issues, & no emphasis on technological details, this book is soft sf, or "space fiction" as Lessing calls her Canopus in Argos series. While The Sentimental Agents can be read as a stand-alone book, she does continue with the history of the Sirian Empire, picking up from where she left off in The Sirian Experiments ('80), 3rd book in the series.

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About the Author

Doris Lessing was one of the most important writers of the second half of the 20th-century and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature 2007. Her novels include "The Grass is Singing", "The Golden Notebook" and "The Good Terrorist". In 2001, Lessing was awarded the David Cohen Prize for a lifetime's achievement in British literature. In 2008, "The Times" ranked her fifth on a list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". She died in 2013.

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Publisher
Panther
Publication date
1985
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0586060502
ISBN 13 
9780586060506
Binding
Paperback
Rating
  • 3.94 out of 5 stars
    455 ratings by Goodreads

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780006547228: The Sentimental Agents in the Volyen Empire

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  0006547222 ISBN 13:  9780006547228
Publisher: Flamingo, 1994
Softcover