The Light-years Beneath My Feet

May 23, 2005
In bestseller Foster's lighthearted SF romp, the second in a trilogy that began with Lost and Found
(2004), former Chicago commodities broker Marcus Walker and his alien companions—George the talking dog, Sque the ferociously intelligent K'eremu, the poetic Tuuqualian Braouk —are ready to leave the planet of the Sessrimathe, where Marcus has been working as a gourmet chef. Their luck appears to change when the attractive Viyv-pym, a high-ranking diplomat, persuades Marcus to come and cook for her on her home planet, Niyu. On Niyu, Marcus applies his wheeling-dealing skills to Niyyuuan ritualistic warfare (archaic weapons only) and generally stirs up trouble, making an enemy of prominent general Saluu-hir-lek. By the end, there's a faint hope that some of the races with which the Niyyuu have contact may know of Earth. Readers seeking harmless fun will look forward to the further galactic travels of Marcus and friends. Agent, Vaughn Lee Hansen at Virginia Kidd.

May 15, 2005
Kidnapped by aliens and taken into space, Marcus Walker befriends a talking dog (also kidnapped) named George. Before the duo can be sold as "pets," another group of aliens frees them but leaves them stranded millions of miles from Earth. To counter homesickness and boredom, Walker takes up cooking, unaware that his new profession may ultimately lead him and George back home. The prolific author of the "Adventures of Flinx of the Commonwealth" series continues his trilogy (after "Lost and Found") with the further adventures of a man and his dog. Sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, and always entertaining, this sf adventure belongs in most libraries.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2006
Adult/High School -Former Chicago commodities broker-turned-gourmet-chef Marcus Walker and his alien companions -George the talking dog, Braouk the poetic Tuuqalian, and Sequi the intelligent K'eremu -just want to go home, but they don't know how to get there. They escaped from the slave-trading alien race Vilenjji only to find themselves on another alien planet; no matter how peaceful Sessrimathe is, it's not home. Walker's increasing expertise in the kitchen nets him a job offer from a star-crossing race much further out on the Milky Way's spiral arm. Even though none of them knows if it's the right arm of the galaxy, at least they've found a way to leave Sessrimathe. 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 simultaneously give newscasters sophisticated broadcast equipment to beam live action to every city. Reluctant readers seeking an engaging science-fiction novel will gravitate toward this book. Although it is the second in the trilogy, it can stand alone. Foster's trademark dry wit, colorful characters, and talented retelling of the traditional fish-out-of water story will keep readers' attention." -Erin Dennington, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2005
In the middle book in the Taken trilogy, Foster continues the misadventures of Chicago commodities trader Marcus Walker, kidnapped by purple aliens and whisked light-years from Earth. After befriending a motley trio of fellow abductees, including a talking dog named George, aboard the kidnappers' starship, Walker is rescued by the Sessrimathe and now enjoys life with his cohorts on the Sessrimathe home world. As the story continues, a combination of homesickness and too much comfort takes its toll, and bored Walker turns to impressing his hosts with a newfound flair for exotic cooking. When an alien from another distant planet offers him a gig as a royal chef, Walker seizes the opportunity, which brings him and his friends closer to home. Attempts to query local astronomers about finding a route back to Earth meet unexpected resistance, and Walker must draw on his trading background to curry favor with Niyuan politicians and generals. Foster is in top form here, entertainingly mixing politics, comedy, and intriguing alien anthropology.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)