The eagerly awaited finale of a modern SF classic--May's Galactic Milieu Trilogy, which began with Jack the Bodiless and continued with Diamond Mask. The mystery involving Jack the Bodiless, the metaphysically talented Dorothea, and Fury, the insane metaphysic creature determined to become sole ruler over all humankind, explodes anew. At last, the momentous secret at the heart of the trilogy is revealed.
From the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
May concludes the Galactic Milieu trilogy, which is a prequel to the multivolume Saga of Pliocene Exile that describes the absorption of the human race into a union of civilized metapsychic races. The focus here is, as in Diamond Mask (1994), on three characters: the potent metapsychic Dorothea, the mutant genius Jack the Bodiless, and the ambitious metapsychic lunatic Fury. The plot is as convoluted as usual in May's work and as impossible to summarize. The ending is actually enough of a surprise to be well worth not describing; at least it should be mentioned that it is one of a number of enormously powerful scenes. Magnificat is obviously the wrong book with which to start either Galactic Milieu or May's work in general, but readers familiar with May's ambitious, sometimes sprawling, often magnificent sagas will find it richly rewarding. Roland Green
From the Publisher
I read Julian May's Pliocene Exile books long ago, and though I loved them, I confess I was a bit baffled by all the references to the rebellion, and to characters like Diamond Mask and Jack the Bodiless. So getting to edit (and read--at last!) the three books of the Galactic Milieu, which finally explain all those mysterious and tantalizing hints, was a real blast. They really do bring everything full circle, and I am more amazed than ever at a mind that could pull off such a thoroughly complex and rich cycle of stories. Just don't ask me to summarize them! --Shelly Shapiro, Executive Editor
Description:
The eagerly awaited finale of a modern SF classic--May's Galactic Milieu Trilogy, which began with Jack the Bodiless and continued with Diamond Mask. The mystery involving Jack the Bodiless, the metaphysically talented Dorothea, and Fury, the insane metaphysic creature determined to become sole ruler over all humankind, explodes anew. At last, the momentous secret at the heart of the trilogy is revealed.
From the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
May concludes the Galactic Milieu trilogy, which is a prequel to the multivolume Saga of Pliocene Exile that describes the absorption of the human race into a union of civilized metapsychic races. The focus here is, as in Diamond Mask (1994), on three characters: the potent metapsychic Dorothea, the mutant genius Jack the Bodiless, and the ambitious metapsychic lunatic Fury. The plot is as convoluted as usual in May's work and as impossible to summarize. The ending is actually enough of a surprise to be well worth not describing; at least it should be mentioned that it is one of a number of enormously powerful scenes. Magnificat is obviously the wrong book with which to start either Galactic Milieu or May's work in general, but readers familiar with May's ambitious, sometimes sprawling, often magnificent sagas will find it richly rewarding. Roland Green
From the Publisher
I read Julian May's Pliocene Exile books long ago, and though I loved them, I confess I was a bit baffled by all the references to the rebellion, and to characters like Diamond Mask and Jack the Bodiless. So getting to edit (and read--at last!) the three books of the Galactic Milieu, which finally explain all those mysterious and tantalizing hints, was a real blast. They really do bring everything full circle, and I am more amazed than ever at a mind that could pull off such a thoroughly complex and rich cycle of stories. Just don't ask me to summarize them!
--Shelly Shapiro, Executive Editor