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''The Moon and the Sun'' by Vonda N. McIntyre was published in 1997. The book combines two major genres: science fiction and historical romance (also known as alternate history). It won the Intergalactic Award for Best Novel in 1997 and has recently been chosen to be adapted into a film. The book also won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1997, beating out ''A Game of Thrones'' by George R. R. Martin. The novel was inspired by the short story (written in the form of a faux-encyclopedia article) "The Natural History and Extinction of the People of the Sea", also by McIntyre, which was illustrated by fellow author Ursula K. Le Guin.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.bookviewcafe.com/index.php/The-Natural-History-Extinction-of-the-People-of-the-Sea )〕 == Plot summary == Set in 17th-century France at the court of the Sun King King Louis XIV, the young, colony-raised, naïve Mademoiselle Marie-Josèphe de la Croix is the lady-in-waiting to King Louis XIV's niece. Her brother, Father Yves de la Croix (a natural philosopher and explorer), has recently returned from a mission commissioned by the king: to bring back the endangered sea monster whose flesh is rumoured to give the consumer immortality. Father Yves brings back two specimens: one, a dead male sea monster covered in sawdust and ice; the other, a live female sea monster placed in the Apollo fountain in the Palace of Versailles. Acting as her brother's assistant, sketching the dead sea monster's dissection, and caring for the live specimen, Marie-Josèphe soon realizes the creature is not a sea monster, but a sea woman. Thus, Marie-Josèphe tries to convince the others at court, including her brother, that the sea woman is intelligent and hopefully free her. Unfortunately, only Marie-Josèphe can understand the sea woman (now called Sherzad) and her musical way of talking. As a result, the court (especially the men) ignore her. They bleed her for hysteria, the Pope openly shows outrage over the impropriety of her composing a cantata, and several court men harass her on the King's hunt. At the same time, her slave Odelette (really called Haleed) struggles to gain her freedom. Only, the stoic Count Lucien believes Marie-Josèphe about the sea woman, calmly taking the sea woman and Marie-Josèphe's scientific endeavors in stride. In order to save her own life, Sherzad, the sea monster, offers the king the location of a sunken treasure ship in return for her freedom. But despite the discovery of Spanish gold found from the wreck, the king intends to keep Sherzad and eat her, the lure of immortality being too strong. Marie-Josèphe and Count Lucien (who she has fallen in love with) plot secretly to release Sherzad, defying the pope, their king and her brother. Their attempt fails, but Yves (finally realizing the Sherzad's conscientiousness and its repercussions on his actions) aid them in finally releasing Sherzad. In the end, Marie-Josèphe and Count Lucien are exiled, but Sherzad, who had declared vengeance on all humanity, showers them with forgotten sunken treasures in gratitude. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Moon and the Sun」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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