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Rite of Passage
Alexei Panshin

Nebula 1968

Not high on the excitement scale but lots of fun and insight into the process of growing up. Some may look down on this story as too juvenile; and, it's true that this is a great book for teenagers. But I think it's important to appreciate adolescent energy - we can all respect and learn something from it. This age group steeps in critical self-awareness and the intense questioning of status quo opinions. When we're younger, we uncritically accept what our parents and society communicate. As we get older, most of us relax more and get lazy about looking at our preconceptions and rigid thinking. Reminders help.

As teenagers question adult values, culture only evolves when we use this same energy to examine old methods, traditions, and mores. The faster technology changes our external world, the more important this process becomes. It's fitting that this book was written in the 60's which in many ways could be described as the adolescence of the 20th century.

The main character resembles a female Holden Caulfield but with more confidence and daring. She deeply reflects with open honesty on her moment-by-moment experience, learns, and grows. The theme, setting, and context parallel Growing Up Weightless but the effect brings much more power and substance.

Frequently science fiction based in the future deplores over population and the lack of conscious birth control. Beauty by Sheri Tepper paints one of the most bleak and depressing visions of a future with too many humans. Here too we find strong statements like, "The very first thing you learn as a child is the consequences of a Free Birth policy. We couldn't last a generation if we bred like animals." And, "A cancer cannot be contained and a planet that does not regulate birth is a cancer. A cancer must be destroyed or it will grow and grow until it destroys its host and itself."

Indeed, it's hard to contemplate a future without some resolution of this issue. Rite of Passage looks clearly at social questions like this and their consequences without polemics and narrow-minded opinion. It goes further and defines growing up and maturity as the "ability to sort the portions of truth from the accepted lies and self-deceptions you have grown up with." A noble task and good reason why both young and old can appreciate this book.

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