Customer Reviews

Brain Ships (PartnerShip & The Ship Who Searched)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I do love these authors and was so glad to find a new book. But. . . it is a collection of two books I already have put into one volume with a new name. Not quite the nice reading time I was looking forward to. I won't be the only one to buy it without knowing this so look for used "like new" to be available quickly. This is The Ship Who Searched and Partnership simply put in one volume. If you want these two books it is a good deal - if not . . .

When I bought this book I had the feeling it might be an omnibus of old books (because most of the new Anne McCaffrey books lately have been). But I didn't mind since I am just now starting the Brain Ship series. This omnibus contains "The Ship Who Searched" and "PartnerShip". I enjoyed both stories and look forward to reading the others in the series. I would recommend this book to anyone who doesn't already have these two books but is an Anne McCaffrey fan. Otherwise, you should probably skip the book.

I was so excited for a new Anne McCaffrey, and it's not new at all. If you already own these pretty old stories, don't bother with this book -- it's nothing new.

This is not a new book, instead it is a combination of two old books. I bought it and then realized the flaw. I almost thought of keeping it, but Baen Publisher has produced such a low quality product (thin pages, etc) that it would not hold up very well. AMAZON, get it together and give it a proper description.

The brain ship books are superb writing and if you don't have the older books, it is well worth getting. But the description is deceptive in that it does not tell you that this is a compilation of three books reprinted together under a different cover. Therefore, I am returning the book.

I hate to see a book containing two great stories receiving negative reviews simply because these stories were published previously. There are hundreds of great science fiction stories that have gone out of print over time. I think that these books being made available again is wonderful opportunity for readers to explore and enjoy great works from sf's past.

First of all, if you already have the three stories in this book, you probably don't want it. If, however, you have not read these stories before, bundling them together in one binding certainly hasn't devalued the stories any.
I'll admit, I usually either love a book, or hate it. This one falls into the former category. Three good stories for the price of one.

Brain Ships (2003) is an omnibus edition of the Brain Ships series, including The Ship Who Searched and Partnership. These novels are set in the far future within the universe of The Ship Who Sang.

The Ship Who Searched (1992) is the third SF novel in this series. I know, this story is placed before the second book in the series. Don't ask me, but check the publication dates, the brainship numbers and the internal references.

In this novel, Hypatia Cade is the daughter of an archaeological team. Doctors Pota Andropolous-Cade and Braddon Maartens-Cade are conducting an Evaluation dig at a Salomon-Kildare site. The three of them are alone on the planet except during the supply ship visits.

Tia is alone in the camp during the day, except at mealtimes. She spends most of the day doing homework, watching holos and monitoring communications. Shortly after her seventh birthday, Moira -- TM-370 -- is an unexpected visitor. Moira has diverted a routine run to bring their supplies and a birthday present for Tia.

On days when her parents are too busy for her to visit their dig, her parents let Tia don her vacuum suit and go play in her own dig. She carefully excavates pretend artifacts from the trenches. Then she digs up something that is a very real artifact.

Tia catches some kind of disease from her first find and feels tingling in her feet and hands. Eventually, she loses sensation in all her extremities and is paralyzed from the neck down. Even her face is partially paralyzed.

In this story, Tia becomes a shellperson. She is the oldest person ever admitted into the program. She does very well and eventually is installed in her brainship.

Hypatia -- XH-1033 -- is now working for the Institute, delivering supplies to various archaeological sites. First she has to select a Brawn. None of the first six are suitable and the second six are not much better. Her supervisor is perturbed and wants her off the tarmac as soon as possible.

Alexander Joli-Chanteu is one of the last set. Tia spends more time with him than the others, but finally decides that he is not quite the right person to be her Brawn. But then he comes back after dark and has a more candid conversation with Tia. Although she still sees some flaws in his character, Alex does have the right sort of attitude and an interest in archaeology. Tia decides to choose him as her Brawn.

Tia and Alex become specialists in dealing with plagues and other sorts of diseases. While they are not doctors, they have run into more than their share of ailments and have learned to counter their effects until the medical personnel arrive. So MedCen preempts their services to hunt for smugglers who are bringing diseases into the Central Worlds.

PartnerShip (1992) is the second SF novel in this series. In this novel, Nancia Perez y de Gras -- XN-935 -- is expecting her father to call her before she starts her new career as a brainship. Instead, her brother pays her a visit. He brings her two datahedrons with his own synthcompositions on them. In addition, he gives her the latest -- not yet released -- version of SPACED OUT, the most popular video game.

Flix talks her into playing the game with him and finds out that she knows the position of every opponent in the game. After all, the game resides in her memory banks, so how is she to avoid knowing everything about it. While they are playing the game, a message arrives from her father apologizing for missing her graduation.

Shortly after that, her passengers arrive. They have obviously been celebrating and are passing a pouch of Stemerald back and forth. Then they notice the SPACED OUT game and play it until they break off for bed.

Only one passenger -- Blaise Armontillado-Perez y Medoc -- notices that Nancia is a brainship. The other four believe her to be an AI drone. So they talk freely in front of her sensors and she becomes suspicious of their intentions. She records all their actions and statements. She even records the keystrokes of Polyon de Gras-Waldheim as he cracks his way into the Net security system and assigns himself a privileged user account.

Nancia is shocked at the plans of the five High Family graduates. They intend to make their fortunes in the Nyota ya Jaha system. Polyon proposes skimming off working metachips into the discard bin and then selling them to the highest bidder. Alpha bint Hezra-Fong has created a new addictive drug that should sell well. Darnell Overton-Glaxely and Fassa del Parma y Polo have come into business enterprises that they can milk for maximum profits.

Only Blaisse doesn't have any profitable ventures to gain more wealth. As a Planetary Technical Aid representative, he will be handing out food bars to the vegetative natives of Angalia, a mudhole of a world. Yet he agrees to join a group wager about whom will accumulate the greatest fortune over the next five years.

In this story, Nancia selects Caleb as her Brawn. As a native of the Vega sector, he has very strict moral beliefs. She tries to discuss the behavior of the High Family brats with him, but he soon dissuades her from such discussions.

Over the next five years, Nancia learns that Caleb is a highly competent Brawn on normal runs, but hopeless in undercover efforts. Then they become involved in an investigation of Polo Construction, Fassa's company. Nancia once more considers releasing her tapes of the onboard activities of the five High Family brats, but decides to hold off.

These stories are good addition to the Brainship tales. Although only a fable among the brainships, Helva is an example to both Nancia and Hypatia. Enjoy!

Highly recommended for McCaffrey, Ball and Lackey fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of technological progress, undercover investigations, and very exceptional women.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I knew from the title "Brain Ships" plural that this was probably an omnibus reprint of previous books. Easy enough to check if any book you are interested in is such a reprint.

THE REAL CHEAT is "The Ship Avenged". The premise of human brains in starships is converted to a ship driven by an artificial intelligence program built by Joat (jack of all trades). SHAME on Stirling.

Would have been a much better sequel if story was about Joat overcoming the big obstacles that disqualified her for a ship's brawn.

This is a fabulous series however, BEWARE. This is two books in one - PartnerShip and The Ship Who Searched. I am kind of a purist and would rather have each book by itself.