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Wildeblood's empire (1977)

by Brian M. Stableford

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Daedalus Mission (3)

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1443187,991 (3.5)3
They call them the "rat-catchers." They're the crew of the spaceship Daedalus, which a declining Earth has sent to re-establish contact with its long-lost colonies. Biologist Alex Alexander, together with his staff, must help solve the mysteries of human and alien ecosystems that they encounter far from home. On the world called Wildeblood, named for the ecologist/Emperor who founded it, the settlers' descendants harbor a terrible secret--a secret that Alex must uncover, if the colony is to survive. But he must also make contact with the world OTHER intelligent species, something that will take time--time that the colonists are determined not to give him. And even if can solve the biological problem, what about the diplomatic one?… (more)
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An original story of a planetary colony addicted to white powder secretly distilled from whaley spawn in underground caves. The author was a bit annoyingly lofty though. ( )
  zevombat | Dec 28, 2012 |
The Daedalus travels to colonies that Earth abandoned for quite a while to see if future colonies are worth trying. If a colony is collapsing, as a previous mission found many had, can it be saved? If it is succeeding, is it true success that is replicable?

In the third landing, the Daedalus finds a colony that has succeeded by having its founder, a biologist, set up a rigid society with everyone is addicted to a secretly produced drug. The puzzles are: where does the drug come from, what did the founder have in mind doing things this way, and what does that sequence of numbers he left behind mean?

The author's heart is clearly in the puzzle-solving. Pages of exposition as the hero tries to work out the answer are interrupted periodically with some random running around to supply the needed action. With a really good puzzle, this can be OK but this one isn't really that big a surprise.

To me, the most interesting aspect of this third book is the maturing debate between the scientist hero and the administrative leader of the mission, on the political realities of future colonization. It's too small an element to lift my rating but worthy of note.

Also worthy of note is a brief reference to ideas being viral. Now if only Stableford had used the word "meme." ( )
1 vote ChrisRiesbeck | Feb 14, 2011 |
Daedalus Mission 3
  SueJBeard | Feb 14, 2023 |
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Stableford, Brian M.Authorprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
White, TimCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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I left the house by a small door at the back that had been left on the latch.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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They call them the "rat-catchers." They're the crew of the spaceship Daedalus, which a declining Earth has sent to re-establish contact with its long-lost colonies. Biologist Alex Alexander, together with his staff, must help solve the mysteries of human and alien ecosystems that they encounter far from home. On the world called Wildeblood, named for the ecologist/Emperor who founded it, the settlers' descendants harbor a terrible secret--a secret that Alex must uncover, if the colony is to survive. But he must also make contact with the world OTHER intelligent species, something that will take time--time that the colonists are determined not to give him. And even if can solve the biological problem, what about the diplomatic one?

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The colony was successful. That was evident as soon as the recontact ship Daedalus had landed. It was successful, prosperous, and everything was due to the genius and work of J Wildeblood, biochemist and planetary leader.

The world even now bore the name of its benefactor. And it was truly his empire, with a grateful, hard-working people heeding every wish of his descendants.

But the suspicious scientific minds of the Daedalus's special crew were very uneasy. Was Wildeblood's empire all it seemed - or was there a structure visible to the eye which spelled out something a lot more blood-curdling?
    EMPIRES FOR THE MAKING

"Well," I said, "we now know how to become emperors. Pick our planet, and we can take it over. WE could even have one each ... or maybe a little galactic empire."

"Let's you and me invade Earth," suggested Karen. "I have this plan, you see, for setting the world to rights ..."

"Not Earth," I said, shaking my head.

"Why not?"

"Problems of supply," I said. "Also problems of demand. Earth is suffering from a surfeit of puppet-strings already. It has to be a colony - a virgin colony. We'd have to be there at the very beginning ... just like James Wildeblood."

"Wildeblood and Machiavelli and Alexander the Great," muttered Karen.

"Precisely," I said.
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