Customer Reviews

Sentience (UE2108)

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Just discovered Terry A Adams' Sentience (on a friend's bookshelf) and had to read it in one gulp. It explores the fear and contempt that non-telepathic humans, a majority, have for those humans with telepathy who are confined to a single planet. Add to the mix a newly encountered and very different species that is completely telepathic and hostile. Yes, as one reviewer said, there are some rough and ugly moments, but they are handled with a horrifying distance, that is, details are there but sparse. There are also moments of wonder--that Terry Adams could create such a satisfying variety of cultures. Just when you think that things might go well, the characters make surprising choices. The hypothesis about the nature of alien intelligence adds a rich background. The central character's honesty and determination make her actions fascinating to follow. Would love to read more by this author.

Sentience is the story of Hanna, a telepath from a part of human society that is shunned. She's offered a chance to become part of the mainstream, as a navigator, for a scientific expedition. From the second she boards that ship, she spends the entire book being used, abused, maliciously manipulated, raped, tortured, cut to bits, spied on, broken mentally and physically, occupied by alien beings, insulted, and otherwise ground into the carpet. In the end, it's revealed that she loves the jerk who put her up to the whole adventure. How utterly disgusting.

True Humans, they thought of themselves as lords of the universe and looked upon D'Neerians, the only human telepaths as being not quite human, not quite trustworthy. But a few humans could see the potential. So when the starship Endeavor was launched, D'Neerian navigator Lady Hannah was on board. And ultimately the voyage of discovery would all depend on her.