CRUISER DREAMS

Volume two of the Dream Dancer (p. 178) trilogy, with more of the same florid, murky space-soap operatics. Young Shebat, barbarian girl from Earth, is again caught in the middle as the brothers Marada (whom Shebat loves) and Chaeron (whom Shebat has married) battle for control of the Kerrion galactic trading empire. Meanwhile, the Kerrion spaceships have achieved self-awareness and intelligence; Marada, corrupted by scheming stepmother Ashera, sees this as a threat and, maddened by his injuries following a bombing attack by the illegitimate daughter of an old enemy, resolves to destroy the cruisers' brains. Shebat (who's a pilot and intimately involved with her cruiser, Marada) sides with the upright Chaeron, who views cruiser intelligence as a positive development. And finally Shebat realizes that she loves Chaeron--despite his bisexual proclivities. Lots of cluttered sabotage, murder, and political mayhem--somewhat less over-blown than in Vol. I, but still too drearily self-important and melodramatically clichÉd to break out of the soap opera mold.