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Ace, Jan 2003, 7.50, 384 pp.
ISBN 0441010067
The alien Spinners bestow gifts upon races far less technologically advanced than they are. These presents include a faster than light ship and ftl communication ability. Shortly after they are used the Starfish arrive, hostile aliens who destroy entire solar systems wherever beings that use the ftl communications exist.
The Starfish destroy Earth and the rest of the solar system. Human colony planets, spread out throughout the known universe, are being destroyed and it looks like Homo sapiens will soon become an extinct species. Caryl Hatzis and human engram (an advanced simulation) Peter Alander are desperately trying to find a way to save what is left of mankind. They discover a third alien race, the Yvel, who have been trailing in the wake of the Spinners and the Starfish for twenty-five hundred years. They survive by staying behind their enemy but now Caryl and Peter want humanity and the Yvel to make a stand against the Starfish.
ORPHANS OF EARTH is space opera at it's finest as Sean Williams and Shane Dix have created a rousing adventure starring alien races that seem so real and superior to mankind that it is no wonder there is no communication between the various species. Though the Yvel are alien also, they share the same needs as humans and make believable allies. It will be interesting to see what far away galaxy the next installment in this exciting series takes the reader to visit.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Sean Williams and Shane Dix Scholar
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Overall Review
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
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 - 60% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story
Yes
Plotlets:
- generally friendly contact with alien(s)
Political power play
Yes
Political plotlets
- preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- champion of justice
Age:
- long lived adults
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- an entire race
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
Setting
Spaceship setting:
- futuristic human warship
- futuristic human freighter/transport
- really, really giant spaceship/station
- one or two man fighter/scoutship
Takes place in spaceship?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- a significant amount of technical jargon
How much dialogue?
- significantly more dialog than descript
