Alexander Beliaev Resident Scholar Profiles TOP SCHOLAR: Laura Southcombe SCHOLARS:
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Review Summaries
"Mari Loran, a nurse, gets a new job at the office of Professor Kern. Her responsibilities are quite a shocker: she is required to take care of a living human head, separated from the body and kept alive with the help of complicated equipment. Mari recognizes the head as that of Professor Dowell, recently deceased, who was known for his experiments with reviving human organs taken from dead bodies. Kern confirms that the head is Dowell's and orders Mari to keep her mouth shut about it. As he explains how the life-supporting equipment works, he points out one switch that he says Mari should never turn on as it will kill the head.
Mari begins her work. The head cannot talk, but Mari learns to understand its mimic and communicate with it. Through the movements of eyes and eyebrows the head can say yes and no and express simple wishes. It turns out that Professor Dowell that is, the head continues to work. Every day Mari brings the newest scientific magazines; the head reads them and shows what places need to be underlined. Later on Professor Kern uses those materials for his work, shamelessly taking all the credit.
When the head indicates that it wishes Mari to turn on the forbidden switch, Mari thinks that the professor wants to end his miserable existence and refuses. But the head keeps repeating the request, indicating that it will not result into death. Mari takes the risk. It turns out that the switch pushes air through the head's throat, enabling it to speak. Professor Dowell tells her his story. He died of an asthma attack, and there is a possibility that Kern, who was present and had administered medicine, overdosed it on purpose.
"
Laura Southcombe, Resident Alexander Beliaev Scholar
"A young doctor comes to a new work. She has to take care of a living head of a person, later discovered to be a scientist thought dead. She learns about her employer and his betrayal of the professor and with the help of the professor's son and others she avenges the scientist. "
irina, Resident Alexander Belyaev Scholar
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Overall Review
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Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 10% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 70% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Lifeform altered?
Yes
Kind of alteration:
- exotic/alien torture for major character
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- doctor
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
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:
- scientist
- doctor
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
- a lot
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- bulging muscles
- average physique
Setting
Earth setting:
- 20th century
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- none/very little science jargon needed
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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