To all:

Perhaps some avid readers out there can help.  I am searching for
*fictional* (or historical fictional) novels or short stories (1) that focus
on episodes of culture contact or colonialism in the Americas, Australia,
Africa, or elsewhere and (2) that touch on issues worthy of anthropological
discussion with students.  In particular, I seek books that deal with
indigenous-colonial interactions.  Something like Conrad's _Heart of
Darkness_ comes to my mind as an example.  Just to clarify, the variety of
narrative accounts by archaeologists (e.g., Spector, Schrire, Praetzellis)
are not the suggestions that I seek here.

Being a swamped academic, I have lost touch with much of the non-academic
literature.  Any suggestions for classics or recent bestsellers or obscure
but worthy books? What have some of you read and liked/disliked, and have
you adopted any of these books in an anthropology course?  Which books are
so "bad" that they deserve much picking apart, which ones are good "period
pieces," and which ones have a commendable anthropological perspective?

Thanks very much in advance.  You can reply on- or off-list, as you prefer.

Steve


Stephen Silliman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd
Boston, MA 02125-3393
Office: 617-287-6854
Fax: 617-287-6857
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