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Julian May

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Julian May

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Julian May published her first story-the sf classic 'Dune Roller' in the early 1950s and then wrote non-fiction and children's books for many years before bursting onto the scene with her phenomenally successful Saga of the Pliocene Exile (The Many-Coloured Land, The Golden Torc, The Non-Born King, and The Adversary.)

Titles to Look Out For:

The Galactic Mileu Trilogy
1992. Jack the Bodiless
1994. Diamond Mask
1996. Magnificat

1994, HarperCollins
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• Diamond Mask [top]
  First published in 1994 in the US by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
  First published in 1994 in the UK by HarperCollins, in hardcover, 470pp. ISBN 0002229692
  Jacket illustration by Stephen Bradbury
  This is the second volume in epic Galactic Milieu trilogy (following Jack the Bodiless)

Story: The year is 2069. The location, the planet Caledonia-one of the Ethnic Worlds which has been largely settled by people of Scottish descent. The Macdonalds are a fairly typical family of colonials who operate an air farm producing a valuable fungoid organism. Their youngest daughter Doro is a metaphysic and at twelve is forced to leave the family home to enter the planet's Metaphysic Institute. There is brain surgery, painful training and a gradual realization that she is even more different than the 'normals' with whom she has spent her entire life. Not only is Doro a meta, but she is a profoundly superior meta, earmarked to become the eventual Dirigent-head of Caledonia's government. It's a grim prospect. When the current Dirigent dies, Doro, now twenty, is placed in charge and is immediately thrustinto a crisis of gigantic proportions. It is a catastrophe that could lead to utter devastation and Doro is faced with a difficult decision. Should they abandon the planet? Or should Doro follow the advice of the mysterious alien race the Lylmik, who seem to have a metaphysic solution involving the use of a dangerously primitive device.
Success in such a venture may mean a more important role for human metas within the leadership of the Milieu. Failure will ultimately lead to the destruction of their world

1996, Voyager
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• Magnificat [top]
  First published in 1996 in Great Britain by Voyager (HarperCollins) in hardcover with dustjacket, 450pp, ISBN 0002229684
  Jacket illustration by Stephen Bradbury
  This is the final volume in the epic Galactic Milieu trilogy (following Jack the Bodiless and Diamond Mask)

Story: Dealing mainly with the Metaphysic Rebellion of 2083, Magnificat focuses mainly on Marc, a powerful Metaphysic and member of the mighty Remillard family. He believes that the only logical way to speed the evolution of the Galactic mind is through artificial enhancement of the human brain. Thus he plans to remove and artificially nurture the brains of newborn test-tube babies, subjecting them to intense metaphysic training. But not all the Remillard family agree with Marc's megalomania. His brother Jack the Bodiless-a mind born into a body that eventually destroyed itself-has had to endure a similar fate as a matter of survival, evolving into a powerful, poignant figure utterly alone in his uniqueness. He is opposed to Marc's plans and his sentiments are shared by some of the other members of the Remillard family. And so, Jack must decide how best to hinder his brother's scheme without comprimising human metaphysics in the larger community of the Milieu.