McCaffrey, Anne: Pegasus in Space

[ray gower]

Pegasus in Space

From Amazon

Pegasus Series
Anne McCaffrey is best known for the Dragonriders of Pern, but her loose "Talents" SF series about superpsychics has been running almost as long. This began with the near-future (1973), To Ride Pegasus continuing a couple of generations later in Pegasus in Flight (1990). Book two introduced a crowd of new characters, notably the paralysed boy Peter whose telekinetic talent can not only move his body without help from his ruined nervous system, but--with practice--even lift payloads into orbit.

Pegasus in Space follows directly on, with mayhem and mutiny at the opening of a manned space station which Peter and talented friends helped build. Further hassles follow during his training for space haulage work: obstructive bureaucrats, crooked suppliers, murder attempts and skilful sabotage. McCaffrey specialises in feelgood adventure SF, full of romance, warm friendships and hearty meals. Somehow her villains never quite convince, and their villainies are so rapidly dealt with that the story rarely builds up much suspense. Meanwhile, the orphan girl Amiriyah who's adopted into Peter's family has a mysterious, subtle talent of her own, one which we soon guess will change his life ...

Our young hero's ambitions foreshadow this series' later, far-future books (beginning with the 1990 The Rowan ), whose "kinetics" hurl cargo across huge interstellar gulfs. While most people think his talent needs careful conservation, Peter has already teleported supplies to the Moon and has secret plans for Mars, the asteroids, and the moons of Jupiter.

Pegasus in Space
Peter Reidinger was the most brilliant telepath and telekinetic yet discovered on earth. He was a paraplegic who "moved his body" through kinesis. When the telepaths of earth suspected a plot to take over Padrugoi, they realized they needed his gifts to foil the insane plans of Barchenka.

I knew there was a good reason why I don't read a lot of science fiction written by female authors. Sooner or later they descend into a degree of sappiness that makes Mills and Boon look like real writing.

Fortunately, although present, the worst of it is reduced to a mere couple of paragraphs near the end, where all of a sudden she decided a bit of bonking might be a good idea:dead:. It isn't, as a book it is a pleasant and absorbing read.

At least until you have read it, then one realises that all the threats and plots that kept the story interesting disappeared somewhere just before the bonking episode.