The Companions (Gollancz S.F.) [Hardcover]

In a novel reminiscent of her best-selling "Grass", author Tepper creates a complicated exobiology on a world "Moss" that has an abundance of perplexing denizens. At first, the explorers from the "PPI" or Planetary Protection, aren't even sure if what they are observing on Moss is an indigenous species. Rest assured, however, something is living there, and it may not be entirely friendly.

Jewel and her half-brother, the slimy Paul, go off on an expedition to Moss. Jewel is happy to leave Earth, which is overcrowded and being threatened by a draconian leadership with the extinction of the sad remnants of non-Human species which take up too much valuable space.

This novel is ambitious, complicated and darker in tone than "Grass" or "Family Tree" but is similar in ideology (ecological concerns, harmony with nature and all creatures.) The complexity of the system on Moss is like the complex interactions Tepper created in "Six Moon Dance" but with again, a darker tone. If you like imaginative science fiction that is not a re-hash of typical sci-fi generic themes, you will enjoy "The Companions" though it is not perhaps quite as good as "The Fresco", "Singer from the Sea" and "Six Moon Dance."

Sheri Tepper's latest is a remarkably ambitious and complex story, perhaps too ambitious and complex. The story encompasses so many different locations, and different species, all with competing agendas, it was difficult to keep track of who was doing what to whom, and for what purpose. I had a little trouble remembering who some of the individual players were, and their various foibles and attributes.

I appreciated being introduced to each set of players one at a time. The back story was quite useful, and once we got to the action set on Moss, the plot moved along briskly. And along the way, Tepper paid homage to her customary icons: environmental responsibility, religious (in)tolerance, human rights, the interconnectedness of us all. However, the conclusion felt rushed, almost as if Tepper hurried her characters along to meet the publisher's deadline rather than their own destinies.

Still, it's an enjoyable read, full of lovely moments and beautiful sentences. The poem which opens the book ("The Litany Of Animals") is fun and melancholy at the same time. I wish Tepper had given us more of Jewel's mother's epic poem than the few bits and pieces sprinkled here and there throughout the text.

I remain one of Tepper's most fervent admirers. This is nice work, worth reading. It's just not her best.

The Companions (2003) is a singleton SF novel. Sometime in the future, humanity has gone to the stars, but much of mankind still lives on Earth in mile-wide square Towers more than two hundred stories high. Each Tower is self-contained, yet associated with other such arcologies into a mega-city -- an Urb -- and all these Urbs are linked together by highspeed podways. Among the Towers are scattered several Sanctuaries wherein dwell the only surviving Terrestrial nonfood creatures, mostly pets and domestic species, but also other types of animals as well as plants.

A popular movement -- In God's Image - Humans First and Only (IGI-HFO) -- seeks to close these few havens for nonhuman life and to destroy all nonhumans therein, allegedly to provide resources for more humans. An ecological protection group, the arkists, has created Earth-like habitats on various worlds to preserve the remaining species. Animal activist groups are also opposing the iggy-huffos through lobbying and legal suits.

Of course the iggy-huffos don't oppose concs, sexual toys who dwell in millions -- or billions -- upon the Earth. Now they are turning up on the colony planets. Even though they are mobile, bisexual, somewhat intelligent, and resemble humanity, the concs inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen like plants, thus don't use up valuable air. Besides, they have no legal rights; concs can be abused and even killed without any authorities making a fuss.

Humans are not alone among the stars nor are they very important to the other races. Most intelligent species are joined in the Interstellar Coalition/Interstellar Confederation, in which humanity is a very junior member. Some of these species despise humanity, but others merely consider them acceptable-vermin.

Two human organizations investigate planets under contract for other IC races. The Exploration and Survey Corps does the initial analysis and later the Planetary Protection Institute does long-term, deep-level examination. The ESC clears a sterile area for their station and sends out remote instruments to complete their analysis; the PPI, however, lives within the environment and grows intimately aware of its nature.

In this novel, Jewel Delis works in the Alred Sanctuary, one of those that the iggy-huffos are trying to close. She is also a subleader in the arkist movement. Her brother is a noted linguist who has taken her with him to various alien worlds. Her major assignment for the arkists is to accompany him; the minor items she learns in casual conversation with aliens are sometimes of great importance to the arkists.

Of the aliens she has met, Jewel enjoyed the Phaina the most. These elder race women put great store in melding in with the environment. Moreover, they are acquainted with animals very similar to dogs. Since they seem to like Jewel, she gets to know them very well. But the officials in the human embassy are not so knowledgeable.

The PPI on Moss requests a linguist and Paul is offered the contract. He asks Jewel to come with him, but she insists that her dogs and their handlers go with her. Paul agrees if, and only if, the ESC concurs; unknown to him, Jewel works directly for General Manager Gainor Brandt of Earth Enterprises, the parent company of the ESC. Since Brandt is also an arkist and the arkists want the dogs to experience Moss, her demands are quickly approved.

Strangely enough, Jewel's liaison was lost a decade ago on Jungle, a sister planet to Moss in the Garr'ugh 290 system. He and ten other PPI associates just vanished as they were walking through the jungle; they were at the end of the line and were not even missed until the PPI group entered a clearing. Jewel found out about this loss when ESC Intelligence Division officers began hounding her for conspiracy in the disappearances. Later Jewel found out that her mother-in-law was behind this harassment, but Dame Cecelia really had only herself to blame for putting Witt on Jungle.

Others have plans for the Garr'ugh 290 system. The alien Derac issued the contract to ESC and PPI for certification of the system as eligible for sale and are irritated that the study has not already been completed; of course, the ESC is waiting for the PPI to finish their portion and the PPI is still not sure about native sapients. The alien Orskimi have planned for the Derac to attack the humans somewhere (maybe on Moss), thus precipitating an interstellar war. The Phain appear to be keeping an eye out for just such troubles.

Then again, all these plans do not take in account another group. The ESC had located several abandoned human spaceships on the nearby plateau. They reported their findings back to Earth and then did nothing else while awaiting completion of the PPI portion of the contract. When the PPI were stalled indefinitely, the ESC contingent decided to go on to the next contract. Since Jewel did not want them to depart the planet just yet, she indirectly initiated a brief survey of these ships to keep the ESC busy. Maybe there were human survivors still on the planet?

This novel also makes much of the human/dog remains and artwork found on Mars. Mattie Delis, Jewel's mother and a great audiovisual artist, found this site and made a very popular composition on it. Yet this location is the only place on Mars in which such remains have been found; furthermore, the site must be at least fifty thousand year old. Could humans have originated on Mars? Not likely, but no one can explain how humans and dogs could have gotten from Earth to Mars so as to leave such signs. Jewel's Phaina friend is strangely interested in Mattie's recording of this find.

This novel is constructed as a mystery, with prior telegraphing of later disclosures. Everything is cleverly foreshadowed, but still pops up as a surprise to the reader. One gets so involved in the crisis of the moment that the long awaited denouement of each enigma is a shock.

Highly recommended for Tepper fans and for anyone else who enjoys a good mystery with interesting characters and relevant problems.

-Arthur W. Jordin