Flinx's Folly

by Alan Dean Foster

Book Overview

New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster delivers the eagerly awaited new Pip and Flinx novel featuring a certain twenty-four-year-old with red hair, growing powers, and a loyal sidekick who... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345450396
• ISBN13: 9780345450395
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Del Rey Books
• Length: 269 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Solid entry in the series, but readable as a stand-alone

What's on New Riviera that would interest the psychically gifted young man whose one constant companion is an empathic flying snake? Although New Riviera is an incredibly welcoming world to Humans, he hasn't come to enjoy its beauty or to study its flora and fauna. This planet is "home" to Clarity Held, who six years ago was 18-year-old Flinx's first real love. Baffled and exhausted after a pair of fanatics from the Order of Null try to assassinate him, Flinx has to talk to someone he can trust. So he goes to Clarity, hoping she'll let him talk. He isn't planning to put her in danger...but when has danger failed to follow Flinx? This ninth novel in one of my favorite SF series gives readers, and Flinx, more terrifying hints about what lurks behind the Great Emptiness approaching the Milky Way from far out in space. It's not necessary to have read the earlier books in order to enjoy this one, but if you are a long time fan you'll appreciate the author's attention to continuity.

More Trials and Tribulations

Flinx's Folly is the eighth novel in the Flinx series, following Mid-Flinx. In the previous volume, Flinx was pursued by an obsessed young merchant who wanted Pip for his private zoo. Hiding out in the office of Father Bateleur of the United Church, Flinx described his recurring nightmare to the padre before sneaking out the back. When the trader pursued him into orbit, Flinx instructed Teacher to take a course through space-plus towards the nearest habitable world. After the ship exited space-plus, Flinx found that he has arrived at an interdicted planet, Midworld, that is covered in a deep layer of tropical plant life. He dropped to the surface in his shuttle and lived among the local humans, who had long ago become symbiotic to their Home tree. While Flinx was learning about the world and its inhabitants, his enemies had discovered his location and have landed parties to catch him. The young trader trapped Pip in an acid-proof box and captured Flinx and his local human friends. Then the AAnn ambushed that party, but kept Flinx and his friends as prisoners. However, the native furcots rescued them and Flinx remained with the locals for some time.In this novel, Flinx has left Midworld behind him, although he added a few of the plants to the vegetation on the Teacher. Lately he has been acting like a tourist on Golden IV, but he and the people around him suddenly fall unconscious and are all taken to a nearby hospital. No specific cause or damage is found in any of the tests, but doctors at the hospital note abnormalities in Flinx's brain physiology and functions and want to keep him there for some tests. Of course, Flinx appears to cooperate, but escapes from the hospital as soon as possible.A team from the Order of Null notices Flinx among the victims and contacts the admitting physician for additional information. When they are satisfied that the doctor knows nothing, the man and woman leave. However, the man scratches the doctor on the arm and a deadly poison paralyzes the victim, leaving her unable to speak, and then kills her before the local security forces can arrive.Later, the same team attacks Flinx while he is flying a repeller among the clouds. He tries to overwhelm the assailants with fears of death, but his projected emotions apparently have no impact on his attackers. When he projects fear of heights, however, they do react and break off the attack.Flinx returns to his starship, but can't decide on a destination. He is reasonably sure that the unconsciousness episode was caused by emotional leakage from his nightmare, but this dream had never before occurred during broad daylight. He needs to talk to somebody, but can only think of one person who might listen, so he returns to New Riviera to find Clarity Held.This story mostly concerns the increasing severe consequences of his nightmare, which is always virtually identical. It has been bothering him for years, but is becoming stronger, more vivid and much more im

space opera at its finest

The outlawed Gengineer Melianare Society biomanipulated Flinx's neurological system giving him the ability to read minds and projects emotions. He is a very powerful empathic telepath who many races take a very deep interest in, which is why he travels under false credentials. The viru-ujurians, who are under indictment, gave Flinx a ship that is unlike any in the Commonwealth. They would like him to use it to keep him safe.He is a very lonely twenty-four year old man who is only emotionally bonded to Pip, an Alesphinian minidras snake who regards Flinx as his bondmate and protector. Needing someone to confide in about his dreams where he is the key to saving the universe from something that is coming in the distant future, he travels to the planet New Riviera. There he connects with his old girlfriend Trinity in the hopes she can help him figure out if his dreams are a premonition of things to come. While on the planet, he has to deal with Trinity's boyfriend who is trying to kill him. He also must contend with a group that knows what Flinx is dreaming about is true and want to eliminate him so the cosmos will be destroyed.With every Flinx and Pip adventure, readers come one step closer to learning how Flinx will grow into his mental powers. Many races and people believe he is the key to saving the universe from a threat that is not fully understood. The way they protect him from his myriad of enemies is quite interesting but not as fascinating as the blossoming romance of Flinx and Trinity who is bonded to Pip's offspring. FLINX'S FOLLY is space opera at its finest.Harriet Klausner