Rating: 
Summary: A Matter of Biology
Review: Survival is the first novel in the Species Imperative series. In the early decades of the twenty-first century, humanity expanded into the Solar system, establishing a permanent presence on Mars, the Jovian moons and elsewhere. A hundred and fifty years after the first child was born on Mars, the stars reached mankind; a non-Human probe arrived in the Solar system with an invitation to join from the Interspecies Union. It provided information on building and maintaining transects to bypass normal space. Over the next hundred years, humanity migrated to some three hundred extra-Solar worlds and used the new technology obtained from the IU to repair much of the ecological damage done to Earth in the prior centuries.In this novel, MacKenzie Connor, Ph.D., is a biologist and coadministrator of the Norcoast Salmon Research Facility located within Castle Inlet. Mac and her partner, Emily Mamani Sarmiento, are monitoring Emily's newly improved DNA Tracer from Field Station Six on the Tannu River. After six days of boredom, a Chinook salmon run suddenly appears on the screen. Everything is going well until Emily detects a very large presence swimming in a diving suit among the salmon. Field Station Six is graced with a visit from Brymn, the first member of the Dhryn species to visit Earth, and his diplomatic escort. After the introductions, Mac orders Brymn to leave the station. As he is leaving with the Dhryn, the escort gives Mac an official envelope. Shortly thereafter, another craft arrives to take Mac and Emily back to the Base. Brymn has come for assistance in solving some mysterious disappearances among the worlds of the Naralax transect, which he has associated with the lifeless worlds of the Chasm. He will only talk with her when he is reasonably sure that no one can overhear them. He gets her to promise not to tell anyone else about their discussions, but she includes Emily as a matter of course. Later she awakens in her office to a total electrical blackout. Despite the multiply redundant systems, all power in the Base has been lost. Moreover, there is something in the office with Mac, making strange skittering noises. After scaring it off, she finds slime paths over her floor, walls and even the ceiling. She chases the thing away from her office and through the Base and over the walkway to land. Over and over she hears it, but can't see it. From the shore she tracks it inland to an empty clearing, which nevertheless contains an invisible ship which carries the thing away in a blast of jetfire. When she returns to the Base, she finds that Emily is gone, presumably kidnapped after a violent struggle. This story describes her encounters with an alien species who refuse to study biology, an overgovernment that is chasing invisible aliens, and the invisible aliens themselves. She flees to Haven, the Dhryn home world, in a Dhryn vessel, almost dying of thirst due to the ineptness of the crew. Once there, she finds the Dhryn to be both frustrating and fascinating. Throughout the novel occur portent scenes: green rain dissolving all forms of life and mouths gathered to drink the green liquid. Is this what caused the devastation of the Chasm? If so, apparently it is still active and creating the disappearances. Highly recommended for Czerneda fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of alien species with really different ways of thought and action. -Arthur W. Jordin
Rating: 
Summary: Not her best- wait for the paperback
Review: The book reads as though about a hundred pages was edited out to make it more marketable and a lot of connections were lost. There was nothing in Mac's background to make her the critical central character. There was nothing to make me believe she would be capable of being the only human interface to a very alien species. The relationships between Mac and just about every one else were unconvincing. The biological principles driving the conclusion were illogical unless that species was aiming towards mass extinction. I have read every one of Ms. Czerneda's books and this one does not measure up.
Rating:
Summary: OUCH!!
Review: The way this novel ends is so sharp you could seriously cut yourself on it. Although you know going in that a book with sub-title of "Species Imperative #1" is not going to contain the whole story, the sharpness of the conclusion to #1 was almost painful. Not in a bad way, but in that the author has been so skillful in leading the reader up to that zenith, the brevity of the final few pages leaves you gasping to know more. And checking to see if the next instalment is scheduled for release yet. In many ways what Czerneda has created is a very interesting mystery story. A biological mystery story. With the advantage that as science fiction the author she can create her own Universe and aliens to enhance the mystery. I do not want to give much more about the story away since it is important to learn "the facts" as does the central character Dr. Mackenzie (Mac) Conner. What I can say is that Mac is a strong, well drawn character surrounded by other interesting people - both human and non-human. The Universe in which this story is set is so defined as to be open to limitless possibilities. The small portion of it which Czerneda has defined in more detail and set the novel in is inhabited by two alien species (the Dhyrn and the Ro) and Earth. Both the Dhryn culture and biology are well thought out. About the Ro, who are very interesting, it would be most accurate to say that although at the conclusion we "know" the Ro much better, they are still a mystery. When you have reached the end, the title "SURVIVAL - Species Imperative #1" makes perfect sense. And the fact the blurb on the author states she is a former biologist in no surprise. Czerneda has made use of her background in biology to write a most entertaining biological sci fi novel that left me wishing the next book was all ready avaliable.
Rating:
Summary: OUCH!!
Review: The way this novel ends is so sharp you could seriously cut yourself on it. Although you know going in that a book with sub-title of "Species Imperative #1" is not going to contain the whole story, the sharpness of the conclusion to #1 was almost painful. Not in a bad way, but in that the author has been so skillful in leading the reader up to that zenith, the brevity of the final few pages leaves you gasping to know more. And checking to see if the next instalment is scheduled for release yet. In many ways what Czerneda has created is a very interesting mystery story. A biological mystery story. With the advantage that as science fiction the author she can create her own Universe and aliens to enhance the mystery. I do not want to give much more about the story away since it is important to learn "the facts" as does the central character Dr. Mackenzie (Mac) Conner. What I can say is that Mac is a strong, well drawn character surrounded by other interesting people - both human and non-human. The Universe in which this story is set is so defined as to be open to limitless possibilities. The small portion of it which Czerneda has defined in more detail and set the novel in is inhabited by two alien species (the Dhyrn and the Ro) and Earth. Both the Dhryn culture and biology are well thought out. About the Ro, who are very interesting, it would be most accurate to say that although at the conclusion we "know" the Ro much better, they are still a mystery. When you have reached the end, the title "SURVIVAL - Species Imperative #1" makes perfect sense. And the fact the blurb on the author states she is a former biologist in no surprise. Czerneda has made use of her background in biology to write a most entertaining biological sci fi novel that left me wishing the next book was all ready avaliable.
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