Dirge (Founding of the Commonwealth, Bk 2) (Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Alan Dean Foster (Author)

Book Description

Series: Founding of the Commonwealth, Bk 2 | Publication Date: May 29, 2001

Chosen by Science Fiction Chronicle as One of the Best Books of the Year

Bestselling author Alan Dean Foster has written an exciting Humanx Commonwealth adventure that delves deeper into the fragile early years when humans made first contact in this unforgettable world . . .

In the second half of the twenty-fourth century, diplomatic relations proceed cautiously between thranx and humans. But the insectlike beings are nearly forgotten with the sudden discovery of an ideal planet to colonize–Argus V–and the startling appearance of a new race of space-faring aliens. People are dazzled by the beautiful, glamorous pitar. Then tragedy strikes.

The entire human population on Argus V is brutally slaughtered. Not a single clue remains to identify the unseen executioners. But from a tiny inner moon of Argus V comes a faint signal. On that insignificant chunk of rubble lies the key to the crime–setting in motion a cataclysmic chain of events with deadly consequences for thranx, pitar, and human alike. For their worlds will be changed forever by a colossal battle that is their future and their destiny . . .

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

First, humanity establishes ties with intelligent, extraterrestrial bugs. Some 20 years later, humanity makes first contact with intelligent, extraterrestrial babes. Or so goes the chronology in Alan Dean Foster's Humanx Commonwealth, as detailed in the second book of the Founding of the Commonwealth prequel trilogy. Following up on Phylogenesis, Dirge fleshes out the foundation for the universe that's home to the ever-popular Pip and Flinx, among other Foster favorites. And while it's not exactly Heinlein, Dirge provides essential background for fans of all the Humanx books in typical action-packed Foster style.

The space babes in question call themselves the Pitar, and after somewhat stunted relations with the insectoid Thranx (first contacted in Nor Crystal Tears), humanity falls all over itself fawning over this "drop-dead, overpoweringly, stunningly gorgeous"--if strangely reticent--new race. But everything isn't what it seems, of course, or there wouldn't be much of a story here. Not to give anything away, but even the most unobservant reader will soon realize that something's suspicious about these alluring aliens--especially when 600,000 colonists on the otherwise boring outpost of Treetrunk are swiftly, brutally, and mysteriously exterminated. --Paul Hughes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Derivative and predictable, this second novel in Foster's Founding of the Commonwealth series reinforces the lesson that looks can be deceiving. When Alwyn Mallory explores the new world of Argus V, he inadvertently becomes part of the first contact team to meet the alien Pitar. Unlike the unpleasantly buglike alien thranx, the Pitar are "drop-dead, overpoweringly, stunningly, gorgeous." Relations with the friendly but disliked thranx slow to a crawl as humanity overwhelmingly embraces the Pitar. Their telegenic appearances are so compelling that the media scarcely notices when the thranx are attacked by terrorists in a protected diplomatic enclave on Earth. Possibly the only good thing to come out of the slaughter is the founding of a joint religion by two clerics, one human and one thranx. As years pass, and the Pitar continue to refuse access to their homeworld, the media spin explains that they are "shy" and refuses to believe they could have anything to hide. Meanwhile, humanity is happily expanding through the galaxy and colonizing Argus V--until disaster strikes and all 600,000 colonists are hideously slaughtered by an unknown force. When Mallory is discovered, crazed and near death, hiding on one of the Argus's moons, he is the only hope humankind has for ascertaining just who the villainous, slaughtering aliens really are. Although Foster implies that interesting things are going to happen with human-thranx religious philosophies, that doesn't happen in this novel. Instead we get a vision of humanity as a race unable to see beyond the reflection of surface beauty and incapable of restraining itself from its basest instincts when that enhanced mirror is shattered. (June)

Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (May 29, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345418638
• ISBN-13: 978-0345418630
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,123,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alan Dean Foster's work to date includes excursions into hard science-fiction, fantasy, horror, detective, western, historical, and contemporary fiction. He has also written numerous non-fiction articles on film, science, and scuba diving, as well as having produced the novel versions of many films, including such well-known productions as "Star Wars", the first three "Alien" films, "Alien Nation", and "The Chronicles of Riddick". Other works include scripts for talking records, radio, computer games, and the story for the first "Star Trek" movie. His novel "Shadowkeep" was the first ever book adapation of an original computer game. In addition to publication in English his work has been translated into more than fifty languages and has won awards in Spain and Russia. His novel "Cyber Way" won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990, the first work of science-fiction ever to do so.

Foster's sometimes humorous, occasionally poignant, but always entertaining short fiction has appeared in all the major SF magazines as well as in original anthologies and several "Best of the Year" compendiums. His published oeuvre includes more than 100 books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The set-up was pretty obvious...., July 26, 2000

By 

Terry Mathews (a small town in east Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dirge: Book Two of the Founding of the Commonwealth (Hardcover)

I didn't read the first book in this series, so I can't make comparisons, but I did like the story.

Six hundred thousand humans are slaughtered on Treetrunk, a remote planet. Their destruction is mythodical and complete. However, one man survives by taking a worn out shuttle and leaving the planet before the death squad reaches him.

Once found, the survivor recovers and recounts the horrific events, but no one believes him when he reveals who was responsible for the planet's genocide.

I decided who the 'bad guys' were early on. Figuring that out so early usually ruins a book for me, but I kept reading because I wanted to see how it all turned out.

Foster cleaned up all the story lines and created a new one right at the end -- perfect planning for a sequel.

Enjoy!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Founding: Book Two, October 7, 2002

By 

Chadwick H. Saxelid "Bookworm" (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dirge (Founding of the Commonwealth, Bk 2) (Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

It has been twenty years since the chance meeting of street thug Cheelo Montoya and Thranx poet Desvendapur revealed the bug colony hidden deep within the Amazon Basin, and not much has changed. Contact between the species is still proceeding at a far too reluctant pace for some. Sadly, that pace is further hindered by the arrival of the Pitar, a species of alien that embodies all that humankind aspire to on a physical level (i.e. a planet inhabited by Playgirl and Playboy centerfolds). However the Thranx are rather suspicious of these newly arrived and friendly, yet very secretive, aliens and fear that the humans may pay a price for their blind confidence. And pay the humans do, when 600,000 settlers are wiped out in a brutal surprise attack that has left no trace of the aggressors.

ADF's second chapter in the Founding Trilogy is a tight, brisk read. The fallout from the events of the first book is still being dealt with and the Big Picture lessons that humanity needs to learn about its own arrogance and addiction to visually pleasing lifeforms is well delivered, albeit with a heavy hand (600,000!?!). Some reviews mention the rather abbreviated ending, but this book is the second act in a three act play and, while this particular chapter's story could be expanded into a series of its own (yeah, I thought it was THAT good), in this telling it serves only as an important step in the trail that leads to the Founding. Recommended.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dirge - a song of grief, July 24, 2000

By 

"ammike" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dirge: Book Two of the Founding of the Commonwealth (Hardcover)

Phylogenesis; Alan Dean Foster was the first in the series just published in paperback last year. That book was the hook and this expensive hardback is pure publisher greed. Foster is a great storyteller and this series is a good sci-fi humanx interest tale. I would wait for the paperback, however, and save your praise for the paperback version to reward this great author and deny his greedy publisher.