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Expendable (League of Peoples, Bk. 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

James Alan Gardner
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)


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Book Description

July 1, 1997
Under the benevolent leadership of the League of Peoples, there is no war, little crime, and life is sacred...unless you're an Explorer. The ugly, the flawed, the misfit, the deformed, they are the unwanted, flung to the farthest corners of the galaxy to investigate hostile planets and strange, vicious creatures. Out there, there are a thousand different -- and terrible -- ways to die.

Festina Ramos belongs to the well-trained, always-dwindling ranks of ECMs (Expendable Crew Members). Now she and her partner, Yarrun Derigha, have been ordered to escort the unstable Admiral Chee to Melaquin -- the feared "Planet of No Return"-- which has swallowed up countless Explorers before them without a trace.

Obviously, this is meant to be the last mission for Ramos and Derigha. But it won't be, if Festina can help it.


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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Great writing carries this unusual story about the Explorer Corps., the branch of the League of Peoples responsible for investigating planets and contacting new life forms. The catch is that corp members usually die in the process. That's why the corps comprises the medical misfits of society--people healthy enough to function yet disfigured or deformed enough that no one cares all that much if they die. Festina Ramos is an "Expendable Crew Member" who has just been ordered to escort a soon-to-be-senile admiral to Melaquin, a planet with an impeccable record for killing Explorer teams. It was meant to be a one-way mission to rid the League of one more has-been admiral, but Festina has other ideas about how things will turn out.

From the Back Cover

From a remarkable new science fiction voice comes a stunning debut novel of bold imagination--an exciting tale of deep space, alien worlds, and the select group of men and women whose mission is to make first contact with the unknown. They are ... expendable.

Under the benevolent leadership of the League of Peoples, there is no war, little crime, and life is sacred... unless you're an Explorer. The ugly, the flawed, the misfit, the deformed--they are the unwanted, flung to the furthest corners of the galaxy to investigate hostile planets and strange, vicious creatures. Out there, there are a thousand different--and terrible--ways to die.

Festina Ramos belongs to the well-trained, always-dwindling ranks of ECMs (Expendable Crew Members). Now she and her partner, Yarrum Derigha, have been ordered to escort the unstable Admiral Chee to Melaquin--the feared "Planet of No Return"--which has swallowed up countless Explorers before them without a trace. Obviously, this is meant to be the last mission for Ramos and Derigha. But it won't be if Festina can help it.


Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Eos (July 1, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 038079439X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0380794393
  • Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #966,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Overall, Expendable is a very good read. James M. Stafford III  |  14 reviewers made a similar statement
It's one the best books I've read for a while and leaves you thinking about it after it's over. dmz@bora.dacom.co.kr  |  16 reviewers made a similar statement
James Alan Gardner brought all the characters to life, especially Festina! Detra Fitch  |  11 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
SF is an excellent vehicle to explore aspects of our human nature or of human society. Expendable examines the definition of "humanness", the nature of bigotry, and the underpinnings of official corruption. The author creates a future in which people with appropriate physical defects are denied available medical care, and become second class citizens assigned to unpleasant and ultimately dangerous work as Explorers in the human interstellar fleet. Explorers make first contact with aliens and sometimes fall victim to injury or death due to misunderstandings. Because Explorers are physically unattractive, other members of the interstellar fleet can accept death or injury of these people (or almost people, in their eyes) more easily. A dark secret is that the Admiralty uses an apparently hospitable planet as a dumping ground for undesirables, since for unknown reasons, no one apparently survives or returns.

Gardner creates an interesting tale that has moral underpinnings without preaching to the reader. The book is well-written and flows nicely. He builds smoothly to a climax and the characters, including some distinctly alien beings, are people who you care about. I did wonder why the marooned Explorers, who have no close attachments in the way of family or friends, are so anxious to return to an institutionally corrupt society that has discarded them. A nice Earth-like world where one could live in peace seemed a pretty good alternative.

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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars I don't normally like science fiction, but... December 28, 2000
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I read this book because it was on a list of books with strong female characters. I was not disappointed, and I found myself thinking that perhaps I had misjudged science fiction. The plot revolves around the concept that people get upset if attractive people are killed on dangerous missions, but no-one really cares about unattractive or physically flawed people. So although the technology is there to correct birth defects and other physical problems (such as stammering, obesity, or birthmarks), certain children are left with their physical problem uncorrected and raised to be "explorers", so that if they die on a mission of interplanetary exploration, there won't be a public outcry or grief. These people are expendable, and no-one will notice they've died, except for other explorers, who will respond with their motto -- "That's what expendable means." They have been raised from early childhood and specially trained to sacrifice themselves. These "explorers" simultaneously think of themselves as superior and inferior -- "real people", as they call them, are shallow and weak, and yet they envy "real people." This whole concept raises questions about the value placed on physical perfection by our society and what it means to be someone who can't meet those standards.

The main character, Festina Ramos, is a female explorer sent on a suicide mission to a planet from which no explorer has ever returned. She and her partner are being sacrificed as part of a larger plot to deal with another undesirable of society. Needless to say, the planet turns out to be inhabited. Festina sets off on a long adventure of survival. I really couldn't put the book down, and I particularly recommend it to those who are interested in strong, capable female protaganists.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Festina Ramos!!!! May 1, 1998
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I was suprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It was well-written, with a very interesting plot. But what won me over was Gardner's ability to create a realistic, heroic, kick-@%% female character. This is an extremely rare ability for writers in any genre, and is enough to recommend this novel even without its other outstanding qualities. The constant sarcasm is a wonderful touch, and the outcast Explorers will appeal to any other cynics out there. But Gardner's real twist is that he manages to sneak something close to optimism in there without anybody noticing. Very sneaky. Very good novel.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A really entertaining read
I knew this author in school - he was a good comedy writer also and I remember when he got the "ECM" (Expendable Crew Member) idea.
Published 1 month ago by Ross Trafford
5.0 out of 5 stars Creative, Intelligent SF
I have been reading a lot for 45+ years now, and so seldom come across a really unique novel or voice.

This is one of them. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Cissa
3.0 out of 5 stars Good premise but hard to stay engaged.
I'd read a couple of chapters, and didn't really find it engaging. I set it down, and intended on just returning it. Read more
Published 16 months ago by SwingDancerMD
5.0 out of 5 stars Introduces the League of Peoples; not as good as some of the later...
The League of Peoples series featurs an incredibly rich universe populated by aliens who run the gamut from unthinkably complex to truly alien to almost human. Read more
Published on April 22, 2011 by James McCain
4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good, Interesting Book
James Alan Gardner's "Expendable" is definitely a really interesting book. The writing style and structure are very different from most books, the characters are not something you... Read more
Published on April 20, 2010 by David A. Lessnau
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
The social system of the Technocracy and the way they and other "sentient" races interact is quite interesting. Read more
Published on September 10, 2009 by Evan the Dweezil
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well-written, fast-paced science fiction/adventure
_Expendable_ by James Alan Gardner has an unusual premise. In the twenty-fifth century life is fantastic, people just about live forever thanks to YouthBoost and with advanced... Read more
Published on July 14, 2007 by Tim F. Martin
4.0 out of 5 stars lacking follow through
Festina & Admiral Chee make a great pair of characters in the start of the book. I wish this sort of duo could have continued longer than it had. Read more
Published on April 29, 2007 by M-I-K-E 2theD
4.0 out of 5 stars A little bit different . . .
but interesting and pretty good. I really enjoyed this book much to my own suprise as I thought it was going in a very boring direction in the middle, but the author didn't let me... Read more
Published on January 14, 2007 by N. Burt
4.0 out of 5 stars Weird plot -- pretty good story telling
The overall plot isn't entirely believable, but it's science fiction so you're used to that. The story is well told, with an attitude, and I enjoyed reading it. Read more
Published on November 13, 2006 by Tough Judge
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