Sliding Scales

Rating:
Summary: A real let down
Review: As soon as I saw a new Pip & Flinx book, I immediately rushed to buy it, to find out what would happen to Clarity, what Flinx would do about the pending disaster from afar, and to see what sort of general mayhem Flinx could get into. Sadly, only the last of my three desires was met. As one reviewer pointed out, this book did absolutely nothing with regard to the first two items in my quest. As a sci-fi novel, it was entertaining with its unusual Jast life forms and an interesting Aann character, but clearly I don't think this was up to Foster's normally high quality work. It seems as though he had writer's block with regard to dealing with the BIG issues in Flinx's world, so he simply threw something together so he could issue a Pip & Flinx novel.

Rating:
Summary: exciting young adult outer space tale
Review: Flinx is on emotional overload. He was forced to leave the love of his life on New Riveria to recover from serious injuries while being pursued by the Order of the Null (end of the world fanatics) and is wanted by the Commonwealth authorities. He also needs to find an invisible weapons platform made by an extinct race that could detect what coming behind the Great Emptiness. His ship's A.I. has the solution to erase the stress from Flinx's life, something he has never tried before. He is going on vacation.

His A.I recommends he goes to the neutral planet Jast where no Commonwealth authorities exist and the sentient inhabitants the Vsses resemble hopping mushrooms, but there is a presence of the Aann Empire. This reptilian species is bringing the planet under their control. On the orb, an Aann guide accidentally knocks him down a canyon and leaves Flinx for dead. The Tier of Sjaiinn, a native artisan group held in contempt by the Empire takes Flinx in to their compound. Since he lost his memory they take care of him. Meanwhile, someone is attacking Aann installations with plans to remove the species from the planet and the guide returns to complete the killing of Flinx.

The adventures of Flinx and his mini-drag Pip are always fun to read as Flinx somehow attracts troubles like a magnet so that even an innocent vacation turns ugly and could harm friends. SLIDING SCALES is a superb outer space tale with species that seem genuine especially as they relate to the planet and to Flinx. Alan Dean Foster has provided an exciting young adult tale that adults will enjoy too.

Harriet Klausner



Rating:
Summary: Space opera with a message
Review: Upon the urging of his spaceship, Flinx decides to take a vacation on a little-known desert planet that is nominally independent but operating within the zone of control of the AAnn Empire. The AAnn aren't precisely at war with the humans and their Thranx allies, but they aren't exactly at peace either--and Flinx, along with his pet flying lizard Pip, are admitted only if accompanied by a minder, the AAnn, Takuuna VBXLLW.

When the minder loses his temper and pushes Flinx over a cliff, the human nearly dies and loses his memory. But the minder is promoted to be in charge of anti-terrorism activities. Because somewhere on the planet, someone, or some group of someones, has decided that the AAnn have got to go. Could the human really have been in league with the local Vssey? One thing Takuuna knows for sure--if the human comes back and remembers Takuuna's brief loss of control, the results would not be career-enhancing. The war on terrorism is important, of course, but not more important than Takuuna's career growth--especially not to Takuuna.

Rescued by a commune of low-status AAnn artists, Flinx spends time with the semi-enemy aliens, and discovers a growing affection toward many of them. Gradually, most members of the commune come to accept him as a fellow artist. While he wishes for a return of his memory and some sense of his goals in life, he savors the beauty and art around him. Of course, his peace can't last--because eventually Takuuna will learn that the human isn't dead and is a threat to his future.

Author Alan Dean Foster combines an engaging space-opera tale with a look at the way career-minded bureaucrats and politicians can create vast conspiracies out of their own needs and ambitions. Foster toys with the notion that art might be a unifying theme between intelligent species--and part of a bridge that might be more effective than embassies and politicians. It's an idealistic view, but he develops it well.

Fans of the Pip & Flinx series will find SLIDING SCALES to be a bit more psychological and a lot less adventure-oriented than they are used to. From a continuity perspective, the critical contribution of SLIDING SCALES appears to be Flinx's greater understanding of the AAnn--and the de-demonification of this interesting and dangerous species.

Rating:
Summary: A real letdown to the series
Review: Wow - I have loved this series but this book stunk. I really had to force myself to read through it. What a letdown to a really great series. Absolutely NOTHING moved forward in this story. No movement in Flinx's mental powers, no movement in his relationship with Clarity (in fact she wasnt even in the book), no movement towards finding or using the weapon platform. You can skip this book and MISS NOTHING in this series. What a piece of CR*P.