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Summary: How I learned to stop worrying and love alien life
Review: The Intervention series, set squarely between Julian May's Saga of Pleiocine Exile and The Galactic Milleu trilogy (Jack the Bodiless, Diamond Mask, Magnificat) is a kind of exploration of how the Earth as we know it could, in the space of under a hundred years, become so organized and civilized a place that the malcontents of human nature would feel the need to escape through the Guderian One-Way Time Gate. Please, don't let the MacGuffin frighten you; the story is interesting without too much understanding of that. In fact, it isn't neccesary to have read any of the other books to understand this series...because, even though May wrote it after Saga, it takes place before it, and acts as a prologue. What May does here is explore exactly what super-humanity means, as ascending 'operants' (those with psionic abilities) begin to proliferate on the surface of the planet Earth, and a Galactic Civilization somewhat reminiscent of the Lensman books watches and hopes that the contrary humans don't annihilate themselves, for they could very well be vital to the continuing survival of the Millieu. However, all that is not why this should be read; in fact, it nearly gets in the way. It should be read for the tiny touches that prove May's got her head on straight: When operant baby Denis worms his way through his uncle Rogi's shields, when a mobster sits in his car and re-experiences the firey death of his wife, when aliens rescue the canine casulaties of the Soviet Space Program, the book is at its best. When she accomplishes these simple moments, Intervention has touches of humor, grandeur, and joy. May is interesting. This book, quietly so, is even more than that. It's just plain good.
Rating: 
Summary: Open your mind, change your world, be amazed
Review: This is a life changing book. It shows us a spectacular vision of the potential of humanity, and wrestles with the eternal choice between good and evil. Humanity must choose its path - does it use its ever-growing intellectual capacity and telepathic powers to welcome inter-stellar friends or will it destroy itself? This book far surpasses May's other work so fans will be more than satisfied. The characters are extremely engaging and it is written in a warm, humorous style that will keep you up all night turning the pages.
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