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Childe Cycle #9
Young Bleys
The Splinter Cultures' longtime experimentation in human genetics pits Hal Mayne, hero of the Young Worlds, against power-hungry Bleys Ahrens and his greedy half-brother, Dahno
456 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1991
34 people are currently reading
451 people want to read
About the author
Gordon R. Dickson
589 books377 followersGordon Rupert Dickson was an American science fiction author. He was born in Canada, then moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota as a teenager. He is probably most famous for his Childe Cycle and the Dragon Knight series. He won three Hugo awards and one Nebula award.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 9, 2024
The life story of the main antogonist of the Childe Cycle, Bleys Ahrens. A gifted child but psychologically abused by his ho mother, Bleys learns not to get too attached to anyone, ever. Later he moves in with his "uncle", a hard core religious man who shows Bleys, or anyone, little affection. Then his brother Dahno shows up and tells Bleys he has plans for him.
Dahno run some kind of shady consulting agency, and over the years Bleys learns how it works. Then he starts working to take it over for himself, since if he is no longer useful to Dahno then Dahno will probably have him killed. During this time Bleys develops his superpowers much like Hal Mayne in previous books. He also develops his plans for taking over humanity.
A coming of age novel with the first part mostly about how having an unloving mother and no friends can turn a boy into a sociopath. A super strict ultra religious uncle and a manipulative older brother don't help much, either. Then we how Bleys goes about collecting power, slowly and methodically with the long game in mind.
Not a great deal of action in this one but it was still an engaging story. Without reading any of the previous books one could be led to believe that this was the hero of the series. Always interesting to see the story told from the opposite side than usual.
Dahno run some kind of shady consulting agency, and over the years Bleys learns how it works. Then he starts working to take it over for himself, since if he is no longer useful to Dahno then Dahno will probably have him killed. During this time Bleys develops his superpowers much like Hal Mayne in previous books. He also develops his plans for taking over humanity.
A coming of age novel with the first part mostly about how having an unloving mother and no friends can turn a boy into a sociopath. A super strict ultra religious uncle and a manipulative older brother don't help much, either. Then we how Bleys goes about collecting power, slowly and methodically with the long game in mind.
Not a great deal of action in this one but it was still an engaging story. Without reading any of the previous books one could be led to believe that this was the hero of the series. Always interesting to see the story told from the opposite side than usual.
August 6, 2017
I've been slowly downsizing, part of which involves dumping books on the local library. Some of the books I've decided to re-read before parting with. Among that category are the books in Gordon Dickson's Childe Cycle.
When I first read it I thought it lacked the originality and wonder of the earlier books, and didn't add much to the whole thing. Now, though, I found it much more interesting. It took what was a largely two-dimensional villain of the later novels, fleshed out his upbringing and character, and by the end of this novel made him into a sympathetic person whose motivations are understood, and in fact parallel those of the eventual hero.
A bit slow to start, by the end I was looking for excuses to sit quietly and read.
When I first read it I thought it lacked the originality and wonder of the earlier books, and didn't add much to the whole thing. Now, though, I found it much more interesting. It took what was a largely two-dimensional villain of the later novels, fleshed out his upbringing and character, and by the end of this novel made him into a sympathetic person whose motivations are understood, and in fact parallel those of the eventual hero.
A bit slow to start, by the end I was looking for excuses to sit quietly and read.
January 26, 2023
Reading and weeding from Dad's collection. My copy claims it's the sequel to The Final Encyclopedia, but Goodreads says there's another book about Hal Mayne before it. This is the tale of the antihero, Bleys, and it is as compelling if not more so than Hal's. (Villains often are.) Dahno is quite the brother, but only Bleys can envision a future dominated by the Others. Dickson presents his perspective as a completely rational result of his circumstances leaving the reader torn between potential futures. Should the splinter cultures perish so Earth can survive? Or should they return to Earth as new, dominant species to continue cross-breeding? I might never get to the preceding novels, but I am tempted to keep reading the rest of the series.
January 18, 2019
This covers Bleys Ahrens life from his early years before he left his mother and went to live with his Uncle Henry, and life up until Hal Mayne escapes to the Final Encyclopedia. Good plot and storyline, but is boring and slow as far as action goes. Worth the time reading as it is part of the Dorsai military series.
December 5, 2023
BORING.
Okay, I was reading it while I was also reading a book by one of my favorite modern SF authors, so that may have contributed to my opinion.
Still, there's not much substance here. Granted, Dickson didn't have a lot to work with. He's writing about one of his villains, so it must have been hard to make Bleys into a sympathetic character.
Okay, I was reading it while I was also reading a book by one of my favorite modern SF authors, so that may have contributed to my opinion.
Still, there's not much substance here. Granted, Dickson didn't have a lot to work with. He's writing about one of his villains, so it must have been hard to make Bleys into a sympathetic character.
February 6, 2018
A novel in the Childe Cycle I hadn't read before. I enjoyed the story arc as Young Bleys' plans out his life and works to acquire the skills he is going to need. While a typical story arc, Dickson lends it his storytelling - which I am already sold on.
January 9, 2025
Best book in the Childe Cycle
I really enjoyed this book! The other books in the series are a bit of a slog, but this one is a real page turner.
I really enjoyed this book! The other books in the series are a bit of a slog, but this one is a real page turner.
June 2, 2016
I read this book without really reading any of the others in this series although I recognized the Universe it is set into from other books I have read in the far past. It is mostly a philosophical, wordy "biography" of the titular character from early adolescence to mid 20's. His obvious somewhat superhuman intelligence allows him to learn and remember everything he reads. Except for two very exceptional instances there is no real action in this book. Most of the "action" is intellectual, and shows his maturing into a leadership role. The book introduces a very important character in the series although we never meet him and the book ends abruptly.
More time should have been spent on his early years. Overall the book could have been tightened up considerably and some parts should have been expanded.
More time should have been spent on his early years. Overall the book could have been tightened up considerably and some parts should have been expanded.
August 31, 2016
7/10
In this, the 9th book of the Childe Cycle, we follow Bleys Ahrens through his childhood and young adulthood, up to the first almost-encounter between Hal Mayne and Bleys when Hal's tutors are killed. I would say the narrative is neither sympathetic nor antagonistic toward Bleys as a character, but the story does give us a full background on him, so the reader can better understand how he developed his vision and mission. My favorite sections covered his years with Uncle Henry, Joshua, and Will on the farm on Association and I found him most likable as a character in his relationships with them.
In this, the 9th book of the Childe Cycle, we follow Bleys Ahrens through his childhood and young adulthood, up to the first almost-encounter between Hal Mayne and Bleys when Hal's tutors are killed. I would say the narrative is neither sympathetic nor antagonistic toward Bleys as a character, but the story does give us a full background on him, so the reader can better understand how he developed his vision and mission. My favorite sections covered his years with Uncle Henry, Joshua, and Will on the farm on Association and I found him most likable as a character in his relationships with them.
February 15, 2011
Compared to the previous books in this series, this volume of Dickson's Childe Cycle suffers from poor plotting, unpolished prose, and a lack of proper editing. It's clear that Dickson, as he reached the end of his life, lost some of the control over his work that makes her earlier novels so fascinating and engaging. I'm dreading having to wade through the last volume he completed, _Other_, but I'm committed now. Sigh.
May 8, 2019
A long hard slog of a book. The first part was interesting but somehow Bleys plans for the future and his work on the path are uninteresting. I persevered and finished but will not be rereading this one ever again.
July 21, 2009
another Childe cycle tale.
March 24, 2011
Very slow reading. Not much happens.
November 21, 2014
As a child Bleys Ahrens is the equal of Hal Mayne in this sequel to The Final Encyclopedia. The two are soon in a struggle as he challenges the Dorsai ffor control of the human worlds.
September 23, 2014
Solid Space Opera book. This is prequel to the Childe Cycle series that highlights the upbringing of the main antagonist Young Bleys. I will be continuing this series starting at Dorsai.
November 6, 2014
This book could have benefited from better editing.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews