#129. TRANSFIGURATIONS By Michael Bishop

Published : 1979
Pages : 320
Overall Mark : 7/10

In a clearing of the great forest of the planet BoskVeld, a strange ape-like species of alien, the Asadi, act out their almost-incomprehensible rituals. They have apparently degenerated from a level of complex technological sophistication to this primal simplicity. Now anthropologist Elegy Cather comes to BoskVeld and with her is an intelligent ape, Kretzoi, physically adapted to resemble the aliens. As Kretzoi insinuates himself into their rituals, she slowly begins to unravel the enigma of the Asadi.

MICHAEL BISHOP (1945-)
Michael Bishop’s A Funeral For The Eyes Of Fire, brought comparisons with Ursula Le Guin and James Tiptree, Jr and was followed by a number of critically acclaimed works including Transfigurations, Ancient Of Days and No Enemy But Time, for which he won the Nebula Award for Best Novel. Michael Bishop lives in Georgia, where he is writer-in-residence at LaGrange College.

VERDICT
Although an interesting book with a fascinating conceit, I couldn’t help being distracted by the character of Elegy (appropriately named due to her involvements towards the end of the book) who, intentionally or not, comes across as a huge slut. Her sexual relationship with the narrator seems to come out of nowhere, and then she has sex with someone as well. That aside, this story which features some pretty obvious links with the Bible story concerning the Transfiguration of Jesus, manages to be entertaining and mysterious by leading us slowly into the world of the Asadi and only revealing their true nature towards the very end of the novel.