From rec.arts.sf.written Sun Feb 21 05:39:52 1993 Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written Path: lysator.liu.se!isy!liuida!sunic!seunet!pipex!doc.ic.ac.uk!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!wupost!csus.edu!netcom.com!dani From: dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig) Subject: Crean: Dancer of the Sixth Message-ID: <1993Feb20.075813.11410@netcom.com> Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest) Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1993 07:58:13 GMT Lines: 37 The Del Rey Discovery series can perhaps best be characterized as "watch this author for future developments". It seems to feature first novels by authors who have the potential to become very good. "Dancer of the Sixth" is by Michelle Shirey Crean, who has the potential to become very good. She hasn't realized that potential yet: The book is very much a first novel, and the best thing about it is that, now that she's gotten it out of her system, she can get down to writing. This isn't to say that it's not an enjoyable read. It is. As first novels often are, it's an engaging wish-fulfillment fantasy. Dancer is *the* hottest pilot in the Confederacy, a member of *the* elite (secret) military organization, hopelessly in love with *the* perfect man for her. Etc. But, again, the same elements that make it so first-novelish (essentially a decade or two of stored-up daydreams and fantasies, hammered into novel form, I suspect) make that novel fun to read. She's a jet pilot, not a space ship pilot. (As is often the case with sf books that owe as much to the romance genre, the science is soft enough that it would do absolutely no damage to the story if every mention of the word "planet" were replaced by "continent".) And the story proper begins when a jet crashes nearby -- flown by a pilot who looks just like her and has the same name. Concluding that Something Strange is happening, the Sixth service pulls a switch -- and sends Dancer (pretending to be the person pretending to be her) back instead. For those who like this sort of book, this is the sort of book they like... but keep an eye out for Crean's future efforts, because once she gains better control over her art, she may be very good. ----- Dani Zweig dani@netcom.com 'T is with our judgements as our watches, none Go alike, yet each believes his own --Alexander Pope From /tmp/sf.12867 Mon May 3 13:09:04 1993 Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.reviews Path: lysator.liu.se!isy!liuida!sunic!uunet!gumby!wupost!uhog.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!nobody From: Rex Croft Subject: "Dancer of the Sixth" by Michelle Crean Message-ID: <9304250254.AA15912@presto.ig.com> Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.written Sender: news@news.media.mit.edu (USENET News System) Organization: Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1993 00:41:08 GMT Approved: wex@media.mit.edu (Alan Wexelblat) Lines: 39 "Dancer of the Sixth" by Michelle Shirey Crean - reviewed by Rex Croft ccc_rex@waikato.ac.nz I really don't know how to categorise this book. I feel that it didn't need to be a SciFi book. It is mainly about atmospheric flying and romance, and the interaction of the characters. The story revolves arround a woman ace pilot called Dancer who is now part of the secret sixth service. She is based on the planet "O'Brian's Stake" with a group of Auryx. The Auryx are a genetically bred race of humans who all look alike. They were created by the enemy (Karranganthians) as a slave race of telepaths. The Auryx rebelled and are fighting back. We learn that Dancer was tortured by the Karranganthians and left for dead. An Auryx party found her nearly dead and using advanced medical techniques restored her body and mind, and blocked memories of some of her past. The discovery of a young woman looking like Dancer after a plane nearly crashes starts a series of flash backs as we learn more about Dancer joining the Auryx. Dancer's life desire to be flying is strongly pushed. This is not supprising given that the author is an aviation researcher and is married to a USAF officer (as the note at the back of the book states). Dancer's romantic involvement with an Auryx is the other major theme. The book is well enough written and except for some parts when Dancer is recovering in hospital the plot moves along quickly. I won't be adding this book to my collection. %A Michelle Shirey Crean %T Dancer of the Sixth %I Del Rey Discovery %C New York %D March 1993 %O paperback, US$3.99 %P 302 pp. %G ISBN 0-345-37912-8