"An exciting science fiction tale"
Among the Thousand Cultures that make up the galaxy,
earth already has a decadent reputation for misusing
things. The latest movement on earth involves what most
other worlds would say are misuse of the recordings of the
psypyx. Most of the worlds relish sharing their minds with
the recordings of the deceased, but on earth the push is to
place the recordings into games as virtual toys. The
outrage among the Thousand Cultures and the earthlings
blithely ignoring this reaction could lead to war. Girault Leones vowed never to work for the Office of
Special Projects, especially with Shan, because their last
disastrous collaboration led to the destruction of the
planet Briand and his own divorce from Margaret. However,
circumstances makes Girault realize never say never because
he knows the galaxy needs him to influence the decisions on
earth. He volunteers to try to keep the planet from taking
actions that could lead to war. The third Thousand Cultures tale, THE MERCHANTS OF
SOULS, is an exciting science fiction tale that contains
several intriguing premises especially the concept of
sharing brain cells. The story line is overloaded so
pivotal events are passively discussed between characters
as having happened rather than actively described. Still,
John Barnes shows why he is an award-winning author by
making his futuristic realms seem authentic while fostering
some novel ideas. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted November 25, 2001
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