Subject: Review: IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS by Julie E. Czerneda

From: David Brukman <[email-masked]>
Date: 10 Jun 2001 07:22:27 -0400

IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS, Julie E. Czerneda
    Review copyright 2001 David Brukman

SUMMARY
An excellent, well-paced space adventure with interesting characters and
ideas, with a tinge of romance and politics; solid entertainment despite a
couple of strained plot elements and some view-hopping.

Reviewed by David on June 09, 2001

GENRE
Science Fiction (Biology, Aliens, Ecology)

SYNOPSIS
The crowded Earth had subsidized a complex and ambitious effort to
terraform a handful of suitable planets for human colonization.  After
impressive success in the staggeringly complex task, a wave of hopeful
emigrants has departed for the planets.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck: the beautiful, pristine planets have been
contaminated with the Quill -- an invisible, alien organism which kills
all humans.

Stuck on overcrowded staging stations, barred from an Earth that is
paranoid of the Quill contamination, the once-hopeful colonists turned
lean and bitter. Surviving on slowly decaying stations, barely supported
by the guilty and fearful Terrans, they harbor a desperate dream: find a
way to destroy the Quill and reclaim their planets.

Into one of these tense and crowded space stations comes an expedition
from Earth, bearing a load of political discord and scientific theories of
the Quill. Their search may ofer hope to the stationers, or tear the
station to pieces.

FULL REVIEW
The book sets up a tense, desperate situation, where a fragile compromise
has been maintained after many losses. Then it throws in a handful bright,
determined characters. Their good intentions stress the situation to the
breaking point, and the resulting questions of trust, hope and compromise
prove a fruitful ground for both adventure and scientific theory.

The viewpoint switches among several characters, but the generally tight
focus keeps this from becoming a distraction. The lack of true villains is
a wonderful accomplishment; the book has real, deadly conflict while
keeping all motivations reasonable and even admirable.

The characters are sympathetic, and their interactions keep the reader's
interest. The plot is well paced, without sagging in the middle, while
interspersing action with occasional periods of tense reflection, humor,
and attraction.

This book presents an excellent combination of ideas, plots and
characters, and is the best so far from the author of an impressive and
growing body of science fiction.

OVERALL RATING: 7
Plot: 6.5; Characters: 7; Style: 6; World-building: 6.5; Originality: 7

%T In the Company of Others
%A Julie E. Czerneda
%I Daw Books
%O Mass market paperback
%G ISBN 0-88677-999-5
%P 576 pp

 David Brukman "Long live Jame Talissen!" 
http://InOtherWorlds.com  "Fantasy, SF & Mystery Reviews"