Intervention

Intervention #1-2

by Julian May

An origin story of Julian May’s Galactic Milieu Trilogy and a link to her Saga of Pliocene Exile—“a superb piece of speculative fiction” (Library Journal).   They have always been among us—the telepaths, the persons possessing higher mind-powers that have been called “metapsychic”—but they have always been few and far between and their abilities weak or erratic. Until now . . .   Human evolution makes a quantum leap. And all over the world, people begin to be born with extraordinary minds. Some of them are geniuses and some are very ordinary. But all of these metapsychic operants have mind-powers that “normal” humanity considers amazing—and dangerous.  Intervention paints this advent of Homo superior in a broad and colorful chronicle that begins in 1945 and culminates in 2013. Its many characters reveal the impact of higher mind-powers upon the possessors themselves, upon their “normal” associates, and upon a troubled society striving to avoid nuclear annihilation. The metapsychic operants are secretive and fearful at first. When they reveal themselves they are regarded with awe, exploited, and finally persecuted. They are torn by the dilemma of what role to are they destined to save the “normal” from global war, even if it means that they must use their mental powers to subjugate the race that gave birth to them?   The book’s principal protagonists are members of the Remillard family of New Hampshire—whose descendants are featured in Julian May’s worldwide bestselling Saga of Pliocene Exile. Intervention details with humor, thundering action, and scientific insight a world where the human mind does much more than think—a world that is fantastic, but by no means implausible.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks, Speculative Fiction, Time Travel

814 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2013

About the author

Julian May was an American science fiction, fantasy, horror, science and children's writer who also used several pseudonyms including Ian Thorne, Lee N. Falconer and many others.

Some 1960's and 1970's biographies and children's science books may belong to Julian May (the science fiction & fantasy writer) profile but no reliable source has been found

Per Encyclopedia.com, May wrote juvenile science non-fiction along with the science fiction novels for adults. (https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/edu...)

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my most favourite Julian May book, and one of my Top Ten Books Ever. It's great as a standalone or as part of her other series. It charts the development of Earth's metapsychic mind from roughly the Second World War through to the 22nd Century through the eyes of agent-provocateur Rogi Remillard. It also traces the lineage and psychic exploits of the Remillard Dynasty, the Sakhvadze family, and the O'Connor "Mental Mafia", and the development of psychic powers from just a few people to ultimately the mainstream human population, all the while being overseen and gently guided by Alien races. This book is actually a trilogy comprising the volumes entitled 'Surveillance', 'Metaconcert' and 'Intervention', and acts as a "vinculum" between the Pliocene and Galactic Milieu Sagas. Its very uplifting, and very touching in places. I think it's wonderful read, and you don't have to have read the other series to follow it.

[Jan-Maat]

Slab of near future fantastical Science-fiction, ie the main point is the emergence of metaphysical powers among certain heritages of humans including French Canadians and Georgians or maybe Armenians, or Ossetians maybe, no longer recall the point seems to be that inbreeding is best, although only up to a certain point, namely cousin marriage, closer relationships occur in the book as they will in the Pliocene saga, but are frowned upon by the author even though her characters are only pursuing the logic of her creation to its inevitable incestuous conclusion.

I Didn't find this prequel as engaging as the Pliocene Exiles saga. The earlier section was more interesting for me, and it takes a while for the plot to emerge out of the impact of the development of the metaphysical powers of the characters. Has a couple of nods to characters from the saga of the Pliocene exiles.

The most interesting element I felt is that eventually aliens have to step in to rescue humanity who are on a self-destruct course - though at the time of writing the author was thinking more in terms of nuclear weapons than systems collapse due to self-inflicted environmental devastation or the rational optimal exploitation of resources in a free market economy or something.
From the beginning of the Pliocene books we know that God, probably a traditional but slightly French Catholic God at that has been incontrovertibly proven to exist in her universe, however neither he nor his church will save humanity, eugenics apparently hasn't gotten enough of a bad name in her fictional world but is insufficient without aliens to save us all, no this is a novel emerging maybe from Close Encounters of the third Kind, aliens aren't going to sweep in from Mars and destroy all stockbrokers and commuter towns, nor follow back the directions on the Voyager Probe in search of the satisfying snack you really can eat between meals, nor destroy the Earth to make way for a by-pass, instead they will save us from ourselves, since later in the Pliocene saga we learn that all humanities problems are down to our part alien heritage the end result of Julian May's writings is to assert the essential emptiness of being human, a convenient mixing bucket for alien DNA. The DNA of this book consists then of generous splashes of French-Canadian, Erich von Däniken, and pessimism, the last of which isn't too surprising considering.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading this for the umph time because I love this series so much. I was actually depressed to realise that we are already three years past the great intervention of 2013.

The story itself has held up pretty well. The majority of the leads are all men, aside from Dorothy McDonald aka Diamond Mask but there is a good supporting cast of women. May also has a bit of an obsession with vague incest (I say vague because the couples don't know that they are related) which is a bit squicky when you think about it. There are a few shout outs to the previous books over the series as a whole, including the statue of Kuhal at the start of Intervention although the ultimate fate of Felice is left dangling despite a coy reference.

The technology is interesting. May is big on plaque books, which are e-readers, but there is no Amazon to download stuff from; instead it seems that you buy each plaque book/newspaper. There is no internet, although I guess operants wouldn't need it? Rogi has a print on demand machine - did those take off in bookshops? I've only ordered pod on the internet. At the end of Intervention the bad guys seem to have great aircraft available which haven't been invented yet sadly.

In terms of the detail of the novel I had a great time Google map stalking the book - something I'm sure May didn't foresee. The bridge in Berlin where Rogi nearly kills his brother is still there and was bigger than the picture in my mind (which was more Victorian). The places Rogi hikes can all be seen. The White Mountains hotel where Rogi works is indeed massive, and still going today, as is the railway to the top of Mt Washington. I think I've located Rogi's bookshop on Main Street, Hanover particularly as there is a later reference to it being opposite a 're-fueling station'. The Remillard family home on South Street is not #15 as she states but #17, but still has the green shutters as described; I believe that it provides accommodation for families visiting the hospital now.

[Luciano Bernaroli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Abbandonato appena oltre la metà.
Scritto benissimo, l'abilità dell'autrice è palese e ha un modo di raccontare originale e coinvolgente ma... la storia no. Non mi prende, non mi convince e non mi fa venire voglia di perderci tempo.
E' ridondante in troppe sue parti, lentissimo in altre, ma cosi lento che dopo cento pagine la storia è proseguita di pochissimo.
E comunque non mi ha preso per nulla.

[Andreas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The scope of this saga spanning eight novels is staggering. A gate is opened to the past, specifically the Pliocene era. But it is a one-way trip. Adventurous souls travel back, and find a world unlike any they could imagine. Epic conflict rages between ancient races, and the future destiny of man is decided. The initial four books make up The Saga of Pliocene Exile.

* The Many-Coloured Land
* The Golden Torc
* The Nonborn King
* The Adversary

These can be read as a standalone series, but who would want to stop there?

The “bridge” book deals with first contact and the emergence of humans with “supernatural” powers such as telekinesis.

* Intervention. In the US edition this was divided into “Intervention: Surveillance” and “Intervention: Metaconcert”.

The Galactic Milieu Trilogy deals with events after humanity has entered the galactic community.

* Jack the Bodiless
* Diamond Mask
* Magnificat

What surprised me as I finally finished the whole thing was how May had meticulously planned the entire arc from the very beginning, with elements important to the last novels referenced in the first. This lends the whole series a sense of completion rare in such works. Considering the fact that it took over 12 years to write, the achievement is even more impressive.

The characters are amazing, with rich depths and particular quirks that blend in well with the evolving destiny of humankind. The settings, especially in Exiles are fabulous.

Unfortunately, the US covers are beyond awful, but don’t be put off by that. Also unfortunately, the books are out of print, but can be easily found second hand.

http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=236

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had to urge to reread this for ages. I'm so glad I finally did. I totally and absolutely loved it all over again.

(It's too white and too binary, but it was published in 1987 and I'm not going to hold that against it, although I do acknowledge it.)

I wasn't planning to, but I found myself adding a large number of post-its, mainly in either emotional responses or pointing out all the hints to the book's main spoiler, because the way it is all laid in there is so clever. So too, is the way the author made me love a particular character back in the Pliocene books (which I will reread eventually, but the Milieu ones are calling louder) and even more in this one. So flaily, swoony, ha, that's a clue kind of notes, including one saying, "I think this must be where I worked it out the first time!" I had better remember never to lend this paper copy to anyone reading the series for the first time.

So lots of incoherent love for a complex, thought-provoking, crunchy book that remains those things 33 years after it was published.

It was also fun to make a note of the point the book's timeline passed 1987 and all the "history" became speculative. May missed the big things most authors of the time missed - the fall of the Soviet Union, the internet, ebooks and downloads especially - but the future history still felt like it held up and certainly didn't affect my enjoyment of the book, even if the entire timeline is now in the past.

Probably don't start reading these books here. You won't get the fun of working out all the little things that made me so happy in this reread. Read the Saga of the Pliocene exiles first. It's worth it.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had completely forgotten what a great book this is. A prequel to May's 'Saga of Pliocene Exile' that was split into two volumes for US publication (bad idea), Intervention is a hybrid SF story and generational saga along the lines of Anne Rice's Witching Hour. Two brothers discover as children that they have metapsychic powers as unseen alien races observe them, waiting for humanity to achieve unity before they annihilate themselves. May's characterizations are great - much better than one tends to find in science fiction. Her near-future predictions are eerily close at times to our real-world situation now (with a couple of pointed exceptions). The one downside to the story is the sheer number of characters (in the main Remillard family, not to mention everyone else), but May provides you with a handy family tree in the back to help you keep track. I'm looking forward to finally completing the Galactic Milieu series at last!

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The human race is in a period of mutation. Active psychics are being born, people whose mind powers are operant without training or elaborate rituals. We first met the Remillard family in The Saga Of Pliocene Exile, represented in the Saga by its culminating member Marc Remillard, aka the Angel of the Abyss. In 1945 the Remillards have a pair of mutant psychic children, twins named Rogi and Don – the good twin and the bad twin. Rogi and Don read each other’s minds involuntarily, they move items around without touching them, and Don can coerce anyone to do whatever he likes. Rogi doesn’t coerce because he has a conscience. He also has the Family Ghost.

While Don is living it up seducing girls and starring in football and hockey, Rogi is reading all he can about how other psychics have met the difficulties of being cast out by society. Occasionally he receives visits from the Family Ghost, an invisible being who rescues him in dire necessity and gives him orders according to a long range plan. One of those orders is to educate Don’s oldest son Denis. Denis, his genius mind stretched by special training from an early age, his outstanding psychic powers refined, grows up to be the leading psychic of his generation, introducing mind powers to the world in such a way that they are finally accepted as true.

Don has another talented son. Rogi doesn’t train Victor, Don does; and the resulting malign personality is magnified by Victor’s mental talents, as strong as Denis’s. While Denis and his fellow university psychics are trying to prove to the world that people of mind power are helpful, not dangerous, Victor Remillard and another supervillain, Kieran O’Connor, are proving the opposite.

Circling in surveillance ships overhead, aliens are nursing humanity in hopes that it will survive long enough to develop a World Mind, or mental union of all Earth psychics. If it can do so, they will reveal themselves and invite Earth to join the larger mental union of the Galactic Milieu. There is a general belief in the Milieu that Earth will destroy itself before its World Mind can be achieved. Against the odds, the Great Lylmik, leader of them all, insists that humanity must and will survive no matter what it takes. Humanity’s strength and vitality will revitalize the Milieu.

INTERVENTION was huge as a hardback. For paperback it was divided into THE SURVEILLANCE and THE METACONCERT. The end of THE SURVEILLANCE falls just after psychics or “operants” reveal themselves to the world. THE METACONCERT covers the period of gradual human disenchantment with operants. Ethical operants work to learn more about how to use their talents, and hidden operant criminals work to eliminate their ethical competition. We already know from The Saga Of Pliocene Exile that good will win, but it is sometimes a very close thing indeed.

INTERVENTION is so persuasive and well-considered, it seems the things that happen in the book are the things that would happen in the same circumstances in real life. Readers will never actually meet Rogi Remillard, the lovable curmudgeon with some small but unique talents. That is our loss. Rogi and his friends, family, and enemies make irresistibly human the evolutionary changes now pouring over Earth society and threatening to drown it. Rogi’s son-of-the-heart Denis, the firestarter Lucille, out-of-body traveler Jamie and his folk-wise grandmother, Russian Tamara exploring the question of how much the ends justify the means, and Rogi’s love Elaine, whose tragedy serves the common need; these people and many others are the “good guys,” striving to help humanity. A powerful and colorful set of criminals use their mental powers for evil, as soldiers for either Kieran or Victor. The disarming “the Fabulous Finster,” catspaw Gerry Tremblay, and especially, poor, twisted Shannon O’Connor, who we know is dangerous but we don’t know to whom: these are the “bad guy” standouts, who nearly succeed in discrediting operants altogether.

All of INTERVENTION has the natural flow of life. Author Julian May doesn’t flinch from exploring issues that may one day be real life problems. To create authenticity on such a global yet individual scale is a major undertaking but one which, by now, we are used to seeing May perform. In addition, the people and society in this pair of books have a suddenly-opened future. After INTERVENTION lays the groundwork, May is finally ready to take on the story of the Galactic Milieu she hinted at in The Saga Of Pliocene Exile. We next meet the Remillards in JACK THE BODILESS, which tells the dramatic childhoods of the rebel Marc Remillard, Angel of the Abyss, and his brother Jack, sainted savior of the Milieu.

Read 6 times

Favorite science fiction reread of 2019

[Roddy Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘For 60,000 years the five races of the Galactic Milieu have watched and waited for the time when human mental development on Earth is ready for the Intervention…

As the twentieth century draws to its end, phenomenal mental powers are displayed by ‘operants’ all across our planet… They can ‘farspeak’ one another telepathically, they can build mental shields and they are capable of coercion by power of mind.

One of these is Rogatien Remillard, a dealer in secondhand books, whose memoirs – written a century on – form the core of this chronicle. They tell of a world where the mind has become a weapon; and of two brothers, each possessed of extraordinary powers – one a peace-bringer, the other an advocate of evil…’

Blurb from the 1988 Pan paperback edition

This rather massive book stands as both a connecting work between the Saga of the Exiles and the concluding three volumes of the series, and a history of the metapsychic community on Earth. It is told through the eyes of Rogi Remillard, a minor relative of the Remillard dynasty who is prompted by an entity known as ‘the Family Ghost’ to write his memoirs.
This is at a time after the Exiles have returned from the Pliocene and Earth is now a tourist attraction for the other psychic races of the Galactic Milieu.
And so, Uncle Rogi, from the comfort of the room above his shop where he sells antique Science Fiction novels, begins the tale of how isolated metapsychic communities, in Ireland, Scotland, Russia and America, began to form and eventually come together, occasionally with the help of Rogi himself, prompted by the Family Ghost.
It’s a wonderful, engrossing, rambling novel, full of May’s love and passion for her characters who are not, in some cases, very nice people. Many of the metapsychics were using their powers to control others, or to gain political power, and so the future of Humanity in Galactic Society was in the balance.
There are references in the book to the saga of the Exiles. Rogi, as a young man, is given a strange jewel by the ghost, a red stone which seems to gleam with an inner light and which Rogi has made into a key fob and calls ‘The Great Carbuncle’. Could this be what remains of Felice and Culluket after six million years? And in the addendum, a family tree is provided which shows that Aiken Drum (via banked sperm) is related to the great metapsychic families.
It’s these small touches that gives May’s work such a verisimilitude.
Eventually, as most readers will suspect, the Family Ghost, who is also the leader of the Lylmik contingent of Earth observers (The Lylmik being the oldest and most mysterious race in the galaxy) is actually Marc Remillard, still extant after six million years.

[Alan Denham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a possible alternative starting point to Julian May's universe.
It is possible - but starting with The Many-Coloured Land would be a much better idea, unless you can't get hold of it. See my review here.

OK, so this is the alternative. The Saga of the Exiles dealt with the adventures of a group of humans in a Pliocene Earth under the rather chaotic control of the Tanu and to a lesser extent the Firvulag, and their constant wars, using significant mind powers. The humans got there while running away from a world not too far from one of our possible futures (as seen from the 1970s) in which friendly aliens with considerable mind powers had welcomed us into their galactic club rather before we were ready for them. Intervention starts pretty close to present time (publication mid 1980s!)and deals with the first stages of the development of human mind powers - the good side and the bad - and the eventual alien intervention just in time to save us from ourselves.

This is a book full of heroes and villains - but with very little physical violence, the conflicts are of the mind; only I don't mean conflicts of personalities, I mean psionic mayhem, Mafia style. Just because people develop mind powers doesn't make them good. Some of these characters are pure black evil. The story is mostly told from the viewpoint of a rather bumbling low-grade psi (telekinetic, with other powers very limited) whose extended family include some of the really powerful ones - good and bad!

I have rated this 4 stars - it is good, but not quite as good as Saga of the Exiles, which you should read first - then you will be ready for this, and will understand the background better. The pace is slower, but that allows more subtlety in the character development - and although there are a lot of characters to keep track of, Intervention does not have the problem of "too many characters" that was a point against the Saga.

This one can almost stand alone - which is not true of the other books in this universe - but it has three sequels (the Galactic Milieu Trilogy) that need to be read in order - Jack the bodiless, Diamond Mask and Magnificat.

Read and enjoy.

[Lesley Arrowsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. Mainly I love the character of Rogi Remillard, the narrator. It's fairly rare to have a second hand book dealer as the main character of a novel, and Julian May paints such a vivid picture of him that it's clear she knows exactly what second hand book dealers are like! He's a low psionic-powered member of a remarkable family which is instrumental in taking the Earth into a new alliance with alien races who also have psionic powers, and he is long lived enough to see the whole story pan out from more or less the present, where psionically talented people are just coming into existence (mostly from traditionally psychic families) to a future where some of his relatives have almost unimaginable power.
The book also touches on the theology of Teilhard de Chardin in the way the battle between the good and evil psychics plays out.
For good action adventure fun, go for the Many-Coloured Land series, which is set in the same universe but involves misfits heading through a portal in time to six million years in the past (where something unexpected is waiting for them), and for more on the themes that begin to be developed in Intervention, go for Jack the Bodiless, Diamond Mask and Magnificat.
Intelligent science fiction at it's best (and if I ever had a Maine Coone cat, I would call it Rogi!)

[Luke Mercieca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite series. Uncle Rogi with his Canuck irritability is a great character. This series and the following Galactic Milieu series was the high watermark for Julian May for me. I thought her metaphysical formulation of psychic powers, how the various "coadunate" races of the galaxy quested toward metapsychic Unity and the evaluation of mans potential to become a part of that Unity, was brilliant. She mixed science fiction, spirituality, family feuds and textured appreciation of earthly cultures like the Franco-Americans or Canucks into a tightly woven thriller. And her Aliens where funky and funny, rather like ghostly hecklers from space, some of whom thought man had it in them to make it others thought we had no hope.

[Jae · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favourites. The book I turn to when I need to escape.
Uncle Rogi is a man with talents, along with his twin brother. Rogi takes the lighter path, his brother the darker one. They are the beginning of a dynasty with a range of super human powers and Rogi is shepherded by a being he thinks is a figment of his imagination, to facilitate the growth of this family and others like them around the globe; to advance the evolution of humanity.

[Kathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny—it’s a prequel of sorts to the Galactic Milieu which, in a way, is a prequel to the Saga of Pliocene Exile, even though that takes place in the distant past. And one of the characters, maybe, is in all three?
Still, it was a good book, with a varied cast of characters, timeless themes, and a balance between conversation/exposition and action.
On to the Galactic Milieu next!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this years ago when it was first published. After that, I would wait avidly for the next to arrive at the local bookshop. These books made an impact somehow. I sold them at a garage sale in the '90's then re-bought the set recently. Fantasy + science fiction + metas + in depth character development = excellent read.

[Declan Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

EPIC

"In the end is the beginning. In death the source of life."

This book is fascinating and amazing in so many different ways. Firstly, there is the scope. This book is epic in every possible way. The book covers multiple generations of the same family, which allows it to highlight the ripple effects of seemingly insignificant events. There are many characters - and almost all of them are interesting and memorable. The fight scenes are breathtaking (particularly the mountainside battle of the climax). The unravelling story of humanity's evolution, how that affects politics and its philosophical and theological implications are explored in great depth.

Secondly, I'd like to praise May's characterization. This is often where epic well-thought-out science fiction and fantasy novels fall down. But this is actually where I think Julian May shines most of all. Uncle Rogi is a fascinating and complex character - the kind of character who, in other books, you think 'I'd like to have known more about them'. Well, in "Intervention" you get all of his story. But don't think Rogi is the only interesting character here - the book is packed full of complex personalities and the complicated relationships that evolve between them. Well done, May!

Tying into this is May's portrayal of romantic relationships. This is another classic pitfall of the genre - sci-fi romances are generally non-existent or end up being weird while fantasy romances can be gag-worthy (just think of Feist's "Magician"). However, the relationships May describes are profound. Relationships are mostly portrayed as sacred (which I as a Christian enjoyed), and May shows an understanding that good marriages can often come from the most unlikely of pairs. On a darker note, May shows how idolizing your relationship can have severe consequences when it ultimately fails to fulfil you. Oddly, there is one relationship that seems to avoid these themes (such as sacredness, idolizing etc.) but it is a fairly minor plot point.

Then there are the villains. I think the two central antagonists here are two of the most terrifying villains I've ever encountered in literature. They are right up there with Kathy from "East of Eden" and Anton Chigurh from "No Country For Old Men." They are scary because of their humanity - May shows how events shaped these two men, while still emphasizing that their choice to do evil was their own.

On a slightly related note, I have noticed that often 'epic' books these days seem to want to add complex backstories to every character (including the villains). Almost always these backstories feature suicide, murder, rape or some other atrocity because apparently these writers need to come up with blatantly obvious character motivations. Take for instance Justin Cronin - he basically says 'look, this character's parents committed suicide... so now they make X poor decision/evil fall because that's PROFOUND'. No, it's not. Julian May's most compelling villain is shaped not by a traumatic childhood event, but by the favouritism bestowed upon him as a child. In my opinion, this is a much more interesting, complex and plausible basis for a character's turn to evil.

All this talk of good and evil brings us to one of the things I found unexpectedly stimulating about this book - theological ideas! For starters, we have this surprisingly creationist quote early on: "Those (and I am one) who have never experienced cosmic consciousness may find consolation in simple instinct. I know in my heart - as Einstein did, and he was justified in the long view if not in the short - that the universe is not a game of chance but a design, and beautiful." Then as the story goes on we realize that just about every main character is Catholic. After that Julian May goes really deep into ethics, morality and the principle of nonviolence - much of this is seemingly from a Christian perspective. Then the villains engage in demon-worship and confess that they abhor God and His light. And there's also the overarching theme of humanity's total fallenness and the (might I say, very Catholic) idea that humanity can achieve transcendence, harmony and unity through great sacrifice. I haven't even mentioned the long-winded debates about the nature of spirit, soul, mind and existence.

Even Wikipedia, which we all know is the source of all knowledge and wisdom, acknowledges the strong theological bend May gives everything (WARNING - this quote contains minor spoilers): "The Remillard family are Catholic, and on several occasions family members discuss their faith. The most notable example occurs in the first part of Chapter 24 of Jack the Bodiless, where Teresa Kendall explains Christianity to her unborn son. Jack the Bodiless begins with a set of quotations, including the Spanish proverb "God writes straight with crooked lines." This proverb summarises the plot of the whole series, in which tragedies and disasters (particularly the Metapsychic Rebellion) result in ultimate good (particularly the repentance and transformation of Marc Remillard, through which the Galactic Milieu is formed). The Rebellion is thus a Felix culpa."

I'm not sure how this book is so obscure. If the series that accompanies it matches this novel in quality, then "Intervention/Galactic Milieu/Pliocene Exiles" should be ranked alongside Dune, Foundation and LOTR.

Very highly recommended for fans of fantasy and science fiction, or anybody looking for a highly compelling read.

CONTENT ADVISORY (for parents and sensitive readers)

Violence: A character is cut in half by logging equipment. There is a double suicide. A character slashes her wrists (but does not die). At one point, the villain sucks the life and power out of another character - disturbing burns and bite wounds are described after the act. The final climax involves lots of shooting. Most of this action is more disturbing than actually graphic.
Sex: Three brief explicit sex scenes. For those of you (like myself) who prefer to avoid this kind of thing, be assured that they are fairly easy to skip. There are also a number of adult references. At one level, the plot basically revolves around a human breeding program. Villains bond characters to themselves - an act which is not described, but has perverse sexual undertones. Disturbingly, one villain bonds to his own daughter.
Language: F-word, S-word and other more mild expletives are used infrequently throughout the novel.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If George R.R. Martin and James A. Michener had a love child, it would be Julian May (except that she would be their mother, as her Galactic Milieu series predates Matin's Song of Ice and Fire). It's complicated. This is grand scope science fiction/fantasy that has a series of family trees at the back of the book (instead of the world maps so common in fantasy books). Like Michener's books, Intervention is a decades-long, sprawling family history set amongst pivotal events: in this case, the events leading up the metapsychic advancement of humanity and culminating in the races of the galactic milieu exposing themselves to the world.

[Joos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just started this summer rereading the Pliocene Saga, must have been 40 years ago that I read it the first time. The story still grabs me, and to my pleasure I found out that theres is more. So the bridge books, Intervention #1 and #2 are first time for me. The then futuristic inventions (like automatic payment and news papers on a plasm screen), seem kind of cute now. But the memoires of Rogatien Remillard are a diamond to me, finally a perspective that knits it all together and brings in depth and personal commitment. I like it when a book or story has a central figure, in stead of more than one... To me these two books where true gemstones. Up to the final Galactic Milieu series!

[Macjest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julian May is one of my go to authors to reread when I’m in a slump. It’s amazing to realize that we are already well past the time of all of the marvels of technology much less the intervention by beings from another planet. The memoirs of the main character take us from his early years when and he and his twin brother discover they can mentally talk with each other, through the early years of mental development, to 2013 where everything comes to a boiling point. Normals are fearful of the “heads” and the heads have to make a decision about their moral ethics. Should they use their mental power to defend themselves or stick with their pacifist ideals.

[Harald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gelezen eind 1989 begin 1990

[Wynand Schoonbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all-time top 10 novels. I remember using some of my precious pocket money to buy this thick hardcover tome, together with an even more massive hardcover 'Dune trilogy' at a book sale bargain-bin circa 1986'ish.

These novels may have been the BEST value for money I've ever purchased in my life!



"Intervention" has such scope and with the fascinating main protagonist Rogi, pivotally interleaved into this amazing unfolding of events and history, makes the story come alive.

The flashbacks and events take a re-read or two to appreciate - and inevitably leads to the other books in the extended series namely "Saga of the Pliocene Exile" comprised of 'The Many-Coloured Land', 'The Golden Torc', 'The Nonborn King' and 'The Adversary' as well as the "Galactic Milieu Trilogy" comprised of 'Jack the Bodiless', 'Diamond Mask' and 'Magnificat'

I, for one, would love to see this novel turned into TV-series or movie.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

This book brings to life the families, and the histories, of the beginning of humanity's struggle to go from normal, to operative, mankind.

The story is told by Rogatien Remillard, known as Rogi to family and friends alike - the slightly bumbling, rather weak in his abilities, Uncle to Dennis, who is the foremost member of those operants that help to bring about Intervention,.

The five space going races of the Galactic Milieu, who had been overseeing humankind in their slow, but gradual, mental awakening, for the last 60,000 years, are watching ever closer as humanity has grown enough for there to have the possibility of Coadunation.

The story takes place between the Second World War, and the 22nd century, and Rogi, as a part of the Remillard family, who, with their long living genes, is chosen by the Lylmik, the Leaders of the five races, who had led the other four into mental union, to guide his family into steering humanity into mental maturity.

This book could easily be a standalone, but it is a perfect introduction to the awakening of mankind to their mental possibilities.

Rogi, a man easily overlooked in a family of mental stalwarts, is persuaded to guide his nephew on a path that will bring the whole family great hurt, as well as greatness, and his storytelling has great pathos at times, as his very human spirit fights a path that is almost preordained for him.

But, with the help of the Family Ghost, Rogi helps to steer all of humanity away from utter disaster, and into the dawn of a completely new era for mankind.

I loved this book, and really hope that the next in in the series: Jack the Bodiless, is just as riveting as this one was!

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog here in November 1998.

In terms of publication date, Intervention falls between the Saga of the Exiles series and the Galactic Milieu trilogy; in terms of the internal chronology, it comes before either (time travel making later events in the lives of May's characters happen millions of years before earlier ones). It is May's longest work, and has an expository character, filling in much of the background of the other series.

Intervention is the memoirs of Rogatien Remeillard, one of the first of that family to discover their mental powers, and a fond great-uncle reluctantly pushed into action to manipulate his family toward greater mental operancy. (The pushing is done by an invisible presence, which Rogi calls the Family Ghost.) As the mental powers of human beings over a century or so, the excitement of watching aliens mounts; they are waiting for a certain level of operancy to be reached before making their presence known and inviting the human race to apply for membership of the Galactic Milieu.

Intervention is long, sufficiently long that I think the US edition was split into two parts published separately. May manages to keep the interest of the reader, but the book's character is definitely explanatory and is much more aimed at those interested in the two related series rather than those yet to read them.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm about halfway through. It's surprisingly boring. I've read all of her other galactic milieu books but this one as I didn't find till now. I'm hoping that it'll get more exciting soon. Right now it's basically a wordy timeline. I've always liked Uncle Rogi since the Jack The Bodiless series, but my expectations of him as the star of this book, are completely wrong so far. There's so many characters that its hard to get excited about anyone in particular. This has alway been one of the author's potential weakness. She can weave many substories into a novel, but this book might have pushed it a bit too far.
Read the second half. It's better and overall I enjoyed it. It wasn't very dramatic unfortunately, according to the book's description on the back I expected an epic battle between Denis and Victor. That didn't happen, it's more about politics and usage of pawns. There's interesting moral dilemmas that occur and are interesting to think about and the characters are bound by them, but it just falls a bit flat. It's a long bridge from the Pilocene to the Galactic Milieu, but fans of the universe will enjoy it.

[Jayne Hackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intervention is the first in May's The Galactic Milieu series and what a series it is. You simply won't believe where this series goes and how the characters develop.
The premise is that humanity has evolved to a point where the powers of the brain begin to emerge. They have a choice: become part of the Galatic Mileu or be exiled from it forever as being unsuited to join. (Gosh! Did she know about Brexit?)

Uncle Roger is our reluctant narrator and he's as flawed as all of his extraordinary family.

Another one of those recommendations that I've given out, which have never failed.

Be prepared to be hooked.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!

[alisonisreading · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea and the multi-narrative storytelling but, oof, it goes on. And on and on. There appears to be a sequel but it's not for me.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting premise - potentially interesting characters. After 300 pages, lost interest in seeing if author was going to make something of these.

[Elephant Abroad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining summer read. Not hard science but quite funny in parts, interesting ideas and alien characters.

[Richard Guion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more enjoyable than May’s Pliocene Exile, although it was good to read that first as there are a couple of subtle references to it. May sets the story in the era of baby boomers, where a family of people with mental powers lives. Who are called operants, because they can use telepathy, telekinesis, pyrokinesis, far sense (seeing the world around them mentally), etc. They are called operants. It’s almost like the origin of the species, if you read Alfred Bester’s The Demolished Man and wondered how that came to be. May’s writing seems to have improved from the Pliocene epic - here she delves into the character stories in a way that Stephen King approaches his stories. It’s told from several points of view, but the main one is Rogi Remillaird, one of two powerful twin operants. Rogi is destined for both greatness and tragedy. His brother Don is a self loathing alcoholic operant who sires two boys, Denis and Victor. They are they yin/yang of the operant world, the former a Professor at Dartmouth, who gathers a coterie of educated operants. Victor pursues more criminal activities, gathering a number of operants to his side. There’s also Kieran O’Connor, a ruthless Harvard educated operant, who takes over the Chicago mob and builds a business empire. Kieran actually wield so much power throughout the world that he starts causing geopolitical conflicts for his own gain. It’s very entertaining, but I had to take a star off for a couple of things. One, May never really develops any of the female characters that well - a weakness also found in the Pliocene books. Two, the chapters describing what the alien races were doing on Earth - those just seemed like a big bore and they stopped the forward momentum of the story.