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Scattered Worlds #1
Dance for the Ivory Madonna: A Romance of Psiberspace
EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO . . . When Damien was eight, his father vanished - replaced by an impostor. The stranger stole his father's identity and murdered his mother, altering digital records to conceal the crime. Damien, finding that no adults believed him, fled to live with relatives.
NOW . . .
Damien is an adult; an operative in a covert international organization, acting under the command of the legendary Ivory Madonna. He has the power, he has the support of his friends - and now it's time to avenge his father. And, if he can, to save the world in the process.
NOW . . .
Damien is an adult; an operative in a covert international organization, acting under the command of the legendary Ivory Madonna. He has the power, he has the support of his friends - and now it's time to avenge his father. And, if he can, to save the world in the process.
- GenresScience Fiction
516 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2002
1 person is currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Don Sakers
69 books17 followersDon Sakers was launched the same month as Sputnik One, so it was perhaps inevitable that he should become a science fiction writer. A Navy brat by birth, he spent his childhood in such far-off lands as Japan, Scotland, Hawaii, and California. In California, rather like a latter-day Mowgli, he was raised by dogs.
As a writer and editor, he has explored the thoughts of sapient trees (The Leaves of October), brought ghosts to life (Carmen Miranda's Ghost is Haunting Space Station Three, Baen 1989), and beaten the "Cold Equations" scenario ("The Cold Solution," Analog 7/91, voted best short story of the year.)
Sakers is a member of the CoastLine SF Writers Group. He has taught sf-writing through Howard Community College.
In 2009, Don took up the position of book reviewer for Analog Science Ficiton & Fact, where he writes the "Reference Library" column in every issue.
In his day job, Don works for the Public Library.
Don lives at Meerkat Meade in suburban Baltimore with his spouse, costumer Thomas Atkinson.
As a writer and editor, he has explored the thoughts of sapient trees (The Leaves of October), brought ghosts to life (Carmen Miranda's Ghost is Haunting Space Station Three, Baen 1989), and beaten the "Cold Equations" scenario ("The Cold Solution," Analog 7/91, voted best short story of the year.)
Sakers is a member of the CoastLine SF Writers Group. He has taught sf-writing through Howard Community College.
In 2009, Don took up the position of book reviewer for Analog Science Ficiton & Fact, where he writes the "Reference Library" column in every issue.
In his day job, Don works for the Public Library.
Don lives at Meerkat Meade in suburban Baltimore with his spouse, costumer Thomas Atkinson.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 22, 2018
Was it over my head?
I found this book difficult to read. I could no sink into it like I do other books. The way it was put together - back and forth with the time lines- the strange headings for each chapters. Some info that I really didn’t find relevant to the story.
I don’t know if I’m missing stuff - if it was over my head, or something. I persevered and finished though, and the ending was great.
I found this book difficult to read. I could no sink into it like I do other books. The way it was put together - back and forth with the time lines- the strange headings for each chapters. Some info that I really didn’t find relevant to the story.
I don’t know if I’m missing stuff - if it was over my head, or something. I persevered and finished though, and the ending was great.
July 12, 2015
I must start off by saying speculative science fiction isn’t exactly my most beloved genre. I have read many Hugo winners (I actually try to read and vote every year. I also try to read one or two winners a year), and they are well written and have a high degree of interest for me, but good science isn’t enough to hold my attention.
Lucky for me, Dance had a pleasant cast of characters and a few well-woven subplots to keep my reading while throwing hard science or deep backstories at me. To me, Damien and Penylle make the story what it is, particularly Damien. I wish I had seen more of Penylle’s plot-line. I think she has a strength that was hidden a bit by omitting how she got to her position in the story.
For those speculative sci-fi fans foaming at the mouth, Sakers addressed a supernatural element in his story. He addresses this in his acknowledgements, but what supernatural aspects are in this book are small, and I wouldn’t let it keep you from reading a book that extrapolates so well on a few very prominent world news events (thought this book was released some 10-plus years ago).
Another reason speculative sci-fi and I don’t get along is the occasional direct messaging the reader gets. I can’t say Sakers didn’t do this, but I can certainly thank him for not going to the lengths that some writers go to.
I just felt it important to mention a few tropes this genre uses that bug this particular reader. All that said, I found this book very interesting.
Sakers gives readers a solid cast. The Ivory Madonna gets a lot of face-time, but Damien still carries the book as far as I’m concerned. The flashback chapters served to give depth to some of the more prominent characters.
As with most books that remind me of Hugo winners, this poses a few fascinating questions, the one that stuck with me (I tend to wait a few days before posting reviews) was societies reliance on technology, particularly the internet. I’m fond of the internet as it allows me a way to get my opinion out there for you all to see, but it’s fair to wonder what possibilities exist as we drive ourself deeper into the digital age.
Dance is a good story that fans of deep, speculative science fiction should enjoy.
Lucky for me, Dance had a pleasant cast of characters and a few well-woven subplots to keep my reading while throwing hard science or deep backstories at me. To me, Damien and Penylle make the story what it is, particularly Damien. I wish I had seen more of Penylle’s plot-line. I think she has a strength that was hidden a bit by omitting how she got to her position in the story.
For those speculative sci-fi fans foaming at the mouth, Sakers addressed a supernatural element in his story. He addresses this in his acknowledgements, but what supernatural aspects are in this book are small, and I wouldn’t let it keep you from reading a book that extrapolates so well on a few very prominent world news events (thought this book was released some 10-plus years ago).
Another reason speculative sci-fi and I don’t get along is the occasional direct messaging the reader gets. I can’t say Sakers didn’t do this, but I can certainly thank him for not going to the lengths that some writers go to.
I just felt it important to mention a few tropes this genre uses that bug this particular reader. All that said, I found this book very interesting.
Sakers gives readers a solid cast. The Ivory Madonna gets a lot of face-time, but Damien still carries the book as far as I’m concerned. The flashback chapters served to give depth to some of the more prominent characters.
As with most books that remind me of Hugo winners, this poses a few fascinating questions, the one that stuck with me (I tend to wait a few days before posting reviews) was societies reliance on technology, particularly the internet. I’m fond of the internet as it allows me a way to get my opinion out there for you all to see, but it’s fair to wonder what possibilities exist as we drive ourself deeper into the digital age.
Dance is a good story that fans of deep, speculative science fiction should enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews