Dreamchild

Rating:
Summary: Good mix of sci-fi and mystery. Solid scientific information
Review: "Dream Child" by Hilary Hemingway and Jeffry Lindsay Combining sci-fi and mystery Hemingway and Lindsay have hit upon an intriguing and exciting story. "Dream Child" is the sequel to the husband and wife writing team's "Dreamland" a novel of the UFO cover-up first published in hardcover by Forge in 1995. Max, the son of Annie and Stan Katz, is an unusual five-year old. Conventional medical doctors and psychologists diagnosed him emotionally and mentally retarded. Something his parents, particularly Annie, will not accept. Annie was abducted by aliens twice, once as a child when they placed a homing device in her head, and again while she was pregnant with Max. During the second abduction the unborn Max was taken from her body and sometime later returned for what she thought was a normal child delivery. Annie and Stan move to Syracuse, New York after the abduction incident in Los Alamos. Annie is in denial, and only sees Max as a child with a problem that competent medial and psychological care will solve. The aliens returned to earth after a two year absence and after proving, rather dramatically, they could destroy earth the government gave them an underground base in New Mexico. Colonel Michael Andros is looking for a way to communicate with the aliens whose primary interest seems to be human genetics. The government's interest, on the other hand, is in learning from their advanced technology. But now the aliens are becoming very active and Andros needs to find a way to communicate with them and he thinks he has the means through Max. Not everyone in "Dream Child" is happy with the alien presence and their abduction of humans and cattle mutilations. Valerie Ross, a microbiologist newly assigned to Andros' base teams up with Dr. Katherine Fire the base psychologist in a scheme to destroy the alien presence on earth. When Ross first arrives at the base she comments to a fellow worker, "So he (Andros) traded human life for alien technology." To which! her co-worker replies, "My dear, we've done that for forty years." The microbiologist designed a biological chemical weapon for use against the aliens but she and Fire need a test subject and the pair go in search of Max. Max, the "Dream Child," may not be able to communicate but he thinks, and he dreams. He dreams he is in a pool of blue liquid that he is able to breathe, and in the pool Max feels at home. He frequently calls for his father telepathically, and he may not be calling Stan Katz. In "Dream Child" the authors use real science and anthropology convincingly throughout the story, but the most interesting aspect of the book is how their characters play off one another. How each character reacts to the phenomenal things going on around them. It is interesting, and quiet believable that someone would blindly sacrifice human life to kill an alien for sacrificing human life. Annie Katz is a believable character in her denial of her son's origin "Dream Child" raises questions most of us don't want to ask for fear of the answers. ###

Rating:
Summary: Conspiracies within conspiracies, with aliens and more.
Review: The plot and storyline are like a good X-files episode -- filled with intigue, action and villainous characters galore. The action is fast paced and overall a good read, but the Area 51 / Roswell / alien abduction premise has worn a bit thin in recent years. A good book to take to the beach with you this summer.

Rating:
Summary: A superficial result coming from a good premise.
Review: The plot sounded interesting but the writing is poor, the characters are dull, and the book would have been better as a short story. Don't waste your time.