ndres Breznant, malignant remnant of the once-nefarious, now-dismantled Zamos Corporation, is making quite the business pitch. In a meeting with a pair of Lyhhrt (the brain-like, collectivistic beings that have no names and can only be told apart by differences in the metallic robot bodies that provide them transportation and protection), Breznant floats the idea of negotiating "reparations" (ultimately in the form of an invasion) for wrongs done to the Lyhhrt by the Khagodi (a Galactic Federation species that looks like smaller versions of Earther allosauruses) during their alliance.
Somewhat uncharacteristically, these Lyhhrt show interest; more characteristically, they're cryptic about it. Lorrice, Breznant's mistress and one of countless individuals in the Federation who possess ESP, can't even get close to reading the minds of the Lyhhrt, whose telepathic abilities are far greater than hers.
Shortly thereafter, a physically enfeebled but politically respected Khagodi Archivist by the name of Hasso is issued a "summons" by one of the few Lyhhrt permitted citizenship on Khagodis, though it seems more like a warning—something is very wrong within and between their two species.
Political and military maneuverings follow, casting a wide net that draws in even the likes of Ned Gattes, a former GalFed agent and aging arena gladiator who's called for some mysterious, mercenary duty. But Ned's not alone—he's got his companion Spartakos, a powerful robot and former possession/creation of the Lyhhrt, who is in the potentially enviable position of not having his thoughts read by any number of beings he meets on a daily basis.
An ending without a conclusion
In this final book of a trilogy that began with Flesh and Gold and continued with Violent Stars, Toronto-based poet and author Phyllis Gotlieb seeks in Mindworlds to bring readers further into the lives and minds of various beings in the universe she's created. And while this
project is a fairly interesting mix of sex, politics, humor, violence and conflicting alien behaviors, it's a somewhat messy affair.
What's been said of the trilogy's second installment can't really be said of the third—readers unfamiliar with the series may have a difficult time navigating or enjoying the numerous and various histories, species and characters Gotlieb explores. Basically, the story progresses as three different plots: one following Lorrice (and her romantic interest Tyloe, also one of Breznant's entourage), one following Hasso, and one following Ned; but narrative jumps to and from these different threads are more often than not rather jarring and confusing experiences, made no easier by the fact that there are Lyhhrt involved in all of these plotlines and none of them have names. And while it's fairly compelling to be reading dialogue that's supposed to be taking place inside of characters' heads (ESP being both a major theme and an oft-used device in the book), it's frequently difficult to tell who's "speaking" and what's actually being said or reacted to.
There are a few engaging passages and ideas in Mindworlds, but, on the whole, the novel's many intrigues just aren't that intriguing, its political and personal conflagrations tending more toward the irksome than the rousing. And what might be most tragic, especially for those who've read the first two books, is that things don't really come to that satisfying a conclusion—what buildup there is toward the end of the narrative largely fizzles out and mostly abruptly so, to say nothing of loose ends. Maybe this means readers can look forward to another book in the same universe?
