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Science Fiction Chronicle says:
"Don Sakers has here written something of a kitchen sink
novel. In the not too distant future, America has split into
three countries, and the government of what remains of the original
nation has been dramatically changed. Africa has been ravaged
by AIDS, and many of the former African nations have merged into
one larger superstate. The protagonist is from this region, although
he fled to the US following the murder of his father. Now he
is an agent, working for the Ivory Madonna, an international
manipulator with an elaborate spy network, and he's returning
for revenge. Throw into the mix a variety of subplots involving
a religious dictatorship, prejudice against gays, racial politics,
etc., and you get a very large, occasionally disjointed novel
that has pockets of really good stuff connected sometimes by
less interesting transitional material. I'd give this one a mixed
review because its ambitions sometimes surpass its reach, but
Sakers certainly makes a good effort.
-Science Fiction Chronicle, March 2002,
p. 37
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Wavelengths Online says:
"Years ago, I was blown away by
the originality of The Leaves of October , an underrated SF gem
by Don Sakers. Its haunting lyricism left me craving more. Now,
in his first novel since 1988, Sakers has provided an ample reward
for my patience: Dance for the Ivory Madonna.
In this near-future scenario, Damien
Nshogoza, a dual citizen of the U.S. and the new African nation
of Umoja, helps to lead mankind through an international crisis
under the direction of Miranda Maris, the legendary Ivory Madonna.
His associate, Penylle Norton, is a young psi-gifted woman who
aids him as an intermediary between the physical world and cyberspace
where humans have just been evicted by artificial intelligence.
Damien also pursues a personal agenda in his attempt to expose
Marc Hoister, a fanatical imposter who had murdered his mother
and stolen his father's identity.
As the various subplots are revealed,
we are drawn into an intricate web of places and events and the
abilities of a handful of people who have been fated to deal
with them. The reader is also informed of the myriad changes
that occur over the first half of the 21st century: North America
is divided into new nations, Africa becomes a technological leader,
there is a new House in Congress dedicated to special interest
groups, humanity is still ravaged by AIDS along with many new
diseases, off-world colonies have been established on the moon
and on Mars, cyberspace has been expanded to astounding proportions.
Additionally, just about everyone views their immediate environment
through RCSpex, an invention which transforms the mundane world
into a fantasy-enhanced version of itself. Other scientific advancements
and items of social and economic progress are constantly defined
throughout the story by the employment of captivating newsreels,
messages and statistics.
Characterizations are quite diverse,
especially the host of eccentric creative types who inhabit Maris
Institute, the Ivory Madonna's secluded universe. These account
for some of the book's better moments. Damien, the African-American
protagonist, navigates the uncharted regions of cyberspace as
easily as he traverses the reorganized territories of a future
world or the inner workings of a covert international organization
called the Nexus. (Readers may recognize some more familiar associations,
particularly one devoted to GLBT fandom!) In the pivotal character
of Penylle we meet someone with conflicting loyalties and extraordinary
powers. With the portrayal of the Ivory Madonna, the author excels
at introducing the real woman behind the myth. She is especially
endearing when she takes a gay youth named Jackie under her wing
and smuggles him into Fort Shepard (yes, as in Matthew!) Spaceport
near Laramie. His situation is handled quite sensitively; it
is through Jackie's eyes that we obtain a glimpse of the true
meaning of freedom.
It must have taken an enormous amount
of research to provide this book with scientific and sociopolitical
foundations for its credible and nicely delineated near-future
setting. Fortunately, the author embellishes each premise by
his deft balance of statistical elements with those of a more
poetic, metaphysical nature. His AI's, for example, speak only
in metaphors. Yet, it is they who possess ultimate technological
control of mankind's destiny. Depictions of their cyberspace
domain are rendered through the imagery of fantastic landscapes,
psi abilities, and human sensations. Much of this narrative is
printed in alternating fonts and recounted using extensive flashbacks,
techniques that require greater concentration than usual on the
reader's part. But the compensation of suspenseful pacing and
unpredictability make it well worth the effort.
Most impressive of all is the political
conscience that permeates this book. Through its futuristic viewpoints,
our current prejudices and tolerances are put into perspective;
we are forced to confront their consequences. Furthermore, Sakers
makes us question the ways that technology is transforming our
lives, our dependence upon political and religious conventions,
and the (mis)treatment of various races and social classes. Despite
the seriousness of such themes, the author utilizes his writing
style and voice to prove that he is not devoid of levity. Particularly
amusing is his method of replacing potentially objectionable
words in his text. It is also not unusual for him to come up
with humorous references to present-day culture by satirizing
pop icons or creating parodies of familiar music and dance crazes.
These and other contemporary allusions give this story that extra
layer of verisimilitude.
There were areas where the plausibility
of certain situations within the chronology of the narrative's
time span became questionable. Nevertheless, I was intrigued
by the innovative fashion in which the author pushed those boundaries.
Though it may not be unique that a writer possesses the skills
to do this, it is certainly rare for one to have the courage
to take such risks. Don Sakers does.
Good speculative fiction should evoke
a sense of wonder even as it entertains. Better writing of this
type should resonate for the reader on a grand scale as well
as on a purely personal level. Genre stories have more than the
ability to attain these ends; they have the duty to give us the
insight into the ultimate outcome of our current actions and
policies, be they accomplishments or disasters. Dance for the
Ivory Madonna achieves this quite beautifully."
Richard Mandrachio, Reviewer
Wavelengths Online, Issue #6
April 2002 - July 2002
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