The Weave

Moore (Changeling) effortlessly weaves together first contact, corporate exploitation, and space adventure on a planet 40 light-years from Earth in this anticolonialist science fiction fable. Human travelers discover an intelligent alien race on the Earth-like planet Cibola, orbiting a star they’ve named El Dorado, as well as a mineral-rich asteroid belt nearby. Xenologist and ex-Marine Caty Sanjuro fulfills her childhood wish to meet extraterrestrials, and now she must gain the trust of the telepathic, six-limbed aliens before humans begin colonizing and mining the Doradoan system. With the help of Cibolan astronomer Sundown, Sanjuro learns to communicate with the aliens telepathically. If humans and Cibolans cannot negotiate an amicable arrangement, she knows the agrarian Cibolans will be no match for warlike humans. But the Cibolans have encountered aggressive invaders before, and when they tap into a planet-wide telepathic network called the weave, they are amply able to defend themselves. Moore realistically and enjoyably describes the excitement of scientific exploration, corporate greed, conspiracy, telepathic conflict, and the desperation of natives determined to defend their home against invasion. (July)