Viscous Circle

Cluster #5

by Piers Anthony

The CLUSTER series of SF adventures is set in a future focused on colonization of distant planets. Sphere Sol is about 100 light years in diameter, centered on the Earth’s sun. Surrounding this sphere are other, similar spheres each centered on another star such as Polaris or Canopus. Colonization is accomplished instantaneous teleportation, called matter transmission or mattermission (very expensive); “freezer” ships in which colonists are sent in cryonic preservation at very high speeds (much decay and average 50% loss of colonists occurs during the voyages) and lifeships, slower, safer multigenerational vessels with voyages that run to centuries (during which the travelers regress in technical sophistication.) Because of the difficulty of colonization and the smaller population bases, all spheres suffer spherical regression--the greater the distance from source star to colony, the lower the level of technology that survives. Social organizations regress backward to historical periods of the home planet's past. Outworld, Sphere Sol's farthest colony, is populated by paleolithic tribes who hunt with flint spears and make fire. Colonists know about the interstellar empire and the home worlds mattermit government and security personnel to all colony worlds. Every living thing has a Kirlian aura that can be measured. Through transfer, a refinement of mattermission technology, the mind and personality of individuals with high aura can be sent to animate a body physically distant but a hosted aura fades at the rate of about 1 unit per Earth day and higher-Kirlian individuals last longer and thus have more freedom of movement.

The first three novels in the sequence, CLUSTER, CHAINING THE LADY and KIRLIAN QUEST form a linked trilogy. THOUSANDSTAR and VISCOUS CIRCLE came later and take place in the time sequence between the second and third volumes of the original trilogy.

VISCOUS CIRCLE is a story about a strange and inhuman race of beings and an experimental attempt to transfer into creatures that seem only slightly sapient. They are ultimate pacifists who take the form of magnetic disks that float through space and simply demagnetize and destroy themselves when faced with an unpleasant thought. The bloodthirsty Solarians, in their desperate hurry to find the mysterious Ancient Site, are determined to wipe out the Bands, a strange and beautiful species whose society is an anarchy of peace. Only Rondl, the whirling green Band can save his race, for he has a singular and awesome knowledge. But suddenly Rondl makes a shocking discovery about his identity--a discovery that may cost him his honor, his beautiful lover Cirl, even his very life.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Ebooks, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Space Opera

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Though he spent the first four years of his life in England, Piers never returned to live in his country of birth after moving to Spain and immigrated to America at age six. After graduating with a B.A. from Goddard College, he married one of his fellow students and and spent fifteen years in an assortment of professions before he began writing fiction full-time.

Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.

Reviews

[Magnus Itland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to have lots of books by Piers Anthony. His playful, punful style and obvious love for the English language was something I enjoyed and found similar to my own writing style. However, I was bothered already then by his overuse of sexual innuendo: In his non-children books, the prose verged on pornography at times. This includes his "Cluster" science-fiction series to some extent, but the last book - Viscous Circle - has the saving grace of being about a species that is so fundamentally different from ours that even their love life is utterly alien. If you are bothered by "rubber forehead aliens" who are basically humans with some small variations, this book really stretches the imagination. At the same time it retains the belief in a fundamental common core, something like a mind or soul, common for all sentient beings. This belief, a complete immunity to xenophobia, I see as the main message of Piers Anthony's extensive writing through the decades.

This is going to mess up my recommendations, I guess, as I am not really into this kind of books now. But until I hit mid-life, I really liked it. If you want to give his adult books a try, this may well be the least offensive and most ethically encouraging of the lot.

[Aditya / · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good classic Piers Anthony book. A little too much sexism. However, the authors note at the end was very meaningful to me. I found out some things about Piers Anthony that I did not know, which made me like him more.

[York · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread of book from my youth.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

n the far, far future the bloodthirsty Solarians, in their rage to find the mysterious Ancient Site, are determined to wipe out the Bands, a strange and beautiful species whose society is an anarchy of peace. Only Rondi, the whirling green Band, can save his race, for he has a singular and awesome knowledge. But suddenly Rondi makes a shocking discovery about his identity - a discovery that may cost him his honor, his beautiful lover Cirl, even his very life...The Galactic annihilation is beginning!

I was bothered already then by his overuse of sexual innuendo: In his non-children books, the prose verged on pornography at times. This includes his "Cluster" science-fiction series to some extent, but the last book - Viscous Circle - has the saving grace of being about a species that is so fundamentally different from ours that even their love life is utterly alien. If you are bothered by "rubber forehead aliens" who are basically humans with some small variations, this book really stretches the imagination. At the same time it retains the belief in a fundamental common core, something like a mind or soul, common for all sentient beings. This belief, a complete immunity to xenophobia, I see as the main message of Piers Anthony's extensive writing through the decades.

[Eric Herboso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the book suffers from the blatant sexism of its day, it was forward thinking for its time, and had some very positive messages about what ideals should be truly valued. The science in the book was hit or miss; some parts make it seem like hard science fiction, but other parts are so implausible on their face that it made me wonder why the author attempted to be so scientifically accurate in the more rigorous sections. Apparently, the author wrote this book while going through a serious illness, so that might explain some of the defects. Nevertheless, it was a fun read, and I don't regret going through it, flaw-filled though it may have been.

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was okay, The character design was great and it was cool and actin packed, but it seemed so tired. This might have something to do with the fact that Piers was suffering from cat scratch fever at the time. Also is this his first author's note, cause that would be pretty interesting.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last in a series of five, this was a nice way to cap it off. Delved into a lot of ethical issues, which I enjoy. Also had a great Author's Note at the end. Love Piers!

[SciFiOne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grade B-. Book C5.

[Erin C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked all the cluster books, but was surprisingly bored and more often then not having to force myself to finish, sad that's how the collection ended.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young adult 10-15

[Howard]

14