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Book Review By pepper mcginnis
Titan by John Varley

Cirroco Jones ("Rocky") commands an exploratory vessel sent to investigate an astronomical anomaly in the area of Saturn. What they find is a wheel shaped artifact of obvious alien design. Excited and confused, they depart from normal plans and begin an investigation that causes their ship to be captured by the artifact, torn apart, and the crew drawn in to it's depths. Separated from one another and held in a state of almost total sensory deprivation, they are each manipulated, both physically and mentally, by their captor.
    After an undetermined amount of time, Rocky and her crew are released, seperatly, into a fabulous internal world that is populated by fantastic creatures of the imagination. Driven by her feelings of responsibility and innate cuiosity, Rocky sets out on a fantastic journey to find her lost crew and explore this incredible world. The dangers and discoveries she encounters leading finally to the intelligence that maintains this fantasy world.




Plot & Themes
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Explore:
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30 %

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's

Main Adversary
Identity: - Computer
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status:
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can cast all sorts of spells
Eccentric: Yes
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a substantial amount
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Genius (really!)

Setting
Terrain
Spaceship setting: - really, really giant spaceship/station
Planet outside solar system? Yes
Takes place in spaceship? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - main character impregnated against her will
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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