So last night I finally finished a book that I've been reading for a year, one of the most complicated and just plain weird books I've ever read. I "reviewed" the book for the Gray Matter issue of Numéro but never actually read the whole thing until now. It's set in a totalitarian, dystopian world 500 years in the future where society is ordered by your color perception, the higher perception, the higher position in society. And everyone's name tells you exactly what sector they are from. The Greys are those in society with basically no color perception and they are the workhorses, forced to serve. The interesting thing that I find about science fiction literature and films that I think the general populace fails to notice at times is that often it exists not just for expressions of imagination and whimsy but for social commentary. They are like parables, revealing more about the way we think and act, and bringing those uncomfortable topics to the forefront in the guise of the unbelievable.
Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura on Star Trek all those years, after reading a few scripts she began to notice some common thread in the stories. She went to Gene Roddenberry, the director and creator of the series, and said to him, "I know what you're doing, these aren't just space stories, these are morality plays." Gene looked at her, put his finger to his lips and said, "Sshhh," with a smile.
So under the blanket of the colortocracy, killer swans, man-eating plants, smuggling of colors, and dangerous romance, Shades of Grey has a thing or two to say about social prejudice, hierarchy, government control, fear, and original thought. A very interesting read with more twists and turns than a yateveo tree.
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