Peace And Memory (The Secantis Sequence, 3) [Paperback]

Mark W. Tiedemann (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Secantis Sequence, 3 | Publication Date: May 29, 2003

Decades after the Secession, humanity is still split. The isolationist Pan Humana and the expansionist Commonwealth Republic live on either side of their mutual boundary, the Secant. Crossing the Secant is illegal, no matter which side you start from. Trade Tamyn Glass is on a well-paying and mostly legal run when she is contacted by Benajim Cyanus--a man she doesn't know, piloting a ship that isn't his, pursued by people who intend him harm. He carries a plea from an old friend that Tamyn can't ignore. Sean Merrick, richest of the early founders of the Commonwealth, is dying, and his last wish is to be buried on Earth. That means crossing the Secant and breaking the law. But that's only the start of Tamyn's problems. Merrick is trying to live beyond his natural lifespan: he has loaded his persona into his ship, the Solo, and turned it over to Benajim--a man who has no memory of his past and owes his present to Sean Merrick. One man has placed them all in a moral, ethical, and legal dilemma that threatens everything they know, and there's no time to consider. They have to decide, and decide now. Their choice will have profound consequences. For everyone.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Peace and Memory is the stand-alone third novel of Mark W. Tiedemann's ambitious and acclaimed future history, the Secantis Sequence. The Secant is a territorial boundary in space, a forbidden zone, a closed border between deadly enemies: the Pan Humana and the Commonwealth Republic. The Earth-centered Pan Humana forbids interaction with aliens--and with the people of the Commonwealth Republic, who trade with aliens. Worse, the Commonwealth Republicans use alien mind technologies. Are they still human? What does it mean to be human?

Commonwealth Shipmaster Tamyn Glass is a trader gaining success among the aliens when a man from her past sends her a stolen starship. The ship bears the news that the man, her old friend Sean Merrick, is dead, and wants Tamyn to recover his body and bury him on the other side of the Secant--on Earth. But is Sean truly dead? Signs indicate he may still be alive. Yet, if he is dead, Tamyn must steal his body before she can bury it. And if she succeeds in this grim task, she runs the risk of getting herself and her crew destroyed in the Secant or killed on the forbidden planet Earth--or worse. For the ancestral homeworld has brain-breaking punishments undreamed of in the Commonwealth Republic. --Cynthia Ward

Review

"In the tradition of Asimov’s Foundation, echoing with the intrigue Herbert’s Dune, Peace and Memory is not to be missed." -- —Robert A. Metzger, author of Picoverse

"Mark Tiedemann is a writer of genuine ability and talent, who explores his cosmos with verve and sense of wonder!" -- David Brin, author of the UPLIFT Series and KILN PEOPLE

"Mark Tiedemann is science fiction's secret weapon: a shrewd and intelligent storyteller..." -- Allen Steele, Hugo Award-winning author of COYOTE

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc.; 1st MM Pub. Ed edition (May 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892065967
• ISBN-13: 978-1892065964
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,912,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Splendid Return to Sci Fi, January 23, 2004

By 

Jamieson Spencer (St. Louis., MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peace And Memory (The Secantis Sequence, 3) (Paperback)

I grew up reading Science Fiction but somehow dropped away from the genre over time. That's why I am grateful to have heard about Mark Tiedemann's stunning novel, Peace and Memory. It reminds me of what I always loved about sci-fi: a gripping plot, sophisticated but accessible vocabulary, and some profound and probing philosophical and intellectual issues. That the book is I believe part three of a larger sequence did not get in the way of being caught up by the story. It simply made me eager to go back and see how the story all began. This one holds together well on its own.

5.0 out of 5 stars He did it again!, January 12, 2004

By 

Linda S. Knoebel (St. Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peace And Memory (The Secantis Sequence, 3) (Paperback)

Another great story from a gifted author. A personal favorite. Peace & Memory is a richly detailed, compelling tale of human motivations and frailties. Once started, it is very hard to put down. Highly recommended. I can't wait to read his next novel.

5.0 out of 5 stars Tiedemann's best so far!, October 21, 2003

By 

Susan L. Stranathan (Kibler, AR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Peace And Memory (The Secantis Sequence, 3) (Paperback)

I have always enjoyed Tiedemann's work, but with Peace & Memory, he's surpassed himself. I haven't enjoyed a sci-fi work as much since my first taste of Asimov and Heinlein's early work. This has believable characters, an infrastructure that is integral but unintrusive, and a solid, character-driven plot. Don't miss this book.