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The Just City

By Jo Walton
Series: Thessaly
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
'Here in the Just City you will become your best selves. You will learn and grow and strive to be excellent.' When the time-travelling goddess Pallas Athene decides to test Plato's ideas, she creates the Just City on a Mediterranean island. Populated by over ten thousand children and adults from across history alongside futuristic robots, the city becomes a living experiment in philosophy and society. Apollo descends as a mortal child to witness the unfolding social experiment, while Socrates arrives to challenge the city's ideals with probing questions. This imaginative tale intricately weaves philosophy, history and myth into a captivating narrative.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel suits readers fascinated by philosophical ideas explored through speculative and literary fiction. Fans of mythology, classical thought, and thoughtful storytelling with a strong character focus will find it rewarding. It appeals particularly to those who appreciate imaginative world-building combined with intellectual depth.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A tale of gods and humans - trying to live together by the principles of Plato's Republic. Featuring an extraordinary cast that includes giant robots, Athene, Apollo, and Socrates himself, The Just City is a whimsical, philosophical novel about love, life, choice and being mortal.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Here in the Just City you will become your best selves. You will learn and grow and strive to be excellent.

One day, in a moment of philosophical puckishness, the time-travelling goddess Pallas Athene decides to put Plato to the test and create the Just City. She locates the City on a Mediterranean island and populates it with over ten thousand children and a few hundred adults from all eras of history, along with some handy robots from the far human future.

Meanwhile, Apollo, stunned by the realisation that there are things that human beings understand better than he does, has decided to become a mortal child, head to Athene's City and see what all the fuss is about.

Then Socrates arrives and starts asking troublesome questions.

What happens next is a tale only the brilliant Jo Walton could tell.

Series: Thessaly

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  • The Just City
    The Just City
    Here in the Just City you will become your best selves. You will learn and grow and strive to be excellent. One day, in a moment of philosophical puckishness, the time-travelling goddess Pallas Athene decides to put Plato to the test and create the Just City. She locates the City on a Mediterranean island and populates it with over ten...
    By Jo Walton
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Jo Walton is acclaimed for being one of science fiction's most versatile and thoughtful writers. The Globe and Mail praises The Just City as an extraordinarily ambitious work that blends philosophy, history, gender and freedom with a compelling coming-of-age story spanning courtroom drama to intrigue. Booklist highlights the novel as a remarkable exercise in philosophy, accessible in plot with superb world-building and characterisation, earning a starred review. Walton's prose is described as powerful and beautiful, consistently delivering thoughtful speculative fiction.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781472150769

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 July 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Corsair

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 289g

Pages: 368

Collections

Fantasy Fiction General Fiction Gifts for adults Jo Walton Sci-Fi & Fantasy Series: Thessaly

About the Author

Jo Walton comes from Wales but lives in Montreal, where the food and books are much better. She writes science fiction and fantasy, reads a lot, talks about books, and eats great food. She plans to live to be ninety-nine and write a book every year.

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