Jack The Bodiless (Galactic Milieu Trilogy, Vol 1) [Hardcover]

Julian May (Author)

Book Description

Series: Galactic Milieu Trilogy, Vol 1 | Publication Date: January 21, 1992

In the year 2051 Earth stands on the brink of acceptance as a full member of the Galactic Milieu, a confederation of worlds spread across the galaxy. Leading humanity is the powerful Remillard family, but somebody - or something, known only as Fury, wants the family out of the way.

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

May's newest series, following from her two Intervention titles, begins by combining galactic-scale intrigue with the smaller but no less turbulent affairs of the powerful Remillard family. In the mid-21st century, earth's humanity, led by the mentally gifted Remillards, is awaiting acceptance into the vast Galactic Milieu, a political and telepathic alliance of alien races. But some beings on earth, even some among the Remillard clan, are wary of the aliens. At this delicate juncture, Teresa, wife of clan leader Paul Remillard, conceives a child who promises to be the most powerful mental talent ever, but whose genetic defects condemn him to death under Milieu law. Meanwhile, a demonic force calling itself Fury has begun to kill off Remillards and others with "metapsychic" powers, creating a chaos that threatens to delay humanity's admission to the Milieu. The plot is engaging and May's prose adequate to it, but the story is marred by its unbroken focus on elites, with no attention paid to ordinary people, and by its aliens, who seem too much like humans. Literary Guild's Science Fiction Book Club selection.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

As a consortium of five alien races stands ready to accept Earth as a full partner in the Galactic Milieu, the birth of a very special child heralds a new stage in human evolution. As in Intervention and "The Saga of Pliocene Exile" series, May combines a compelling vision of humanity's future with the drama and political intrigue surrounding the Remillard family, whose metapsychic powers and personal ambitions shape the destiny of the world. Familiarity with the earlier books is helpful in unraveling the complex relationships in this ambitious trilogy opener; nevertheless, the author's imagination and careful choreography make this title a necessary purchase for most sf collections. Highly recommended. Science Fiction Book Club main selection.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 463 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1st edition (January 21, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679409505
• ISBN-13: 978-0679409502
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,251,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great read and a fascinating continuity., February 25, 2004

By 

Harvey H. Meeker (Shelton, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jack the Bodiless (Galactic Milieu Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)

Jack the Bodiless is the first book in the Galactic Milieu Trilogy. This book and the rest of this trilogy should be read after reading the other related series, the Intervention books (Surveillance and The Metaconcert) and The Saga of The Pliocene Exile (The Many Colored Land, The Golden Torc, The Nonborn King, The Adversary). Those two series can be read in any order, but I would recommend perusing first the Saga and then Intervention. Those two series will give you a significant grounding in the characters and setting you encounter in the Galactic Milieu trilogy.

I tried to read this book after reading the Intervention series and it was too jarring a transition for me at the time. So I put the book away for a few years and then came back later after having read the Saga of The Pliocene Exile and found this series much more comprehensible and absorbing. Once I came back to his series I read all three books in about a weeks time.

The story (and in fact the whole Galactic Milieu trilogy) is told as a recollection of Rogi Remillard a familiar character to those who read the Intervention books. Many times his is the voice telling the story and at other times we transition to the individuals themselves to see from their perspective.

This book is mainly about the events that form around the time frame encompassing the gestation, birth and early life of Jack the Bodiless. These events include the early life of Marc Remillard and the threat to the Remillard family caused by the Fury and Hydra entities. I found the Remillard family interaction and characters created in the series to be very compelling overall. The continuity of events ties neatly into the other series, but unfortunately without those books it can be a bit daunting to pick up on references and terminology in this book. To get the full effect that previous events have had on the characters in the book (enormous in many ways for Rogi, but often glossed over by him in these books to avoid dwelling on unpleasantness) it is almost required that one delve into those previous series.

I highly recommend this book, but only after the above mentioned series have been read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Up All Night!, July 27, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Bloomington, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack the Bodiless (Galactic Milieu Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)

Julian May has created an amazing tale with characters who are brilliant and lovable. I have 20 more pages to read and am still thrilled as I turn each page. Glorious scifi. The relationships of Marc, Theresa, Uncle Regi, and of course Jack are so well developed that I feel as though I know these people. This book was recommended by my daughter who is married to a scifi nut. I read this book first and can't wait to read the two that came before "Jack."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A voracious read, a complete universe, June 13, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Houston, TX, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack the Bodiless (Galactic Milieu Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)

Julian May has just been added to my list of all-time favorite authors. I heard about Jack the Bodiless from a friend and decided to buy all three books of the series at the same time, I was not disappointed. The narrative character is given spirited depth and the rest of the characters are equally described. The plot fits together and will make you wish that all three books were released as one volume. The ideas in this book will light the fire under your imagination.