- Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
- Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (Aug 18 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 081258032X
- ISBN-13: 978-0812580327
- Product Dimensions: 17 x 10.4 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 181 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,012,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
What if James Dean were a twin-tailed manta ray swimming in Jupiter's atmosphere? Bestselling Star Wars novelist Zahn (Angelmass) gives us a tale of teen coming-of-age angst set in the herd society of the Qanska, intelligent herbivores who inhabit the equatorial band of the gas giant. Suspecting them to be non-native life, Earth's corporate masters, the Five Hundred, send in a spy to find their hidden star drive. Facing their own disaster, the Qanska agree, hoping to gain a human perspective on the impending exhaustion of their ecology. What neither side can count on is how the person injected into the Qanskan world will react. Matt Raimey, a 22-year-old paralyzed by a skiing accident, agrees to have his brain transplanted into a Qanska fetus. Given a second chance to be mobile, he also unexpectedly gets another chance to mature. Zahn concentrates more on the psychological processes at work than on the technological. Solutions to problems arise from better emotional and intellectual integrity, not simply larger databases. While the author doesn't get as deep into his characters as they do into Jupiter's depths, his portrayal of Matt/Manta is direct and involving. Qanskan life, looking much like marine reef life on Earth, is intriguingly portrayed, even if the biology of the Qanskan problem is suspect. YA readers looking for more than the usual SF action-adventure should be well pleased. novella in 1984.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
The discovery of the Qanska, a race of intelligent creatures resembling mantas or dolphins "swimming" in the atmosphere of Jupiter, provides quadriplegic Matt Rainey with a perfect opportunity to regain a functional body-through implantation in the womb of a Qanska female. The belief that the Qanska possess superior technology, which humanity covets for its own expansion into space, leads to a change in the leadership of the research project on Jupiter. Despite his unwitting violation of the Qanska's most sacred laws, Rainey finds himself the only person capable of preventing disaster for both races. The author of Angelmass brings a new twist to a classic tale of human-alien encounter, combining fast-paced action and hard science with personal drama. A good choice for most sf collections.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
The doctors had been and gone, the neurologists had been and gone, and the biotron people had been and gone. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
The doctors had been and gone, the neurologists had been and gone, and the biotron people had been and gone. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book,
By A Customer
This review is from: Manta's Gift (Hardcover)
I thought this book was very good. It kept me far too interested (and up too late). Despite what the official review says up above, I thought the characters were reasonably well developed and I liked the unique premise of the book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bizarre concept, but excellent book,
By roamer (Odenton, MD United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Manta's Gift (Mass Market Paperback)
Even though I have been a fan of Zahn for years and have read most of his books (Star Wars and non-Star Wars) I waited until this one came out in paperback because the concept for the story seemed so bizarre. Suffice it to say that I wish I hadn't waited. Manta's Gift is brilliantly told. Although the lead character (Manta) is an otherworldly Manta Ray-ish creature for about 99% of the story, Zahn does such a fantastic job of character development that you are able to actually buy into the storyline. As always, Zahn is able to take science fiction to a level of enjoyment that few others in the genre can. He does this by mixing elements of other genres (mystery, fantasy, etc) into his story. Overall an outstanding novel.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Trans-species Sci-Fi Thriller,
By Joyce Schwarz "Joyce Schwarz" (Marina Del Rey, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Manta's Gift (Mass Market Paperback)
A quirky but fascinating story of a near-future transition from man to mammal. Unbelievably, haunting and well-written, Zahn captures the essence of modern bio-sciences in a science fiction tale that could be true today or tomorrow. Zahn has written dozens of books including two Star Trek tomes but this one is special. Don't miss it!!!!!!!!
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