Anachronisms

Disappointingly overwrought, trite second outing for the author of the promising Liege-Killer (1987): Alien with sluggish overcomplications. Starship Alchemon, which has numerous layers of computer functions and defenses, all identified by acronyms, picks up an alien lifeform on barren, hostile planet Sycamore and heads back to Earth. Soon, problems arise: one of the crew suicides - but was he driven to it inadvertently by the emanations of timid psychic whiz Mars Lea? Captain Ericho Brad recommends dumping the possibly dangerous alien, but his scientists reject the idea. As a consequence of the suicide, the alien's secure compartment explodes, supposedly killing the alien. But the ship's robots soon malfunction, so clearly the alien is still alive and trying to take over the ship. Cyber-wired Lytic Jonomy doesn't know who might be under the alien's influence, and gradually he's losing his computer-battle for control of the ship. Thereafter, things get bloodier and more violent and ten times more complicated: seems that another, altruistic alien had absorbed the evil alien in order to control it; so eventually it's up to Mars Lea to take over the good alien's role and absorb the bad alien before it can send the ship hopping through time to menace whole galaxies of future civilizations. Some good ideas here and there, but mostly a predictable, hyper-involved retread. (Kirkus Reviews)