Shikasta

:"For Persian calligraphical style see Shikasta Nasta`liq."Infobox Book
name = Shikasta
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = US first edition cover (Alfred A. Knopf)
author = Doris Lessing
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series = "Canopus in Argos"
subject =
genre = Science fiction novel
publisher = Alfred A. Knopf
pub_date = 1979
english_pub_date =
media_type = Print (Hardcover)
pages = 448
isbn = 0-394-50732-0
oclc =
preceded_by = –
followed_by = The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four and Five

"Re: Colonised Planet 5, Shikasta" (often shortened to "Shikasta") is a 1979 science fiction novel by Nobel Prize in Literature-winner Doris Lessing, as well as the name of a fictional planet in this novel. It is the first book in her five-book "Canopus in Argos" series.

Subtitled "Personal psychological historical documents relating to visit by Johor (George Sherban) Emissary (Grade 9) 87th of the Last Period of the Last Days", "Shikasta" is the troubled history of the planet Shikasta (an allegorical EarthRef_label|a|a|none) under the influence of three galactic empires, Canopus, Sirius, and their mutual enemy, Puttiora. The book is presented in the form of a series of reports by Canopean emissaries to Shikasta, extracts from the Canopean reference, "History of Shikasta", and letters and journals written by selected Shikastians. "Time" described it as "... at once a brief history of the world, a tract against human destructiveness, an ode to the natural beauties of this earth and a hymn to the music of the spheres." [cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,947537,00.html |title=Visit to a Small Planet |first=Paul |last=Gray |work= |accessdate=2008-08-11]

The story of Shikasta is retold in the third book of the series, "The Sirian Experiments", this time from the point of view of Sirius.

Origins and genre

The story alludes to the Old Testament, Gnosticism and Sufism, [cite web |url=http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfiction/shikasta.htm |title="Shikasta" |work=Infinity Plus |accessdate=2008-06-18] while the name "Shikasta" comes from the Persian word شکسته ("shekasteh") meaning "broken", often seen used as the name of the Iranian national style of Persian calligraphy.

"Shikasta" and the "Canopus in Argos" series as a whole fall into the category of soft science fiction ("space fiction" in Lessing's own wordswikiref |id=Lessing-1979 |text=Lessing 1979, "Some Remarks", p. 8] ) due to their focus on characterization and social/cultural issues, and de-emphasis of the details of scientific technology. When she began writing "Shikasta" Lessing intended it to be a "single self-contained book", but as her fictional universe developed, she found she had ideas for more than just one book, and ended up writing a series of five.

Plot summary

The benevolent galactic empire Canopus colonise a young and promising planet they name Rohanda (the fruitful). They nurture its bourgeoning humanoids by introducing superior creatures from other planets the Canopeans have also colonised to teach the Natives and speed up their evolution. Some of the aliens also breed with the Natives to strengthen the Rohandian gene pool. When Rohanda is ready, Canopus imposes a Lock on the planet that links it to the harmony and strength of the Canopean Empire (resembling Odic force, Mana, Qi, empathy and mystic earth radiation). The link is established by energy transmissions from stone formations built in Native settlements (compare Ley lines).

In addition to Canopus, two other empires also establish a presence on the planet: Sirius and Puttiora. The Sirians, Canopus's ally, confine their activities largely to genetic experiments on the southern continents during Rohanda's prehistory (see Lessing's, "The Sirian Experiments"), while the Shammat of Puttiora remain dormant, waiting for opportunities to spread their evil.

For many millennia the Natives of Rohanda prosper in a Canopean induced climate of peaceful coexistence and accelerated development. Then an unforeseen "cosmic re-alignment" puts Rohanda out of phase with Canopus which causes the Lock to break. Deprived of Canopus's resources and a steady stream of a substance called SOWF (substance-of-we-feeling), the Natives develop a "Degenerative Disease" that puts the goals of the individual ahead of those of the community. The Shammat exploit this disturbance and begin undermining Canopus's influence by infecting the Natives with their evil ways. As Rohanda degenerates into greed and conflict, the Canopeans reluctantly change its name to Shikasta (the stricken).

In an attempt to salvage Canopus's plans for Shikasta and correct the Natives' decline, Canopean emissaries and agents are sent to the planet. Johor is one such emissary, who takes on the form of a Native and begins identifying those individuals who have not degenerated too far and are amenable to his corrective instructions. Johor then sends those he has successfully "converted" to spread the word among other Natives, and soon isolated communities begin to return to the pre-Shikastian days. But without the strength of the Lock and Shammat's influence over the Natives, Canopus is fighting a losing battle and the planet declines further.

By the twentieth century, Shikasta has degenerated into war and self-destruction. Johor returns, but this time through Zone 6Ref_label|b|b|none from which he is born on the planet (incarnated) as a Shikastian, George Sherban. As Sherban grows up he establishes contact with other Canopeans in disguise and then resumes his work trying to help the Shikastians. When famine and unemployment grow, anarchy spreads, and Sherban plays a prominent role in Youth Movements, striving for reconciliation amongst the youth.

On the eve of World War III Sherban and other emissaries relocate a small number of promising Shikastians to remote locations to escape the coming nuclear holocaust. The war reduces Shikasta's population by 99% and sweeps the planet clean of the "barbarians". The Shammat, who set the Shikastians on a course of self-destruction, self-destruct themselves and withdraw from the planet. The Canopeans help the survivors rebuild their lives and re-align themselves with Canopus. With a strengthened Lock and the SOWF flowing freely again, harmony and prosperity returns to Shikasta.

Main characters

;Canopeans
*Johor (incarnated as George Sherban on Shikasta) – Canopean emissary to Shikasta
*Taufiq (incarnated as John Brent-Oxford on Shikasta) – Canopean emissary to Shikasta;Shikastians
*Ben – One of Johor's contacts from Shikasta's prehistory
*Benjamin Sherban – George Sherban's twin brother (reincarnation of Ben)
*Rachel Sherban – George Sherban's younger sister

Notes

*a. Note_label|a|a|noneWhile nowhere in the book does Lessing state that Shikasta is Earth, the parallels are clear, and some of the documents in the book written by Shikastians refer to actual geographical locations on Earth.
*b. Note_label|b|b|noneShikasta is surround by six metaphysical Zones (akin to cosmological planes); Zone 6 is "closest" to Shikasta and is the plane to which "souls" of the planet's dead go, and from which souls are reborn (reincarnated) back to the planet. See also "The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four and Five".

References

*cite book | last = Lessing | first = Doris | authorlink = Doris Lessing | title = Shikasta | year = 1979 | publisher = Flamingo | location = London | isbn = 0-00-712776-6

External links

* [http://www.dorislessing.org/shikastaby.html "Shikasta"] at dorislessing.org.
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,947537,00.html "Visit to a Small Planet"] . "Time" review.
* [http://www.nybooks.com/articles/7582 "Paradise Regained"] . "The New York Review of Books" review by Gore Vidal.
* [http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfiction/shikasta.htm "Shikasta"] . "Infinity Plus" review.