Official Review: Tseen She Transfiguration

[mmm17]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Tseen She Transfiguration" by George D. Skinner.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Tseen She Transfiguration, written by George D. Skinner, takes place over 200 years in the future. At a secret facility in the Mojave Desert, a group of thirteen individuals (the chosen) with high IQs, no familial attachments, and superior concentration abilities are getting ready for a mission. Among them, our antagonist, Manny Maddox, a Californian mathematician, surfer, and poker player. They will be the crew of Argo Medea – a spaceship whose goal is to reach a sister ship (Argo Navis) and deliver “the most important object on the planet.” This large, obsidian-dark cuboid contains terraforming agents: DNA and other biological resources to be deployed on a planet forty-two light-years from Earth, in the Pictor constellation, a place with potential for human existence. They are to seize the opportunity of a massive supernova explosion.

Early in the story, a transformation transfers the consciousness of each of the chosen to devices that resemble little UFOs; their bodies get discarded. After this, Maddox flees and goes rogue. From that point on, the mission becomes endangered, and the crews have to fight a looming threat –the evil and powerful Maddox plans to seize control of the sister ships and terraforming resources.

The book’s imaginative yet conceivable plot is its first strength. It hinges on the premise of blurred boundaries – brain and computer; human and non-human; physical and mental; body and mind. We are no strangers to the idea of humans enhanced by technology, and the author takes this concept to a new (and amusingly disturbing!) level. He made me imagine transferring my consciousness to an external device. Once rid of physical bodies, could we become immortal and enhanced versions of ourselves?

Argo Navis’ crew members are relatable and textured characters, especially the protagonist, Tian Harte, the ship’s second-in-command. Her mental fortitude colors the conflict, and Maddox against Tian feels like a game of high-tech chess in outer space. There is also a subplot of humans traveling through space in deep-freeze; infected by a virulent plague, they hope for a future cure.

Skinner’s writing style is elegant, and the narrative is refreshingly unpredictable. The world he builds sustains a suspenseful atmosphere, and I was on edge the entire time. I loved it all: interstellar flights, gravity fields, supernova explosions, sleeper pods, supercomputers, extraterrestrial colonization, and mind games. The use of mythological references was a plus. The spaceships (Argo Navis, Argo Medea, Epimenedes) and computers (Hera, Iliad-Class, Minotaur, Zeus) had great names, so did the characters (Tian, Reject, Adieu).

In closing, there are no negatives to mention, and I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It seems professionally edited – I only found a few minor editing errors. It is sci-fi at its best, and fans of the genre will surely enjoy it.

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Tseen She Transfiguration
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[Alice Heritage]

Naming can be difficult. I'm glad the Greek classics came up trumps!

[LauraLeeWasHere]

Skinner’s writing style is elegant, and the narrative is refreshingly unpredictable. The world he builds sustains a suspenseful atmosphere, and I was on edge the entire time. I loved it all: interstellar flights, gravity fields, supernova explosions, sleeper pods, supercomputers, extraterrestrial colonization, and mind games. The use of mythological references was a plus.

Whenever I see a lengthy review full of praise it makes me picture the reader putting in dozens of hours to find a way of expressing something that's grand in a way anyone and everyone can understand. Far from an easy task. I suspect the hardest part of your job was trying to find a way to cut things out without cutting things out. In short, there is not one word in your review that is superfluous. So because of your juicy review, your enthusiasm, professionalism and 4 star recommendation, I have just located my next good read and next good reviewer.

Sincerely, Laura-Lee

[mmm17]

Naming can be difficult. I'm glad the Greek classics came up trumps!

Yep. Definitely! Thanks for reading and commenting.

[mmm17]

I appreciate your kind comments. Thank you!

[Erin Painter Baker]

This definitely sounds like an interesting book to read. Strong plot is always a plus in science fiction.