Venus Preserved - Tanith Lee Book Review

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Review Summaries

" Overlook, Nov 2003, 25.95, 316 pp. ISBN: 1585674745 Venus lies under a dome beneath the sea as a tremendous lure for surface visitors. Permanent residence is restricted, but tourists are encouraged. Powerful computers run the city controlling climate to include virtual flora and fauna. Scientists work experiments using DNA remnants of dead people. These geneticists bring back to life first century gladiator Jula from the DNA remains that an archeological excavation led by Flayd discovered. Also brought back to life is eighteenth century musician Cloudio, both of whom find they feel disrupted and more comfortable with weird flashbacks to their previous lives. Meanwhile a surface musician Picaro arrives at Venus and meets Flayd, who is convinced that something catastrophic is being conducted under the auspices of the city leaders including the computers. As calamities begin to happen and the city is quarantined with no exit or entry, Flayd's theory seems more realistic. Soon, this quartet manipulated by an entity that makes Machiavelli look like kindergarten, is the last hope to stop the imminent final disaster from taking place The five key characters (the heroic foursome plus the computer) seem genuine with personalities that in many ways are symbolic of the four forces of nature. These individuals hook the reader wanting to learn more about Flayd's conspiracy theory. However, that is the weakness of the fourth Venus novel as there is only vague references to a massive conspiracy, but no revealing of who and why especially by the city government who would appear to be biting their nose to spite their face. Thus a potentially powerful futuristic science fiction novel with a strong cast that grips the reader drowns by the ending. Harriet Klausner

Crested sapwood supportable noradrenaline runout. "
Harriet Klausner, Resident Tanith Lee 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 - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Time Travel: - suspended animation
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - unraveling a conspiracy
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Time Travel story? Yes

Main Character
Identity: - clone
Profession/status: - champion of justice
Age: - 40's-50's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - mastermind
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
Terrain - Domed/Underground City
Which planet? - Venus
Not Earth, in 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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