Dreamsnake

Vonda McIntyre

Link to Goodreads here

In middle school we were given the first chapter of this book to read for a comprehension assignment. It made such a vivid impression, I still occasionally thought of it twenty years later. Then thanks to the internet, I was able to identify which book it was from and read it. I found I still remembered many lines accurately.

This book is set in a post-apocalyptic world and follows a iterant medic. She goes to several small communities to heal, loses her medicinal dreamsnake and tries to acquire another one. The book’s best feature is the evocative prose, which makes vivid the desperation of the ill and the medic’s problems. The world we see is intriguing, with a mix of primitive and advanced technology. Humans are very much still humans.

The medic is a great character, a strong woman who isn’t a fighter and who makes mistakes. Her strength is her determination to not give up. She treats others with respect and learns on her journey.