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In this science fiction take on John Webster's classic post-Shakespearean drama, The Duchess of Malfi, J.R. Dunn blends philosophy, worldbuilding, politics, and good old human nature to tell a gripping and tragic story. The diabolical machinelike Erinye took over the solar system and presumably destroyed or assimilated what was left of humanity. One woman, Lady Julia Amalfi, escaped in a starship loaded with genetic material and zygotes from Earth and with a young artificial intelligence named Cary. She settled on the planet Midgard and seeded it with Terran plants, animals, and people, attaining legendary status as the years went by and her nano-enhanced body didn't age. Alas, Midgard was no Utopia--Lady Julia overprotected and alienated her "children," various sects rose and fell, and ageless conflicts were rehashed. Now, just as the brutal totalitarian Rigorists and the stubborn individualist rebels are squaring off for war, Julia discovers that the Erinye may be on their way. Cary has welcomed a ship from the home solar system, having decided for herself that Julia was lying about the fate of Earth. Now Midgard's humans face a conflict far greater than their own petty differences. Full Tide of Night is a deeply satisfying read, thick with complex humanity.
Source: Therese Littleton, Amazon.com.
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