The False Mirror (The Damned, Book 2) [Hardcover]

Alan Dean Foster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 1992 | Series: The Damned, Book 2

As war rages on between the Amplitur and the union of races known as the Weave, Ranji--an Ashregan warrior trained from birth to battle humans--is captured, and he soon learns of the Amplitur's vile genetic manipulations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Foster improves on the scenario he created in A Call to Arms with this second tale of the nefarious Amplitur, who hope to dominate the galaxy through the use of telepathic persuasion, genetic manipulation and outright force. The races arrayed against them, the Weave, have gained the upper hand by recruiting humans, who are not only the best fighters but immune to Amplitur mind control techniques. The Amplitur, undeterred, turn to long-range plans: they breed a race of human-like warriors, the Ashregan, who can defeat even humans in battle. When Weave scientists capture and study an Ashregan named Ranji, their discoveries force Ranji to resolve just how human he himself may be, and the fate of all Ashregans comes to weigh upon him. By concentrating on Ranji instead of discussing the entire constellation of forces, Foster gives his story more depth. The exciting plot excuses the flatness of most of the other characters and some distracting loose ends.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Second of Foster's mediocre interstellar war yarns (A Call to Arms), as the squid-like Amplitur (whose slaves are compelled by their implacable Purpose) battle the Weave confederation (their human allies are the best soldiers in the business, but too barbaric for full membership). Ranji and his friends of planet Cossuut, trained to become the Amplitur's elite soldiers, consider themselves Ashregan but look almost human. But when Ranji is captured, the Weave's finest scientists determine that he is actually human but warped by Amplitur biologists: his automatic psychic defense against mental compulsion has been deleted. Slowly, Ranji comes to accept the validity of what the Weave tells him. So, after the Weave remove the Amplitur inhibitions, Ranji elects to try to persuade his people of the truth. Once mentally freed by the Weave, they all volunteer to fight against the horrid Amplitur. But then Ranji discovers that, somehow, he has acquired the Amplitur to coerce nonhumans--a development that, he realizes, must be kept secret at all costs. Once again, minimal plot, little sense of purpose, battle scenes that lack visceral impact, and no attempt whatever at a suitable conclusion: Foster fans only. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 277 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; 1st edition (March 10, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345358562
• ISBN-13: 978-0345358561
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,033,039 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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Yeah, big whoop, February 22, 2002

By 

Cliff Allred (Prescott, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The False Mirror (The Damned, Book 2) (Hardcover)

I read this book in mostly to find out what happened after the first installment. It was decent, but I find the author's generalizations of humanity unrealistic. Sure, we may fight constantly, but any casual glance could tell you that we can do more than make war.
He's written better, but it was still a nice read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Exposition, Not Story, May 12, 2008

By 

Judah (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The False Mirror (The Damned, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

This novel has two distinct parts: Ranji's story (****) and galatic perspective (**). My rating an average, because they each are half the novel.

First Ranji's story, how the Amplitur captured and manipulated humans into fighting the Weave by raising them as Ashregan, and how they struggled in finding a new identity. Told from third person perspective around Ranji, I found it excellent. The moral discussions, personal introspection, and Ranji's characterization make for a great story.

Second is how Foster likes lecturing about the wider universe of the Weave vs. the Amplitur. He illustrates this with scenes all over the place using forgettable one-dimensional characters. Three days later I can't even remember one of their names. I found these sections boring, and advise skimming.

After Call to Arms (The Damned, Book 1), I had to read this book, but I have no plans on reading The Spoils of War (The Damned, Book 3). Make of that what you will.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars E X C E L L E N T !!!!!, May 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The False Mirror (The Damned, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

The Amplitur had finally found a way of limiting the advancing Human Weave alliance, by creating an elite unit to match their Human counterpart, dispite the Ampliturs success, their plan backfires into something truely frightening. I enjoyed reading this story, the characters felt real, I wonder how would a Nazi officer feel if he found out that he was Jewish, and that other officers in his company were Jewish as well?? Mr fosters one hell of a writer, I thought A call to arms was the best in the series but this comes a close second, I eagerly await the next exciting installment!!!