Ashwell's second novel, like her first, Unwillingly to Earth, turns on telepathy, aliens and deep-space exploration. Five loosely related stories comprise the narrative, which details the adventures of Richard "Ricky" Jordan and his family and friends. In "Big Sword," which leads off, Ricky is a young boy brought to a distant planet by his father, who is in charge of the Second Lambdan Exploratory Expedition. On Earth, Ricky was criticized as a snoop and an eavesdropper, but on Lambda it becomes apparent that he is a telepath-a useful trait since the planet's resident aliens, which are rarely bigger than large grasshoppers, are telepaths as well. The other four stories follow Ricky as he helps save the Lambdans from extinction (they are having major problems with their reproductive cycle); grows up; helps police detective Sebastian Karel solve high-tech mysteries on Earth; and creates a new division, with far-reaching ramifications, in the Space Force. Each segment is entertaining but, together, they read more like loosely connected short stories than a proper novel, with no binding thread other than Ricky, and with very little in the way of character development.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
As a child accompanying his father to the planet Lambda, Richard Jordan finds his secret telepathic gift essential in communicating with the planet's indigenous species. As a young man, he tries to avoid the celebrity caused by his freak ability but discovers that his talents-along with those of his boyhood alien friends-are needed to find a group of missing colonists. Ashwell (Unwillingly to Earth, Tor Bks., 1992) draws a convincing portrait of a future earth that is united under a world government but divided by the ambitions of its politicians and scientists. Solidly written, though somewhat lacking in emotional intensity, this sf adventure will appeal to readers who enjoy a strong dose of science along with their fiction.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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