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\def\name{Michael D. Mendyke}
\def\address{3 Ames St.\\Cambridge, MA 02139}
\def\security{389-76-0451}
\def\title{Book Reports}
\def\lastname{Mendyke}
\def\keyword{Reports}

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{\em River of Stone} is a story with a powerful political message: the
abuse of power has disastrous results, even if the intention is good.

A powerful race destroying entire planets in an effort to prevent the
spread of invaders seems almost comical. Is the destruction not
equally devastating in its results? While it is ironic that the
invaders do not need the resources, thereby invalidating the plan of
the Sowers, it is more tragic when it is realized that individual
members of the Sowers cannot stop the needless waste, even after they
understand how needless it is. I refer to Taickmane's infection of
Charlie. Even after he understands that the nests and the spread of
plague and pestilence is wrong, he causes suffering by a simple
reflex. 

This story made me think about the U.S. involvement in third world
countries, and how perhaps in our own efforts to help them or liberate
them from foreign influence, we are doing more damage than good.

While the picture painted by Michael Green is depressing, He has hope
for the future of mankind, demonstrated by Charlie's last action: to
move to a place ``entirely different.'' I can only assume that
different must be better than Earth after the nest hatches.

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I don't believe there is any deep, underlying philosophical meaning to
{A Winter's Night.} I think that P.H. MacEwen was sitting around
thinking about the possibility of humanity being wiped out and it
occurred to her that if this happened, a vampire would get awfully
hungry. 

There have been numerous stories about man's struggle to survive
after a nuclear war. While it is clear that the family of humans had
worked hard to stay alive, in this story they weren't going to make it
on there own. 

Here we see irony in that humanity is going to get a helping hand,
not from a benevolent benefactor, but by someone who wants the race to
further his own needs. 

But does he really have anything to lose if the family dies? The other
vampire did not seem to care about preserving the race, he only wanted
to get one last good drink. For a vampire is eternal, and will not
die, only get very hungry. 

Elliston knows this, and while he at first is looking for humans only
to retain his food supply, at the end of the story he actually cares
about the humans as people, and believes in their right to live.

Whatever the reasons, it is clear that he does succeed. With the clues
he has left behind, and the family's drive, we can assume that they
will survive.

And all because of one very hungry and caring vampire...

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After reading {\em Black Sun and Dark Companion}, I sat back and tried
to figure it out. The first thing I tried to figure out was the
relevance of the Tarot cards at the start of each section: Ace, King,
and Queen of Wands. And I found the answer was so simple and so
wonderful. The three principal characters are personifications of the
three cards, and the whole theme is the duality of man. 

The Keeper and the Director were shown in duality by their nature as
human yet not human, altered physically to function on the world on
which they lived. Kara, on the other hand, was not physically altered,
but had been mentally changed, so she was sort of two people as well. 

The two meanings of the Ace of Wands fit Keeper well. On the positive
side, Beginning, Birth, Starting a Difficult Task, all describing his
function as the one who prepares newcomers for their new life, a life
which is indeed a difficult task. On the negative side, Decay,
Emptiness, Failure, also describe him, and foreshadow his ultimate
destiny. 

The King of Wands describes the Director. Devotion, Education,
Justice, Maturity, perhaps realist fits into this category as well.
The Director gives the ambiance of authority. the reverse of the card
tells of the type of director or judge he has become in his new role. 

Neither of these two people seem at all human in their thoughts,
ambitions (if indeed they have any) and plans. And yet their goals are
human-like in their desire to learn about the planet, to explore and
to explore boldly. The duality is apparent. 


The Queen of Wands. Does it describe Kara? I think it does. On one
hand she is all the things the card claims to be in its upright
form. A young woman, lost and helpless, with only her voice and sense
of justice to see her through. 

But then the reversed card shows through when we learn she has
committed some crime, and her destruction of Keeper and subsequent
escape show her dual nature. 

On the surface we wonder if she is going to be changed like the others
to a monstrous duality, but below that we see that she already is.

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