McKillip creates a fictional universe, then uses contrasting settings to explore how that universe is made up of distinct but often interdependent worlds. On the planet Thanos, the civilizations of Riverworld and Domecity provide the most stark contrast in setting. Riverworld, an insulated ancient world where people continue to practice the rituals that link them not only to each other but also to the river that gives them their food, is described as a lush natural setting. When Terje returns there, he notes the beauty of its colors and smells: "The birds were settling back into the trees, little flashes of lemon, chartreuse . . . and there was just the wind, with its invisible weave of messages . . . animal smells, the smell of honey, the smell of rain."

In contrast, Domecity is the planet's futuristic center of scientific advancement. There, unlike the meals of fresh fish that she had enjoyed in...