Project Integrens

by John Biggs

Project Integrens Why do intelligent people indulge in high-risk sexual behaviour? That is the question John Ashley and his research student and lover, Liz Brown, set themselves to answer. While jogging, they meet two attractive strangers, who in a mind-blowing revelation turn out to be aliens from the planet Kozlar. But they are very plausible, quickly winning John and Liz's confidence. The Kozlans, you see, are a highly evolved version of homo sapiens, with brains that integrate thought and feeling. Integrated brains allow them not only to be totally convincing, but to interweave sex and music in ways that would have surprised the hell out of Bach. John and Liz find answers to their research question that exceed their kinkiest fantasies. So much so they agree to visit Kozlar, where rather late in the day they learn that the Kozlans' gene pool is impoverished and needs enriching-and they are to be subjects in surgical experiments on their brain structure. If the experiments are successful, they will be held as breeders; and if unsuccessful? Don't ask. Their only ally is the loving, child-like Weyen. Unfortunately, she too is a superb actor.

336 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2006

About the author

John Biggs spent his professional life as an academic psychologist and educator in England, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. He has published extensively as an academic, his most important work being Teaching for Quality Learning at University (Open University Press, 1998; 4ed with Catherine Tang as co-author). He retired from Hong Kong University to concentrate on writing. He has published five novels: The Girl in the Golden House (Pandanus Books 2003), Project Integrens (Sid Harta 2006), Disguises (Burville Books 2007, republished as an-book),Tin Dragons (Maygog, 2008) and From Ashes to Ashes (Interactive Publications, 2013) and a collection of short stories, Towards Forgiveness: Sino-Tasmanian stories from two islands, Ginninderra, 2012. Non-fiction includes Tasmania over Five Generations (Forty Degrees South, 2010), a social-political history of Tasmania as seen through the eyes of the Biggs family, and Changing Universities (Strictly Literary, 2013) an academic memoir, recounting some of the more bizarre, traumatic and rewarding aspects of university life in several countries. Further details at www.johnbiggs.com.au

Reviews

[Will]

Spoiler: John, Liz, and the aliens achieve what the Kozlans call "constructive alignment". You don't want to know. Believe me.