Space Out
Niveditha Subramaniam
SIRIL AND THE SPACEFLOWER; BEAUTIFUL AND THE CYBERSPACE RUNAWAY by Suniti Namjoshi Tulika, 2010, 50 pp., 100
November 2010, volume 34, No 11

If you are in the mood for an intergalactic adventure, the eleventh adventure in the Aditi series, Siril and The Spaceflower is a good read. When one of Jupiter’s moons, Eu, goes off orbit, it’s up to Siril the ant to convince his friends that she needs help! Siril is known for being rational, of course, but Beautiful Ele has her doubts. Who is this strange moon? Is she really as harmless as Siril thinks she is? Nevertheless, she gives in, and along with the Techno Sage, the brain behind the spaceship and anti-gravity pads, they zoom into space. But can they help Eu? Suniti Namjoshi keeps the plot simple, but gently and effectively explores trust, taking risks, and how friendships can be made in the most unlikely of places, literally! The quiet wisdom of Monkeyji, the lovable petulance of Beautiful Ele, the enthusiasm of Baby Shark, the industriousness of Siril—Namjoshi’s treatment of characters is plausible and genuine.

The next adventure, Beautiful and the Cyberspace Runaway, is probably Namjoshi’s funniest yet. From outer space we move into cyberspace, when a computer programme, the cheeky Mistress i, decides to run away from her creator, Shri Vidvanji, and takes refuge behind Beautiful’s ear! Shri Vidvanji threatens to put Beautiful and all of her friends in jail for theft!For Beautiful, who’s trying to learn to be rational and sensible, this is a tough time! If she were to consult the feelings of Mistress i, would she be doing the logical thing? But with a little help from Shri Gyaneshwar Maharaj, lessons in meditation and Descartian maths with ice cream, Beautiful discovers that her heart is in the right place after all.

Humorous, insightful and thought-provoking, Beautiful and the Cyberspace Runaway blurs the boundaries between real and virtual, raising questions for new-age readers.

Review Details

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