Sliding Scales - Alan Dean Foster Book Review

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Review Summaries

" Del Rey, Nov 2004, 24.95, 256 pp. ISBN: 0345461568 Flinx was forced to leave the love of his life on New Riveria to recover from serious injuries while being pursued by the Order of the Null (end of the world fanatics) and is wanted by the Commonwealth authorities. He also needs to find an invisible weapons platform made by an extinct race which could detect what is coming from beyond the Great Emptiness. His ship's A.I. has the solution to erase the stress from Flinx's life, something he has never tried before. He goes on vacation. His A.I recommends he goes to the neutral planet Jast where no Commonwealth authorities exist and the sentient inhabitants, the Vsses, resemble hopping mushrooms, but beings from the Aann Empire are also present. This reptilian species is bringing the planet under their control. An Aann guide accidentally knocks Flinx down a canyon and leaves him for dead. The Tier of Sjaiinn, a native artisan group held in contempt by the Empire takes Flinx in to their compound. Since he lost his memory they take care of him. Meanwhile, someone is attacking Aann installations with plans to remove the species from the planet and the guide returns to kill Flinx. Harriet Klausner "
Harriet Klausner, Resident Alan Dean Foster Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - uncovering amnesiatic memories
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Cultural problems, alien culture Yes
Culture clash- - one culture tries to impose its culture on another group

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - fighter (air/space) pilot
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Genius
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - government investigator
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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