Conference noted::sf

    I read the whole series when it first came out, and I was pretty
    impressed (more than three years ago here in the UK though). In
    contrast with many fantasy epic trilogies (I am thinking of one
    by a certain Mr.Donaldson in particular) these books are actually
    quite well *written*, which makes them all the better. I would
    certainly recommend reading them if you liked the sound of Dave
    Tenny's intro in .0 (though he has -quite rightly- only mentioned
    the plot of the first couple of chapters of the first book...)
    
    Daniel Crow
    
    BTW Julian May (no 'e' on the end, I think ???) is a female writer
    with a deliberately ambiguous pseudonym. I didn't know this until
    after I had read the books. An interesting question - if you don't
    know the sex of an author before reading a book, can you tell whether
    he/she is male or female ?

    Julian May has written a book entitled "The Intervention" which
    is a sort of pre-quel to the Golden Torc series.  It takes place
    during present time in and around New Hampshire and other locations.
    I read it last October ( I remember the time because I was in Geneva
    at Telecom '87) and really enjoyed it.  In fact, I later read the
    Golden Torc series on the basis of "The Intervention".
    
    The title may simply be "Intervention", I'm not at home or I could
    find out immediately.
    
    I highly recommend this book.
    
    More in depth review available via Mail if anyone is interested.
    
    Mike

    The series title is "The Saga of the Pliocene Exile", and
    you can find a short discussion of it in Topic #218.
    
    I've also modified the title of this topic to correct the
    author's name.
    
    --- jerry

    Ilovethewaytelepathiccommunicationbetweeninduvidualsiswritten.
    
    Every time I saw this means of communication in the book I got excited.
    
    Probably because the dialog contained lifelike langauge and I always
    enjoy unsencored colorful dialogue.
    
    I really enjoyed the female lesbian warrior/athlete character with
    the most powerful latent mental capabilities ever known to man.
    She was the Heroin of the story to me. I think I love her. :')
    
    
    Rich

>The series is at least three years old (I don't have the first
>two books, so I can't quote publishers,dates,etc.).
    
    Copyright 1981, 1981, 1983, 1984.  In the UK these are published
    as Pan books; the first book was published in 1983.

>There were four books in all, and later a fifth "companion" book
>came out.  It wasn't part of the series but a guide to the content
>of the series.
    
    It's called "The Pliocene Companion" or something like that.

>The Golden Torc series was one which I enjoyed very much,
>but I have never seen anything else by this author.
    
    I wonder what the author did between 1951 ("Dune Roller") and 1981?
    
    (I have entered my comment about the Saga of the Pliocene Exiles
    in topic 218.)
    
  --Simon
    

    RE .2
    
    Wasn't the first book of this se(pre?)quel titled "Surveillance",
    and the series (of which I am anxiously awaiting the remainding
    book(s)) called "Intervention".
    
    In any event, I find Ms. May to be an incredibly stimulating author.
    Her writing is, in my opinion, highly original.  Both in terms of
    the content and the style of her books.  And I don't mind admitting
    that it helps to keep a dictionary handy while reading her books.
    
    In the case of this latest novel, it also helps to know a little
    French, although it doesn't detract from the story if you don't
    (it just makes you think a little harder).
    
    Great stuff.  Anybody know when her next book is due to be published?
    
    ... Bob

re .6
    
>    Wasn't the first book of this se(pre?)quel titled "Surveillance",
>    and the series (of which I am anxiously awaiting the remainding
>    book(s)) called "Intervention".

Actually, the hardcover novel "Intervention" was divided into two 
paperback volumes:  "Surveillance" and "Metaconcert".  The latter
has already appeared in bookstores; it is a February Del Rey release.

I have no idea how long it will take her to write her "Milieu" trilogy,
which are the next books she is contracted to write, though she has
signed a contract with Del Rey to do them.

				Andrew

.5>    I wonder what the author did between 1951 ("Dune Roller") and 1981?
    
    To answer my own question, I had to read the interviews that are in "A
    Pliocene Companion."  Julian May was making a living as a professional
    writer, but not in SF.  In the '70s she began thinking about taking up
    SF again, and was building up a folder of ideas for "The Novel," which
    will be the Milieu Trilogy.  She decided to write the Pliocene Saga
    first to better prepare her readers for her trilogy.
    
    When the interviews were conducted circa 1984, apparently she was going
    to write the Milieu Trilogy next, because there was no hint then of
    "The Intervention."  I'm glad she did write it as a prelude.  It has
    whetted my appetite for her trilogy when it does come out.
    
    She is of Polish descent, so my speculation about her being Roman
    Catholic or having such a heritage is perhaps correct.  However, she
    was a Chicagoan, and did not hail from New Hampshire like the Remillard
    family in her story.
    
    --Simon
    

re: <<< Note 218.28 by SIMON::SZETO "Simon Szeto, International Sys. Eng." >>>

>    I was beginning to wonder if she'd ever come out with the next book
     [_Jack The Bodiless_, book one of the Galactic Milieu trilogy]
    
    I just realized one apparent reason why she is taking so long.  She is
    a co-author (with Marion Zimmer Bradley and Andre Norton) of _Black
    Trillium_, and is reportedly working on _Blood_Trillium_ next.  I sure
    wish she would finish the Galactic Milieu trilogy.
    
    --Simon
    

    This seems as good a place as any to ask about Black Trillium--has anyone 
    read it? I saw it in the store and was intrigued by the 3-author approach.  
    If there is a note on Black Trillium, please feel free to direct me to 
    it--I didn't find it under the May notes or by dir/title=trill
    
    Thanks,
    
    _Randy

    
    
    re: Black Trillium?
        
    It was, unfortunately, not up to the typical quality of any of the
    individual authors.  Imho, it wasn't worth the cover price.
    
    

However, May (alone) wrote a sequel called, Blood Trillium, out now in hard
cover.  Haven't read it yet though...

John Piekos

Well, "Jack the Bodiless" finally made it into paperback here in Oz
(I HATE paying $35 for a novel)...

So, ... what's happening with "Diamond Mask"? Does anyone have new?

Chele

Read this today in the SF newsgroup:

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Path: rdg.dec.com!news.crl.dec.com!deccrl!caen!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!wupost!darwin.sura.net!aplcen.apl.jhu.edu!aplcenmp!louzon
From: louzon@aplcenmp.apl.jhu.edu (Louzon ronald g 410-765-4049)
Subject: Re: DIAMOND MASK
Message-ID: <C2wnJK.ED3@aplcenmp.apl.jhu.edu>
Organization: Johns Hopkins Continuing Professional Programs
References: <22FEB199313372099@dftnic.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1993 14:14:07 GMT
Lines: 11

>I was under the impression that Julian May's DIAMOND MASK (the followup
>to JACK THE BODILESS) was coming out this/next month.  Anyone heard
>anything?

I was under the same impression.  According to the last book list from
Locus DIAMOND MASK is due next month.  However, last months issue of
Locus said that the Del Rey paperback version of JACK THE BODILESS has
been pushed back to this fall to be simultaneously released with the
next hardcover in the series.  Sounds like DIAMOND MASK won't be out
until this fall.  I'll know better next month when Locus comes in with
its latest advance book list.

Article: 522
From: ibic@sunsite.unc.edu (Internet Book Information Center)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.reviews
Subject: IBIC REVIEW #7--"Diamond Mask" by Julian May
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 94 15:52:20 GMT
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
 
Julian May's works are a recurring topic of conversation for the
estimated 84,000 people worldwide who read the Internet newsgroup
rec.arts.sf.written.  In fact, there is so much interest in her work
that a separate Internet mailing list, MILIEU, was formed specifically
to discuss her works.  A subscriber to the list can expect to receive
3-4 e-mail messages a day from fellow enthusiasts.  So it is fitting
that this review of her latest book, DIAMOND MASK, should be the first
one posted to the Internet Book Information Center's WWW server. 
IBIC's mission is to use the Internet to connect book-lovers with
information about books. 
 
DIAMOND MASK is the second book in Julian May's "Galactic Milieu"
trilogy which began with JACK THE BODILESS and will culminate with
MAGNIFICAT. The "Galactic Milieu" trilogy is itself a sequel to two
previous series, "The Saga of Pliocene Exile" and "Intervention."  All
three series share a common setting and many of the same characters.  
This book focuses on the early life of Dorothea Macdonald, who became
Dirigent of Caledonia and wife of St. Jack the Bodiless. 
 
I mean it as a high compliment to say that the Milieu metatrilogy is a
more sophisticated successor to E.E. "Doc" Smith's much-loved
galaxy-spanning space opera, the Lensman series.  Both series feature
noble, repressed supertelepathic supermen (Smith's Kimball Kinnison
and May's Marc Remillard) playing out a destiny of galactic unity
heavily influenced by human genealogy. 
 
May fashions characters and stories that will bear frequent, almost
obsessive rereading.  I have read all of her previous novels several
times, and love them all.  (Like most people, I think "The Saga of
Pliocene Exile" is a cut above the "Intervention" series.) 
 
But I was worried about DIAMOND MASK.  I had been disappointed in JACK
THE BODILESS and felt that there had been a perceptible drop-off in
quality from the previous series.   I thought a lackluster effort in
this second book would doom the trilogy. 
 
I need not have worried.  The same evening I finished reading DIAMOND
MASK, I went back and began rereading JACK THE BODILESS.  With the
additional context, I liked JACK a lot better.  That touchstone makes
it clear to me that DIAMOND MASK is a highly successful second book in
the "Galactic Milieu" trilogy.  I am now confident that the projected
final volume in the series, MAGNIFICAT, will provide a profoundly
satisfactory resolution not just to the Galactic Milieu trilogy, but
to the entire Milieu metatrilogy which is so well loved by so many.  I
await MAGNIFICAT with tremendous anticipation. 
 
--Frederick Zimmerman
 
%A May, Julian
%T Diamond Mask
%I Alfred A. Knopf
%C New York
%D March1994
%G ISBN n/a
%P 455 pp.
%O hardcover, U.S. $22.00
 
Previous IBIC Reviews, as well as links to many other Internet 
information resources related to books, are available via the Internet 
Book Information Center WWW serverspace (provided courtesy of SunSITE, a 
joint project of the University North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Sun 
Microsystems).   
 
The URL is http://sunsite.unc.edu/ibic/IBIC-homepage.html.  Selected text 
resources are available by anonymous ftp to sunsite.unc.edu; directory is 
/pub/electronic-publications/ibic.  The IBIC Gopher server is temporarily 
unavailable but a new one is under construction.
 
E-mail comments encouraged to ibic@sunsite.unc.edu.

Diamond Mask is out in hardcover.  It is approx 460 pages, costs
$22.00 (U.S.), ISBN= 0-679-43310-4, and was seen at Barnes and
Noble, in Nashua NH USA.

-Joe

ps.  Gold Trillium is out in paperback at the same place.

Has Diamond Mask been released in paperback in the US yet? Or has a pb release 
date been given?

Chele

I'd say it's only been out in hardcover for 2 or 3 months so far.  I'd expect
a paperback version maybe by Christmas or early next year.

PeterT

Has anyone heard what is happening re completion/publication of the next 
(last?) book in the series?


Chele