Otherwise (Others Series, Vol 3) [Hardcover]

Margaret Wander Bonanno (Author)

Book Description

Series: Others Series, Vol 3 | Publication Date: August 1993

In the third volume of The Others, Lingri the Inept chronicles the story of the Others as she returns to the World where the People are preying on themselves and where all agree that only the Others can save them.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like its predecessors, The Others and OtherWhere , this third installment of Bonanno's globe-spanning saga takes place on a distant planet called the World, which is inhabited by the Others, a race of rational, pacifistic and technologically advanced aliens, and by the aboriginal People, who are intelligent, but also superstitious and bellicose. Having once befriended the Others, the People have since used the Others' own technology to all but annihilate them. Now the People have turned that same technology on each other in destructive internecine wars. A few remaining Others, including Lingri Inept, Other chronicler and series protagonist, emerge from hiding to help save the World's inhabitants. A cryptic message from an old ally offers hope for both species' survival, sending Lingri and her grown half-People son on a perilous quest into hostile territory at the edge of chaos. Bonanno portrays with vivid poignancy the aftermath of genocide and the decline of a once-glorious civilization. Though the narrative flow occasionally suffers from the overuse of flashbacks, and the resolution is a bit too facile, likable characters and a well-conceived setting contribute to an entertaining and thought-provoking book.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

The third in Bonanno's Others series (The Others, 1990; OtherWhere, 1991) continues the story of the conflict between a belligerent race calling itself the People and the pacifistic, scientifically advanced Others, with whom they share their planet. Previous volumes have detailed the two races' mutual discovery of each other, and the evolution of the People's attitude from superstitious awe toward the Others to wholehearted adoption of their technology, and finally to hatred and genocide. In response, the Others have retreated to underground sanctuaries in the polar regions. Now, having learned of civil war among the People, one Other woman, Lingri the Inept, returns to the mainland incognito, hoping to find a way to stop the slaughter. In an episodic plot, full of flashbacks and digressions, Lingri travels the land, meeting survivors of the horror and mending the damage as best she can. Though this is in a sense the story of an undercover mission in enemy territory, the emphasis is less on action and intrigue than on nuances of character and social interaction, as in the episode where a sympathetic group of mainlanders show a confused Lingri a melodramatic film treatment of her own earlier life. Fans of Bonanno's Star Trek novels are likely to be bored by this unhurried, nonlinear narrative, but more adventurous readers may find the warmth and occasional flashes of wit here much to their taste. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 306 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (August 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312093586
• ISBN-13: 978-0312093587
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,833,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.