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The Human Blend (2010)

by Alan Dean Foster(Favorite Author)

3.12 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0345511972 (ISBN13: 9780345511973)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Del Rey

series

Tipping Point

review 1: I found this one while browsing through ebooks. I haven't read anything by Alan Dean Foster previously, though I suppose I will be now since this is the first of a trilogy and it ends terribly abruptly.In this urban science fiction setting, the lines between human and machine are blurred by technology that uses surgical manipulation to improve and splice skills and abilities into humans in a process called Melding. These Melds range from cosmetic make-overs to physical enhancements meant to increase speed, sight, environmental interactions, and so on. Those who elect to not partake of these surgeries are called Naturals, though most humans with the financial means take advantage of Melding.The storyline is a fairly straightforward urban action thriller with spurts of vi... moreolence, science technology infodumps, and tenuous flirting between the main characters, but it's a fun if not terribly thought-provoking adventure.
review 2: The Human Blend is one of those sci-fi novels that is a bit longer than it's size would make it seem. I don't know if it was because I wasn't really interested in the premise or because the idea of "melds", physical alterations that allow characters to add both functional and cosmetic changes to their own bodies as they see fit, made for a gimmick that was too trite in some cases and far too convenient in others. Still, Alan Dean Foster weaves a mostly capable tale in a rich world, and kudos to him for setting it in a future, much wetter version of Savannah. This is an obvious setup for a series, however, and the ending is both abrupt and unfulfilling. I have to take away a star for that, so 3 stars it is. less

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