Molt Brother

by Jacqueline Lichtenberg

Book Overview

College students, human and nonhuman, raised together on the same planet, search for the origins of civilization in the Galaxy and find old magic and a vast, implacable conspiracy. Can they forge... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592241263
• ISBN13: 9781592241262
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: Wildside Press
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Great story about aliens, relationships and archeology

Jacqueline Lichtenberg is known for her "intimate" SF and this is a fine example of it. Rather than depending on technology, or action and adventure, she tells the story through relationships. Those who like technology or action and adventure will not be disappointed, there is plenty of that. The universe is well fleshed out with the aliens and humans being living characters rather than sterotypes. The Kren are a race of snake-like humanoids who are capable of having a non-sexual intimate partnership with members of their own species and with humans. The main characters are human and Kren's in this special partnership which is as close or closer than the relationship between married couples. One reveiwer mentioned reincarnation. This is a critical part of the story, so if you don't believe in reincarnation or karma, just suspend belief. For those that do, the story seems to match what little I know about past lives and how one discovers their past lives. One thing you may find interesting, is that Jacqueline Lichtenberg invented the Internet!!! Think of the "Interface" characters as being a human (or alien) Search Engine.

Truly alien aliens

This book, the first of a promised "Lifewave" series (the second book, "City of a Million Legends", is also sadly out-of-print) gives us some aliens that are truly alien.Starting with the postulation that an alien race could have evolved from a snake-like species, Molt Brother goes further. It gives ideas on what might happen on a world that has humans and Kren living together. The Kren are the snake-like humanoids, and they have a fascinating physiology that comes into play in several areas of this book.Kren can raise venom - they are poisonous, and can bite and kill humans if necessary. Kren lay eggs. Kren shed skin - a process that makes them unusually vulnerable during the time that their new skin is curing. It is the story of how the humans and Kren interact that make this story a wonderful read. Humans are visitors to the Kren's world, and it is unheard of that a Kren should choose a human to be a "molt brother" - that is, a person who would be trusted to watch over a Kren during the shedding of old skin and the curing of new skin. This look at an alien civilization from the alien point of view is very refreshing.The only thing that kept me from giving this book a perfect five stars is Lichtenberg's use of reincarnation. Although it =is= necessary for the story, I have never been a believer in reincarnation, and it detracted slightly from my enjoyment of an otherwise fine read.I'd still recommend this book to SF fans for it's portrayal of a truly alien race from the alien's point of view. It's unfortunately out-of-print, but can be found in used bookstores inexpensively. The sequel, "City of a Million Legends" is also out-of-print, and it's sad that no other books were ever written about this unusual alien race and culture.