The Light-years Beneath My Feet

Taken Trilogy #2

by Alan Dean Foster

“Foster is in top form here, entertainingly mixing politics, comedy, and intriguing alien anthropology.”—BooklistAbducted by aliens to be sold as pets in a more civilized part of the galaxy, earthlings Marcus Walker and a scruffy dog named George (speech-enhanced to increase his market value) have managed to escape their captors. Walker loves being humankind’s first galactic traveler—until he remembers he hasn’t a clue where home is or how to get there. So the erstwhile commodities broker becomes a chef, whipping up delicacies for demanding alien palates. Of course he never imagined that the way back to Chicago would involve swapping his easy-living adopted planet for an all-out, age-old war many parsecs away. But hey, it’s all for a good cause, he has George and their two fellow escapees for company, and what else is there to do, besides avoid nasty aliens? Plenty, as it turns out.“An enjoyable read . . . Foster’s writing is smooth and his characters engaging.”—SFReader“Sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, and always entertaining.”—Library Journal

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Aliens, Humor, Science Fiction Fantasy, Space Opera, Animals

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Bestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.

Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.

Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This middle volume of Foster's Taken trilogy avoids the pitfalls of many such second volumes by introducing a whole new world and bringing in new characters and situations. It's a good, old-fashioned space romp, and made me look forward to the third volume.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t pay attention to the fact this was second in a trilogy when I picked up this book. It stood up well as a stand alone. I enjoyed it, might even look for the 1st and 3rd.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 1 out of 5]

About the only good thing about this book was the title. My mind wandered light years away every time I tried to read this one.

You know what? Character names are REALLY important, particularly in science fiction and fantasy. If they sound too "bullshit," then it ruins the book. TL-YBMF was full of bullshitty made up alien names, full of too many consonants and not enough vowels. That alone starts my mind wandering away, wondering what's going to happen in the dozen other books I have waiting on the shelf.

Too bad too, because Lost and Found, the first book in this series (?) was at the very least mildly enjoyable. I remember some of the finer plot points, the names were not excruciating, and I would recommend it. But Book Two stinks. I've never been overly impressed with the works of Alan Dean Foster - frothy hack work is a good term for his ouvre -- and TL-YBMF certainly falls within that.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Dean Foster writes the stuff of dreams. Alien abduction, multiple species and worlds. He does a pretty good job of describing the creatures and their worlds. This second book of the series find Mark, the Earthling commodities trader, and George, the intelligence enhanced talking dog on a benign world where war is restricted to specific military sites and medieval weaponry. Still, he wants to go home. So he plots and manipulates. Sort of like being a commodities trader. Meanwhile, his original abductor is still trying to recover his missing inventory. Ha!

[Jasey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lightweight years beneath my feet. Reads like a junior high novel, no real sense of danger or adventure. Not a bad novel, just has nothing to reccommend it. To be fair I have not read the other two books and perhaps as a trilogy it may be looked upon more favourably

[Sat · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good bedtime story, after two pages it puts me right to sleep. Perhaps why Its taken me two months to read 50 pages. If you like non-sequitur silly reads then you'll love this book!

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

While book 1 in this series was reasonably interesting, it took a serious dive here in #2. Not only was the pace painfully slow, but the plausibility of each plot twist became more and more strained. That Marc wanted to improve himself - not to mention conquer increasing ennui - by becoming a galaxy-class cook I could easily swallow. (No pun intended.) That this skill combined with his novelty as the only human anyone had ever met might get him an off-planet job offer I could also accept. Even with his friends included. Maybe. That he and his friends plotted to get off the new world - where no-one had done them any harm whatsoever - by so wildly disrupting their societal norms and traditions that the hapless aliens would send them away with an whole fleet to search for their lost homes rather than continue to endure their boat-rocking influence... here I draw the line. Seriously. This species had figured out how to use extremely limited scale, formalized, almost ritualized violence to resolve their political disagreements. And yet no-one appears to have ever considered assassination. Not even David vs. Uriah the Hittite assassination. Inconceivable!
Oh, and then, while we're busy swallowing this camel, we're also supposed to believe that the original kidnapping aliens (Vilenji or something like that) would pursue their escapees for literally years, to the point of bankruptcy?! Have they never considered the sunk-costs fallacy? I knowm I know, they give some hogwash about "honor" and "proving superiority," but really!
Anyway, while we're on the subject of the unpronounceable aliens that Marc and crew spend most of their time with, I have another bone to pick. The Vilenji thoughtfully equipped their captives with near-magical translators, capable of rendering not just raw translations but nuance too. And yet it renders the language of the screechy-voiced, O-mouthed aliens with butchered syntax - missing articles, incorrect verb tenses, etc. I ask myself: in what situations would an almost perfect universal translator render translations with butchered syntax? The only answer that makes sense is if the aliens were - to a person - actually butchering their own language. And this too I am supposed to buy? (I guess the other explanation is that the Vilenji really, really hated the screechy-voiced dudes. Which I might also buy, because I certainly did by the half-way point.)
Oh well. The fact is, I stuck with it. I guess I was short on other reading material, and the book managed to be ridiculous and often boring without being entirely offensive.

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the same problem with this book as I did with the previous book. Starts slowly and characters are not initially easy to like. Once it gets going though, I was drawn in and enjoyed it. The slavers pop up again and we see that they're going to keep coming. The local world's culture is very interesting; I felt like it could have been instructive to our planet. Of course, the path home is blocked for awhile when Walker becomes a universally know chef. Anticipating the next book with interest. Recommended.

[Robert Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four entirely different species have been kidnapped by the Vilenjji to be sold as slaves/pets/novelties. They are rescued by the Sessrimathe of Seremathenn. Now all they have to do is figure out how they can be returned to their own home worlds. Marcus Walker and a Chicago street dog named George who can now speak to Chicago, USA, Earth. Braouk a massive esthete & poet to Tuuqalia. K'eremu Sequi'aranaqua'na'senemu (called Sque) an 8 limbed squid like creature that could stand about 5 feet tall, was smarter than the other three combined and was always ready to proclaim it to her own home world. Another world, another species, another philosophy and maybe a step closer home.

[Evan Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good one read... can't say I am eager to re-read unless he comes out with a 4rth or 5th and I need to re-read to catch up.
The second in the series.. not a stand alone, Read "Lost and Found" first.

[Donna Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable Book

What’s not to like.... it’s a good yarn by Alan Dean Foster. Definitely not better than book one but interesting enough on its own....I like the adventure of this series...

[Rhiannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light-years Beneath My Feet (Book 2 of the Taken Trilogy)

In this the second book in the Taken Trilogy you get a better understanding of our 4 individuals as they try to find a way home...and not end up dead or worse captured again. ;)

[Phorc Ewe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Intergalactic cook... yeah, thrilling.

[Daphnar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sequel that barely stands on its own.

[Jacques · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #2, love it!

[Turunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Desperately tried to.

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

Successful Chicago commodities broker abducted by aliens

Not a headline from the National Enquirer, just Marcus Walker’s own little Jerry Springer moment. He was indeed hustled aboard an alien Vilenjji starship, part of a cargo of primitive creatures bound for the “civilized” part of the galaxy, where they’ll be sold . . . as pets. Fortunately, there was another Earthling aboard, a scruffy dog named George who’d been speech-enhanced to increase his market value. Walker had spoken to plenty of dogs in his line of work but never to actual animals. He and George formed an immediate bond, giving new meaning to “man’s best friend.”

The Light-Years Beneath My Feet finds Walker and George free at last, having managed, with some outside help, to outwit their kidnappers. But now they are a million billion miles from Earth. Walker glories in the wonders of his rescuers’ hi-tech world and the thrill of being humankind’s first galactic traveler–until he remembers the only place he wants to be is home. To take his mind off the depressing fact that he hasn’t the slightest idea where home is, never mind how to get there, the erstwhile commodities broker becomes a chef.

Walker never imagined that whipping up delicacies for demanding alien palates would lead to a possible way home–or that the possible way home would involve swapping his easy-living adopted planet for an all-out, age-old war many parsecs away. But hey, it was all for a good cause, he has George and their two fellow escapees for company, and what else was there to do, besides avoid Vilenjji? Plenty, as it turns out. . . 

[Patrick Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the first book: Marcus Walker, a hot-shot commodities trader gets abducted by aliens while on a solo camping trip in the Sierra Nevadas. He is eventually paired with snarky canine abducted from a Chicago alley, whom he calls George... the dog is able to speak, due to brain enhancement and implant technology of the abducting aliens. While in captivity aboard a giant alien ship, man and dog encounter all sorts of strange oxygen-breathing aliens in a wild animal park setting and learn this menagerie will eventually be sold to collectors throughout the galaxy. Clearly an escape attempt has been successful.

Now, Markus (and mutt) becomes a chef to the stars; sort of. The story continues and my thoughts are pretty much the same:

This is a fun, quick read—although the writing is somewhat verbose and stilted enough to ruin some good jokes. Chances are you will be disappointed if you are expecting another ‘Hitchhikers Guide.’ It has nowhere near the speed or of inventiveness of ideas. (If you want laugh-out-loud funny try a couple of John Scalzis humorous novels.)

This is the second book of a Trilogy. While not brilliant satire or action packed adventure, it’s still a solid enjoyable read—as long as your expectations are set kinda low. Most likely, I will not read the third novel.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slender alien Niyyuu Viyv-Pym hires Earthling Marcus Walker as chef. Hoping her homeworld is closer to his, he persuades along his companions - talking dog George, cephalopod Sque, and giant poet Braouk. Elaborate descriptions bog down: recalcitrant ingredients, Viyv's beauty "eyelids like translucent lilies" p 18 "eyes like polished pendants of Scythian gold" p 22 juxtaposed against grating voice "fingernails dragging across a blackboard" p 18, possibility that decision takes them in opposite direction, culture of war where three-tailed Niyyuu fight hand-to-hand - and apparently die willingly.

Hard to finish. Only one action scene. Niyyuun soldiers rescue our gang from Vilenjji enemies. When the nation's military leader is the umpteenth to claim not enough influence to search for destination stellar coordinates, Marc asks General Saluu-hir-lek in confidence "What do you want most?" p 118. How can he gain more power when alliances that threaten the status quo are broken down? Clever how he gets around rules. In public for media, they fight. Secretly, they cooperate, drive in parallel and accumulate more power.

[Brent Ecenbarger · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book of the Taken trilogy is very different from the first in terms of plot and setting, but still features the well written band of escapees from the first book. At different points in this book I liked it more than its predecessor and at other times slightly less. My only real gripe with the book is that about 2/3 of the book in a flood of alien cultures and terms come about and it was a bit difficult to stay remember who everybody was and on whose side. There is however a great encounter with a villain from the first book that really adds excitement to the closing pages. Certainly more unpredictable than book one, Foster has created a worthy follow up that has me excited to try the conclusion to the series.

[Maurice Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having escaped from the Villenji, Marcus Walker and his friends George (the talking dog), Sque (the walking squid) and Braouk (the living mountain of fur) are now on Sessmaranthe, where Marcus has become a chef. His cooking skills bring him to the attention of the Niyyu, who hire him to come and cook for them. He accepts only because their world may be closer to either Earth, Kerem or Tuqualia and if one of them can find home, maybe they all can eventually.

I enjoyed watching the unlikely foursome navigate not one, but two alien worlds and keep a step ahead of the Villenji, who want them back.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Taken trilogy that started with Lost and Found: A Novel. Walker and George, along with the aliens Sque and Braouk, continue their quest to return home and become embroiled in the politics of another planet along the way. Like the first book, there's nothing very deep going on, but the characters are very engaging and I'm looking forward to the final installment.

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so this book... it suffers from some bad writing-- over-using words of a sesquipedalian nature, confusing narrational point-of-view, boring battles and descriptions of (alien) martial strategies... but it's xenology at it's most fun. This book is part of a trilogy, but it really should have been one (long) story, and not three. This book was the middle of the trilogy, and it was positively filled with endless strategizing and battling, trying to get the trilogy in position for the next book. Still-- talking dogs and aliens, man, ALIENS.

[Rena Sherwood]

I gave up at page three when I came to yet another long unpronounceable "alien" word (a long string of consonants.) I did not realize this was the second book in a series, but still with words like that I don't think reading the first book would've helped at all.. Even so, I have no interest in reading ANY of this series -- despite the cute dog on the cover (which was the reason why I picked this book up at the library in the first place.

[Saphirablue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this one is hoovering between "it was okay" and "I didn't like it".

It's been interesting to see how the four friends fare lightyears away from their homeworld but on the other hand I really didn't like that the four started a five-way-war just in order to gain enough influence to "ask" that a way home for them is found and that they'll be equipped with ships to go there. :( That really soured the book, the characters and the overall story for me. :(

[Aurora · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the Taken novels, our hero and his faithful dog friend have been kidnapped by zoo keeping aliens to be sold as novelties. Science fiction with a sense of humor as only Alan Dean Foster can write it.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the edition I read. Mine was in the SF Book Club trilogy edition. Human gets kidnapped by aliens, sold into slavery, fights his way free with a number of other alien slaves, heads for sanctuary to slave free planets. But the aliens never let "investments" get away and pursue them.

[Marya Kowal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The commodities broker turned alien abductee has found a third life as a universe-class chef...and starts a planetary war along the way.

Love the continuing saga of the four friends trying to be repatriated to their home worlds.

Looking forward to the third book in the trilogy.

[Brett]

Science Fiction

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

too much battling - otherwise fine