©All the material in this website is copyrighted to Kathleen L. Fowler unless explicitly indicated otherwise.  Permission is granted to use and distribute this material freely so long as you attribute properly by retaining the full header information.  11/16/99

Survey of Science Fiction S05 Syllabus |  Required texts on WebCT | Film List in-class    | Guide to Reading Journals   | Optional Readings |

Places:

Y-S: one of 23 multi-national corporations trying to run the world. Shira works there at the opening of the novel.
Tikva: Free town, Jewish community
Glop: megalopolis on old Boston-Atlanta corridor. Generally unprotected from the environment, overcrowded, dangerous, vibrant, exciting
Black Zone -- see Nili below.
 

Characters -- 21st century track:

Shira Shipman (protagonist) born 2031 -- about 28 at opening of novel (28 Jan. 2059) at the time of her divorce judgement..  Initially works for Y-S; later moves back to hometown Tivkah.
Joshua Rogovin (Shiraís husband -- soon ex-) divorces her, claims son Ari (born Shipman, now renamed Rogovin) takes him to Mars for 2 years
Yod - the tenth cyborg (Alef was the first). Each named after letters of the Hebrew alphabet in sequence. Lover first to Malkah, then to Shira. Created to defend the town. Status as a "citizen" and as a "Jew" debated by Tikva.
Gimel -- an earlier cyborg -- who is not destroyed but is "slow," Humanoid form removed.
Malkah Shipman: Shirahís grandmother, Rivaís mother, studies in Prague; brilliant cyberneticist; chief base overseer with Avram in Tikvah. Builds chimeras to defend Tikvah and to sell to multis for income. Co-creates Yod. Gives him human feelings and values. Lover to Yod.
Riva: cyberpirate. Gives Shira up to Malkah to raise. Passes in the Glop as "The Grey Pirate" in Lazarusí troop. "Dies" defending Shira in the meeting with Y-S.
Avram Stein: Creator of the cyborg series. Married to Sara who dies early. Father of Gadi
Gadi Stein: Son of Avram, first lover of Shira, creator of Stimmies
Hannah: lover of Gadi who breaks up his early relationship with Shira
Zee Levine -- schoolmate of Shiraís who becomes assassin for Y-S (computer razor). Apparently provides keys to Base defenses to Y-S. Almost assassinates Malkah; Yod assassinates her.
David: Avramís assistant, killed by Alef.
Nili bat Marah Golinken -- semi cyborg born from a woman, no father. Enhanced. Raised in the so-called Black Zone (what had been Jerusalem and region destroyed by nuclear/biological/chemical device in Two Week War in 2017). Temporary lover to Riva, then to Gadi. Takes Malkah back to Black Zone to heal eyes and learn.
Yosef Golinken (the physicist) died in 2013. Provides sperm to become Shiraís father in 2031.
The House -- Computer that runs the house -- appts, messages, lets people in or not.
Gila Manzer -- of the terapia coop, friend of Malkah

Characters 16th century track.

Novel opens in 1599/1600.
Joseph - Golem created by Rabbi Judah Loew Ben Bezalel, with assistance of Yakov Sassoon and Itzak Cohen. Taught by Chava, Judahís granddaughter. Defends Jewish ghetto in Prague
Rabbi Judah Loew Ben Bezalel, Judah the Lion (Maharal), Rabbi Loew, Master Rabbi of Prague. "A Bright fierce man, a hotheaded kabbalist so that Torah haunts and informs and sculpts the world for him." In his 80s
Chava -- Judahís granddaughter, daughter of Itzak and Vogele, scholar, midwife, widow Bachrach. Has relinquished her son to her husbandís family. Disinclined to remarry.
Perl -- Judahís wife, the rebbitzin. "Able balebusteh of a wife"
Thaddeus -- a Dominican, formerly of the Inquisition in Spain. Hates Jews and especially Judah. Debates Judah -- a draw (carefully scripted by Judah who dares not win and will not lose!)
Rudolf the Emperor
Itzak Cohen -- Rabbi Loew's son-in-law twice. Married Leah and when she died married Vogele. Father of Chava. In his early fifties.
Mordecai Maisl -- a wealthy Jew
Chaim -- the silversmith tortured to death by the Christians
Maria -- the abducted servant girl Joseph rescues to prove Jews did not kill her.
Yakov Sassoon in his early 30s. Judahís favorite disciple. Rather mystical and hotheaded.
David Gans -- the historian and scientist, friend of Tyco Brahe and Johanne Kepler the Christian scientists

Rough chronology drawn from clues scattered throughout He She and It.

1543 Jews of Prague exiled
1599/1600 Time at the opening of the Joseph (Golem story)
1946 77,3987 Jews died in camps. Malkahís mother born in Cleveland, Ohio.
1987 Malkah born
2008 Malkah (age 22) in Prague; Visits Altneushul; love affair with professor; Riva conceived
2009 Riva born, daughter of Malkah and professor.
2011 First direct linking/interface to cyberspace
2013 Death of Yosef Golinken, physicist, grandfather of Nili, and posthumous father of Shira.
2022 Kisrami plague
2017 Two Week War (Nuclear/chemical/biological device destorys Jerusalem and surrounding region. Followed by "The Troubles." Anti-semitic persecution following the Two Week War which many have blamed on the Jews
2020s-2030s famine; ocean rising; desertification. 2 billion die from famine and plagues.
2029 Great Hurricane
2031 Assassination of Mohatela the Lion (Malkahís lover) from Johannesburg who has been trying to free Africa for European and Asian domination
2031 Shira born daughter of Riva and preserved sperm of Yosef Golinken
2040 Opposition to humanoid robots mounts. Cyberriots. No robots in human form thereafter (until Avramís illegal experiments)
2044 Gadi and Shira Lovers; Avram creates Cyborg Alef who kills David, Avramís assistant. Alef is destroyed.
2048 Shira breaks off with Gadi; goes to school in Europa.
2059 Time at the opening of the novel. Custody hearing re: Ari Shipman/Rogovin. Malkah 72; Shira 28; Yod (tenth of Avramís cyborgs) is 3.

Return to top