The Universe Against Her (Telzey Amberdon, Book 1)

A fixup collection of two Telzey Amberdon stories - Novice, and Undercurrents, the first of which I like more. A 4.75 rounded up book. Universe Against Her : Novice - James H. Schmitz Universe Against Her : Undercurrents - James H. Schmitz "These, she told herself defiintely, were powers one should treat with respect! Better rattle through law school first; then, with that out of the way, she could start hunting around to see who in the Federation was qualified to instruct a genius-level novice in the proper handling of psionics . . ." Of course, this is after she makes a deal with the bureacracy to stop the hunting and study of the local intelligent telepathic crest cat population, and at 15, no less. 4 out of 5 One of Telzey's friends happens to be wealthy and involved in corporate plans involved it getting at her stockholdings - removing the opposition from the state of being living is part of corporate work where she is from. Some psionic work from Miss Amberdon is required, and a bit of blackmail, when he discovers the levels of psionic snooping the government actually does get up to. 3.5 out of 5

I'm a long-standing fan of the writings of James H. Schmitz, the author of a number of remarkable science fiction novels and stories originally published between 1960 and 1974. I enjoy them for their bold female characters (surprising even by today's standards), for the author's deft handling of psionics, and for his surprisingly accurate forsight of certain technologies such as cell phones. Many of Schmitz' writings fall into one of two universes and have many interlocking characters. He wrote one set of tales set in the universe of the "Agent of Vega" series. He created a different universe in the "Federation of the Hub" series which includes over two dozen stories and novels (this is the first novel set in that environment). His writings exist as eight novels and fifty-odd stories in several collections, most of which have thankfully been reprinted by Baen books. The Universe Against Her was first published in 1964. It consists of two episodes which can be regarded as the first two Telsey Amberdon adventures. Despite the juvenile title (and equally silly pictures on the front of the book), I found this to be a great read. If you're new to Schmitz, this book would be a very good place to start. MILD SPOILERS: The first of the two episodes describes how a very young Telsey first learns about her psionic ability, which then allows her to overcome several obstacles and avert an impending disaster. The second episode involves Telsey working to gain greater control over her new-found talent and struggling to avoid being a tool of the powerful Psychology Service. The TV series Babylon 5, and the recent Vorkosigan novels by Lois McMaster Bujold, owe something to the excellent legacy of Schmitz and especially the Telzey character first introduced in this book. Highly recommended!

James Schmitz wrote a bunch of loosely connected stories (mostly short stories), and this is the first one about Telzey Amberdon -- his favorite telepathic character. My detailed rating for this book would be 4.0. This book has been combined with another, to create the currently published "Telzey Amberdon." The story is mostly an adventure story. That is, the EVENTS that happen in the book are the most interesting part of the story. The characters, scenery, universe, history, etc. are not described in any real detail. By the end of the book, you still don't "know" Telzey. But she is a telepath, and there seem to be many interesting things you can do with telepathy! And you get into some sticky fixes too. Schmitz did an admirable job creating a very strong female character, for people who care about such things. And her adventures are fun to read -- but none of the characters in the book are greatly likeable, and that makes it all come out a little flat. I think the book gets a little dull to reread many times -- it loses a little sparkle each time through.

I should have guessed from the cover picture that The Universe.. was a book for adolescents. I started reading a couple of chapters then gave up. Then one rainy day, I decided to pick the slimmest volume on the shelf and promised myself to read the book to the end. The Universe got picked, and guess what? I not only managed to finish it but I enjoyed it. I guess we all have a child somewhere inside us waiting for an opportunity to get out and enjoy his/herself.

I really loved this book. A real pity it is out of print as I would love to get a copy for my library. Would like to see some more books written about the marvelous Telzey!