Customer Reviews

Intervention: A Root Tale to the Galactic Milieu and a Vinculum Between It and the Saga of Pliocene Exile

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The Intervention series, set squarely between Julian May's Saga of Pleiocine Exile and The Galactic Milleu trilogy (Jack the Bodiless, Diamond Mask, Magnificat) is a kind of exploration of how the Earth as we know it could, in the space of under a hundred years, become so organized and civilized a place that the malcontents of human nature would feel the need to escape through the Guderian One-Way Time Gate. Please, don't let the MacGuffin frighten you; the story is interesting without too much understanding of that. In fact, it isn't neccesary to have read any of the other books to understand this series...because, even though May wrote it after Saga, it takes place before it, and acts as a prologue.

What May does here is explore exactly what super-humanity means, as ascending 'operants' (those with psionic abilities) begin to proliferate on the surface of the planet Earth, and a Galactic Civilization somewhat reminiscent of the Lensman books watches and hopes that the contrary humans don't annihilate themselves, for they could very well be vital to the continuing survival of the Millieu.

However, all that is not why this should be read; in fact, it nearly gets in the way. It should be read for the tiny touches that prove May's got her head on straight: When operant baby Denis worms his way through his uncle Rogi's shields, when a mobster sits in his car and re-experiences the firey death of his wife, when aliens rescue the canine casulaties of the Soviet Space Program, the book is at its best.

When she accomplishes these simple moments, Intervention has touches of humor, grandeur, and joy. May is interesting. This book, quietly so, is even more than that. It's just plain good.

"Intervention" is an enormous novel, attempting to cover pretty much everything that happens on Earth over a seventy-year span. It begins in 1945 with the appearance of the first operants, and wraps up with the Intervention in 2013. Having already read "Jack the Bodiless" before starting "Intervention", I knew exactly what would happen at the grand finale before I got there. That didn't in the least diminish the pleasure of taking the journey.

The cast is big. We begin with Rogi and Don, orphans adopted into an enormous family in New Hampshire. Don will eventually marry and prdocue offspring, among them Dennis and Victor who drive most the the plot of "Intervention". Along with them come Tamara from the Soviet Union, an operant mob boss named Kieran O'Conner, another contingent of mental wonders from Scotland and a worldwide cast of bit players. Toping it all are the aliens, who have been surveying the planet for the last 60,000 years. What's remarkable about May's storytelling is not only the juggling of such a crowd, but also the remarkable humanity and frailty of the characters. We see Rogi's alcoholism, Tamara's deterioration from pacifism to anger and the uprise of violent mobs of bigots in response to the appearance of operants. May has a keen eye for how bad behavior and impulsive decisions can take over at important times, even at the turning points in history. I said this book was big; in a sense, however, it isn't big enough to cover every plot point in detail. We get shortchanged at times. For instance, we never learn the details of how Tamara beat the Soviet authorities. On the whole, however, the book is remarkable for its scope and vision.

And for the little touches, as one previous reviewer already mentioned. Highlights include:

- A Japanese baseball re-enacting Thayer's classic poem 'Casey at the Bat', with a twist, as a metaphor for the entirety of human history.

- Aliens rescuing the poor little space dog that the Russians sent aloft on Spunik II.

- Psychokinetic children making a novel use of spaghetti on Halloween.

- Two archvillains taking an awesome ski vacation on New Year's eve. (This sequence captures the unique majesty of nighttime skiing while also working well with the character studies.)

If you like the books of the Saga of Pliocene Exile, then Intervention, though very different, will also appeal to you. The story bridges the gap between the Saga of Pliocene Exile and the Galactic Milieu Series. It takes place in a more contemporary setting and reads a little like a mystery novel, but has all of the magic and mystery of the other two series. Uncle Rogi is a fantastic character who you will come to love. Highly recommended.

This is a life changing book. It shows us a spectacular vision of the potential of humanity, and wrestles with the eternal choice between good and evil. Humanity must choose its path - does it use its ever-growing intellectual capacity and telepathic powers to welcome inter-stellar friends or will it destroy itself? This book far surpasses May's other work so fans will be more than satisfied. The characters are extremely engaging and it is written in a warm, humorous style that will keep you up all night turning the pages.