Customer Reviews

Running from the Deity: A Pip & Flinx Adventure (Adventures of Pip and Flinx)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Philip "Flinx" Lynx is the result of illegal eugenic experiments that simply proved science needs boundaries as he contains enhanced skills to propel and collect emotions from others. Currently Flinx searches for a missing super-weapon left behind by an extinct race that may prove the only tool to stop a species that threatens mankind from behind the Great Emptiness. However, though the weapon is planet sized Flinx has failed to find it and is forced to land on an uncharted orb when his intelligent spaceship, Teacher, needs emergency repairs.

Flinx meets a backwater race of aliens who like him can emit and receive emotions. He breaks the prime directive of the Commonwealth not to interfere with primitive species especially using technology as Flinx heals the sick and injured. That backfires when the natives begin worshipping Flinx the God which infuriates religious and political leaders. His reputation as the deity crosses national boundaries; other countries prepare to invade to bring God home. While Teacher makes self-repairs, Flinx realizes why the prime directive exists while RUNNING FROM THE DEITY, which happens to be him.

RUNNING FROM THE DEITY, the latest FLINX'S FOLLY is a terrific tale that satirizes classic Star Trek by displaying what happens when a much more advances civilization brings impossible to grasp technology to more primitive societies. Flinx is in rare form trying to do good until he realizes what he has wrought while local leaders do what they always do; manipulate others including the "Deity". Though some readers will be upset that the original mission turns inert, this is an interesting tale as fans will think of The Gods Must Be Crazy in outer space.

Harriet Klausner

Another lackluster entry to a once gripping series - that pretty much says it all. This book and the last book I read in this series has pretty much ruined the series for me. Foster used to be one of my must read authors - meaning, if I saw a book by him I bought it no questions asked. I hate it when a good author goes bad.

Pip and Flinx books by Alan Dean Foster are always entertaining. This book follows a couple of others from the series where the main story is really just a "stopover on another world" with a little of the series continuation tacked onto the end. The story is entertaining but does not have really anything to do with the commonwealth. It is a "well meaning man from an advanced civilization lands on a primative world and how he affects the aliens" story. Flinx brings off of the world nothing to help with the galactic threat or answers to his search. Mr Foster may want to concentrate on the series and skip the errant layovers. Good only.

I reviewed this when it first came out and it looks like my review and some others I recall were "lost". This story stunk. I love this series but the last several installments were very lame. Save your money until he gets back to telling the story we all fell in love with. Tell me about the galactic threat, his growing abilities, his sometime girlfriend...come on man.

Flinx, the genetically engineered hero of Alan Dean Foster's longest running series, has just managed to get off a world called Jast alive. Now his starship's artificial intelligence unit, or AI, announces that it's time for an overhaul. The ship can do the work itself, but it has to land somewhere first. Since Flinx doesn't want to risk returning to the Commonwealth, he agrees to set down on another remote planet. Even though he shouldn't, technically speaking, because the world that's about to serve as his shipyard is home to a sentient species that hasn't yet reached the level of technology necessary for space travel.

Of course the Commonwealth has a law very much like Star Trek's prime directive. So if Flinx insists on stopping here, at the very least he's obligated to keep his presence secret from the locals. Of course Flinx doesn't do that. He leaves his grounded ship, thinking he won't encounter anyone - and of course, he does encounter someone. And gets involved, and tries to help the local folk with technology that seems commonplace to him....

I wish we fans of the series might get a bit more advancement of the overarching plot that's been driving the Flinx books from their beginning, in this as in the past few installments. Once again, we have a pretty much self-contained "Flinx lands on a planet and has an adventure" tale. But with that said, it's an entertaining and interesting tale. Foster's gift for creating aliens who are just enough different from us to be believable, yet just enough like us to be sympathetic, operates here in top form. Enjoyable reading for fans who don't get too frustrated by the lack of progress in the series as a whole.

Running From the Deity (2005) is the eleventh SF novel in the Pip & Flinx series, following Sliding Scales. In the previous volume, Takuuna was taken to the AAnn Administration Center for treatment. A Vssey named Qyl-Elussab cared for him in the ambulance. Takuuna didn't recall the name until it was too late.

The Tier of Ssaiinn nye commiserate with Flinx for his loss. Then Flinx departs the planet to return to Teacher. He resumes his search for the Tar-Aiym weapons platform.

In this novel, Philip Lynx is a biotechnically mutated human. Flinx has the intermittent ability to read emotions and occasionally to project them. He lives in a world of mental noise and has frequent headaches.

Pip is an Alaspinian minidrag. Her species are natural empaths. They are also very dangerous pets, at least to those who attack them or their kin.

Ebbanai is a Dwarra. He is a lowly net-caster, but he does own his property and animals. He is compassionate and tolerant.

Storra is also a Dwarra. She is Ebbanai's wife and weaves seashan into cloth. She is more intelligent that her husband and more avaricious.

In this story, Flinx cuts through Commonwealth space toward the Blight. The Tar-Aiym weapons platform was last seen heading in this direction. After entering the Blight, however, Teacher informs him that the ship needs some repairs.

Flinx considers returning to Commonwealth space, but dislikes that course due to various enemies searching for him in the Commonwealth. Then Teacher suggests a nearby world within the Blight. Unfortunately, the planet is inhabited.

According to the records, the inhabitants of Arrawd are have early industrial technology. Contact with such primitives is banned. So the Teacher will have to set down somewhere isolated and hide itself.

Unluckily, Teacher is spotted by Ebbanai as it descends. At first, the native thinks that a fourth moon is falling on him. Then he sees the odd shape and navigation lights. He is not certain what it is, but he conceals himself among the dunes as it sets down.

Then Teacher becomes one dune among many. Ebbanai is rather startled, but he isn't about to go touch the dune to determine if the odd object is inside. He sneaks off and runs home. Fortunately, he remembers to take his net with him.

When Storra first hears the story, she believes Ebbanai to be drunk. Then she tears his story to pieces, citing the impossibility of it all. Finally, she goes with Ebbanai to see the dune.

On the way, they discover Flinx sitting on the ground with a sprained ankle. He had been testing his skills in the lower gravity and found a flaw in his thinking. At least he had not broken anything when he stepped into the hole.

Flinx is enough to convince Storra that some of Ebbanai's story is true. They help Flinx hobble to their house, where he applies a healing ointment on the sprain. The injury seems to heal before their eyes.

This tale leads Flinx to apply his healing devices to Ebbanai. The injury heals quickly. Soon Flinx is healing people from far and wide.

This story teaches Flinx a lesson about assuming the authorities are stupid. The natives start believing that he is a god. Then a war starts over his presence.

Flinx leaves the planet with a bit more wisdom. The next volume in this series by internal chronological order is Bloodhype, the second published volume. But the next novel by publication sequence is Trouble Magnet. Read and enjoy!

Recommended for Foster fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of high adventure, alien cultures, and psionic talents.

-Arthur W. Jordin

This book and the one that preceeded it 'Sliding Scales' appear to be nothing but filler in the Pip & Flinx story arc. They add next to nothing to the story we've been reading for a couple decades now. When I saw them sitting next to each other on the library shelf I was beside myself with glee, new Flinx! Sad to say I was sorely disapponted by what I got. Mr. Foster's writing style has changed in just the last couple years, the humor, the characters to care about, the continuing story line that started in Tar-Ayim all seem to have been lost. I read the book, I didn't really enjoy it. On with the story, Mr. Foster! Enough filler and books that go nowhere!

I've had to say this about far too many recent Foster novels about Flinx ... this is just a waste of time.

This "Prime Directive Parable" has been better done several times in Star Trek, starting more than 40 years ago.

The alien race introduced is so like humanity in psychology, lifestyle, and culture that one wonders why Foster felt they needed a different physiology.

Once again Foster completely 'forgets' major elements of previous novels. This is at least the 4th time that Flinx has felt 'psychicly at home' with an alien world/species, yet according to Foster it is the first time. (Yes, I can name the other three ... the blind aliens on Longtunnel, the Ulru Ujurrans, and the entire world mind of Midworld). Each time Flinx was tempted to just stay in those places, but now evidently he has completely forgotten all those experiences. LOL

At least for one book we are spared the long wilderness trek where Flinx, on death's door, is saved by extraordinary coincidence.

You can safely give this one a pass and you won't miss anything. If you feel compelled to read it, at least don't waste money on it. Find it in a library or a free download. Alan doesn't deserve to be paid for this, yet one more cheap 'cash in' on the loyalty of his Flinx Fans.

Back in 1980, fresh from watching Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi back to back at the cinema, I set out to find written adaptations of the movies and stumbled across a book that purported to be what happened to Luke and Leia between episode 4 and episode 5. Called Splinter Of The Minds Eye, it was my introduction to the writing of Alan Dean Foster.

Along with adapting many films (the first three Alien movies especially) he is a prolific writer of original science fiction and what he does best is science fiction space soap opera. In that same year I discovered Cachalot and my introduction to the Humanx Commonwealth and started a love affair with the Pip and Flinx books that has so far spanned 29 years. That Foster can keep a series this fresh and alive after so long and still make us believe that he is writing from the point of view of his twenty-something-year-old protagonist is to his credit. That he can still create fresh new alien worlds to explore, that genuinely feel as if you're reading a travelogue rather than fiction, is where the real magic lies in these stories.

Running From the Deity is about the twelfth book to feature Flinx - or Phillip Lynx and his companion the Alaspian Mini-drag Pip - (though they have appeared in some short story collections like Impossible Places too) and he isn't showing any signs of running out of steam yet. Mistaken for a God due to his empathic ability with both the natives and the fauna of the backwoods planet he lands on to repair his unique space ship, Flinx finds himself once more trying to extricate himself from a sticky situation, while advancing the 29 year story arc that will (if Mr Foster doesn't die before completing the series) save the universe from extinction. Flinx is a very special individual... To say much more would ruin the fun. Go out and buy this well written and highly recommended addition to the series of charming adventures. Always thought provoking, never dull, you'll find them quick reads (they all weigh in around 250 pages) and you can pick up the tale at any point, in any book, (Mr Foster gives you enough clues to read each story as a stand alone,) but if you really want to immerse yourself in this intriguing universe, start from the beginning with For The Love Of Mother Not and work your way through them all. Word is he's finally reaching the end of the tale and I, for one, am glad to have been along for the whole ride.

Whenever I read a Pip and Flinx book, I have such fun I hope A.D. Foster had half of much fun writing it. If you're looking for something profound, find something else. This is escapism and just plain enjoyable.
Claudene