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Cargando... Z-Lensmanpor David A. Kyle
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Inscríbete en LibraryThing para averiguar si este libro te gustará. Actualmente no hay Conversaciones sobre este libro. I don't think this book was about Nadreck of Palain at all, even by the standards of the first two Second Stage books. It's a competent enough conclusion to the story, but by this point, I was getting pretty tired of the whole thing. Kyle does mindless action-adventure all right, but Doc does it much better. Again, it focuses quite a lot on Cloudd, but I liked him, so that's all right. (originally written November 2007) sin reseñas | añadir una reseña
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With Z-Lensman, the final novel in his post-E.E. Smith Lensmen trilogy, David A. Kyle turns his attention to the strangest of the three non-human Second Stage Lensmen: Nadreck the Palainian, whose Z-type species exists in a multidimensional state beyond the familiar three dimensions experienced by most of the galaxy's life forms. The constant shifting of their bodies through unfamiliar dimensions -- together with the frightfully cold and poisonous atmosphere they breathe and their implacable emotional detachment -- make the Palainians one of the more unsettling races known to Civilization. But, as events will soon demonstrate, they are also one of its most valuable assets.In the process of training a new class of Z-type Lensmen cadets from the Palainian Z-Academy, Nadreck makes the unintentionally fateful decision to bring a religious leader from a Boskonian Spawn-influenced planet to be studied on Tellus before continuing on to Palain VII. On Tellus, Nadreck and the newly-promoted Galactic Patrol lieutenant Benson Cloudd become aware of a strange new problem affecting Civilized space. Machines throughout a wide swathe of the galaxy have begun to malfunction, and communicators, spaceships and computers are becoming increasingly unreliable. But in the process of searching for the source of this mechanical mayhem, Nadreck discovers something even more disturbing: remnants of the Eddorian Conspiracy are planning a new invasion, and their forces are gathering on multiple planes of existence!Faced with mysteries and threats on multiple fronts, Nadreck, Cloudd and the android-bodied Lensman Lalla Kallatra must work together while at the same time scattering themselves across the stars, each in pursuit of their own piece of the puzzle. As the final confrontation approaches, all of the power wielded by Civilization -- and all of the combined resourcefulness of its members, from Galactic Coordinator Kimball Kinnison personally leading the Patrol's Grand Fleet against an unprecedented weapon to the shade of Deuce O'Six defending the borders of the spirit world -- must be brought to bear. But will it be enough? And will the threat that is closest to home be recognized in time?All this and much more is revealed in Z-Lensman, the mesmerizing conclusion to Kyle's galaxies-spanning saga! No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
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Google Books — Cargando... GénerosSistema Decimal Melvil (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999Clasificación de la Biblioteca del CongresoValoraciónPromedio:
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read them, and I'm enjoying the re-reads. Z-Lensman carries the series
to a satisfying conclusion.
The exploration of Palainian culture and physiology is well-done, the
latter especially. The physical and biological nature of Palanians and
other "frigid, poison-breathing types" is made much clearer than in
the original Lensman series (and is done so in Kyle's usual
descriptive asides; here tell rather than show is effective.) Nadreck
doesn't quite come off as an individual, though. We rarely encounter
Palanians other than Nadreck in the original series - I only remember
the one Virgil Samms meets on Pluto. In Z-Lensman a minor character, a
normal Palanian naval crewman, given a casual un-grammatical speech
style, suddenly makes us realize there is an entire planet of
non-Lensman, non-extraordinary operatives, living out normal mundane
lives. Makes me want to know more.
Consider the nature of telephathic communication. Do Palanians
phonate? They have lungs. They breathe gasses. They are said to speak
in the narratives, but is that literal? In Z-Lensman, Cloud says he
never learned to speak Palanian. Again, is that literal, or does it
mean he never learned to interpret Palanian thought projections? Does
Nadreck telepath in English (or Spaceal or whatever is the common Patrol
language)?
We know Rigellians do not phonate, neither do they hear. Did they
ever, or were they telephathic from the beginnings of sentience? (Are
sub-sentient Rigellian animals telepathic?) If Rigellians have always
been telephathic, did they develop mental speech? Do they communicate
in "words", whatever that might mean? I've assumed Smithian telepathy
involves at least in part the stimulation of speech centres (he
describes characters hearing voices in their heads.) If the Rigellians
had speech, perhaps they use their speech centres for telepathy. If
they never had speech, how do they exchange meaning? How do species
who never had speech communicate telepathically, amongst themselves,
and with species who do use "mental speech"?
Palanian ethics are also explored, in the usual brief Kyle manner, and
particularly in a coda, but not unsatisfyingly. There is a very
interesting and sympathetic treatment of religion and how it could fit
into the Smith universe (Smith never dealt directly with religion.)
Benson Cloud appears again, and is much more interesting and
sympathetic than he was in the previous book. There is a good
exploration of the "burden of the Lens" through his feelings. The
connection with Neal Cloud the Vortex Blaster is finally made use of,
albeit too briefly, but also in service to the theme of the various
sorts of extra-ordinariness.
The thematic fibers of the two previous novels are spun together into
very satisfying thread and woven into a very satisfying tale. ( )