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Intervention #2
Metaconcert
All over the world, the metapsychics are honing their skills, learning to stretch their incredible minds far beyond the ken of ordinary humans. Most are dedicated to the harmony of the human soul. But some have darker intentions...
If the metapsychics succeed in uniting Earth's minds to take the next step up in human evolution, a place awaits humanity among the alien peoples of the fabulous Galactic Milieu. But if evil minds prevail in their bid for power, Earth will be cut off...and mankind forever doomed!
If the metapsychics succeed in uniting Earth's minds to take the next step up in human evolution, a place awaits humanity among the alien peoples of the fabulous Galactic Milieu. But if evil minds prevail in their bid for power, Earth will be cut off...and mankind forever doomed!
282 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
4 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
About the author
Julian May
201 books590 followersJulian 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...)
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...)
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 27, 2023
This is actually a single story split into 2 books in the paperback versions I own.
So I decided to review the novels with a combined review rather than individually.
This was written in the late 80s as part of a bridge duology connecting two related series first started in the early 80s.
It bears many of the hallmarks of fantasty/sci-fi crossover that existed in that time period in this genre.
I enjoy the writing, light, interesting with unique aliens, and just adore Uncle Rogi.
My only complaint would be that I find this mid-series duology a bit slow, dry, and not an engrossing as either Pliocene Exile series, which precedes this duology nor the The Galactic Milieu trilogy which follows it.
This also introduces most of The Remillard Clan, a family that is pivotal in the alien contact, which is central to the duology and the entire extended series.
This duology does offer crucial background information that fleshes out the previous Pliocene Exile series as well as provides pertinent background information for the following Galactic Milieu trilogy.
Though it definitely fits the era in which this was published, this features largely white characters. Furthermore, it has a troubling premise, which is that powerful telepathy is restricted to a few European branches and pretty much individually in other racial populations.
There's dated and colonial views of formerly colonized nations.
Some uncomfortable focus on genes and bloodlines, to the extent of inbreeding. It's probably common when this was written dated and a tad fascist & dated now.
So I decided to review the novels with a combined review rather than individually.
This was written in the late 80s as part of a bridge duology connecting two related series first started in the early 80s.
It bears many of the hallmarks of fantasty/sci-fi crossover that existed in that time period in this genre.
I enjoy the writing, light, interesting with unique aliens, and just adore Uncle Rogi.
My only complaint would be that I find this mid-series duology a bit slow, dry, and not an engrossing as either Pliocene Exile series, which precedes this duology nor the The Galactic Milieu trilogy which follows it.
This also introduces most of The Remillard Clan, a family that is pivotal in the alien contact, which is central to the duology and the entire extended series.
This duology does offer crucial background information that fleshes out the previous Pliocene Exile series as well as provides pertinent background information for the following Galactic Milieu trilogy.
Though it definitely fits the era in which this was published, this features largely white characters. Furthermore, it has a troubling premise, which is that powerful telepathy is restricted to a few European branches and pretty much individually in other racial populations.
There's dated and colonial views of formerly colonized nations.
Some uncomfortable focus on genes and bloodlines, to the extent of inbreeding. It's probably common when this was written dated and a tad fascist & dated now.
October 11, 2020
Continues the story of build up to Earth's first contact as seen through the eyes of Rogatien Remillard. More and more psychic operands are emerging and various factions, both good and evil, try to organize and control them.
Most of this book, and the preceding book (if read as the split 2 book edition) is social and political and was slow reading at times. Nevertheless I never stopped wanting to read on. In the last 60 or so pages it turned into a real page turner and I had to finish it in one sitting. No spoilers but there is a stunning revelation at the very end of the book.
Now I have read this link between the two sets of books it's on to the Galactic Milieu trilogy.
Most of this book, and the preceding book (if read as the split 2 book edition) is social and political and was slow reading at times. Nevertheless I never stopped wanting to read on. In the last 60 or so pages it turned into a real page turner and I had to finish it in one sitting. No spoilers but there is a stunning revelation at the very end of the book.
Now I have read this link between the two sets of books it's on to the Galactic Milieu trilogy.
July 19, 2016
If you haven't read the first part of this yet, then it might be a good idea to go back and get that done, unless you're one of those people that like to read the conclusions of novels first. Although even here that's not going to help you since the ending is really just setting us up for the trilogy to follow and doesn't conclude so much as get us to where we need to be. It's still entertaining though.
As literally the second half of a novel that was split in two (you could read the first part and stop but it wouldn't be very satisfying) this in theory should be like all those young adult series adaptations where the last book somehow suddenly has a story too big for one movie and must be split into two, which generally means that the first book contains all the setup and the second all the action packed resolutions. Since May is a better writer than most young adult novelists and the book was structured to be split in two this isn't quite as big a problem as you'd think since the first book had plenty of interesting sequences but there was also a sense that it was holding back slightly so that the big scenes would come later.
That's mostly the case. Rogi is still narrating the story in parts, specifically the parts involving his family and their increasing roles in world affairs, but the plot still whips around the globe and features the other characters. The difference is here that the two evil characters, his nephew Victor and the ruthlessly persuasive Kieran O'Connor take center stage more as they try to influence events to give themselves more power and keep the other operants (all the people with mental powers) from figuring out what they're doing and attempting to stop them. In the meantime the world is gradually coming apart as various pockets of unrest both home and aboard start to get explosive, causing lines to be unwillingly be drawn between regular people and operants (eerily, the scenes of Middle-Eastern extremist terrorism and the various US-based "get the psychic (read: foreigners) out" groups have uncomfortable parallels to events going on today, despite the book being written in the eighties, making you wish that people with fantastic mental powers would swoop in to save us or at least simply our problems immensely).
For the most part, May moves things along nicely although the book does suffer somewhat from not being able to regale us with the shock of the new (taking the mental break in the middle of the story probably doesn't help, even though I read one after the other it still feels like two separate books). With the powers more or less established she can't really find new uses for them although she gets a lot of decent mileage out of the coercive abilities of both Victor and O'Connor, especially the latter's tendency to "bond" his compatriots to his own mind, which really boils down to a creepy form of brainwashing. We do get the concept of the "metaconcert" which while it sounds like a Neil Young-esque exercise in rock and roll irony tends to point the way toward her version of Arthur C Clarke's "Childhood's End". And since you know that we're moving into another trilogy after this one its not like the machinations of the dastardly characters are cause for tension beyond which characters will survive the book (and since there's a detailed family tree at the end with birth and death dates even that takes some of the suspense out). Fortunately for her the main characters are detailed enough and the potential for the epic historical sweep interesting enough that she makes you want to stick around to at least see how this chunk of it turns out and her intense interest in focusing on both the big picture political and the intimacies of family drama (and where they intersect) gives you an idea on how of little changes can make a big difference in either direction.
But you definitely feel like the second volume is being carried more by the concept than anything else. While the villains are clever and diabolical, we never really get a sense of Victor's manipulations beyond Rogi telling us how he takes over the family one by one and while O'Connnor gets far more disturbing scenes (including where he messes with his only daughter) he also gets saddled with a crazy version of nihilism that makes him sound like a less eloquent Thanos at times, only without the fabulous sparkly glove of power. When May wants to be effective she's certainly more than capable of it, and a couple scenes stand out as real corkers (for my money, a bold assassination attempt that ends poorly for almost everyone involved nearly takes the cake, as well as a farewell note told with an aching desire to sketch around the edges).
To some extent the aliens once again hold the story back slightly, even when you discount the blatant meddling on the part of one of them with Rogi (either essentially telling him what to do or interfering to ensure the plot heads where its supposed to . . . it makes you wonder why he even bothers at times) the times they do appear they sort of dawdle about and chat and seem to exist merely to pad the page count. Their presences may be crucial for those moving onto the next series but for the most part here they distract from the hot mind zapping action going on everywhere else. I will say this, though, the chapter where two aliens come down to get a feel for the mood is one of the most effective scenes in the book, managing to convey hope and curiosity and horror and despair in a very short space and in a way that feels very relevant to today.
Which is good, because when the climax does come it basically ends where other climaxes would start and marks the book as essentially a two volume prelude to the Galactic Milieu series. It has plenty of moments that work fine on their own but as a standalone novel its clear that most of its real power is derived from its proximity for what comes afterwards. There's enough to whet your appetite but if you decide to stop here you're probably missing out to an extent, in fact its probably safe to say you're missing out enough that it isn't worth starting in the first place.
As literally the second half of a novel that was split in two (you could read the first part and stop but it wouldn't be very satisfying) this in theory should be like all those young adult series adaptations where the last book somehow suddenly has a story too big for one movie and must be split into two, which generally means that the first book contains all the setup and the second all the action packed resolutions. Since May is a better writer than most young adult novelists and the book was structured to be split in two this isn't quite as big a problem as you'd think since the first book had plenty of interesting sequences but there was also a sense that it was holding back slightly so that the big scenes would come later.
That's mostly the case. Rogi is still narrating the story in parts, specifically the parts involving his family and their increasing roles in world affairs, but the plot still whips around the globe and features the other characters. The difference is here that the two evil characters, his nephew Victor and the ruthlessly persuasive Kieran O'Connor take center stage more as they try to influence events to give themselves more power and keep the other operants (all the people with mental powers) from figuring out what they're doing and attempting to stop them. In the meantime the world is gradually coming apart as various pockets of unrest both home and aboard start to get explosive, causing lines to be unwillingly be drawn between regular people and operants (eerily, the scenes of Middle-Eastern extremist terrorism and the various US-based "get the psychic (read: foreigners) out" groups have uncomfortable parallels to events going on today, despite the book being written in the eighties, making you wish that people with fantastic mental powers would swoop in to save us or at least simply our problems immensely).
For the most part, May moves things along nicely although the book does suffer somewhat from not being able to regale us with the shock of the new (taking the mental break in the middle of the story probably doesn't help, even though I read one after the other it still feels like two separate books). With the powers more or less established she can't really find new uses for them although she gets a lot of decent mileage out of the coercive abilities of both Victor and O'Connor, especially the latter's tendency to "bond" his compatriots to his own mind, which really boils down to a creepy form of brainwashing. We do get the concept of the "metaconcert" which while it sounds like a Neil Young-esque exercise in rock and roll irony tends to point the way toward her version of Arthur C Clarke's "Childhood's End". And since you know that we're moving into another trilogy after this one its not like the machinations of the dastardly characters are cause for tension beyond which characters will survive the book (and since there's a detailed family tree at the end with birth and death dates even that takes some of the suspense out). Fortunately for her the main characters are detailed enough and the potential for the epic historical sweep interesting enough that she makes you want to stick around to at least see how this chunk of it turns out and her intense interest in focusing on both the big picture political and the intimacies of family drama (and where they intersect) gives you an idea on how of little changes can make a big difference in either direction.
But you definitely feel like the second volume is being carried more by the concept than anything else. While the villains are clever and diabolical, we never really get a sense of Victor's manipulations beyond Rogi telling us how he takes over the family one by one and while O'Connnor gets far more disturbing scenes (including where he messes with his only daughter) he also gets saddled with a crazy version of nihilism that makes him sound like a less eloquent Thanos at times, only without the fabulous sparkly glove of power. When May wants to be effective she's certainly more than capable of it, and a couple scenes stand out as real corkers (for my money, a bold assassination attempt that ends poorly for almost everyone involved nearly takes the cake, as well as a farewell note told with an aching desire to sketch around the edges).
To some extent the aliens once again hold the story back slightly, even when you discount the blatant meddling on the part of one of them with Rogi (either essentially telling him what to do or interfering to ensure the plot heads where its supposed to . . . it makes you wonder why he even bothers at times) the times they do appear they sort of dawdle about and chat and seem to exist merely to pad the page count. Their presences may be crucial for those moving onto the next series but for the most part here they distract from the hot mind zapping action going on everywhere else. I will say this, though, the chapter where two aliens come down to get a feel for the mood is one of the most effective scenes in the book, managing to convey hope and curiosity and horror and despair in a very short space and in a way that feels very relevant to today.
Which is good, because when the climax does come it basically ends where other climaxes would start and marks the book as essentially a two volume prelude to the Galactic Milieu series. It has plenty of moments that work fine on their own but as a standalone novel its clear that most of its real power is derived from its proximity for what comes afterwards. There's enough to whet your appetite but if you decide to stop here you're probably missing out to an extent, in fact its probably safe to say you're missing out enough that it isn't worth starting in the first place.
March 31, 2007
Simply the best space opera, and the best series of novels I've ever read. This is the first of the nine, and while the last three show signs of fatigue, these novels capture a cast of characters, and one in Marc Remillard, that are truly memorable. From the worlds and milieu May imagines to her evocative themes, the novels capture humanity with all its foibles and promise, and if you stick around for #6, you'll get the best plot twist in all of bookdom.
May 28, 2016
Elegant and engaging, this is a confident continuation of the Remillard saga, told by Rogi but focusing on Denis, the first true mental giant in the line, and an appropriately cool and studious character. It's also the story of Kieran and Shannon O'Connor, fascinating and relatable characters in spite of their darker natures, and Victor, a less relatable but certainly believable villain. Once again May tells a masterful near future story - written in '87 but extending through 2013, plenty of elements ring true, including the speculation of increasing Islamist violence in the Middle East. She overextends her predictions of advances in transportation and space technology while underestimating those in communications, but that's easily forgiven. The world she depicts is clearly recognizable as our own, or what it could be with mental powers growing among the population. The climax comes up rather abruptly, after the fairly leisurely pace of the rest of the story, but it's well crafted and satisfying. An enjoyable read, moving on to the next one soon!
October 31, 2011
I think I am being generous with a two star review. Absolutely nothing happens until the last twenty pages of this book. Everything else is nothing but political discussions regarding the manifestation of mental powers in people around the world.
Mind-numbingly boring is all you really need to know about this book.
Mind-numbingly boring is all you really need to know about this book.
January 8, 2008
Rogi Remillard is the entire reason for reading all of Julian May's saga of the Remillard family. Very few other characters are likable at all, but Rogi makes it all fall together, and somehow, always saves the day.
October 24, 2008
Good series that gives a lot more background to the prior series.
March 21, 2010
An enjoyable part of the Galactic Milieu series...or perhaps part 2 of the prequel to that!
October 3, 2017
A fine ending to the prequel trilogy to one of the best science fiction series ever. As well as having by far the best ending twist out of any in the series, and likely the best I've ever seen.
Read
October 23, 2025All over the world, the metapsychics are honing their skills, learning to stretch their incredible minds far beyond the ken of ordinary humans. Most are dedicated to the harmony of the human soul. But some have darker intentions...If the metapsychics succeed in uniting Earth's minds to take the next step up in human evolution, a place awaits humanity among the alien peoples of the fabulous Galactic Milieu. But if evil minds prevail in their bid for power, Earth will be cut off...and mankind forever doomed!
February 12, 2019
8/10. Media de los 7 libros leídos de la autora : 8/10
Las siete novelas que he leído suyas se agrupan en dos series. La de La Intervención (3 libros) y la Saga del exilio en el Plioceno (4 libros). Autora poco conocida pero que se lee (o que leí) con auténtico frenesí.
Recomiendo ambas, tal vez la del Plioceno baja un poco en los dos últimos, pero ambas son joyas que tiene Ultramar en su colección de Grandes éxitos de Bolsillo (Ciencia Ficción).
Las siete novelas que he leído suyas se agrupan en dos series. La de La Intervención (3 libros) y la Saga del exilio en el Plioceno (4 libros). Autora poco conocida pero que se lee (o que leí) con auténtico frenesí.
Recomiendo ambas, tal vez la del Plioceno baja un poco en los dos últimos, pero ambas son joyas que tiene Ultramar en su colección de Grandes éxitos de Bolsillo (Ciencia Ficción).
April 30, 2019
Whatever genius guides the majority of May's work is just not here. DNF.
April 7, 2020
I love coming across a series of books that I can get all wrapped up in. This series has done that for me. Certainly a keeper in my library, to be read again. Welcome to a new earth.
June 1, 2020
The ending is strangely rushed but otherwise an enjoyable continuation of the saga.
July 13, 2021
Slow to finish, and the timeline is a bit choppy as the narrative leaps bit by bit into the future, but it's a fitting conclusion to this middle portion of the story.
August 1, 2025
50-state challenge: New Hampshire
November 29, 2025
Part two of the introductory books from Julian May’s universe. Mankind is hurtling towards a showdown between “normals” and “longheads”, aka non-gifted vs gifted. We have learned that earth has been under observation for millennia. If humans can meld minds together for good and not violence, the aliens will make contact. In other words, a slightly different take on what happens over in the Star Trek universe. There is quite a bit of a philosophical discussion going on. Makes you wonder if humans of today would do any better.
February 17, 2010
This is the second and last book of the Intervention series. We find out if humanity is accepted into a Galactic civilization or are quarantined to stay on Earth. Political and social unrest come to a final conclusion here.
January 31, 2009
A GREAT READ!
April 14, 2009
One more in the whole Human Polity, Intervention, Remillard clan tale.
5 stars even if one of the slighter weaker books in the series.
5 stars even if one of the slighter weaker books in the series.
July 5, 2009
Uncle Rogi is a likeable, and sometimes interesting, protagonist, but the sweep and wonder of the earlier books is not to be found at all here.
Read
February 21, 2012Metaconcert (Intervention, No 2) by Julian May (1989)
March 20, 2015
not as good as the preceding or following sets, but still good.
read spring 2011
read 7/2005
red fall 1999
read spring 2011
read 7/2005
red fall 1999
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews