Other (Childe Cycle) [Mass Market Paperback]

Gordon R. Dickson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Childe Cycle | Publication Date: December 15, 1995

Bleys Ahrens is now a political power on the planet Association, home of the Friendlies. His people--his Others, not Dorsai or Friendly or Exotic, but hybrids--are in place on all the new worlds, and are ready to take his message to the greater human public.

But within his inner circle is Henry McLean, Soldier of God, and a True Faith-Holder. Henry fears for the soul of his nephew Bleys, and while he guards, he also watches, and judges.

And beyond Bleys Ahrens' control is Hal Mayne: the one man in all the human worlds who might successfully challenge Bleys in his bid for power. For Hal Mayne is the true culmination of the Cycle's grand design. Bleys would give anything to convert Hal Mayne to his cause--or failing that, to destroy him.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Since its beginning in 1959 as a serialization in Astounding Science Fiction, Dickson's award-winning Childe Cycle has reflected the changes in contemporary "space opera." While the early works revealed the author's skill in seamlessly melding plot complications and his deft, journalistic prose, this latest entry deals with more levels of society than did the earlier works as it follows the attempt of Bleys Ahrens and his troupe (including his brother Dahno and his right-hand woman, Antonia Lu) to encourage a grand unification of all worlds. The series has always seemed based on the idea that those who are destined to lead do so while the rest of us are the better for leaving that task to them. Here the "Great Teacher," as Ahrens is often called, and his crew visit various planets, form interplanetary alliances and continue the search for Hal Mayne, the primary hero of the Cycle. Machinations and intrigues abound, including kidnapping, drugging and threats, but Dickson's presentation is so balanced that even readers unfamiliar with Mayne's role in the series may sympathize more with him than with Ahrens-or with Henry MacLean, who joins the troupe while maintaining that the Great Teacher is guided by Satan, a subplot that may develop in future volumes. And so the Cycle rotates on, with this particular spin, often overwrought but never less than interesting.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Dickson returns to his monumental Childe Cycle, begun in 1957, with a sequel to Young Bleys (1991). Bleys Ahrens continues to pursue his destiny of providing an alternative to Hal Mayne's approach to uniting the diverse strains of humanity--Exotics (intellectuals), Friendlies (the faithful), and Dorsai (warriors). Assisted by his half-brother Dahno, Bleys must pit his insights and skills against the government of New Earth (which can hire 50,000 mercenaries without counting the change) as well as more personal problems, such as his relationship with his martial arts instructor, a lovely amazon. This is not the ideal place to begin exploring Dickson's vast saga of human evolution, but Dickson is one of the quiet giants of sf, and working in his chosen territory, he has again produced a superbly crafted, rewarding book. Roland Green --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Tor Science Fiction (December 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812515994
• ISBN-13: 978-0812515992
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,104,577 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A slight anti-climax, but readable, October 13, 2003

By 

Michael Battaglia - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Other (Childe Cycle) (Mass Market Paperback)

To the best of my knowledge, Dickson never followed this book up and thus never really completed the Childe Cycle, which is an incredibly disappointing thing because it was heading toward an ending of some sort. However, I'm not sure if Dickson knew what kind of ending he was going to go with, since he totally stopped the series' momentum after the Chantry Guild (not the most exciting book to begin with) and started to backtrack and discuss the life of Bleys Ahern. This book picks up where "Young Bleys" left off and parallels more or less The Final Encyclopedia. Fortunately for the reader, Bleys is an interesting character in that he's supposed to be the villain but he's not truly evil, he has his own viewpoint which he intends on pursuing as far as he can take it. So exploring his personality in greater detail was a smart idea to some extent but Dickson seems to be just treading water, keeping the story light on any sort of action and high on political manipulation. The only problem is that with Bleys around it basically chucks all suspense out the window because he succeeds in everything he tries, once or twice in the story Dickson pulls out an "aha-ha!" moment but there's not exceptionally memorable that happens. He introduces one interesting subplot where Bley's Uncle Henry, a decent warrior in his own right, decides to take along to save his nephew's soul from Satan. This hints at a confrontation that never really occurs and the book is the worse for it. Also, it was hinted in the Final Encyclopedia that something not so good happened to Bleys' brother Dahno, but nothing is noted about that either. So instead the book just sort of chugs along in a connect the dots fashion, with Bleys moving from one planet to another, forming a plan and enacting it and then forming another plan somewhere else and doing the same. The one honest to goodness action sequence drags, much like it did in The Chantry Guild, by going on for way too long until you're not sure what the point is anymore. Otherwise it's all talk, talk, talk, more often than that expository in nature. So while the book is readable and entertaining to some extent, this almost total lack of drama or suspense very much hamstrings the book and destroys whatever momentum it has, you keep turning the pages through essential inertia and not because of the burning need to see what happens next. Worst of all, the book continues the annoying Dickson trend of simply ending with almost nothing resolved, doubly frustrating because Dickson never went further than this book with the Cycle. In the end, people who want to read for pure enjoyment should stick with the first few books in the cycle, up to the Final Encyclopedia. Those who want to see what kind of potential this series had should move on to the rest and wonder about what might have been.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Childe Cycle must read, December 28, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Other (Childe Cycle) (Mass Market Paperback)

Read all of the following: Dorsaii, Necromancer, Final Encyclopedia, Young Bleys, Other, Chantry Guild in that order. You will enjoy Other's story of the not-so-evil Bleys Ahrens and the development of the Others. The Others in the Final Encyclopedia are viewed by an impressionable young teenager albeit a brilliant one. Once you get the more complex view from the other side you understand why Hal is pursued and why the Hal/Bleys relationship is so important to the series. You will want to read this book for information that happens during the Final Encyclopedia - suprisingly only a small portion overlaps in content. You will keep reading it because it is a riveting story in and of itself. A lot of new information about Bley's life is presented and the development of events key to setting up a final confrontation that you are not aware of in the Final Encyclopedia. The next book in the series picks up at the end of both the Final Encyclopedia and Other and is called the Chantry Guild.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointment In The Childe Cycle, June 6, 2000

By 

Cody Carlson (Salt Lake City, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Other (Childe Cycle) (Mass Market Paperback)

Gordon R. Dickson's Childe Cycle, sometimes called the 'Dorsai novels' is truly one of the great works of Science Fiction. The early novels begin an exciting series that continue through Dickson's masterpiece 'The Final Encyclopedia.' The next two novels in the series, 'Young Bleys' and 'Other' fall far short of the series' first novels. 'Other,' in particular lacks much of the kinectic drive the was a prevalent device in the other Dorsai novels. All of the novels take place in a wonderfly drawn universe of many worlds and cultures. What made the first novels of this series work was the amazyingly complex combination of fast-paced adventure and well thought out interworld politics. While 'Other' holds the political intrigues in abundance it sorley lacks the excitment and exhileration of the other novels. 'Other' does have it's good points however; it is full of the multi-dimensional characters that are a Dickson trade mark and has just enough reference to the events of 'The Final Encyclopedia,' (the two novels take place simultaniously,) that it is not a complete waste of time. This is one for die-hard fans only and not a great introduction to the series.