Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 16:53:03 EST From: "Rob Slade, Social Convener to the Net" Subject: "Warhorse" by Zahn BKWRHRSE.RVW 941021 "Warhorse", Zahn, 1990, 0-671-69868-0, U$4.50/C$6.95 %A Timothy Zahn %C 260 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001 %D 1990 %G 0-671-69868-0 %I Baen Publishing Enterprises %O U$4.50/C$6.95 %P 347 %T Warhorse Jolly good fun. The good guys (Earth) win again, and our right-wing authority to dominate the universe pretty much as we see fit is affirmed. One interesting feature is Zahn's use of large numbers. Without more information on the initial conditions of some maneuvers it is difficult to be sure, but I'm fairly certain that some of them are impossible. What I *am* sure of is that I would *not* want to crew with this group. They spend a lot of time at two gravities, are often pulling four or eight, and spend minutes at a time at twelve gees. The really interesting item in the book is the "space horse". Horses, plural, actually. We aren't told how they "telekene", "jump" (across light years), or even move, nor are we told much about where they get their energy source. One reference suggests radiation and local sunlight, but with beasts weighing tens of millions of tonnes, able to propel themselves, and cargo, at four gee for hours at a time, there has to be some pretty significant "horse" power somewhere. The plot makes use of chemical communication. Pheromones and scent-tracking are well known, and communication of learned behaviours through chemical transfers has been demonstrated in the lab. The communication of history and intent, though, from one species to another seems to be reaching a bit. One also wonders at the evolutionary process that would drive such development, as well as the evolution that would produce an interstellar jump capability. It wouldn't seem to have much survival value to develop an ability to become suddenly (very) far from home, and in a completely strange environment. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994 BKWRHRSE.RVW 941021 ====================== DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94311-0/3-540-94311-0