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Humans: Volume Two of The Neanderthal Parallax
 
 
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Humans: Volume Two of The Neanderthal Parallax (Mass Market Paperback)

by Robert J Sawyer (Author) "It was Mary Vaughan's final evening in Sudbury, and she was experiencing decidedly mixed feelings ..." (more)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
Price: CDN$ 8.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
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Humans: Volume Two of The Neanderthal Parallax + Hybrids + Hominids: Volume One Of The Neanderthal Parallax
Price For All Three: CDN$ 28.97

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  • This item: Humans: Volume Two of The Neanderthal Parallax by Robert J Sawyer

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Product Description

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For the most part, Ponter Boddit is happy to be back in his own world of Neanderthals. He has reunited with friends and family, and returned to his life as a physicist. Yet he can't help but feel that unfinished business remains from his trip to the parallel world inhabited by the strange, possibly dangerous people who call themselves Homo sapiens. And he would like to see Mary Vaughan again.

Humans, the second volume in Robert J. Sawyer's Neanderthal Parallax trilogy, tells the story of Ponter's second trip to our world and the opening of the portal between worlds to a few other travellers. It is for the most part a quiet story of the deepening relationship between Ponter and Mary, as Ponter continues his investigation of the human world and develops a growing interest in the preoccupation of its residents with religion. Meanwhile, intercut scenes of Ponter in therapy in his homeworld contribute to a growing tension in the story, as the reason for Ponter's feelings of guilt is slowly revealed. At the same time, scientists are beginning to notice that something odd is happening with the magnetic fields of both Earths.

Although it's the middle volume of a trilogy, which began with Hominids, the main story in Humans stands alone. Sawyer's enjoyable prose is sprinkled with sly comments on the mutual foibles of Canadians and Americans, and Ponter in particular is given several good lines. Set firmly in our present, Humans relies on hard science for its set-up, but the heart of the novel is Mary and Ponter's acceptance of their love for each other. It's a hard-science-fiction romance, and Sawyer tells this story of love across boundaries very well. --Greg L. Johnson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.



From Publishers Weekly

In this solid sequel to Hominids (2002), the much-praised first volume in Sawyer's Neanderthal Parallax trilogy, which introduced an alternate Earth where for reasons unknown our species, Homo sapiens, went extinct and Neanderthals flourished, Neanderthal physicist Ponder Boddit brings Canadian geneticist Mary Vaughan back to his world to explore the near-utopian civilization of the Neanderthals. Boddit serves as a Candide figure, the naive visitor whose ignorance about our society makes him a perfect tool to analyze human tendencies toward violence, over-population and environmental degradation. The Neanderthals have developed a high artistic, ethical and scientific culture without ever inventing farming-they're still hunters and gatherers-and this allows the author to make some interesting and generally unrecognized points about the downside of the discovery of agriculture. Much of the novel is devoted to either the discussion of ideas such as these or to Boddit and Vaughan's developing love affair. Sawyer keeps things moving by throwing in an attempted assassination, his protagonists' confrontation with a rapist and, on a larger scale, the growing danger of what appears to be the imminent reversal of Earth's magnetic field. As the middle volume in a trilogy, this book doesn't entirely stand on its own, but it is extremely well done. When complete, the Neanderthal Parallax should add significantly to Sawyer's reputation.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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It was Mary Vaughan's final evening in Sudbury, and she was experiencing decidedly mixed feelings. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

36 Reviews
5 star:
 (18)
4 star:
 (9)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
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1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (36 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars Best Novel Ive ever read, Jul 22 2004
By Adam (Burligton, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
Im not much of a reader but I have read this novel and really enjoyed it.
after reading this one i Had to read the other two in the trilogy.. this may be the best of the 3 . but the other two are worth reading.

cant wait for more books from Sawyer
I hightly recommend it

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4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy sequel, Jul 17 2004
By Grant McKee (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
While "Hominids" introduced us to the characters and the background of the neanderthal and human worlds, "Humans" is stuck with the task of furthering the story. As such, it isn't as groundbreaking and fascinating as its prequel, but an entertaining read nonetheless. However, I must say that the story and writing style are slightly improved here, creating a mystery story with a science fiction background. What's most interesting about this novel is the way the humans interact as they begin to explore the neanderthal world, and vice versa. Of course, Sawyer continues with the real theme of the story; that is, is it better to live in a world where bad things happen, but most people have faith that a good afterlife awaits them, or to live in a peaceful world, but have no hope for anything afterward, and a big brother-type of security?

Overall, this is definitely a recommended read. I enjoyed "Hominids" very much, and "Humans" held up well on its own. I'm looking forward to reading "Hybrids" to complete the story.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, Jul 12 2004
By Melissa McCauley (North Little Rock, AR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
HUMANS is a solid sequel to HOMINIDS and picks up where the first book left off. I was surprised to read such a well-developed and heart-felt love story written by a man. This novel delves more deeply into the Neanderthal universe when Mary goes to the "other side" for a visit. The author, through a preachy Native American scientist, raises more fascinating points about our societal structure that I will be pondering for quite some time. Being too young to remember Vietnam, I was especially fascinated (and amused) by Mary's attempt to explain it to Ponter. Can't wait to read Hybrids, the conclusion to the trilogy.
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Not so much a Story as a Speech
I greatly enjoyed the first book of this series, Hominds. Yes, the author injected his own philosophies in it, but as long as it doesn't get in the way of the story, what's wrong... Read more
Published on Jul 5 2004

2.0 out of 5 stars Ham-handed social diatribe instead of hard SF novels
Just read this trilogy in the last few days. Gotta say, I'm disappointed.

The premise is somewhat interesting - a Neanderthal physicist is experimenting with quantum computers... Read more

Published on May 26 2004 by L. Masco

4.0 out of 5 stars Science Fiction at it's best
Robert Sawyer is a great science fiction author and this series is one of his best yet. In this book he coninues right where he left off in Homonids. Read more
Published on April 11 2004 by Jason S Robinson

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read!
This was every bit as god as Hominids; I can hardlt wait till Hybrids comes out in paperback. I like the Neandertals system of sex separation and responsible breeding, and their... Read more
Published on Feb 29 2004 by dandysmom

5.0 out of 5 stars Every bit as good as its Hugo-winning predecessor
I picked up this book with great trepidation. HOMINIDS, the prequel, had been just fine on its own. Read more
Published on Dec 30 2003 by Donal T. Tighe

2.0 out of 5 stars Unable to stand on its own
Any book should be able to stand on its own. This book fails horribly in that regard.

What happened to the shooter? Read more

Published on Nov 17 2003 by J. Hazelip

5.0 out of 5 stars A celebration of all the ways to be human
A few thin-skinned, unthinking types below have accused Sawyer of anti-Americanism ... which can only be true if anti-Americanism means any comment that is less than 100%... Read more
Published on Nov 15 2003 by Allan Destry

1.0 out of 5 stars Thinly veiled socialist propaganda in novel form
Though I generally consider it in poor taste to comment negatively on someone else's work, Robert J. Read more
Published on Oct 29 2003 by Jason S. Walters

1.0 out of 5 stars This is Hugo material??
I read this (and Hominids) in the library.

I have read science fiction and this isn't it.

The writing is pedestrian, the ideas are let down by their development, and the... Read more

Published on Oct 25 2003

3.0 out of 5 stars more philosophy than story
I read the first installment in Analog as a series, and it was interesting enough that bought this second of the series. Read more
Published on Oct 16 2003 by Marilyn Fisken

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