In veteran writer-editor Silverberg's (The Mountains of Majipoor, 1995, etc.) 23rd century, Earth faces terminal decline, so it makes a last effort to send forth a starship to locate and colonize new worlds. Wotan, commanded by an elected (and never named) year-captain, contains 50 men and women, plus vast genetic stores. Blind, beautiful Noelle will maintain communications with Earth via her telepathic link with her twin sister, Yvonne, who remains behind. Some months later, Noelle reports communication difficulties caused by some sort of static in the nospace continuum through which the ship speeds. Still, they reach the seemingly habitable Planet A, only to be driven off by a psychic field that induces uncontrollable terror. The year-captain is elected for a second and a third term, and accepts that he's been given a permanent job. As the ship heads for Planet B, the link with Earth fails completely; perhaps the static is caused by entities living in nospace. Noelle reluctantly agrees to try to contact these hypothetical beings—and discovers them to be stars! Finally, the stars, the crew of Wotan, and the entire population of Earth join together in a joyous psychic communion. Planet B proves unsuitable; the search continues. Another polished and agreeable presentation, constrained by its overly familiar scenario; the present-tense narrative doesn't help—though some sparks of originality would've worked wonders.
Pub Date: June 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-553-10264-8
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Spectra/Bantam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1996
Sci-fi action and adventure held together by universally human themes; this is the genre at its very best.
The newly relaunched Convoy Seven and its crew of clones heads back to the distant star LQ Pyx and the mysterious alien structure surrounding it in this breathtaking sequel to Lostetter's critically acclaimed Noumenon (2017).
Generations and generations have passed since the Planet United Consortium sent Convoy Seven to investigate the strange strobing around the star LQ Pyx. We return to find the relaunched convoy heading back to the star to complete construction on "the Web," which is presumed to be a massive structure capable of harvesting massive amounts of energy. But while much of the convoy is dedicated to this task, a smaller but equally passionate group wants to focus on studying the Nataré, the alien species believed to be the original builders of the Web. While the idea of splitting up is totally heretical to convoy members who value unity above everything, it's possible that the consequences of abandoning the Nataré study would be much worse than they can foresee. Meanwhile, the narrative flips all the way back to the Planet United Consortium's beginning and follows the fate of a different convoy, this one meant to stay close and continue investigating methods of interstellar travel. This convoy isn't supposed to travel far from Earth, but an accident during an experiment sends them further from home than anyone had imagined possible. A novel that was anything less than stellar would be an especially disappointing follow-up to the brilliant Noumenon, but Lostetter has achieved that and much more. Part a study of the nature of love and cultural evolution, the novel also delves into spirituality and the function of religion in a scientifically advanced culture. Somehow these richly developed themes never get in the way of the enthralling deep space travel and wondrous alien discoveries fans of Noumenon will be expecting.
Sci-fi action and adventure held together by universally human themes; this is the genre at its very best.Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-249786-4
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
First hardback publication of Vance's three novels, now out of print, set in Alastor Cluster, a vast star-swarm ruled by the mysterious Connatic, who likes to walk abroad incognito and participate in the lives of his subjects. The splendid Trullion (1973) is the idyllic setting for a powerful family drama, notable for its invention of ``hussade,'' a rousing game resembling football played on trapezes above tanks of water. Marune (1975) meditates upon the warrior-scholar Rhunes and their peculiar sexual habits; a work of subtle and lingering charms, it is probably Vance's most underrated novel. The less successful Wyst (1978), Vance's only overtly political work, observes a creaky socialist utopia rife with food fetishes and petty thievery as it totters toward bankruptcy. An accurate measure of Vance's towering contribution to the genre.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-312-85966-X
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1995
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
