Customer Reviews

NeuroGenesis

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Helen Collins' second SF novel, NeuroGenesis, continues her compelling exploration of the meaning of "intelligence" that she began with her first novel, Mutagenesis. A 36th Century specialist in the structuring of human groups, Gisonne Michaelis organizes and joins a SPEEDship crew unexpectedly charged with two time-sensitive and seemingly incompatible critical missions: test the evolution of the ship's new carbon-based Operating System and transport Diana Allain, leader of the Zalterius II ruling family, on a mission to retain control over a the key material needed for the power source of faster-than-light SPEED travel and for their very survival. After launch, the crew is horrified to learn that the autopilot has been irreversibly reset, sending them on an endless journey to certain death.

However, the OS begins to "evolve" in erratic and unexpected ways and finally reprograms the ship to land on a planet inhabited by an intelligent and startling human-size saurian species called Corvi. The crew struggles to survive, to determine how the Corvi sensed the OS and saved the ship, and to find a link between the race of humans and the race of Corvi. With Corvi collaboration, the human team completes its mission to Quivera, wins a life-or-death battle and returns to Z2. There Gisonne at last discovers the identity of their "murderer."

I liked this novel -- Collins' description of human behavior in small groups is insightful; the shifting of roles under the stress of space travel and "culture shock" is convincingly and realistically developed.

A terrifying final battle, intriguing "new technologies" and strong plot line make this a "must-read" book.