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Intervention by Julian May
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Intervention (original 1987; edition 1988)

by Julian May

Series: Galactic Milieu (0), Intervention (Omnibus 1-2)

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825826,318 (3.91)28
Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML:

An origin story of Julian May's Galactic Milieu Trilogy and a link to her Saga of Pliocene Exileâ??"a superb piece of speculative fiction" (Library Journal).

They have always been among usâ??the telepaths, the persons possessing higher mind-powers that have been called "metapsychic"â??but they have always been few and far between and their abilities weak or erratic. Until now . . .

Human evolution makes a quantum leap. And all over the world, people begin to be born with extraordinary minds. Some of them are geniuses and some are very ordinary. But all of these metapsychic operants have mind-powers that "normal" humanity considers amazingâ??and dangerous.

Intervention paints this advent of Homo superior in a broad and colorful chronicle that begins in 1945 and culminates in 2013. Its many characters reveal the impact of higher mind-powers upon the possessors themselves, upon their "normal" associates, and upon a troubled society striving to avoid nuclear annihilation. The metapsychic operants are secretive and fearful at first. When they reveal themselves they are regarded with awe, exploited, and finally persecuted. They are torn by the dilemma of what role to play: are they destined to save the "normal" from global war, even if it means that they must use their mental powers to subjugate the race that gave birth to them?

The book's principal protagonists are members of the Remillard family of New Hampshireâ??whose descendants are featured in Julian May's worldwide bestselling Saga of Pliocene Exile. Intervention details with humor, thundering action, and scientific insight a world where the human mind does much more than thinkâ??a world that is fantastic, but by no means
… (more)

Member:Maya_Katerberg
Title:Intervention
Authors:Julian May
Info:Pan Books (1988), Edition: New Edition, Paperback, 688 pages
Collections:Your library
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Intervention by Julian May (1987)

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» See also 28 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 8 (next | show all)
Abbandonato appena oltre la metĂ .
Scritto benissimo, l'abilità dell'autrice è palese e ha un modo di raccontare originale e coinvolgente ma... la storia no. Non mi prende, non mi convince e non mi fa venire voglia di perderci tempo.
E' ridondante in troppe sue parti, lentissimo in altre, ma cosi lento che dopo cento pagine la storia è proseguita di pochissimo.
E comunque non mi ha preso per nulla.
( )
  louchobi | May 12, 2022 |
This is a beloved re-read for me. I'd forgotten much of it, but then it's been 20 or so years since I read it last.

Best villain ever created in this series.

And what a great idea as to alien 'invasion' . Humor, suspense, complex plotting and great characters. ( )
  majkia | Jan 16, 2021 |
I am re-reading May's Pliocene series, starting with this book. It spans decades, often skipping forward months and years at a time, to tell the story of how humans managed to raise themselves to metaphysical operancy, uniting enough minds to officially invite the wider galactic community to accept and help them. I don't think I've read this before, and I'm not sure I'll remember if I go to read it again in 10 years. The main narrative character, Rogatien Remillard, is likable, and his personal story reads as sadly believable as the human race adjusts to being able to read and manipulate minds, move things, and all that other magic-explained-by-technobabble stuff. It occasionally feels outdated, as the history of this Earth departs drastically from ours sometime in the early 80s. She does not have anything like the internet in the 2000s, for example, but there is a lot of SF out there that has been off by more than this.

All in all, not essential for enjoying the rest of the series, but a nice bit of background for it. As I'm starting "Jack the Bodyless" the characters feel more familiar, and Uncle Rogi starts as a very dependable narrator. Though "Intervention" is not very plot-driven, it's an interesting take on how humans might have gone from early 80s technology into the Galactic Milieu. And as per usual with May, the prose is at times hauntingly beautiful. She has scenes all over the world, and occasionally out of it, and every one of them comes to life with detail. She sells the idea of mind-to-mind communication and coercion, from intimately loving to monstrously invasive. If the story itself does not grab you (and again, it is not the most engaging of plots), the way she tells it will. ( )
  robsack | Mar 20, 2018 |
A warm loving story about acceptance and family. ( )
  Dorotea.C | Nov 30, 2013 |
I didn't particularly care for some of May's other works in these series, but this book in particular was a delight to read. The characterization far exceeded what I experienced in other stories, and the plot itself is intricate, detailed, and expertly executed. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an absorbing read. ( )
  inkstained | Jul 14, 2008 |
Showing 1-5 of 8 (next | show all)
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Julian Mayprimary authorall editionscalculated
Guarnieri, AnnaritaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Evolutionary creativity always renders invalid the “law of large numbers” and acts in an elitist way.
—Erich Jantsch
The Self-Organizing Universe
At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.
—T. S. Eliot
“Burnt Norton”
Dedication
To Robie Macauley
First words
The proverbial February thaw did not materialize for the 203rd annual Dartmouth Winter Carnival, and the temperature was around -10° Celsius when Uncle Rogi Remillard emerged from the sanctuary of the Peter Christian Tavern into a blustery, festive night.
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Wikipedia in English (1)

Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML:

An origin story of Julian May's Galactic Milieu Trilogy and a link to her Saga of Pliocene Exileâ??"a superb piece of speculative fiction" (Library Journal).

They have always been among usâ??the telepaths, the persons possessing higher mind-powers that have been called "metapsychic"â??but they have always been few and far between and their abilities weak or erratic. Until now . . .

Human evolution makes a quantum leap. And all over the world, people begin to be born with extraordinary minds. Some of them are geniuses and some are very ordinary. But all of these metapsychic operants have mind-powers that "normal" humanity considers amazingâ??and dangerous.

Intervention paints this advent of Homo superior in a broad and colorful chronicle that begins in 1945 and culminates in 2013. Its many characters reveal the impact of higher mind-powers upon the possessors themselves, upon their "normal" associates, and upon a troubled society striving to avoid nuclear annihilation. The metapsychic operants are secretive and fearful at first. When they reveal themselves they are regarded with awe, exploited, and finally persecuted. They are torn by the dilemma of what role to play: are they destined to save the "normal" from global war, even if it means that they must use their mental powers to subjugate the race that gave birth to them?

The book's principal protagonists are members of the Remillard family of New Hampshireâ??whose descendants are featured in Julian May's worldwide bestselling Saga of Pliocene Exile. Intervention details with humor, thundering action, and scientific insight a world where the human mind does much more than thinkâ??a world that is fantastic, but by no means

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Book description
For 60,000 years, the worlds of the Galactic Milieu have observed Earth, waiting for humanity to evolve sufficiently to join them. Now, humanity is almost ready for Intervention. Across the world, children with unusual mental powers are being born, known as operants. One such is Rogi Remillard, humble book dealer. Helped by an entity he labels the family ghost, Rogi will inadvertently steer his family – and so all mankind – into the future.

Rogi's journey starts with his nephew Denis, as he guides his strong metapsychic abilities. The young man's irresponsible father certainly isn't interested, focusing instead on his volatile son Victor. Yet Victor's own emerging powers make him increasingly dangerous. Events take a dark turn when Victor starts consorting with criminals, eventually setting his sights on undermining society itself. Only his family can bring him down, but Denis may be forced to call to the stars for help.
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