OVERWHERE

Sequel to The Others (1990), Bonanno's chronicle of race warfare between the pacifistic, scientifically advanced, sharing-caring ""Others"" and the ignorant, brutish, violent, egotistical-creative ""People."" Now, the People believe that they have wiped out the Others; actually, a shaken, ten thousand strong Other remnant sails secretly toward the polar regions in search of new lodgings. The Others are aided by a few crossbreed ""Intermixes"" and some mysterious, intelligent, sea-dwelling bRi. Chronicler Lingri attempts to explain to her skeptical, impetuous crossbreed son Joreth her explosive relationship with the brilliant, drunken People musician Redrec and her dealings with the fanatical, genocidal Dzugash. Meanwhile, the other Other survivors set up housekeeping beneath the polar ice in a huge cave warmed by volcanic action, build some radio receivers, and hope that the People's attitude problem improves. Not so much ""volume two,"" then, as ""stuff left out of volume one."" Indeed, the whole concept of Others vs. People amounts to little more than yet another fairly transparent exploration of male principle vs. female principle. And the real question is how much longer Bonanno can keep twiddling before some sort of plot rears its ugly head.