I've been plowing my way through some things that I haven't read, but aren't necessarily new.
Recommended
Radiant by James Alan Gardner
I haven't read a thing by Gardner in the past. He writes mainly within a world frame where humans are included in a "higher intelligence" led society. The more advanced alien civilizations within the League of Peoples stand poised to remove any group who show "willful negligence." In other words, act responsibly or we remove you from the League...permanently.
The heroes of these stories are the Explorer Corps--fearless women and men who travel the edges of the known world, meet and greet new life forms, put out fires and generally live lives of excitement and danger. The joke is that in a society filled with alien technology, where perfection is attainable, desirable, and long life is the norm, only those deemed imperfect are encouraged to join the Corps. Because of this, the Explorer Corps do not call themselves Explorers, instead they have chosen the moniker "Expendables."
The character development leaves something to be desired, and the plot feels a bit stilted at times, but I loved the premise, the aliens, the action, the Buddhism and the strong female characters.
David Brin does it better, but I will gladly read some more.
No comments:
Post a Comment