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Summary: foreigner
Review: Foreigner is one of the best sci-fi books i have ever read it ranks right up there with Tad Williams series Otherland, which is excellent. I liked Foreigner so much because the plot, character development and pace are tightly wrapped, focused and never strays. The dialogue, intrigue and relationship between the Humans and Atevi characters is superb. The alien culture that C.J. Cherryh paints is wonderfully created; reminding one of Japans ancient warrior society and culture a parallel i don't know if was intentional or not but nicely done; demonstrated beautifully in the Atevi leader Tabini who is as Machevellian a character i have ever come across but also likable and juxapositioned most exellently with the human ambassador to the Atevi Bren Cameron. Exellent characters that you get to love and hate almost immediatetly, great intrigue, a smartly written intelligent witty novel.
Verne Stewart.
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Summary: A Man For His TImes
Review: Foreigner is the first novel in the Foreigner series. The starship Phoenix set out to build a space station at a G5 star designated T-230, but she suffered a point error and then the pilot aborted the jump. The Phoenix was thoroughly and totally lost, though the crew searched for a match to any known navigation markers for some time. After accepting that they were lost, the ship is moved to a nearby star for re-fueling, despite its heavy ambient radiation, and then jumped to a relatively close G5. This sun had an inhabited planet, so they built a space station in orbit around it and left the passengers in the station to study the planet while the ship searched for a way home. A hundred and fifty years after building the station, the Pilot's Guild wanted the passengers to re-embark and travel to other systems, building re-fueling stations for the ship. However, the passengers refused to leave with the ship and started sending their people down in disposable atmospheric entry capsules, with the understanding that one or more shuttles would be built later to recover them. Once onplanet, the passengers made contact with the natives, the atevi. Eventually the ship flew away and did not return for centuries, so the remaining passengers abandoned the station and dropped down to the planet. Another hundred and fifty years later, friction between the Humans and the natives led to war. The Humans were greatly outnumbered and had little resources, hence they lost and were forcibly re-located to the island of Mosphreira. In the ensuing years, a tradition has developed of using a single human, the paidhi, an interpreter, as the principal contact between the Humans and the atevi. While low level interfaces have been established for day to day affairs, all high level, policy making contacts go through the paidhi. Thus, the paidhi has developed a degree of internal power within the Mospheiran government, but has also gained a responsibility to the ajii -- i.e., head -- of the Western Association, the major atevi political unit. In this novel, two centuries after the war, Bren Cameron is the current paidhi. Strange things have begun to occur in his professional life. The current ajii, Tabini, has provided him with a pistol, which is contrary to normal practice, and he has kept it under his mattress. Then, one night, someone slips into his darkened room and Bren shots at the figure, twice. Apparently he hits something, for there is blood, but the person gets away. Normally the paidhi is exempt from assassination and the Assassins' Association will not accept a filing on him, but several of the ajii's best assassins have been assigned to protect him from lunatics and other irresponsible persons. Now, the ajii files intent on unknown persons who have tried to assassinate the paidhi, serving notice that he will fight to protect the paidhi. While the investigation is ongoing, Tabini sends Bren to Malguri, the estate where his grandmother, the ajii-dowager, resides. Although Bren is rather afraid of the old lady, he has no other feasible alternative. The residence there is an old fortress, with antiquated facilities. The electrical wiring is laid over the walls and the plumbing is abominable. Moreover, though the ajii-dowager, Ilsidi, rather likes him, the tea is still poison to his system. When he recovers, Cenadi, the ajii-dowager's personal assassin, apologizes for not knowing that the tea would effect him so and warns him away from that type of tea. The ajii-dowager sends her personal physician to see to his health. The cook is very disturbed at his reaction to the tea. Everybody treats him as an invalid and the ajii-dowager then invites him to breakfast. What to do? If you haven't discovered by now that Bren Cameron is outside of his confort zone, you obviously have not read much of the author's works. She seems to specialize in confused protagonists -- and confused readers as well -- but manages to bring it all together at the end of the book, although the confusion will resume with the sequel. This portrayal of an alien society, and a Human one influenced by it, is rapidly becoming a classic of its kind. Note that the Assassins form an Association that has physical and moral power among the atevi. As in Piper's Paratime story, The Last Enemy, the Assassins are the power of last resort, reserving the right to refuse contracts that, in their opinion, will harm the society or even to work on their own against enemies of society. Any person who uses these Assassins, therefore, must be prudent in their contracts in order to avoid tempting this Association into fully asserting their power. Thus, the Assassins are a force for moderation, if not stability. Recommended for Cherryh fans and anyone who enjoys aliens with real differences and the struggle of humans to understand them.
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Summary: it's great, no matter what they say
Review: honestly, i couldn't understand why some people don't like this book, until i loaned it to my younger sister and she got bored and never came back after the first chapter. admittedly, she doesn't like science fiction anyways... so i guess it is a bit tougher than some other science-fiction/fantasy books, and yes, it is a bit dry in some places. but what Cherryh writes about the species and the interactions more than makes up for it for readers willing to slog it through. i loved, absolutely loved, all six books in the series. i read all six of them in under half a year, often forsaking games and homework to read them i liked it that much. but, as some people pointed out, not everyone likes it. if you don't know if you think you'd like it, check it out at the library, and give it more than one chapter before you return it. although buying it may make you commit a bit more than a borrowed book, for those who finish it, and the series, it is great fun, and a thouroughly rewarding experience. i highly recommend it.
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Summary: Thought Provoking!
Review: I am more into fantasy than sci-fi. I decided to give this series a try as I was impressed with the Fortress Series, a fantasy series by Cherryh. I am not disappointed. I find myself engrossed. The world in Foreigner is spellbinding with both human and alien characters vividly alive. The protagonist is appealing. His self doubts and angst as he tries to understand and befriend the Artevi is wonderfully written. However Cherryh should try to cut-back a trifle on Bren's perspectives which tend to be repetitive at times. I will definitely continue with the series and am actually please there are 5 more books to-date.
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Summary: My Favorite Book Series
Review: I can't believe I waited so long before trying this one! The synopsis just doesn't do it justice. I somehow expected a book of political intrigue with a linguist caught in the palace as an ambassador when relations between the species goes south. A linguist as hero? Politics? Come on, in my opinion "political thriller" is an oxymoron!
But a friend who loves military SF mentioned it in passing when we were discussing world building and she was astounded I hadn't read it. Goaded against my better judgement I gave it a try.
How wrong could first impressions be? Yes, it's politics, but only in the sense that war is the continuation of politics by other means. The mild mannered linguist finds himself in the fight of his life, and discovers in himself unsuspected warrior's instincts and qualities you can't help but admire.
The alien civilization built here is awesome in it's complexity. These aren't funny looking humans, and Cherryh does a breathtaking job of communicating that to the reader. But it's the similarities that lead to conflict. And it's the similarities that bring the reader to agonize with the protagonist.
How can you explain human emotions to aliens who understand loyalty but don't understand "like"?
A brilliant foundation to a hang-on-to-your-seat series. Start now so you'll be ready for Destroyer in February!
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Summary: Start of a great series
Review: I can't think of a better introduction to CJ Cherryh's wook for mature readers -- that is people who know how to read and aren't looking to jump on the latest PC craze. The story is good, the characters are great -- and if you don't get to the next book in the series for some reason it stands well alone. The follow on books are really worth reading, too.
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Summary: A Slow Beginning to a Great Series
Review: I found Foreigner rather slow going. In fact, when I finished it I kept wondering what all the fuss was about vis-a-vis the series as a whole. But then I kept also wondering what happened next... and found myself picking up the sequels - which were WONDERFUL. In retrospect, I wish someone had told me to skim Foreigner as background for the rest of the series. So that's my advice to those who haven't yet read it. Do persevere, though - this is one of the best SF series ever written.
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Summary: This series is part of the reason I don't read Cherryh
Review: I have been a great fan of Cherryh over the years, but I think her books are now suffering from the availability of word processors; the material does not seem to justify the number of pages. If she cut down the number of pages, I think the books would be more fun to read. I just get tired of wading through the meaningless material. The story is good, just too much work to get to. There are much more engrossing authors, so I am now avoiding her books.
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Summary: Too Much Blah-Blah-Blah
Review: I have to agree with the reviewers above who described this book as slow, wordy, and redundant. I also agree that the "hero" comes across as whiny baby. From page 50 - 150 one exciting thing happens and the rest of it is the hero feeling sorry for himself and wondering in circles about what is going to happen next. I have proven to myself for the third time that I just don't get Cherryh.
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Summary: Intermediate Cherryh
Review: I love this book. But if it had been the first Cherryh book I ever read, I would have been scared off at first because it's very heavy. That fortunately means that it's very complex too. Bren Cameron is a diplomat in an alien world. His specialized education hasn't even come close to prepare him for the task. The reason, as we are soon to learn, is the self-centred attitude of the human nation he comes from, Mospheira. Most people there seem to think that anything outside of their tiny island nation does not concern them, despite the fact that it is situated in the middle of an alien planet. (America, anyone?) The underlying plot of the book is how do we deal with other nations? How do we deal with nations that are less advanced technically than us? How do we view them? If you like something more than light fiction, this is for you. Also if you have started to read Cherryh and like her style, this is for you. If you want a lighter read, I recommend Finity's End. If you want a light read, read someone else.
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