Sunburst (Bakka Books Series, 2)

Rating:
Summary: Mostly conventional, occasionally quite god...
Review: In most respects, "Sunburst" is a very conventional book. Some years after a nuclear explosion, children with "psi"-extraordinary mental powers, such as group telepathy or telekinesis-have appeared in the town of Sorrel Park. Far from being super-geniuses or transcendental life-forms, for the most part these children have serious mental or physical problems: one is a dwarf, another is retarded, a third is a psychopath . . . but they're incredibly powerful, and have had to be restrained in a kind of detention facility known as "the Dump," hence the name "Dumplings" for the psionic children. The story begins when a thirteen-year-old girl named Shandy Johnson meets a young man with psi-one of the few stable human beings with the talent-and becomes drawn into the world of the Dumplings, who are growing increasingly more restless and violent, pushing the boundaries of their strange abilities until something, somewhere, has to snap. It's not a bad set-up. It even allows for the development of some very interesting characters, both outside the Dump and within it, and contains a very good twist ending. Still, the theme of mutant-children-on-the-loose has been done so many times that, even despite strong characters and an unconventional approach to the idea of psi, much of the book feels cliché. Certain passages sound too familiar; the narrative seems to lack Gotlieb's rich, gritty poetic style. Occasionally the reader catches glimpses-there are some very good passages-but too much of the novel feels undifferentiated. Anybody could have written the story.

Most of Phyllis Gotlieb's novels take place in the same unnamed future universe, inhabited by the Galactic Federation and such races as the Ungrukh, the Khagodi, and the occasional Solthree. It's hard to tell whether "Sunburst" fits into this chronology; published in 1964 and now out of print, it seems pretty much unrelated. The story takes place entirely on Earth, in Sorrel Park itself, with only one hint of spaceflight and even that is vague. Gotlieb's later novels use the word "esp" to describe the extranormal mental abilities common to many of her characters; here, strong psi is the result of a mutation, something that seems equated with the various deformities that result in children born after a nuclear meltdown. The only common link is the term "Imper"-Impervious-used in her later science fiction to describe a person whose mind cannot be penetrated by telepathy: Shandy is an Imper. Possibly "Sunburst" can be seen as a very early chapter in this future history, possibly not. In any case, "Sunburst" is definitely not her best novel. Having read her later stories, I was somewhat disappointed by both the style and the plot; I was expecting something more fantastic, more original. That's harsh: this is an early novel and I should be glad she later became as good a writer as she is-but from reading "Sunburst," I would not have been able to predict Gotlieb's later skill.

Those looking for a good read will find it in "Sunburst." Those looking for a great read should try her more recent works, such as "A Judgement of Dragons" or "Flesh and Gold." This tale of mutants, normals, and Shandy Johnson's thirteenth birthday is original enough to be enjoyable, straightforward and unspectacular: a small sunburst. But as sunbursts go, an okay one.