Mortals All

Rating:
Summary: Love on the Run
Review: A futuristic love story with a backdrop concerning the civil rights of artificially-created humans is at the center of "Mortals All" (Shaman Press), but there are many layers to this book. On the surface, the plot, which involves "Blade Runneresque" tracers who hunt rogue "andrones," and a religious figure with political ambitions, may seem rather pedestrian. But what's special about this novel are the characters, which are real down to their smallest insecurities and quirkiest habits, even when they're artificially created andrones.

The scenes when the on-the-make human, Zachariah Starr, teaches the female androne, Mary 79, about sex are both sensual and humorous. The entire book is actually tinted with satire--though the humor is subtle, not overt. When this pair's relationship evolves into something greater than lust, this story really begins to grab you by the soul. Mary learns from Zach what it means to be human, while he learns from her what love is, and, more important, can be.

This is not a book for hard scifi fans. Other than the andrones, some minor futuristic inventions, and travel within the solar system, there's not a lot of scifi hardware here. This is a character study that happens to take place more than a hundred years in the future. Much of it is reminiscent of Heinlein's works. Some may read it and think "Well, this and this have been done before." True to an extent, and maybe there are no great innovations in this novel, but I don't think what is here has been done quite this way before.

Rating:
Summary: Love on the Run
Review: A futuristic love story with a backdrop concerning the civil rights of artificially-created humans is at the center of "Mortals All" (Shaman Press), but there are many layers to this book. On the surface, the plot, which involves "Blade Runneresque" tracers who hunt rogue "andrones," and a religious figure with political ambitions, may seem rather pedestrian. But what's special about this novel are the characters, which are real down to their smallest insecurities and quirkiest habits, even when they're artificially created andrones.

The scenes when the on-the-make human, Zachariah Starr, teaches the female androne, Mary 79, about sex are both sensual and humorous. The entire book is actually tinted with satire--though the humor is subtle, not overt. When this pair's relationship evolves into something greater than lust, this story really begins to grab you by the soul. Mary learns from Zach what it means to be human, while he learns from her what love is, and, more important, can be.

This is not a book for hard scifi fans. Other than the andrones, some minor futuristic inventions, and travel within the solar system, there's not a lot of scifi hardware here. This is a character study that happens to take place more than a hundred years in the future. Much of it is reminiscent of Heinlein's works. Some may read it and think "Well, this and this have been done before." True to an extent, and maybe there are no great innovations in this novel, but I don't think what is here has been done quite this way before.

Rating:
Summary: Mortals All
Review: I'm not really a Sci-Fi fan, but I enjoyed this book because it has a very human touch--Sci-Fi with a heart. It has broader appeal than your average Sci-Fi, offering something for both hardcore fans as well as people like me who don't normally read the genre. It is a character-driven story, and all the characters are fleshed-out to a tee. I found Zach and Mary especially appealing, with chemistry to burn. It is a very visual book. And just the right amount of futurespeak is used to give a flavor that it's taking place in a different time.