kurt_h's Full Review: Alan Dean Foster - Diuturnity's Dawn
"Diuturnity's Dawn" is science fiction novel and is the third book in the FOUNDING OF THE HUMANX COMMONWEALTH series by Alan Dean Foster.
One of the interesting things about this series is that each of the books takes place at least one generation after the previous book. The prequel to this series "Nor Crystal Tears" is one of the best first contact novels in the SF genre and is followed, chronologically, by the first book in the FOUNDING series "Phylogenesis". Thematically that book takes a look at how both species, humans and the insectoid thranx, learn to overcome their initial revulsion towards each other due to physicalities. The second novel, "Dirge" brings home the point that physical similarities can mask hidden psychosis, which is seen in the race known as the Pitar. When the Pitar turn on a human colony and the thranx not only discover it, but support military activities with humans against the Pitar, humankind learns its second lesson of similarities of feelings being something more than limited to one species.
"Diuturnity's Dawn" opens up a little after one generation has passed and trade relations and other interactions between human and thranx can be classed as 'good'. Within both societies are individuals who are working towards bringing a closer relationship between both groups of sentients that would blend their political and cultural lives together. These far-sighted beings have worked for decades to keep relations between the two species open and to try and get a broader acceptance and tolerance into each of their populations. As with any society in transition, there are those who would attempt to stop such work, and in a dangerous galaxy with hostile power known as the Aann, keeping things stable is very, very difficult. This novel, then opens on three fronts: diplomatic, cultural and philosophical.
On the diplomatic front is a human representing Earth on Hivehome. Fanielle Anjou is appointed to open up better relations with the thranx, and in this she is opposed by some members of the diplomatic mission. Things get worse when a bomb goes off on a transport capsule that is to carry her to an important meeting and she loses her lover in that attack. But she is not allowed to leave her position as the Earth government deems her contacts with the thranx to be of such great importance that she cannot leave. She finally agrees to this and finds her mission complicated when an Aann representative arrives on Hivehome to try and get better support for his peoples...
Culturally there is a festival to celebrate both human and thranx culture on the co-settled world of Dawn. This place becomes a perfect target for species purity groups to send in agents to disrupt this peaceful gathering so as to bring home the point that such a blending of cultures is 'wrong' and will 'pollute' the purity of their own culture. In one of the stranger turnabouts in this novel groups from both species appear on the scene and recognize each others actions while they case the fair. Recognizing commonality of purpose, both groups of xenophobes make common cause with the other so as to bring maximum death and destruction to the fair. All for the 'long term' benefit of their own species! Little do they know that their actions do not go unnoticed by two fair goers from a little known religious cult known as the United Church. The two Padres from the church are there not to preach, but hand out information to any who ask for it. These two Padres are long-time friends... and they both respect the teachings of the church that sentience and compassion know no physical shape and are common to all beings. They are, of course, a human and thranx bound to the cause of alleviating suffering, and are perfectly suited to helping track the two groups of xenophobes, if they can find them all in time....
Philosophy is embodied by one lone thranx researcher who is working on the human claimed world of Comagrave. On this world are archaeological remains of a previous culture, which are proving most vexing. The Aann are helping out on this world as it is a very hot desert planet, more suited to their metabolism than either human or thranx. Things are going moderately well on the planet as a major dig is commencing. Moderately well, but not smoothly, as the thranx researcher notices a curiously high number of accidents happening to the humans on the planet. And one of the very strange coincidences is that every time it would help the Aann, they seem to be available with just the right equipment to help ameliorate the accident. Putting things together, this thranx brings his concerns up with the human overseer of the dig, but is overtaken by events. First a major breakthrough occurs when a huge alien structure is found. Second a nasty virus starts to hit the human population. While fatalities are low, many are having to be evacuated due to the severity of the illness. And as the discoveries of the dig ensue, one lone thranx is faced with the fact that the Aann may get important technology from this site if something drastic isn't done...
Alan Dean Foster is one of the few writers who would even attempt to carry off such a diverse set of plot lines within a novel like this. The major themes presented earlier are culminating with the all-important events which will bring the Articles of Amalgamation to the attention of both species. By giving a multi-facet perspective on three sets of psychologies, Human, Aann and Thranx, and their individual representatives, the reader is treated to a comparison of psychologies and societies that is unusual in the field. Unfortunately even such a wonderful writer as Mr. Foster has troubles pulling the underlying stories fully together in a convincing fashion. Any two of the three story lines presented in this novel would have made a compelling book, and the world of Comagrave would have made another of those wonderful 'deadly planets' books that he is so good at doing. Taken together the story lines become a bit forced and we lose the opportunity to explore the characters in the necessary depth that would make the overall story compelling.
The only other problem I have with "Diuturnity's Dawn" is the fact that it feels like a lead-in novel to the next book in the series (which I hope Mr. Foster is working on) as that book absolutely MUST cover how the United Church comes to such temporal power as seen in later HUMANX COMMONWEALTH novels. THAT should be an impressive book! This book builds the foundation of the political and cultural changes that must precede the United Church and, as such, is necessary even if it leaves the reader with knowledge of the HUMANX COMMONWEALTH wanting for that all-important next novel.
High marks for this novel as part of the larger continuum building being presented by Mr. Foster! This sort of work is unusual in the realm of science fiction and is rarely seen to this level of detail. The author that pops to mind immediately is Gordon R. Dickson's DORSAI/CHILDE CYCLE universe charting how the psyche of mankind fractionates as it goes to the stars and then must re-synthesize over time. Another author that readily comes to mind is Isaac Asimov and his complete ROBOT/EMPIRE/FOUNDATION universe, which covers the same sort of breadth and scope as Mr. Foster is exploring. Finally there are the works of H. Beam Piper, who put together a future history timeline and dotted it with stories and collection of stories including THE FUZZY BOOKS, "Federation", "Empire", "The Cosmic Computer", "Space Viking" and "Uller Uprising".
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