The Sum of Her Parts by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Trent Walters
In the trilogy's finale, Ingrid and Whispr run into a "meld," a human gene-modified for the desert, complete
with a heavy water storage sack on his back. He wants a cut on their diamond haul, but the two aren't hunting
diamonds. They believe they lose him; yet unbeknownst to them he dogs their trail. Later, after they've dodged searcher drones
patrolling the area outside the SEAC facility, a four-armed anti-corporation Meld, living and prospecting in this forbidden
zone, accosts Ingrid and Whispr.
Meanwhile, Molé, the hired assassin sniffs out their trail to southern Africa.
The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster
an audiobook review by Dale Darlage
The author introduces yet another series with this first installment of a trilogy set in a
relatively near-future Savannah, Georgia. In this interesting new world the direst predictions
about global warming have come true. America's southern states have become near-tropical. Flooding
ocean waters have buried coastal cities, forcing them to move onto stilts or to move inland. Much
of Florida is underwater and the Everglades have swallowed the rest.
Flinx Transcendent by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by John Enzinas
It starts with Flinx's exploration of the home world of the AAnn where Flinx has disguised himself in a special
costume and is pretending to be an AAnn. He's there as a result of learning that for some reason he is the only
one capable of saving the galaxy. After encountering nice AAnns, he decides to not let the galaxy be destroyed by
evil just because he had a crappy childhood and a couple of bad break-ups.
Star Trek, The Animated Series: Logs Nine and Ten by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Steve Lazarowitz
This, the last volume of the series, contains two stories.
The first offering, "BEM," deals with an not very nice BEM (bug-eyed monster for those of you who didn't attend SF school
or were born in the 90s). This particular BEM is a Pandronian, a condescending, arrogant, annoying creature, who will remind
you of someone you don't like, or perhaps several people. Thus, it
makes the plight of the Enterprise officers who have to deal diplomatically with the creature far more interesting.
Star Trek, The Animated Series: Logs Seven and Eight by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Steve Lazarowitz
There are two stories in this volume. The first, "The Counter-Clock Incident," involves the first captain
of the USS Enterprise, Robert T. April. Some of you, no doubt, think Captain Christopher Pike was the first captain of the
Enterprise, but that's not the case. He was only the captain before Kirk.
The story starts off with an alien vessel of unknown origin, that seems to be heading straight into an
exploding nebula, apparently unaware that the radiation is too high for even the Enterprise's shields to screen out.
Star Trek, The Animated Series: Logs Five and Six by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Steve Lazarowitz
A long time ago in a decade far, far away, Star Trek ruled the world of television science fiction. After three
seasons of superb television, the series was canceled
to the outrage of millions of fans. Then the wait began. Years later, when the animated series first aired and
suffering Star Trek withdrawal, we watched not because it was great television, but because we loved the
characters. When the logs came out, fans were treated to what amounted to a new Star Trek.
Star Trek, The Animated Series: Logs Three and Four by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Steve Lazarowitz
The logs are everything you'd expect from one of the original Star Treks. The stories are
fun, fast paced, entertaining, and Alan Dean Foster tackles
them with obvious relish (and perhaps a bit of mustard as well). As he is always an entertaining read, this isn't
entirely unexpected. What IS unexpected is the quality of the stories, which originally were created for Saturday morning television.
Star Trek, The Animated Series: Logs One and Two by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Steve Lazarowitz
The Star Trek Logs are historically important
to Star Trek fandom. Those who haven't been fans since the original series will no doubt require an explanation.
Star Trek Log One was first published in 1974. At the time, there were three seasons of the original episodes often played
in rerun, James Blish's adaptations of the original series, and a handful of novels, and nonfiction
books, such as Spock Must Die and The Making of Star Trek. This was three years before Star Wars.
The Light-Years Beneath My Feet by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Jonathan Fesmire
Though comfortable and well cared for on a world named Sessrimanthe, Mark Walker and
his companions -- a talking dog named George, the squid-like Sque, and
gigantic Braouk -- just want to get back to their home planets. There seems
little chance they ever will, until Mark takes up the complex art of galactic cuisine.
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Sliding Scales by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer
Every adventure Flinx has seems to bring him more troubles. Hunted all over the universe, the very same universe that
depends on him to save it, and separated from his one true love, who is very ill, he is understandably stressed. And depressed. So
his ship mind makes a rather pleasant suggestion. Take a vacation. A real vacation. To a little, not very well known planet
called Jast on the edge of the Commonwealth.
Flinx's Folly by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer
Philip Lynx -- or Flinx -- and a group of people are found unconscious at a space station. It has been happening to him a lot
lately. He faints, has a horrible nightmare about an evil at the end of the universe, lurking, waiting to come and destroy
everything, and when he wakes up he's subject to horrible headaches -- and it's getting worse. At first he was the only one who
fainted. Now he's taking more and more people with him.
The Mocking Program by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Steve Lazarowitz
Set in Namerica (a futuristic contraction of North America), the book is a crime drama that begins with the discovery of a corpse
stripped of its internal organs. Problems begin when it's revealed the victim has two completely different identities, one local
and one federal. He is essentially two different people -- neither of whom is interesting enough to be involved in anything shady.
Dinotopia Lost by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by A.L. Sirois
It's that time of year on Dinotopia when storms are most prevalent. Indeed, it's the climax of a 6-year
cycle and the storms that lash the northern end of the island are expected to be much more violent that
usual. On a pirate vessel captained by Brognar Blackstrap along with
his intellectual first mate, Priester Smiggens, we meet as scurvy a band of cutthroats
as one could hope to find on the Seven Seas. Flung ashore on the northern end of Dinotopia, the pirates
find themselves on what appears to be an uninhabited island. They set out exploring in hopes of finding
fresh water and game, and almost at once run into a family of Struthiomimuses on a camping holiday.
Star Wars: The Approaching Storm by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by David Maddox
As Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones begins, Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker have just returned from a
mission. This book chronicles just what that mission was. Separatist elements within the Republic are
trying to set-up the backwater world Ansion as the next Naboo, hoping that its cessation from the Republic will cause enough
turmoil to bring down the Senate, which itself is so mired in bureaucracy that very little is actually accomplished anymore.
Interlopers by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Peter D. Tillman
Archaeologist Cory Westcott deciphers the recipe for a Chachapoyan (pre-Incan) shamanistic potion.
He has it brewed to try it but nothing much happens -- he gets terrible stomach cramps -- until
he passes a university building and sees a raging fire in his colleague's lab and he starts
seeing weird creatures, with teeth & tentacles, in every tree and rock. Hungry creatures... that no one else can see!
Phylogenesis by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Peter D. Tillman
Desvendapur is a 3rd-rate professional poet on the backwater colony world of Willow-Wane. Hearing a rumour of
a secret alien colony, on impulse he sneaks in and forges a new identity, hoping the weird, smelly "humans" will inspire
him, and jump-start his stalled artistic career. Inspiration he gets, plus exotic travel, but at a very high price.
Into the Thinking Kingdoms by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Todd Richmond
A sequel to Carnivores of Light and Darkness, the story picks up where
the other left off -- Ehomba, a simple herdsman, has an obligation
placed upon him by a dying man to rescue the Visioness Themaryl, the dying man's
intended, from the evil Hymneth the Possessed. Todd thinks it may be worth waiting
until the final book arrives so that you can finish the trilogy all at once.
Carnivores of Light and Darkness by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Todd Richmond
The unlikely trio of characters and their adventures through the Unstable
Lands provide plenty of variety to this first book of a new series, gently
pulling the reader along on the journey. Todd is looking forward to
following the further exploits of Etjole the Catechist in the next book.
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