"Love Not Human," A review of "TAU 4," by V.J. Waks...the 1st FirstChapters submission to be published!! (and its SF! ;-)

     Gordon Dickson, (the undisputed grand master of the intergalactic mercenary soldier with a heart, soul, and honesty and integrity to spare) wrote a book Titled: "Love Not Human."

     Even after reading this book, and his highly acclaimed Hugo & Nebula award winning Childe Cycle series, its not really clear if he is warning us not to love humans (due to their propensity for betrayal), or he is speaking of a "Love that isn't human, but just as important" (paraphrased ;-)

     Double entendres aren't only the purview of the French. Some British-like folks even know how to do it! ;-) One in particular, the author of "TAU 4" is such a person.

     A veteran of the early days of the "Stargate" production, V.J. Waks shines as she opens up a new and fascinating world for us.  What may not be known, is that V.J. is also a veteran of the FirstChapters 'contest.'  During the reading and reviewing portion of that, almost a year ago now, this FirstChapter captivated me. So much so, in early March, during the height of the madness, I made a secret admission in an email to the author:  Don't sweat the contest, go right to publish.  And guess what, she did!  By April, she had a contract in place; and was by all accounts, the first FirstChapters Author to publish!  But, I was sworn to silence; and other worthy SF pieces (which survived that Darwinian blood bath on crack) could have still won the 'contest' publishing contract. So, "mums the word," as the Brits are wont to say. With logistical printing delays, the books didn't hit the stores until October; but it  periodically sells out  on Barnes and Noble.com, Amazon, etc.

     Why this success? Because the author had one of the top pieces of SF in the contest! even though it went unnoticed, like so many other Very worthy pieces in all genres.

      Operating on a base level, V.J. speaks to the true nature of love - not human? Uggh, what?  A chick-lit book?

    Nope, Gordon Dickson would be proud to put his name on this one; and there is no SF author more "manly," who fully explores the "man's man," is there?  (Btw, that isn't an obscure gay reference 'code' term; rather, it's a statement about men whom other strong men admire; and, want to emulate ;-)  No chick-lit here.  Although, the woman is Every woman's woman too!  Woe is me, this IS confusing - and I still haven't touched on the plot.

     It's hard to talk about the book without leaking vital 'surprises,' and thereby ruining your pleasure at reading it.  For a pleasure it is to read.  I sat down yesterday to read the copy Santa bought for me, and finished it today!  Thank you Santa, for that wonderful escape to marauding adventure among the stars. 

To the plot, now.

     Tau4 is a class M, 4th magnitude star; and its Latin name means "free-flowing" river. Some German Molecular & Cellular biologists use "Tau4" to designate an activation function in thyroid hormone receptors. But "TAU 4" here, is a uniquely 'engineered' life form.  And bless, his heart, the leading man is captivated by her.  Shades of Captain Kirk; who chased all kinds booty across the stars?  (Even that blue one ;-)  Nope.  More original than that; and very real, and very believable.

     Are the 'soldiers of fortune,' and the outer planets vs home world, themes cliché?  Nope.

     The author, like her evil genius Doctor character, blends regular genetic material into a whole new life form. Blending and mixing, and put more than a little bit of herself into the formula.  I thought I'd read it all; and along comes V.J.'s book.  That, to me, is why it was so entertaining and interesting. Like a skilled carpenter, the author uses tools & materials that we think we know; and creates a whole new piece of furniture - from seemingly ordinary 'stuff.'  How some people can do that, and others try for decades and cannot, I don't know.  I do know what I read, however; and as an informed SF/Fantasy reader, I found the book captivating.

     The difference is the feelings and emotions that suffuse the writing. Again, without being chick-lit-e, the author skillfully envelopes the reader in a mysterious environment. An environment, while very dangerous, we really want to visit.  Figure that one out!

    As for the authors 'voice,' the American reader might mistake a curious vernacular for punctuation or spelling errors. I happen to love words that bend the language with "practised control."  (Even if I have to type them twice so my auto-speller doesn't 'fix' them for me ;-) 

    The author weaves her story using sentence construction and phraseology that teeters between Brit-speak and Aussie color.  Again, this subtle thing adds to the alien feel of the story, without being distracting; like heavy vernacular pieces often do.  I watched a "How we did it video" on the HBO Series: "The Wire," last week. One seasoned actor said: "It's the first English script I've ever seen that came with a glossary," so heavy is the street-speak. I happen to like it in that show, because it's real and understandable.  Well, after three seasons, I 'get it.' But in many writers' works, vernacular can be a huge hindrance to enjoyable reading. The "flow" of this river planet, however, is not disturbed; it is enhanced by this adherence to simple eloquent phrases such as:

"Oh, yes," he answered.

"Lovely woman. Very competent."

     Along with eloquent phrases like that, come long sentences that encapsulate a thought within. Some might not like this, having to 'get into the head' of the thought process.  But it's this very action, that 'gets' the reader totally hooked into the world and story - easing them into really 'letting go' with the story.  Yes, the vivid descriptions, great action sequences, and surprising revelations help; but Really, it's the vernacular that subtly takes the reader there. 

     Welcome to ground breaking Science Fiction. Give us a world, or worlds, with a shimmering veil of gossamer haze; and we go into ecstasy. It's the stuff of dreams, is it not?  As the author adds books to this series, we readers will be very happy to set aside the real world for a trip to her world; and feel comfortable letting go of the handles, as we ride her rollercoaster ride of life.  Letting go isn't easy for us crusty well-read types; cynicism holds powerful sway, and keeps us from enjoying the ride sometimes; out of fear of being let down with an endless parade of drivel.

Fear not, human. It is safe to love ;-)

Below are links to the book excerpt V.J. is sharing with us on Gather, and online links.

  Enjoy! 

:-)

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977216917&nav=Namespace

To order online:

Barnes and Noble:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=TAU+4&z=y&r=1

Borders/Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_bgi/002-4345000-9000839?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=TAU+4&Go.x=9&Go.y=8