Vinge uses Phoenix in the Ashes to explore both the dangers of technology run amok and the dangers of a religion-dominated society. The novella examines a post-holocaust society in Sanpedro in the Los Angeles Basin where every aspect of life is controlled by a religion that condemns any "unnatural" use of metal, fuel, or technology. Fields are tilled by hand; the only power is horsepower; cloth is hand woven. Characters refer to the "Prophet Angel" and his "book" which prescribes their way of life. Apparently, the survivors of the holocaust 250 years earlier realized the dangers of technology and determined to see to it that their mistakes were not repeated. Unfortunately, the society they created is dominated by a religion with no tolerance for dissent. Families are ruled by males who may dispose of their kinswomen as they see fit. A woman's role is to be modest...