The Light-years Beneath My Feet

Book Description

Successful Chicago commodities broker abducted by aliens

Not a headline from the National Enquirer, just Marcus Walker’s own little Jerry Springer moment. He was indeed hustled aboard an alien Vilenjji starship, part of a cargo of primitive creatures bound for the “civilized” part of the galaxy, where they’ll be sold . . . as pets. Fortunately, there was another Earthling aboard, a scruffy dog named George who’d been speech-enhanced to increase his market value. Walker had spoken to plenty of dogs in his line of work but never to actual animals. He and George formed an immediate bond, giving new meaning to “man’s best friend.”

The Light-Years Beneath My Feet finds Walker and George free at last, having managed, with some outside help, to outwit their kidnappers. But now they are a million billion miles from Earth. Walker glories in the wonders of his rescuers’ hi-tech world and the thrill of being humankind’s first galactic traveler–until he remembers the only place he wants to be is home. To take his mind off the depressing fact that he hasn’t the slightest idea where home is, never mind how to get there, the erstwhile commodities broker becomes a chef.

Walker never imagined that whipping up delicacies for demanding alien palates would lead to a possible way home–or that the possible way home would involve swapping his easy-living adopted planet for an all-out, age-old war many parsecs away. But hey, it was all for a good cause, he has George and their two fellow escapees for company, and what else was there to do, besides avoid Vilenjji? Plenty, as it turns out. . . .

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

ALAN DEAN FOSTER has written in a variety of genres, including hard science fiction, fantasy, horror, detective, western, historical, and contemporary fiction. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Star Wars: The Approaching Storm and the popular Pip and Flinx novels, as well as novelizations of several films including Star Wars, the first three Alien films, and Alien Nation. His novel Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990, the first science fiction work ever to do so. Foster and his wife, JoAnn Oxley, live in Prescott, Arizona, in a house built of brick that was salvaged from an early-twentieth-century miners’ brothel. He is currently at work on several new novels and media projects.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

The light-years beneath my feet.......2007-01-16

It is an interesting book but you need to read the first book in the series to understand some of what the characters are talking about since they refer a lot to the first book.

The Cook With a Plan.......2006-07-30

The Light-Years Beneath My Feet (2005) is the second SF novel in the Taken series, following Lost and Found. In the previous volume, Marcus Walker and George the talking dog escape from the Vilenjji slaveship with Sque and Braouk. Their lifeboat is rescued by the Sessrimathe and taken to Serematherin. There they make friends and have living spaces with every possible convenience. Yet they wish to return home.

In this novel, Marc has learned how to cook for the Sessrimathe and other aliens with alien equipment. His creations are well accepted by his friends and his later demonstrations are well attended. At one of his performances, Viyv-pym-parr of the Niyyuu offers him a position on her home planet. Marc talks it over with his friends and they agree on taking the chance to travel on to Niyu, even though they are not sure that it is even within the same galactic arm as their home planets.

Marc accepts Viyv-pym's offer, but with one condition: his friends must be taken along. She agrees and provides a departure date. On the night before, they all pack and turn in early.

They are rudely awakened in the early morn by the Vilenjji from the slaveship. The Sessrimathe were conned by the Vilenjji's expressions of remorse and repentance and, after a time, had let them go free. Now the Vilenjji are engaged in repossessing their lost property; the four friends are bound thoroughly and loaded into a cargo container.

On the way out of the building, the Vilenjji are attacked by the Niyyuu and either killed or driven away. Viyu-pym had left a liquid tracker in Marc's body just in case and had been alerted by its early morning movements. After retrieving their luggage, the four friends are transported to the Niyyuu ship for their voyage to Niyu.

This novel is another introduction to the alien cultures of the galaxy. A custom of the Niyyuu is traditional warfare. Civilization had started on the planet with the separation of the civilian and military aspects of their culture. They still fought small, localized wars with each other, but only against legitimate military targets.

The concept of collateral damage was not accepted by the Niyyuu; any city that caused such incidents was punished by a coalition of the surrounding cities. So was any formal alliance, or appearance of it, by two or more city states. In many respects, the Niyyuu seem much like the ancient Greeks, but with a strict separation of warfare from the civilian population. However, war broadcasts had become a major factor in the entertainment media.

Marc's culinary performances were well received by the Niyyuu, as was the entertainment provided by his friends. These four alien creatures were unique on the planet and other city states were envious of Kojn-umm, the hiring city. Of course, Kojn-umm was well pleased with their presence. Maybe too pleased.

When Marcus and his friends asked for information on their home planets, the government leaders were noncommittal. After a while, Marc learned that these leaders were only paying lip service to their requests. How could they get the Niyyuu to help them discover the location of their home planets?

This work is light SF with a few unexpected twists. With the exception of the capitalistic Vilenjji, none of the aliens are truly hostile to the four friends. Still, one of the Niyyuu becomes a bit incensed by the political manipulations.

Highly recommended for Foster fans and for anyone else who enjoys light tales of travel, aliens and political intrigue.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Second Book from THE TAKEN Trilogy.......2006-07-11

Quick read, but not as entertaining as the first book in the trilogy, LOST AND FOUND (2004)*****.

These sometimes humorous stories are different from anything else I've ever read before... the closest I can come to describing them is like a serious HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE.

In LOST AND FOUND, we were introduced to Marcus Walker, the "All American Boy" who gets abducted by aliens while on a solo camping trip in the Sierra Nevadas. Walker is paired with the "All American Mutt", abducted from a Chicago alley, whom he calls George... the dog is able to speak, due to brain enhancement and implant technology of the "evil" abducting aliens. While in captivity aboard a giant alien ship, our heros encounter all sorts of strange oxygen-breathing aliens in a Wild Animal Park setting; and eventually work with some of them to execute an exciting escape attempt - but as they are breaking free in a "life boat", an even bigger space ship arrives on the scene manned by "interstellar cops" who take pity on the 4 individuals, whom they take back to their planet near the center of the galaxy, which can be described as near the height of galactic civilization, and where they put the four abductees on the government dole as hardship cases.

In this, the 2nd book, the 4 folks (human, dog, giant poetical monster, & genius pompous land octopus), manage to find a way out of their "boring" government sponsered lives, where they are basically provided everything they want, except for a ride home (nobody knows exactly where home is)... they are put to work on an alien planet that is hopefully closer to their homes out on the galactic "outback"... this alien planet turns out to be constantly at war, but with some strange rules (that closely parallel those from the STAR TREK Original Series episode A TASTE OF ARMEGEDDON). Suffice it to say, these adventures were far less believable than the ones from the first book.

In any event, I'm looking forward to the last book from this series, THE CANDLE OF DISTANT EARTH.

Enjoyable SF comedy.......2005-08-13

Freed from the slavers, former Chicago commodities trader Marcus Walker, George the Dog (now enhanced with speech), Braouk the Tuuqalian, and Sequi the K'eremu have a comfortable existance, but all of them want to return to their homes. In the meantime, Walker seeks a role that will allow him to find some meaning in his alien existance. After all, Braouk is sought after by those who admire his eternal war-epics, George is simply lovable, being a dog, and Sequi is self-reliant in her confidence (often well-justified) that she is smarter than anyone around her. But Walker is a human and needs positive strokes. He comes up with the idea of becoming a chef--in a galaxy where foods have to be martialed and persuaded into service.

Walker's increasing expertise in the kitchen nets him a job offer by a star-crossing race much further out the Milky Way's spiral arm, but is it the right arm, or will Walker and his friends be moving away from home? In the end, it doesn't matter--at least they're moving and they haven't had any other offers. The four set off to a world where warfare is a game, played by 'traditional' rules that restrict military technology to a medieval level, but give newscasters sophisticated broadcast equipment to let everyone in the cities stay in tune with the battles.

Although Walker's cooking skills had proven valuable in getting them started in their travels, they also make him too valuable to simply let him walk away. His hosts don't exactly tell him he can't leave, but they tell their astronomers not to fast-track his requests for help in locating Earth. Walker decides to get involved in local politics, and in the 'traditional military' side of society. Walker's football-based strategy leads to strange results--but can it get him home? And what to do about the pesky slavers who seem intent on recovering Walker and friends, no matter what the costs?

Author Alan Dean Foster pokes loving fun at the traditional fish-out-of-water story, having Walker engage in some truly weird tactics. His super-intelligent but annoying alien Sequi is a nice touch, and George the Dog remains one of the most attractive characters in a science fiction story. THE LIGHT-YEARS BENEATH MY FEET suffers a bit from being the middle book in a trilogy. We don't have the getting to know you as the characters learn to deal with each other, or a grand resolution as I'd expect in the final novel. Still, LIGHT-YEARS is entertaining light reading.

If you're looking to decompress from a rough day at the office, or maybe from an involved and convoluted Stephenson or Cheryth SF tale, LIGHT-YEARS would be a great choice. You don't need to read the previous book in the series (LOST AND FOUND), but it would enhance the experience.

Not Up to Alan Dean Foster's Usual Standards.......2005-07-02

As a multi-decade and huge ADF fan, I have to warn you that this series is AWFUL compared to the excellent entertainment and writing he usually provides. Book two starts off just as utterly boring as book one but after too long a time, a somewhat interesting story surprisingly develops. Sadly, ADF has to spend time justifying at the end of the story why a profit-minded alien slaver is diven at all expense and loss-of-profit to recapture some escaped slaves in order to move the plot forward and create a cliff-hanger but the explanation does not satisfy. While ADF does not make the mistake of making the various aliens too anthropomorphic (human-like), aspects of the story seem human-centric when the sole human quickly gains global power on an alien planet. This is an ego-stroke to the reader but not realistic. The lack of astronomical mapping and search capability by advanced space-faring races also seems a little odd along with their inability to hypnotize any of the aliens to provide increased visual or factual memory in order to better determine where in the galaxy there home planets are more likely to be (a yellow sun, not in the galaxy core, etc.). In any case, this story is better than the horrifyingly-bad first book in the series but not enough to pay for the hard-cover price and it certainly is near the bottom of ADF's work resting atop book one. Avoid this series and read ADF's many good works out there.

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Not one of Forster best efforts

The Taken Trilogy
Alan Dean Foster
Manufacturer: Del Rey/Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KK5IKM

Customer Reviews:

Not one of Forster best efforts.......2007-07-27

I had read that the Taken series as not very good and had hope they were wrong, but the Taken series is boring, poorly written, and completely predictable. If Foster really wrote this, it makes me think his writing career is on the downward slope. If you must read this series check it out from the library and save your money.

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The Light-years Beneath My Feet
Alan Dean Foster
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVPM76

Book Description

Secrets of Voodoo traces the development of this complex religion (in Haiti and the Americas) from its sources in the brilliant civilizations of ancient Africa. This book presents a straightforward account of the gods or loas and their function, the symbols and signs, rituals, the ceremonial calendar of Voodoo, and the procedures for performing magical rites are given.

"Voodoo," derived from words meaning "introspection" and "mystery," is a system of belief about the formation of the world and human destiny with clear correspondences in other world religions. Rigaud makes these connections and discloses the esoteric meaning underlying Voodoo's outward manifestations, which are often misinterpreted. Translated from the French by Robert B. Cross. Drawings and photographs by Odette Mennesson-Rigaud.

Milo Rigaud was born in Port au Prince, Haiti, in 1903, where he spent the greater part of his life studying the Voodoo tradition. In Haiti he studied law, and in France ethnology, psychology, and theology. The involvement of Voodoo in the political struggle of Haitian blacks for independence was one of his main concerns.

Customer Reviews:

Secrets of Voodoo.......2007-03-20

I haven't finished reading it yet. The service of the seller was very good, prompt delivery.

Classic Exposition of Esoteric Voudon from the 1950s.......2005-06-06

To my mind only Milo Rigaud has so far written a truly profound, comprehensive and authentically esoteric exposition of Voudon in this classic study, originally published in French in 1953. Rigaud's grasp of the intricate inner symbolism and arcane mysteries of Voudon as a pathway of cosmic initiatory Magic goes deeper than all the others who have written on this subject, only he has really done the subject justice. His masterly study is especially useful because Rigaud is qualified to highlight the Hermetic and Cabalistic affinities within Servi Lwa as only a true initiate could and thus reveals the sublime mystical heights of Afro-Haitian esotericism in its dazzling complexity and detail. The erudition which he brings to bear in his description of the traditional symbolism, geometric secrets of the veves, langage chants and ritual songs is of the highest order and one must also admire the dense and beautiful texture of his prose as he articulates the inner aspects of this subject. The chapter on 'Performing Voodoo Magic' is a concentrated grimoire in itself and the Mysteries of Magic are superbly expounded. Voodoo has been written about by many authors and has even become faddish in latter years - Milo Rigaud's fantastic, scholarly and beguiling book is unsurpassed and stands as a true exposition of Voudon by a gentleman who clearly possessed a genuine understanding of the innermost Mysteries of Servi Lwa in their loftiest philosophical abstractions and their applied magical modes alike. Simply put this is the very best book available on Voodoo and a classic text of the Primordial Tradition of Esotericism.

The new "blue book".......2005-06-04

Anybody who is a Pagan who knows about Raymond Buckland's Blue Book. Well, Milo Rigauld has his own blue book and it is a MUST for people interested in Voudoun minus the tv/movie hype!
Milo Rigauld cites the Holy Trinity of Voudoun, has many black and white photographs and thoroughly discusses the basics of Haitian Voudoun. You won't go wrong in reading this treasure.

AMber

Id say 4 to 4 1/2 stars.......2004-09-01

This book is nice and Im glad I bought it. The veves are nicely illustrated and the content is pretty informative. The only reason I am not giving this book 5 stars is because theres some small content on cabala which has nothing to do with voodoo. There are some other authors out there that want to mish mash everything together but its just not so. I would still reccomend MAMA LOLA over this book but this one is better than alot of the others out there. Just remember, avoid anything with the llewyllyn markings and it should be fine.

Useful & Informative.......2004-01-01

While most books on voodoo major on 'curses' 'voodoo dolls' spells and other Hollywood-prescribed stereotypes, this book is a very informative and helpful study of roots practices and one of only a handful I would really recommend on voodoo - the others being Voodoo Visions, Divine Horsemen (Maya Deren), Vodou Shaman (Ross Heaven) and Mama Lola (Karen Brown). In this book we have an intelligent yet very readable overview of a normally secretive tradition and one that the world needs to hear more about. Really worth buying.

Average customer rating:

I pay for this?
not really secrets
Secrets!! What Secrets??
Simple introduction to Voodoo terms.

Voodoo Handbook of Cult Secrets
Anna Riva
Manufacturer: International Imports
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0943832012

Customer Reviews:

I pay for this?.......2007-10-02

I'm very dessapointed about this book,only is like a voodoo dictionary, but does not show any ritual or spell, and the illustrations of the veves are not the authentics, Is sad that the author have written a so bad book, because the book of "Secrets of Magical Seals: A Modern Grimoire of Amulets, Charms, Symbols and Talismans" is very good, but this one NOT.

not really secrets.......2007-05-17

I agree with the person who wrote before me, if you want an in depth boos about Voodoo, get Secrets Of Voodoo by Milo Rigaud, although the book is so in depth and hard to read you probably need a mentor/teacher to explain a lot of it or you will be lost (unless you already practice voodoo or have already studied a bit).

Secrets!! What Secrets??.......2002-11-23

There are no secrets revealed here, so please do not let the title get you. Simply it is a very thin booklet of translations of words used in Voodoo, as well as the names of the Lwas, the Might Spirits of Voodoo. If you want to learn some definitions then this is some what worth the $4.95, but if you want a book on Voodoo Secrets, Religion and Magic, check out The Voodoo Grimoire, by El Negro Jose and Secrets Of Voodoo by Milo Rigaud. Both currently in stock at Amazon.com

Simple introduction to Voodoo terms........2000-08-25

This book is simply a little tract on voodoo beliefs and common terms. No real applicable knowledge of ritual or religion is handed to the reader, but if you have heard a voodoo term and have no idea what it is, this would be a handy book to have. There are lists of the supposed power of certain stones, animal remains, and sundry dubious substances. While it does serve as a light-read and cursory probe into the subject, it is by no means the "Voodoo Handbook of Cult Secrets" the title would have you believe.

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Voodoo: Africa's Secret Power
Gert Chesi
Manufacturer: Smithmark Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Soul of Africa Magical Rites and Traditions

ASIN: 3853990134

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Ghosts of New Orleans
Blessed are those who seek the truth

The Beatitudes: Book I
Lyn LeJeune , and New Orleans Public Library Foundation
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0595693369

Book Description

Social workers Hannah "Scrimp" Dubois and Earlene "Pinch" Washington have just started their own business, Social Investigations, to solve the murders of ten foster children in New Orleans, Louisiana. The New Orleans Police Department, the Catholic Church, and local politicians have sidestepped clues that point to those who hold great power, hampering their investigation.,/p>

As Scrimp and Pinch discover more evidence, they realize that they are dealing with a force that crosses into the realm of the paranormal. Then they are thrown into a world much like Dante's purgatory. Soon they link the murderers to a secret organization called the White Army, or La Armee Blanc, centered in New Orleans, but rooted in medieval Europe and the Children's Crusades. Each clue leads to a beatitude, the characteristics of those who are deemed blessed: the pure of heart, the persecuted, the merciful, the sorrowful, the peacemakers, the meek, the poor in spirit, and those who hunger and thirst after justice. By the time the eleventh child-the sacrificial child-goes missing, Scrimp and Pinch are determined to prevent his death.

Racing against time and the threat of an approaching hurricane, these two bold, no-nonsense women work together to restore hope and bring closure to a city battered by sin.

Customer Reviews:

Ghosts of New Orleans.......2007-09-30

The Beatitudes: Book I
In my view the relationship of Pinch and Scrimp could have been more as Spartan women rather than the hint of Sappho. It was their friendship that was a shield against the outside world of sin and corruption. To me their friendship was more like Ruth and Naomi or Damon and Pythias. It was a true bond of pure love and friendship.

Pinch's death indicates that she died with her shield, as benefiting a Spartan woman. And even in death, she is ready for more.

I would have preferred Scrimp's answers to her interrogators to have been more laconic.
Of all of the feminine weapons available to women, the deadliest and sharpest are their tongues.
And in reality, New Orleans has become the New Sparta. The women of New Orleans are sending their children out everyday to face death in the streets.

Female authors usually leave me cold. Well, with possible exception of Taylor Caldwell, Mary Stewart, Mary Shelly, George Sand, Ursula K. Le Guin, Rachel Carson, Harper Lee, Carson McCullers and perhaps a few dozen more. As a rule female authors get to involved with the minutia of completely useless boring details.

As a native New Orleanian, born and reared there until I left for military service in 1959.
I really appreciated Ms. LeJeune attention to the details and the minutia of life in New Orleans.
I could smell the exhaust fumes of the busses, the strong aroma of the impossible black, steaming cup of coffee and chicory. The walk from the library to Mother's down Poydras St. is an actual walk to a great place to have lunch. The sights, sounds and the smells of the many local neighborhoods within New Orleans are dead on accurate! Now I will have to include Lyn LeJeune in my list of female authors that I consistently read.

If you are planning a trip to New Orleans - read this book as tour guide to the city. The Ghosts of New Orleans are still walking the streets.
Turn any corner and there they are.

If you just want a good scary, tightly written yarn about sin, corruption, and voodoo with redemption - turn off the TV, turn off the cell phone and invite Ms. Lyn LeJeune and her friends Pinch and Scrimp in for a visit. I promise you that if Pinch likes you - she'll come and visit - often.

Blessed are those who seek the truth.......2007-09-08

New Orleans is a city of secrets; something Hannah "Scrimp" Dubois and her best friend and colleague Earlene "Pinch" Washington have taken for granted. Until the secrets include the murders of ten foster children and the existence of the mysterious White Army, reborn from Le Armee Blanc in medieval Europe. The good guys can no longer be taken for granted, the bad guys seem to multiply with every step the two take to get closer to the truth, and friends are found in unexpected places, and unexpected forms.
Lyn LeJeune has written an intriguing paranormal mystery in the best setting possible, New Orleans and the surrounding parishes of southern Louisiana. Voodoo and Christianity survive side by side and both are factors in the solution to the mystery of who killed ten unfortunate children and left them for discovery with religious relics near their bodies. Scrimp and Pinch must travel avenues, both earthly and not, to find the answers before their enemies win the day. The ending is never a given, not until the final confrontation, and Scrimp and Pinch are two characters you root for, no matter how dark it seems.

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Blue Mist
Joan Severance
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1553694139
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Book Description

Blue Mist is a haunting tale of family secrets and voodoo in the deep south.

The Secret Online Business Setup Guide (With Voodoo Dolls Industry Resource Guide)

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The Secret Online Business Setup Guide (With Voodoo Dolls Industry Resource Guide)
Jassen Bowman
Manufacturer: Web Launch, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000QS1R6M

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Secrets of Voodoo
Milo; Cross, Robert B. (trans.) Rigaud
Manufacturer: Arco Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TZMCA2

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Secrets of Voodoo
Milo Rigaud
Manufacturer: Arco Publishing Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NWDOOY

THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW - A Harvard Scientist's Astonishing Journey into the Secret Society of Haitian Voodoo Zombis and Magic

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THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW - A Harvard Scientist's Astonishing Journey into the Secret Society of Haitian Voodoo Zombis and Magic
Wade Davis
Manufacturer: Stoddart Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0773720731

The Serpent and the Rainbow A Harvard Scientist's Astonishing Journey into the Secret Society of Haitian Voodoo, Zombies and..

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The Serpent and the Rainbow A Harvard Scientist's Astonishing Journey into the Secret Society of Haitian Voodoo, Zombies and..
Wade Davis
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0WF1S

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