Reclamation

Set in the far future, RECLAMATION centers on The Realm of the Nameless Powers, a world so ravaged by age that only a portion of underground canyons is habitable. The Realm has degenerated into a harsh caste system and Middle Ages technology. Their religion strictly enforces the castes who can marry, and which children are allowed to live.

Eric Born is a lapsed priest and a son of one of the noble families. Like all members of the priesthood, he is a very precise telekinetic, but he also has the rare gift of healing. Stifled by the backward ways of The Realm, he escapes to make a new life among the stars. Since then, he has established himself as a freelance computer engineer. He is employed by the Rhudolant Vitae, space traders who travel between star systems trading their technological and management skills for raw materials and political influence. The Vitae's deepest desire is to find their native world, from which they were forced to flee many centuries ago. When Eric Born discovers that The Realm is that very world, his loyalties are split.

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Imagine a distant future where human groups have colonized the galaxy, but where the earthly origins of the human race have been mysteriously forgotten. Several groups are pursuing a quest for the mythical "Home Ground," where human life began. Sarah Zettel's intriguing premise has a vital element of the best science fiction: it invites reflection on present reality while discussing an imagined future. Eric and Arla, migrants from a planetary backwater called the Realm, become central to the revelation of the truth, and their personal histories shed light on humanity's strange amnesia.

Zettel's debut novel breaks little new ground, but SF fans will still enjoy it. Her heroes, telekinetic Eric Born and mysterious pariah Arla Stone, must save their home planet from factions trying to tear it apart. This quest places them directly in the path of the Vitae, one of the most powerful races in the galaxy. Zettel's writing is crisp, and the story moves at an appropriately rapid pace. Although the reader may occasionally get the sense that the dramatic situation is familiar, Zettel's deft action scenes and wry humor help smooth out the trouble spots.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.