by Jo Walton
First published 2001
Athene pulls teachers and children from across centuries to build her vision of the perfect society on a Mediterranean island. Among them, Simmea excels as a student while Maia, transported from Victorian England, struggles to adapt to her role as educator. The goddess believes she can create Plato's Republic in reality, complete with philosopher kings and carefully structured classes. But when the legendary Sokrates himself arrives, he does what he always does: he asks questions. His relentless inquiry dismantles their assumptions about justice and virtue. Simmea finds her beliefs challenged at every turn. Maia discovers that teaching wisdom is far harder than she imagined. The experimental city fractures as its inhabitants confront the gap between philosophical ideals and human nature. Divine intervention cannot resolve the fundamental tensions between individual desire and collective good.
Genres: science-fiction, philosophy, historical-fiction, fantasy, alternate-history, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Mediterranean
Period: Victorian
368 pages · Hardcover · Tor Books