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| Review Summary |
In this sequel to How Like a God, Rob is back with his wife and family. He's changed his life and mostly learned to cope with his powers of mind control and thought reading, but he still hasn't told anyone except his friend Edwin Barbarossa - the scientist who saved Rob's sanity in the first book, and who Rob saved in return with the gift of eternal life. However, things begin to go awry for Rob and Edwin when Edwin nearly dies in a disaster aboard a spacecraft, and the secret of his immortality gets out. Edwin is captured by a somewhat standard Shady Businessman, who wants in on the immortality thing, and will stop at nothing to get it. Rob once again saves Edwin, but then they're both on the run from the bad guy, and must decide how much exposure they can stand. Clough's second book doesn't really have the stength or depth of the first one, but it's an interesting continuation, if nothing else.
Ivy, Resident Scholar
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Tor, Jul 2001, 13.95, 268 pp.
ISBN: 0312875509
Seven years have passed since Rob Lewis obtained his power to bend minds to his will while Edwin Barbarosa gained immortality (see HOW LIKE A GOD). Rob now has family problems with his spouse Julianna, who feels he fails to support her needs. However, when three muggers attack Juliana, an outraged Rob mentally forces the three punks to jump into the Potomac.
Meanwhile Edwin is returning to Earth after a year on the moon, but the shuttle catches fire. All on board are dead except the immortal Edwin. He quickly becomes the only suspect in a closed-door mass murder mystery. However, that is the least of his troubles as Rob and Edwin's woes have just begun because a powerful individual knows about Edwin's immortality and plans experiments to obtain the secret.
DOORS OF DEATH AND LIFE is an exciting science fiction sequel that deeply digs into the use and potential abuse of power. Readers will believe that Rob and Edwin possess these non-human abilities by the way they use their power and the ethics questions that linger especially when Rob applies his talent. The villain seems more like Wile Coyote than a real individual, but his cartoonish manner does not hinder the basic premise that God-like powers should result in greater restraint. Though similar tales have been told in classic Star Trek and the Right Hand of God, Brenda Clough's latest novel will elate those science fiction fans that enjoy a complex moral story.
Harriet Klausner
Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Mental/magical powers focus
Yes
magical powers:
- immortality (scifi)
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- scientist
- blue collar worker
Age:
- 20's-30's
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- mind reading
- mind control
- Invisibility
- can read emotions
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:
- business executive
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
- an average amount
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Earth setting:
- 20th century
- near future (later in 21st century)
- current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
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?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
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