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Manta's Gift
When Matt Raimey had his accident, he thought his life was over. He never dreamed, in his wildest fantasies, that he'd end up in a spot like this. In the toxic atmosphere of Jupiter, born into the body of an enormous creature that looked like a cross between a manta ray and a dolphin, he is living a new life, unlike any humankind had previously experienced. An unbelievable turn of events, it gave him a reason to live, to survive, no matter what happened . . . but every second chance comes with conditions and responsibilities. And as those who brought him to this strange destiny have their authority stripped from them and he discovers the truth that only he can know about the giant alien creatures he now calls family, this man reborn as the one they now call Manta suddenly isn't sure he wasn't better off before. . . .
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
59 people are currently reading
736 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Zahn
482 books8,543 followersTimothy Zahn attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1973. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and achieved an M.S. degree in physics in 1975. While he was pursuing a doctorate in physics, his adviser became ill and died. Zahn never completed the doctorate. In 1975 he had begun writing science fiction as a hobby, and he became a professional writer. He and his wife Anna live in Bandon, Oregon. They have a son, Corwin Zahn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
December 26, 2020
I'm actually surprised at how fast I read this book, as it's about a hundred pages more than the average book I read...yet the pages seemed to fly by. I believe that is due to the easy-to-read writing style. This is a character driven story and if you ask me those are the best. The main character in here is a human named Raimey. He breaks his neck in a dumb accident (he was showing off for a girl) and becomes a quadriplegic. His only hope at a somewhat normal life is to take part in a great science experiment of sorts: he would be reborn with his memory and human knowledge intact as a Manta Ray type creature on Jupiter. So he goes for it...and changes his name to Manta.
There's a lot of heart in this story, a lot of themes and ideas and things to say. And that is one reason why I liked it so much. But it's Manta himself who's mostly driving the story. At first I found him very annoying but that's because he was still immature. And he had lots of mental and emotional issues going on...I suppose most people would if you were suddenly stuck in an alien body in a very different environment. Plus it seemed he was very much a loner of sorts and he really needed to be social to fit into the alien society. But that wasn't him. But he changes as the book progressed. He learned. He wanted to save the others who were his new friends. Plus he had something the aliens didn't: he understood modern technology and knew some science. He could think up new ideas. So this made the story very interesting!
There are also nice bits in here about ecology, how the rich & powerful abuse others and it also asks questions about social class. I found the first and the last ones the most interesting. For example: is it right for someone of a certain social class to save someone's life if they happen to be in the right spot to do so although normally that's not their job at all? If they do so anyway, should they get punished?? Like any great science fiction this book asks some big questions. And these aliens have their own rules and culture. They don't like those rules to be changed. And sometimes there are severe punishment. And unfortunately Manta is very bad at following their rules!
Plus there's threats from the humans up in orbit too. They want something. And they'll do anything to get it.
Oh, and the environment in here is a major player! So many wonderful descriptions of life on Jupiter. Not only the different colors and layers but also the different creatures. And there's lots of floating plant life. Now that had really surprised me! In fact the environment also plays into the plot in a big way. This story reminds me of Saturn Rukh but it's written better and much more interesting too. The world I believe is more detailed, better world building.
The only thing I didn't like about this story was the scenes up on the space station that dealt with Faraday and the other crew. I just found these slow and rather boring (although I know they are needed for the plot). It was just too much politics. I'd rather be exploring Jupiter with Manta, Pranlo and Drusni.
I think lots of Manta's problems were caused by self confidence...or the lack of it. You need to feel wanted and welcome to have self confidence. Otherwise you're going to fail. And I enjoyed going on this long journey with Manta as he found his.
There's a lot of heart in this story, a lot of themes and ideas and things to say. And that is one reason why I liked it so much. But it's Manta himself who's mostly driving the story. At first I found him very annoying but that's because he was still immature. And he had lots of mental and emotional issues going on...I suppose most people would if you were suddenly stuck in an alien body in a very different environment. Plus it seemed he was very much a loner of sorts and he really needed to be social to fit into the alien society. But that wasn't him. But he changes as the book progressed. He learned. He wanted to save the others who were his new friends. Plus he had something the aliens didn't: he understood modern technology and knew some science. He could think up new ideas. So this made the story very interesting!
There are also nice bits in here about ecology, how the rich & powerful abuse others and it also asks questions about social class. I found the first and the last ones the most interesting. For example: is it right for someone of a certain social class to save someone's life if they happen to be in the right spot to do so although normally that's not their job at all? If they do so anyway, should they get punished?? Like any great science fiction this book asks some big questions. And these aliens have their own rules and culture. They don't like those rules to be changed. And sometimes there are severe punishment. And unfortunately Manta is very bad at following their rules!
Plus there's threats from the humans up in orbit too. They want something. And they'll do anything to get it.
Oh, and the environment in here is a major player! So many wonderful descriptions of life on Jupiter. Not only the different colors and layers but also the different creatures. And there's lots of floating plant life. Now that had really surprised me! In fact the environment also plays into the plot in a big way. This story reminds me of Saturn Rukh but it's written better and much more interesting too. The world I believe is more detailed, better world building.
The only thing I didn't like about this story was the scenes up on the space station that dealt with Faraday and the other crew. I just found these slow and rather boring (although I know they are needed for the plot). It was just too much politics. I'd rather be exploring Jupiter with Manta, Pranlo and Drusni.
I think lots of Manta's problems were caused by self confidence...or the lack of it. You need to feel wanted and welcome to have self confidence. Otherwise you're going to fail. And I enjoyed going on this long journey with Manta as he found his.
July 4, 2022
Oh my goodness. I cannot believe what I just read. I've been a fan of Timothy Zahn for several years. I've read what everyone has, his Star Wars series, and decided that I wanted to branch into his other books. I absolutely loved Angelmass, Icarus Hunt, The Conquerors Trilogy, and Cobra, and really liked all the rest of his books. This book, however, absolutely takes the cake. Best Timothy Zahn (non-Star Wars novel) I've read, and one of the best Science Fiction novels I've ever read.
As many a reviewer has pointed out, this book has strong story connections to Avatar (the blue people movie, not the animated series). When I started reading, I instantly noticed those comparisons. There are market differences between this and Avatar though, so I don't think we can say that James Cameron ripped off this book.
The story is just so compelling. I was so fascinated by the character of Matthew Raimey/Manta. His transition to becoming a Manta was enthralling and I never felt bored by his story. Timothy Zahn never spent to long explaining the history and characteristics of the Qanska. In fact, he could have spent a little more time on their characteristics, but it wasn't necessary, as he definitely got all of the important details down.
There is also a second storyline featuring the character of Colonel Jakob Faraday, and his storyline was actually as interesting as Manta's. That storyline is much more political, and featured the "meanwhile, back at the ranch" feeling of the scientists observing Manta's progress. Everytime Faraday got out of a situation, he was thrown into another one.
There are excellent questions in this book about the role of government, about communication and diplomacy between rivals, and about morality in general. Zahn expertly weaved these themes in the book, sometimes providing specific answers and sometimes leaving questions open ended.
There are some shocking moments in this book though. There is one scene that is really disturbing to read, and the way that it is portrayed as both good and evil at the same time is really disturbing as well. I still have trouble parsing that scene in my mind, because it seems to have elements of pro-life and pro-choice arguments in it, but man is it weird. If you read the book, I think you'll be able to figure out which scene I'm referring to.
This book leaves the door open for sequel books, and I oh so wish that we could get them. In all likelihood, we probably won't get any, as I don't know if this book actually had solid sales. Nonetheless, this universe Zahn created is really interesting to me.
If I can add one criticism, there is one character who shows up at the end and I was like "Oh, you're still alive, I think I still remember you". This character had a minor role earlier in the book, but was easily forgetable. I think that had Zahn spent more time building up that character, their inclusion at the end would not quite feel like a "Deus Ex Machina".
That being said, this is a terrific novel and quite possibly my new favorite Science Fiction Novel. Its just wonderful! I can't recommend this enough. 10 out of 10!
As many a reviewer has pointed out, this book has strong story connections to Avatar (the blue people movie, not the animated series). When I started reading, I instantly noticed those comparisons. There are market differences between this and Avatar though, so I don't think we can say that James Cameron ripped off this book.
The story is just so compelling. I was so fascinated by the character of Matthew Raimey/Manta. His transition to becoming a Manta was enthralling and I never felt bored by his story. Timothy Zahn never spent to long explaining the history and characteristics of the Qanska. In fact, he could have spent a little more time on their characteristics, but it wasn't necessary, as he definitely got all of the important details down.
There is also a second storyline featuring the character of Colonel Jakob Faraday, and his storyline was actually as interesting as Manta's. That storyline is much more political, and featured the "meanwhile, back at the ranch" feeling of the scientists observing Manta's progress. Everytime Faraday got out of a situation, he was thrown into another one.
There are excellent questions in this book about the role of government, about communication and diplomacy between rivals, and about morality in general. Zahn expertly weaved these themes in the book, sometimes providing specific answers and sometimes leaving questions open ended.
There are some shocking moments in this book though. There is one scene that is really disturbing to read, and the way that it is portrayed as both good and evil at the same time is really disturbing as well. I still have trouble parsing that scene in my mind, because it seems to have elements of pro-life and pro-choice arguments in it, but man is it weird. If you read the book, I think you'll be able to figure out which scene I'm referring to.
This book leaves the door open for sequel books, and I oh so wish that we could get them. In all likelihood, we probably won't get any, as I don't know if this book actually had solid sales. Nonetheless, this universe Zahn created is really interesting to me.
If I can add one criticism, there is one character who shows up at the end and I was like "Oh, you're still alive, I think I still remember you". This character had a minor role earlier in the book, but was easily forgetable. I think that had Zahn spent more time building up that character, their inclusion at the end would not quite feel like a "Deus Ex Machina".
That being said, this is a terrific novel and quite possibly my new favorite Science Fiction Novel. Its just wonderful! I can't recommend this enough. 10 out of 10!
August 16, 2020
Read as part of my ongoing shelf audit. Verdict: The ending was so satisfying that it nearly changed my mind but... I don't see myself re-reading this book, so it will be going to a new home.
So... we're all pretty sure James Cameron read this, right? And then changed the worldbuilding because you can't put titties on a space manta ray? That's the secret origin story for the Avatar movies?
Cool. Glad we're in accord on that.
In all seriousness, I do wonder if this book would have felt more groundbreaking to me had I read it pre-Avatar film. As it was, the story was largely unsurprising in its plot beats. That's not to say I wasn't intrigued - fundamentally it presents several worldbuilding mysteries, which I'm very susceptible to - but just that the actions and reactions of characters felt pretty obvious.
I was also disappointed by Zahn's linguistic worldbuilding - or rather, lack thereof. There's a lot of interesting, alien concepts here, and then... the Qanska speak and their vocabulary and syntax are pretty much exactly like a human's. It threw me off at first, and while I adjusted eventually, there would still be moments where I was startled by how little thought seemed to have been put into this pervasive element of culture and thought. That would have been a great way to really underscore their alien nature, instead of making most of them feel like they could well be more human transplants.
The strongest aspect of this book is the way Zahn handles his unlikable protagonist. Raimey's not supposed to be likable - indeed, other characters comment on it on the regular - and as annoying as he can be at the beginning, Zahn plays out his growth and development wonderfully. The triumph he achieves at the book's finale is almost more over himself and his internal struggles than over the various external threats, and I think that doubled sense of success is what makes the ending so strong.
I think this book strikes a good balance between being purely fun and being thought-provoking; it'll give you lots to reflect on, especially in the question of what makes someone human or other, but it can also definitely be read as just a fun, shiny 'what if there were flying manta rays on gas giants' adventure. Definitely something I'm glad to have gotten around to reading at long last.
So... we're all pretty sure James Cameron read this, right? And then changed the worldbuilding because you can't put titties on a space manta ray? That's the secret origin story for the Avatar movies?
Cool. Glad we're in accord on that.
In all seriousness, I do wonder if this book would have felt more groundbreaking to me had I read it pre-Avatar film. As it was, the story was largely unsurprising in its plot beats. That's not to say I wasn't intrigued - fundamentally it presents several worldbuilding mysteries, which I'm very susceptible to - but just that the actions and reactions of characters felt pretty obvious.
I was also disappointed by Zahn's linguistic worldbuilding - or rather, lack thereof. There's a lot of interesting, alien concepts here, and then... the Qanska speak and their vocabulary and syntax are pretty much exactly like a human's. It threw me off at first, and while I adjusted eventually, there would still be moments where I was startled by how little thought seemed to have been put into this pervasive element of culture and thought. That would have been a great way to really underscore their alien nature, instead of making most of them feel like they could well be more human transplants.
The strongest aspect of this book is the way Zahn handles his unlikable protagonist. Raimey's not supposed to be likable - indeed, other characters comment on it on the regular - and as annoying as he can be at the beginning, Zahn plays out his growth and development wonderfully. The triumph he achieves at the book's finale is almost more over himself and his internal struggles than over the various external threats, and I think that doubled sense of success is what makes the ending so strong.
I think this book strikes a good balance between being purely fun and being thought-provoking; it'll give you lots to reflect on, especially in the question of what makes someone human or other, but it can also definitely be read as just a fun, shiny 'what if there were flying manta rays on gas giants' adventure. Definitely something I'm glad to have gotten around to reading at long last.
January 6, 2011
The holy grail of science fiction is to write a novel from a truly alien perspective in a way that will not only make sense to English-language readers but that will allow them to enter into that perspective and to make it their own. That is precisely what Timothy Zahn has accomplished with Manta's Gift. This is a novel that takes place almost entirely in the gaseous layers of Jupiter, the home of manta-like creatures that guard a secret that humanity needs to know-- and will do anything to discover.
Zahn's writing is sophisticated and richly detailed, and his characters are very easy to get invested in. He manages to employ alien jingoism believably and without the need for intrusive editorial explanation, but doesn't go overboard. The result is a sci-fi novel you won't be able to put down.
Zahn's writing is sophisticated and richly detailed, and his characters are very easy to get invested in. He manages to employ alien jingoism believably and without the need for intrusive editorial explanation, but doesn't go overboard. The result is a sci-fi novel you won't be able to put down.
September 12, 2020
This is a pretty good (if slow-paced) alien conflict story that goes on for too long. He does a good job of developing an interesting alien civilization, but the antagonist is a little over the top. As many of the other people who have offered comments here have pointed out, it's quite similar to the film Avatar.
August 2, 2022
2008 January 29 - This is a first contact story. Humans have begun expanding out into the solar system, and two men on board a probe descending into the atmosphere of Jupiter encounter alien life. 20 years later, the Qanska have issued an invitation for one human being's brain to be transplanted into the body of one of their newborns. A volunteer is found in Matt Raimey, paralyzed in a skiing accident and facing otherwise a fully bedridden life.
Zahn's non-tool-using aliens live in a complex ecology, layers upon layers descending to the deeps of Jupiter, where their secrets lie hidden. Meanwhile, the human monitors become embroiled in power politics between factions within Earth's ruling Five Hundred. Even though a fundamental premise seems flawed - Matt's only hope for an active life is to have his brain transplanted into alien body, and yet there is insufficient medical technology to transplant him into a terrestrial body - Zahn keeps the story alive by doling out incremental revelations concerning the Qanska as well as the human characters. It's a good read, but not a great one.
Zahn's non-tool-using aliens live in a complex ecology, layers upon layers descending to the deeps of Jupiter, where their secrets lie hidden. Meanwhile, the human monitors become embroiled in power politics between factions within Earth's ruling Five Hundred. Even though a fundamental premise seems flawed - Matt's only hope for an active life is to have his brain transplanted into alien body, and yet there is insufficient medical technology to transplant him into a terrestrial body - Zahn keeps the story alive by doling out incremental revelations concerning the Qanska as well as the human characters. It's a good read, but not a great one.
September 21, 2023
This year I've dove into Hard Sci Fi, now I've taken the plunge into Weird Sci Fi...
Manta's Gift is the first Timothy Zahn sci fi novel I've read that isn't his work on Star Wars, and I have to say, I didn't really like it.
For me, Zahn has some of the tightest writing I've read, with some killer pacing and great characters. Here, his writing seems very lackluster. There are just some odd descriptions, some very cheesy dialogue, and some poor pacing. There were also a few scenes in this that are just disturbing, and some questionable character moments that didn't help with the already unlikable protagonist.
And for the weird part, I honestly wished it was weirder. You have a human going through the process of becoming an alien in order to become an ambassador for the human race, and yet his dialogue, inner thoughts, and general descriptions, were just very cheesy and cringe at times. This book doesn't seem to be at the same level as Zahn's other works in terms of quality of descriptions and dialogue.
However, there were some definite good parts, Zahn does weave a good mystery and reveal throughout the storyline. And the ending itself was almost good enough to boost this up to 3 stars for me.
It is also interesting, how similar this is to James Cameron's Avatar despite being written years before. Between the two, I would say this one is better.
This definitely has not put me off from exploring some of Zahn's other original work, and I don't regret giving this book a try, but unfortunately it was not for me.
Manta's Gift is the first Timothy Zahn sci fi novel I've read that isn't his work on Star Wars, and I have to say, I didn't really like it.
For me, Zahn has some of the tightest writing I've read, with some killer pacing and great characters. Here, his writing seems very lackluster. There are just some odd descriptions, some very cheesy dialogue, and some poor pacing. There were also a few scenes in this that are just disturbing, and some questionable character moments that didn't help with the already unlikable protagonist.
And for the weird part, I honestly wished it was weirder. You have a human going through the process of becoming an alien in order to become an ambassador for the human race, and yet his dialogue, inner thoughts, and general descriptions, were just very cheesy and cringe at times. This book doesn't seem to be at the same level as Zahn's other works in terms of quality of descriptions and dialogue.
However, there were some definite good parts, Zahn does weave a good mystery and reveal throughout the storyline. And the ending itself was almost good enough to boost this up to 3 stars for me.
It is also interesting, how similar this is to James Cameron's Avatar despite being written years before. Between the two, I would say this one is better.
This definitely has not put me off from exploring some of Zahn's other original work, and I don't regret giving this book a try, but unfortunately it was not for me.
October 27, 2010
Avatar before Avatar came out. The main male protagonist is whiny and unlikeable - but he's supposed to be that way. He does grow and change throughout the story, but I wish he'd done so a little more and sooner. I wish there'd be a some more politics or lifestyle sorts of things for both the human and alien sides, but that would be like saying an action movie should have been a mini series. Fun and sturdy writing.
It also avoids a lot of the racial issues the Avatar movie had by having aliens that are, well, alien enough to justify their being unable to do certain things humans are capable of. Who knew lacking prehensile thumbs, and well, HANDS, would have such a profound effect on a race's ability to create industry and tech? *laugh*
It also avoids a lot of the racial issues the Avatar movie had by having aliens that are, well, alien enough to justify their being unable to do certain things humans are capable of. Who knew lacking prehensile thumbs, and well, HANDS, would have such a profound effect on a race's ability to create industry and tech? *laugh*
March 11, 2012
Purchased this book for laughs because it looked God awful with a plot straight out of James Cameron's Avatar.
To my surprise, the plot similarities are only surface-deep (the book was written before the movie anyway), the main character was flawed but strangely likable, the B-plot up on the ship was engaging, and the world building was rich in detail and alien enough to be interesting. One of the best books I read last year. I would recommend this to sci-fi fans of all ages.
To my surprise, the plot similarities are only surface-deep (the book was written before the movie anyway), the main character was flawed but strangely likable, the B-plot up on the ship was engaging, and the world building was rich in detail and alien enough to be interesting. One of the best books I read last year. I would recommend this to sci-fi fans of all ages.
November 18, 2014
Considering how big a fan I am of Timothy Zahn's science fiction to begin with, it was less than surprising to me that I liked this book a lot. I thought the plot was well done and the typical, though still surprising, Zahn plot twists were wonderful. I liked the way he was able to entrench the reader in the two different views throughout the book so that when you were pulled away from either Manta and his friends or from Faraday and the crew on the observation ship it felt a bit jarring and it took a minute to readjust your mind, at least until the end where Timothy Zahn is constantly switching between the two views. I also enjoyed the way he chose to treat the mating practices among the Qanska and where Manta ends up falling in the spectrum. I feel like he chose to deal with it in a way that was unexpected for the romantic in me, but better in that it was dealt with without become so much a focus of the story that you ended up losing the rest of plot to a love story. All in all I would say another solid sci-fi book for those that enjoy this genre.
July 6, 2012
I deeply enjoyed this book when I read it, but, over time, most of the plot has been forgotten, and the characters only dully remembered. I had to ask myself "why do I remember this book so fondly, when I barely remember it?"
The answer was that I had fallen in love with the world that the Qanska inhabited; richly detailed with heirarchies, morals, and a social structure, all taking place on a world very unlike our own.
If you find the characters and plot a bit flat, no matter. They are not the star of this story. They're like the other people in a car while you're on a road trip through unfamiliar territory. It's good to catch bits and snatches of what they're saying, but the real joy lies in looking out the windows.
The answer was that I had fallen in love with the world that the Qanska inhabited; richly detailed with heirarchies, morals, and a social structure, all taking place on a world very unlike our own.
If you find the characters and plot a bit flat, no matter. They are not the star of this story. They're like the other people in a car while you're on a road trip through unfamiliar territory. It's good to catch bits and snatches of what they're saying, but the real joy lies in looking out the windows.
December 30, 2025
True rating: 3.5 stars ⭐️
A solid book! As others have mentioned, it’s a rather interesting concept, but the plot is a little predictable since we’ve gone through this already with James Cameron’s Avatar. However, I do still think this was a solid, fun story overall. I liked the political maneuvering that the humans were dealing with in the background, and I liked the slow discovery throughout the story of what the Qanska were going through and the uniqueness of their genes. I also liked the general plot, of course, with Raimey becoming an alien and discovering this alien culture on Jupiter.
Unfortunately, I do think I would’ve enjoyed this book more if the aliens felt a little more… alien. The way they talked all just kind of sounded like humans in Qanska bodies, just with different colloquial phrases. The culture, as well, didn’t really feel all that different from human culture, other than maybe the stringent hierarchy—but even then, it’s only just different from Raimey’s American culture. I wish Zahn was more creative and unique with the aliens’ grammar and personalities. The dialogue was also kind of cheesy at times, and especially so when they were meant to be aliens.
Overall, a fun enough ride, but I wish it was a little more unique (or weirder, even) overall. 3.5 stars.
A solid book! As others have mentioned, it’s a rather interesting concept, but the plot is a little predictable since we’ve gone through this already with James Cameron’s Avatar. However, I do still think this was a solid, fun story overall. I liked the political maneuvering that the humans were dealing with in the background, and I liked the slow discovery throughout the story of what the Qanska were going through and the uniqueness of their genes. I also liked the general plot, of course, with Raimey becoming an alien and discovering this alien culture on Jupiter.
Unfortunately, I do think I would’ve enjoyed this book more if the aliens felt a little more… alien. The way they talked all just kind of sounded like humans in Qanska bodies, just with different colloquial phrases. The culture, as well, didn’t really feel all that different from human culture, other than maybe the stringent hierarchy—but even then, it’s only just different from Raimey’s American culture. I wish Zahn was more creative and unique with the aliens’ grammar and personalities. The dialogue was also kind of cheesy at times, and especially so when they were meant to be aliens.
Overall, a fun enough ride, but I wish it was a little more unique (or weirder, even) overall. 3.5 stars.
October 25, 2019
This book was awesome, as many others have mentioned it's more or less Avatar (naavi not airbender). I love Avatar, I think as time goes on it becomes more and more underrated. Anyway back to the book, a man is paralyzed and so as a result the 500, the current government figure in charge of expanding society offers him a chance. A chance to be liaison between the alien species found on Jupiter and the humans. He is mind melded into an alien and becomes integrated into their society. Overtime the government figure becomes ambitious and cruel which forces the human/alien hybrid to take action.
Raimey starts out this story being a little shit who blames everyone and everything for every misfortune he ever had. But, as this book proves a great character grows with time and by the end you root for him. I thought the world building of the society, the plants and everything else was amazing. And I loved every minute of it. Except Laidof. She sucks. She's a monster and she should be exciled from everyone and everything.
There it is and there you have it.
Raimey starts out this story being a little shit who blames everyone and everything for every misfortune he ever had. But, as this book proves a great character grows with time and by the end you root for him. I thought the world building of the society, the plants and everything else was amazing. And I loved every minute of it. Except Laidof. She sucks. She's a monster and she should be exciled from everyone and everything.
There it is and there you have it.
September 2, 2021
This was so much better than I was expecting it to be! Which is silly, really.. because this is the 22nd book by Timothy Zahn that I’ve read and I’ve yet to be disappointed with a single page.
Think the Avatar film, but with better characters and better world building. (In fact, did James Cameron read this book? Because Zahn should be getting royalty checks from him..)
I loved so many things about this. I loved watching the main character slowly go from a selfish human to a completely alien life form. It’s a huge achievement for a science fiction author, I think, to bring such “humanity” and such feeling to an alien race that is so unlike humans. Most of the time in science fiction, the alien species are still humanoid - anthropomorphic. It was really nice to read a book about a species that is so far removed from anything humanoid.
As usual with Zahn, the twists and turns were done extremely well. It kept me guessing as to what was really going on and what was going to happen until the last few pages. The plot flowed nicely from beginning to end, and I (again, as usual with a Zahn novel) could not put the book down. The hard science in here was, again -as usual- done in a way that was easy to understand.
This is one of the more “out there” Science Fiction novels I’ve ever read, and I’d absolutely recommend it to others who enjoy the genre.
Think the Avatar film, but with better characters and better world building. (In fact, did James Cameron read this book? Because Zahn should be getting royalty checks from him..)
I loved so many things about this. I loved watching the main character slowly go from a selfish human to a completely alien life form. It’s a huge achievement for a science fiction author, I think, to bring such “humanity” and such feeling to an alien race that is so unlike humans. Most of the time in science fiction, the alien species are still humanoid - anthropomorphic. It was really nice to read a book about a species that is so far removed from anything humanoid.
As usual with Zahn, the twists and turns were done extremely well. It kept me guessing as to what was really going on and what was going to happen until the last few pages. The plot flowed nicely from beginning to end, and I (again, as usual with a Zahn novel) could not put the book down. The hard science in here was, again -as usual- done in a way that was easy to understand.
This is one of the more “out there” Science Fiction novels I’ve ever read, and I’d absolutely recommend it to others who enjoy the genre.
June 9, 2023
Probably the least good Zahn novel I've ever read- I don't say worst, because the writing was as good as usual, but the plot really wasn't my cup of tea.
One big disgruntlement (yes I made that up) I have with this book is the way Zahn chose to handle Manta's turning point. Zahn's stories are generally morally upright, so to have the eucatastrophe involve
One big disgruntlement (yes I made that up) I have with this book is the way Zahn chose to handle Manta's turning point. Zahn's stories are generally morally upright, so to have the eucatastrophe involve
May 17, 2011
This book is what the movie Avatar should have been. A rich, well developed world where a paraplegic named Matthew Rainey is literally "born again" as an alien manta-ray type creature that lives in the high pressure depths of Jupiter. He is torn between his human loyalties and his new body and new physical desires as both human and alien need his help to survive and coexist.
It's strong with it's description of what it would really feel like to be transformed into an alien, and dealing with it. The aliens are very creative in biology and feel more real than the usual kind. The only minor flaw I had was that it started to feel slightly repetitive, and they probably could have cut 50 or so pages and made the book brisker. The power struggles between faraday and Liadon got old fast.
Excellent book though, Tim Zahn is a strong author.
It's strong with it's description of what it would really feel like to be transformed into an alien, and dealing with it. The aliens are very creative in biology and feel more real than the usual kind. The only minor flaw I had was that it started to feel slightly repetitive, and they probably could have cut 50 or so pages and made the book brisker. The power struggles between faraday and Liadon got old fast.
Excellent book though, Tim Zahn is a strong author.
April 6, 2013
Please vote on list Best Timothy Zahn Novels.
Not my favorite by Zahn but still a really good book. It's kind of a coming-of-age story. The two main characters Raimey and Faraday are both likable. I thought the premise of Raimey becoming a Qanska was cool and well developed. Reading about the Qanskan culture was interesting.
Not my favorite by Zahn but still a really good book. It's kind of a coming-of-age story. The two main characters Raimey and Faraday are both likable. I thought the premise of Raimey becoming a Qanska was cool and well developed. Reading about the Qanskan culture was interesting.
December 11, 2022
Matthew Raimey was a rather self-centered young man. He was in his early twenties, newly graduated from business school, and literally had his whole life ahead of him - that is, until the skiing accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. This unexpected turn of events had Raimey wondering what his life would be like from this point forward. Perhaps, he could still use his business degree. His mind was still in good working order, after all. But then, a man appeared in Raimey's hospital room with an offer that would change his life forever.
Raimey is offered a chance at a new life, but there's a catch. His brain is to be transplanted into the body of an alien creature, a manta ray-like creature that swims/flies in the atmosphere of Jupiter.
Intrigued? I was too! There's much more to this story than it seems. If you enjoy science fiction and you've ever wondered if anything lived in the swirling winds of Jupiter's atmosphere, you need to read this book. It's an easy, clean, and enjoyable read.
Our main character, Raimey, goes on a journey unlike any other in human history. He starts off very self-absorbed and self-centered, but his experiences lead him to grow and mature in ways we all hope we will as we grow older. Of course, just as Raimey is getting settled in his new body and his new circumstances, he learns that his purpose on Jupiter may not be what it first seemed. The human support team in orbit clues him in to a huge secret about his new alien family and then tells him that they need him to spy on them. And then, a power struggle on board the human space station leads to an attack on Raimey's family. It's at this point that Raimey realizes that he no longer has much in common with his human past and actively works to incorporate himself into this alien society.
I hesitate to say much more because I'm not sure I could without giving away key elements of the story. Manta's Gift is a fun read and definitely worth reading at least once. I picked up a used copy of the paperback from a used book store, but as I write this, Goodreads indicates that the Kindle version of the book is available for $1.99. It's hard to beat that!
Raimey is offered a chance at a new life, but there's a catch. His brain is to be transplanted into the body of an alien creature, a manta ray-like creature that swims/flies in the atmosphere of Jupiter.
Intrigued? I was too! There's much more to this story than it seems. If you enjoy science fiction and you've ever wondered if anything lived in the swirling winds of Jupiter's atmosphere, you need to read this book. It's an easy, clean, and enjoyable read.
Our main character, Raimey, goes on a journey unlike any other in human history. He starts off very self-absorbed and self-centered, but his experiences lead him to grow and mature in ways we all hope we will as we grow older. Of course, just as Raimey is getting settled in his new body and his new circumstances, he learns that his purpose on Jupiter may not be what it first seemed. The human support team in orbit clues him in to a huge secret about his new alien family and then tells him that they need him to spy on them. And then, a power struggle on board the human space station leads to an attack on Raimey's family. It's at this point that Raimey realizes that he no longer has much in common with his human past and actively works to incorporate himself into this alien society.
I hesitate to say much more because I'm not sure I could without giving away key elements of the story. Manta's Gift is a fun read and definitely worth reading at least once. I picked up a used copy of the paperback from a used book store, but as I write this, Goodreads indicates that the Kindle version of the book is available for $1.99. It's hard to beat that!
June 12, 2022
A light sci-fi, with some excellent detailing, Manta's Gift is a journey of self-discovery, in a pretty original setting. The core story has been done before (think Dances with Wolves, Avatar, etc), but Timothy Zahn brings something fresh to the table by creating a foreign race who are truly alien. The biology, culture, and idiosyncrasies of the Qanska are largely unique, making for an interesting journey.
The book does often suffer from talking head syndrome, though given that half the characters are constantly floating in the clouds of Jupiter, this is almost unavoidable.
My biggest grievance is not in the writing itself, but in the version of the book I read. The ebook version appears to have been transcribed from a paper version, and there have been many, many errors in the conversion. Incorrect letters, words merged together (sometimes 6 or 7 words all smashed into one), multiple paragraphs combined together, missing page breaks between scenes. The list goes on.
While I don't want to punish the author for something that was likely out of his control, the formatting errors were so egregious and numerous that it would constant pull me out of the story, and that has cost this book 1 star.
It is worth nothing that, despite the formatting issues, I was still happy to read this book to its conclusion.
Manta's Gift isn't the best book in Timothy Zahn's library, but it's solidly written, and interesting enough that if the synopsis intrigues you, it's likely worth a read.
The book does often suffer from talking head syndrome, though given that half the characters are constantly floating in the clouds of Jupiter, this is almost unavoidable.
My biggest grievance is not in the writing itself, but in the version of the book I read. The ebook version appears to have been transcribed from a paper version, and there have been many, many errors in the conversion. Incorrect letters, words merged together (sometimes 6 or 7 words all smashed into one), multiple paragraphs combined together, missing page breaks between scenes. The list goes on.
While I don't want to punish the author for something that was likely out of his control, the formatting errors were so egregious and numerous that it would constant pull me out of the story, and that has cost this book 1 star.
It is worth nothing that, despite the formatting issues, I was still happy to read this book to its conclusion.
Manta's Gift isn't the best book in Timothy Zahn's library, but it's solidly written, and interesting enough that if the synopsis intrigues you, it's likely worth a read.
January 28, 2018
This book is fine. It reminded me a little of James Cameron's "Avatar" where a man becomes "reborn" in an alien body.
The book basically follows two stories: Raimey in the Jupiter's atmosphere as the alien and Faraday and his team of people on the space station, monitoring Raimey. At times the book was a little boring, with Raimey just discussing food with other aliens and Faraday just sitting in his room. At other times, it was pretty tense, considering the whole plot.
It also had typical cliches: the aliens are good, the humans are big baddies. It almost felt like I was reading a story about cowboys and Indians.
In the end, I think Zahn managed to craft a decent story, but I just can't really recommend this book to other people as I find it a little bit too ridiculous and juvenile.
The book basically follows two stories: Raimey in the Jupiter's atmosphere as the alien and Faraday and his team of people on the space station, monitoring Raimey. At times the book was a little boring, with Raimey just discussing food with other aliens and Faraday just sitting in his room. At other times, it was pretty tense, considering the whole plot.
It also had typical cliches: the aliens are good, the humans are big baddies. It almost felt like I was reading a story about cowboys and Indians.
In the end, I think Zahn managed to craft a decent story, but I just can't really recommend this book to other people as I find it a little bit too ridiculous and juvenile.
December 26, 2018
This is one of the books I intend to keep forever. I cleaned out my bookshelves and only keep certain books now, and this one will be on the bookshelf as long as I have one. It is hard to describe what I love about it. But the one thing I really love is that it follows the main character from an emotionally infantile state to being reborn, gaining a family and love and community, loneliness and finding himself again, and his entire new life changes him as it changes the people, the aliens he is with. I love how alien and familiar and beautiful it all is. Like I said, for once I have a hard time writing concisely about this story but it stirs me deeply.
February 15, 2022
Meh.
The plot had too much to do with the human politics and too little to do with the admittedly interesting worldbuilding. The main character would do something and we'd immediately cut to the humans for their reaction, like I'm reading a book about space manta rays for the Earth politics. Bleh.
The main character being a whiny man child did not help things. (And lets be honest, it being James Cameron's Avatar before James Cameron's Avatar didn't help things either, but this came first so I'm trying to be fair.)
All the good reviews make me think this was just probably not for me, except... space manta rays. This should have been right up my alley. Very disappointed.
The plot had too much to do with the human politics and too little to do with the admittedly interesting worldbuilding. The main character would do something and we'd immediately cut to the humans for their reaction, like I'm reading a book about space manta rays for the Earth politics. Bleh.
The main character being a whiny man child did not help things. (And lets be honest, it being James Cameron's Avatar before James Cameron's Avatar didn't help things either, but this came first so I'm trying to be fair.)
All the good reviews make me think this was just probably not for me, except... space manta rays. This should have been right up my alley. Very disappointed.
July 21, 2024
Pretty good!
It was interesting to read about an alien race who live without dexterous appendages. Most aliens we write about can hold a gun or open their monstrous jaws wide enough to wreak havoc with razor-sharp teeth when fighting back against humans. But these Quanska could not. They could not store valuables, build a shelter, or — to the Five Hundred's disappointment — create a Stardrive.
I liked reading about something new. It made predicting the ending impossible (for me).
I do wish the epilogue was a part of the main story, and the new epilogue gave us a glimpse of what life would be like on the other side—though this ending was still satisfactory.
I would recommend this read :)
It was interesting to read about an alien race who live without dexterous appendages. Most aliens we write about can hold a gun or open their monstrous jaws wide enough to wreak havoc with razor-sharp teeth when fighting back against humans. But these Quanska could not. They could not store valuables, build a shelter, or — to the Five Hundred's disappointment — create a Stardrive.
I liked reading about something new. It made predicting the ending impossible (for me).
I do wish the epilogue was a part of the main story, and the new epilogue gave us a glimpse of what life would be like on the other side—though this ending was still satisfactory.
I would recommend this read :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2025
This is a good book, but the Kindle edition has terrible digitizing errors on almost every page. I rated it one star on Amazon.
Aside from that, I liked the story. It's mostly unpredictable and makes you wonder what's going to happen, but it didn't keep me up into the middle of the night. It's very creative and only has a few points that didn't seem logical to me.
The main character has to grow on you, though, because he isn't very likeable at first; I realized later that the author made him that way on purpose. I won't say anything else about that because I don't want to include any spoilers.
Overall, it's a good book with a lot of heart.
Aside from that, I liked the story. It's mostly unpredictable and makes you wonder what's going to happen, but it didn't keep me up into the middle of the night. It's very creative and only has a few points that didn't seem logical to me.
The main character has to grow on you, though, because he isn't very likeable at first; I realized later that the author made him that way on purpose. I won't say anything else about that because I don't want to include any spoilers.
Overall, it's a good book with a lot of heart.
January 7, 2019
Could not really get on board with this one. A race incapable of digital manipulation in possession of FTL worm tunnel capability? Come on. Human transmutation into an alien species? Come on. Control of all humans by the richest 500 (now that one I can believe since we are already pretty much there). Clever twist in cause of alien slow deterioration. Solution not well explained. Decent alien life development, but doesn't hold together well for me. Just didn't click, despite liking author's style and some of his other titles.
February 20, 2020
Not bad, but the main character is a bit of a pain for at least half of the story (which everyone freely admits), and the villain of the story is so infuriating that I wanted her crushed and her remains ejected across the galaxy. (Not that she did anything that warranted death, but....I at least wanted her horribly humiliated and put down with no recourse or avenue for future revenge)
So this book was enjoyable in the sense that I wanted to find out what happened, but I did get annoyed and ended up skimming parts of it to get past the stupid politicking taking place.
So this book was enjoyable in the sense that I wanted to find out what happened, but I did get annoyed and ended up skimming parts of it to get past the stupid politicking taking place.
January 8, 2024
Great story. Terrible formatting.
I really enjoyed the story. A fresh take on first contact and a human living in an alien body. Full of twists and turns, fast moving and never boring.
My only complaint is the absolutely awful formatting and typesetting. Sudden changes in font, sudden bolding, missing spaces, so sometimes entire sentences were squished together, the word "I" missing all over the place, the blank line between sections missing, and more. If the story hadn't been so good, I would have given it back. That's what made me reduce my review from a 5 to a 4.
I really enjoyed the story. A fresh take on first contact and a human living in an alien body. Full of twists and turns, fast moving and never boring.
My only complaint is the absolutely awful formatting and typesetting. Sudden changes in font, sudden bolding, missing spaces, so sometimes entire sentences were squished together, the word "I" missing all over the place, the blank line between sections missing, and more. If the story hadn't been so good, I would have given it back. That's what made me reduce my review from a 5 to a 4.
July 10, 2025
Timothy Zahn is a solid storyteller. It's not hard science fiction, but definitely is sci-fi related. He's imagined a lifeform on Jupiter (the Qanska), and human interaction with it. It starts out as more or less a First Contact story, but that's just the setup. The basic structure is a quest involving the main character, fleshed-out on both the human and Qanska side.
I enjoyed this story because the ideas are more original than most of what's out there, the characters use their brains, and because Zahn plays fair with the reader.
I enjoyed this story because the ideas are more original than most of what's out there, the characters use their brains, and because Zahn plays fair with the reader.
November 18, 2020
Excellent storyline and characters
I'd give it 5 stars if this version wasn't so full of typos. Buy this story, rent or steal it, but not this publication of it. Imagine growing up to be a dockside young adult and suddenly losing any hope of realization of your plans and dreams... But you get to be born again! The only catch is you will be born into an alien body. What could go wrong?
I'd give it 5 stars if this version wasn't so full of typos. Buy this story, rent or steal it, but not this publication of it. Imagine growing up to be a dockside young adult and suddenly losing any hope of realization of your plans and dreams... But you get to be born again! The only catch is you will be born into an alien body. What could go wrong?
December 7, 2023
Ad astra per aspera
Speculative fiction authors seem to have little hope for human advancement. The vision of greed, lust for power, and double dealing is what humanity brings to this first contact story. As with so many books and movies, the people you might be able to trust are seldom the ones in charge. The proofing of this ebook is severely lacking. There are a lot of typos and typesetting errors.
Speculative fiction authors seem to have little hope for human advancement. The vision of greed, lust for power, and double dealing is what humanity brings to this first contact story. As with so many books and movies, the people you might be able to trust are seldom the ones in charge. The proofing of this ebook is severely lacking. There are a lot of typos and typesetting errors.
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