[an error occurred while processing this directive]
2004 Announcing 
New Original Sime~Gen Novels 
by
Jacqueline Lichtenberg
Jean Lorrah

From
Meisha Merlin Publishing Inc. 

Sime~Gen Inc. Presents

Recommended Books

May 2004

"Informed Consent"

By

Jacqueline Lichtenberg

 

 

 To send books for review in this column email Jacqueline Lichtenberg, jl@simegen.com for snailing instructions or send an attached RTF file.  
Find these books.
Find TV fandoms online

Star Trek: Enterprise: TV Series episode, "Impulse" written by Jonathan Fernandez first aired Oct 8, 2003 ( www.tvtome.com   )

Midnight Harvest From the Chronicles of Saint-Germain, by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Warner Aspect HC, Sept 2003

Sweeter Than Wine by Michaela August published at www.awe-truck.net/AUTHORS30/sweeter.html  Spring 2003

Double Image by Jaye Roycraft, ImaJinn Books, 2001

Shadow Image by Jaye Roycraft, ImaJinn Books, 2002

Rainscape by Jaye Roycraft, ImaJinn Books, 2001
http://www.imajinnbooks.com
 

Since February, we have been discussing fear and how it leads to power abuse in a wide-ranging discussion derived from the Dec 2003 and Jan 2004 columns on surviving trauma. Last month we examined some novels which show how confronting fears vanquishes them, allowing power to be used wisely.

One of the cardinal rules of white magic is that power must never be used to override the will of another. That makes "informed consent" the touchstone for every act of white magic, from Healing to Initiation.

"Informed Consent" is a tricky topic that comes up in everyday life most often in connection with sex and medical procedures and has to do with risk-assessment. You find discussions of what constitutes "informed consent" threaded through most sf/f from galaxy spanning adventures to vampire novels. I have even discussed it with respect to the tv show Angel in the Jan. 2004 column here.

In the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Impulse" the Enterprise happens on the Vulcan ship Seleya on which T’Pol served just before she came to Enterprise. But it is trapped in an asteroid field made chaotic by the presence of anomalies. Both Enterprise and Seleya need the trellium ore found in the asteroid field to insulate their ships from the dangers found in this quadrant.

When they board the Seleya on a rescue mission, T’Pol is stricken with the same madness the Vulcan crew is suffering from. They are deranged, violent, unresponsive and, Dr. Phlox declares, beyond help. The trellium ore has proven poisonous to Vulcans, destroying neural synapses and leaving them without emotional control. (Like kryptonite or red kryptonite to Clark Kent? See the Feb. and March columns for more.)

For a Vulcan, such loss of control is their worst fear, the worst possible curse, a nightmare. T’Pol is affected and they barely manage to get her back to Enterprise in time for Phlox to cure her. Meanwhile, they have mined enough trellium to make the insulation they need, but they can’t use it because it would kill T’Pol.

T’Pol, partially recovered, gives informed consent to put her off the ship on the nearest livable planet because the ship’s mission must come before the welfare of one crew member. She has faced her worst fear – and it was worse than she could ever have imagined. She is now capable of giving truly informed consent – except for one point.

Archer said "I can’t try to save humanity without holding onto what makes me human." He isn’t about to put her off the ship to fend for herself, consent or no consent. He’ll find another way.

Note the theme music for Enterprise is titled "Faith of the Heart" – listen carefully to the words. Despite ostensibly being based in the humanist philosophy, Star Trek has consistently showcased the values of the White Magician. Capt. Archer has "Faith of the Heart."

Generally, I contend that a human can’t give "informed consent" to becoming a vampire. But there is an exception in the universe of Saint-Germain. He was made a vampire as part of a priesting ritual, a sacred rite of his people, and there was an element of consent even if not so very "informed."

Now he is very careful not to endanger a consort who offers him blood knowingly. He gives them as much choice as it is possible to give. Here in Midnight Harvest Saint-Germain is now in modern times – the mid-1930’s. He leaves Spain in the midst of its civil war and flies (over water!) to New York and takes a train to Chicago then drives to San Francisco.

It’s a fabulous journey and includes a stop at the locale of a short story Yarbro published in an anthology some years ago. She points out that the 1930’s are "history" to most people, the years when the Golden Gate bridge was being built and the Bay Bridge wasn’t yet in service. I had a friend who worked on those bridges!

Saint-Germain invests in a winery during prohibition and becomes involved in the local politics around the vineyard through a woman he has "known" before. Now, if they continue their relationship, she may become a vampire upon her death. She is willing to take that risk because Saint-Germain gives her ways to insure True Death should she prefer that.

She ponders and questions all through this novel, and ultimately saves Saint-Germain’s Existence when the car he’s driving goes over a cliff during the grand opening of the Golden Gate Bridge. And in the end she comes to her decision by "Informed Consent" – as much as any human could possibly have.

I was particularly entranced by Yarbro’s descriptions of the winery’s affairs during prohibition. In March 2003 I had read a non-sf/non-esoteric e-book set at a Winery in California during Prohibition. I loved the book but didn’t review it for you then because technically it doesn’t fit this column. Reminded of it just now as I wrote about Midnight Harvest, I could not recall the author or title or publisher. I just remembered evenings of vast enjoyment reading it.

Well, I reasoned, it was an e-book, so if it was that good a book, it had to be an awe-struck title. So I went to their website, and in 5 strokes of the mouse, I found it. It is Sweeter Than Wine by Micheala August. Thank goodness it’s an e-book and is thus still available.

Sweeter Than Wine is true winner among novels. I can see no reason this book would not have been published as a Lead Title from any of the biggest publishers and become a best seller. It is not your typical "well researched" book where there's an overburden of detail inserted simply because the author knows it.

Each historical winemaking detail and prohibition comes up as a natural and integral part of the plot. And the solution to the terrible and threatening dilemma this California winery faces will come as a neat twist to most readers. But I knew it was the solution from the beginning because I grew up in California and knew that particular bit of historical fact about prohibition.

And even knowing the solution to the terrible dilemma, I still couldn't put this book down. It is a romance with a solid, strong, compelling plot and characters who are my kind of hero. Blackmailed into marriage without informed consent, they cope heroically with the consequences of their choices and strive unrelentingly toward their chosen goals. Very smooth, tight writing.

Everything in August’s book and everything in Yarbro’s book is just how I learned it when I was a child.

Now I have very little space left to discuss two of the very best vampire-romance novels I have ever read – and I’ve read a few! I’ve reviewed two Jaye Roycraft novels in this series here in Aug. 2003, Afterimage and Immortal Image

Double Image and Shadow Image are two more books in this vampire-romance series, and they are every bit as good as the first two I reviewed. We have a top notch series here bound to become a classic of this new genre.

In Roycraft’s vampire world, the vampires have no soul. They do have an organization that polices their behavior and educates new vampires. In modern times, they try not to kill too many, too conspicuously, and for the most part live on blood taken without killing. And they have extreme sexual appetites.

Despite having no soul, they are capable of bonding with humans in an odd way. But they have the power to become a "mirror" for a human mind – so that the human sees them as the human’s own heart’s desire.

And that makes it very easy to manipulate humans, to get the sex and blood they so crave. Would there ever be any reason not to use that power? Why would such vampires ever want, need, or even think of "informed consent?"

Roycraft keeps throwing unique humans at her vampires in situations steaming with romance that sometimes risks becoming whole hearted love even when all pretenses are stripped aside and consent becomes truly informed. In Shadow Image, a woman police officer provides a tired vampire with a good reason.

And I have one more Jaye Roycraft novel here, Rainscape. This one is an interstellar romance, that desperately needs to be a series. Here a woman has joined a corps of official interstellar investigators. She’s sent to solve a murder mystery on a very odd planet, and ends up seduced (without informed consent) in a deep telepathic bond with one of the prime suspects. Roycraft’s writing is so hot she melts duranium steel ship hulls.

To send books for review in this column email Jacqueline Lichtenberg, jl@simegen.com for snailing instructions or send an attached RTF file.  

 

 

[an error occurred while processing this directive]


Find these titles by using copy/paste (in MSIE use right mouse button to get the copy/paste menue to work inside text boxes) to insert them in the search slot below -- then click Book Search and you will find the page where you can discover more about that book, or even order it if you want to.   To find books by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, such as the new Biblical Tarot series, search "Jacqueline Lichtenberg" below. 


 

Search:
Keywords:
In Association with Amazon.com

 

 

 



Find out why we so vigorously support amazon.com 

In Association with Amazon.com

Sign up for PayPal and do business online safely and securely. Use PayPal at amazon.com auctions

Make payments with PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!

Visit our Keybooks Bookstore for a wider selection.  
Or find short stories by 
professional writers to read now.
Find longer works by professional writers.
Find the next step beyond the e-card -- the bookcard.  

 


 

 

SGcopyright.jpg (8983 bytes)


Top Page|1993 | 1994|1995|1996|1997|1998|1999 |2000|2001|2002|2003|2004|2005|Star Trek Connection|

Find an error here?  Email:Webmaster Re-Readable Books

This Page Was Last Updated   11/14/03 01:35 PM EST (USA)

amzn-bmm-blk-assoc.gif (1970 bytes)Little Girl Reading a BookThe Re-Readable Collection  

Reviewed by Jacqueline Lichtenberg

SEARCH ENGINE for simegen.com : Find anything on simegen.com. 

Match: Format: Sort by: Search:

Submit Your Own Question

Register Today for the writing school Go To Writers Section and read stories. Explore Sime~Gen Fandom  

Read Sime~Gen Free 

Science Fiction Writers of America