Sky Coyote
(The Company series, Book 2)
Kage Baker
Avon Books
Fiction, Sci-Fi
****
DESCRIPTION: In the twenty-third century, humans finally conquer the mysteries of time travel... and, naturally, exploit it for commerce. Dr. Zeus, as the company is
called, discovered that, while written history cannot be altered, it was possible to play with times, places and people who were not recorded. They also discovered that one cannot
travel forward in time, only back, and return to their date of departure. As the process itself is very unpleasant, the Company tapped into another discovery: the ability to
manipulate human children into immortal cyborgs, with greatly increased intelligence, senses and strength. Going back to the dawn of the human race, they began creating cyborgs
out of our earliest ancestors, serving the Company's interests with the promise of great rewards when they "reach" the future. Using their indestructible agents, Dr. Zeus seeks
to manipulate the past for profit, selling human history to future buyers.
Joseph, an immortal from the time his tribe was slaughtered in the Stone Age, has just finished a tour of duty in the Spanish invasion of the New World when he is reassigned
to a remote California tribe, the Chumash. Despite being at a Neolithic technology level, they have a trade system and business know-how that puts Wall Street to shame. The
Company has decided that one village among the Chumash is worthy of being "saved" from the impending Spanish invasion (a salvation which likely has a pretty price tag for future
clients, of course, but the agents never learn much about that end of the deal.) They need someone to convince them to go along with the plan, though it will mean taking the
Chumash villagers away from all they have known. Sounds like a job for a trickster god... or would that be an immortal in coyote clothing?
REVIEW: When I bought this book, I was unaware that it was the second in a series. To me, it worked just fine as a stand-alone story. Nice, for something a little different. This book is not so much about the plotting of Dr. Zeus as it is about the characters and the concepts, and there were many interesting characters and concepts here. Smart, yet with a sense of humor. I ought to track down a few more of Baker's books.
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The Ancient One (T. A. Barron, YA Fiction - While protecting a redwood grove from loggers, a girl plunges back in time, where an even greater threat awaits)
The Inscription (Pam Binder, Fiction - A 20th century woman finds herself in the 14th century after falling into the waters of Loch Ness)
Kiln People (David Brin, Fiction - In the future, people create clay duplicates to do their work... and commit their crimes)
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The Android's Dream (John Scalzi, Fiction - The quirky tale of a future Earth, where an interstellar diplomatic disaster leaves the planet's fate resting on one man's ability to find a rare breed of sheep)
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