Manta's Gift

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Synopsis
I am not a fan of science fiction, but I have to admit that this is a clever, creative and well-crafted novel. My favorite review: 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. (Publisher's Weekly)
Copyright:
2002

Book Details

Book Quality:
Excellent
Book Size:
354 Pages
ISBN-13:
9780812580327
Publisher:
N/A
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Timothy Zahn
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Teens, Disability-Related, Literature and Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy
Grade Levels:
Ninth grade, Tenth grade, Eleventh grade, Twelfth grade
Submitted By:
Bookshare.org In-house Volunteers
Proofread By:
Lena
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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