Restoree
First novel by Anne McCaffrey, featuring a survivor-type woman.
Restoree, published in 1967, was Anne McCaffrey’s debut novel. The story follows a young woman abducted by aliens who manages to survive and build a new existence on a distant world. Betty Ballantine served as the book’s editor, which began a lasting partnership between McCaffrey and Ballantine Books, later extending to its science fiction line, Del Rey Books.
- author
- Anne McCaffrey
- published
- 1967
- nationality
- American-Irish
- field
- Science fiction
- known_for
- First published novel; features an intelligent, survivor-type woman as a jab at portrayals of women in science fiction
Lore & Background
Restoree was written as a 'once-off jab at the way women were portrayed in science-fiction,' according to the source. McCaffrey objected to reading about women cowering in a corner awaiting rescue, stating she would have been in the fighting herself. The novel features Sara, an introverted, beak-nosed, 24-year-old virginal librarian from near Seaford, Delaware, who is abducted from New York City by the Mil, amorphous alien creatures that eat human flesh. She is kept alive on a meat hook until the alien ship is captured by humans from the planet Lothar. Mistaken for a Lotharian, she undergoes controversial 'restoration' procedures, including a nose job, and awakens with a beautiful, golden-skinned body and no memory. She is placed in a mental institution where she cares for the deposed regent Harlan, helps him escape, and together they defeat his political enemies and the Mil.
Reader's Guide
Restoree is significant as Anne McCaffrey's first published novel, marking the beginning of her long association with Ballantine Books and Del Rey. The novel is noted for its intentional challenge to contemporary science fiction tropes, particularly the passive portrayal of women. McCaffrey created a protagonist who is an 'intelligent, survivor-type woman,' a deliberate contrast to the typical female characters she criticized. Reception has been mixed: Mary T. Brizzi calls it 'unique among science fiction novels' but also notes 'shallow histrionics of characterization,' 'Harlequin Romance stereotypes,' 'improbable reactions,' 'inconsistencies of plot,' and a 'saccharine' and 'melodramatic' heroine. Brizzi emphasizes that when read as parody, it is funny. The novel's legacy lies in its role as a stepping stone for McCaffrey's career and its early feminist critique within the genre.
Did You Know?
- Restoree (1967) is Anne McCaffrey's first published book.
- The novel was edited by Betty Ballantine, beginning a long relationship between McCaffrey and Ballantine Books.
- McCaffrey wrote Restoree as a 'once-off jab at the way women were portrayed in science-fiction.'
- The protagonist Sara is a 24-year-old virginal librarian from near Seaford, Delaware.
More in Novels by Anne McCaffrey 1-24
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