The Adversary (The Saga of Pliocene Exile)

by Julian May

Paperback, 1987

Status

Available

Call number

813

Publication

Del Rey (1987), 472 pages

Description

Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML: In the final novel of the award-winning sci-fi saga, both humans and aliens face destruction as a new time-portal opens a path back to the twenty-second century. Human time-travelers from the sophisticated Galactic Milieu of the twenty-second century came to the Pliocene Epoch seeking a Garden of Eden. What they found was slavery under the knightly Tanu race, who had been exiled to Earth from a far galaxy. Freed by the usurper Aiken Drum, the humans enjoy a brief period of dominance. But now King Aiken's rule is threatened by the dwarfish Firvulag, who scheme to destroy both humans and Tanu in an ultimate Gotterdammerung. This menace becomes almost incidental when Aiken discovers that his realm is about to be invaded by another human who possesses psychic powers even greater than his own. Marc Remillard, the instigator of the Metapsychic Rebellion, nearly conquered the Galactic Milieu before escaping through the time-portal after his defeat. Marc and his followers are out to overthrow Aiken just as a new time-gate is about to be built�one that will provide a two-way portal between the Many-Colored Land and the future world of the Milieu. The Adversary brings Julian May's Locus Award-winning series�which also includes The Many-Colored Land, The Golden Tore, and The Nonborn King�to a rousing climax..… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member TimothyBurke

I'm absurdly, irrationally fond of this four-part series. The sequels, which fill in some of the futureward material often referred to in these volumes, are disappointing, perhaps because attentive readers of the first four books already think they know what the later books should contain. But

these first four are often remarkably clever both in conception and in execution: they offer a very smart explanation of the "collective unconscious", of shared human mythologies, of stories about fairies and gods, while also being about complex, compelling characters and an exciting narrative. As far as SF that aims primarily to entertain goes, you aren't going to find much better than the Pliocene Exile books.

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LibraryThing member amf0001

The 4th in the Pliocene Era saga, this is space opera before the term was really coined. I loved it when I first read it, and definitely liked it now, but can see it's age. It's not as sophisticated in it's relationships as I recalled, and while I loved Marc, I found his relationship with Elizabeth

less convincing. But these are minor quibbles because there is such a broad tapestry here and so many characters to find and love. And Aiken Drum is a great character to spend time with and he didn't age at all.
PS I hate the cover art on the edition I got and changed it to this much more pleasing look. Bad cover art can really impact a book!

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LibraryThing member johnylitnin

THE ADVERSARY follows the interwoven relationships of people from each of the five groups, plus the reluctant arbiter of them all, Elizabeth Orme. Elizabeth supports the aims of King Aiken and his Tanu, Howler, and human followers. Aiken, with his enlightened despotism, seems the best ruler

available. Certainly not King Sharn-Mes of the Firvulag, who plans to exterminate all Tanu and humans. Certainly not Marc Remillard, whose cold, cruel mind is the only one stronger than Aiken’s. The other groups have no ambition to rule. The Lowlives, outlaw humans, cooperate with Aiken when they feel like it. The children of Marc Remillard and his followers want only to build a time gate to take them to Earth’s twenty-second century A.D., where their parents came from.

The maneuvering to build the time gate is the main plot of THE ADVERSARY. The title character, the Adversary himself, is Marc Remillard. His driving urge is the urge for dominance: humans over other species, himself over humans, his descendants mutated into forms which will allow them to dominate their universe. But Marc’s methods thus far have been so draconic that his children find them – and him – repugnant. One of his son Hagan’s goals in returning to Elder Earth and the government of the Galactic Milieu is to help the Milieu find and destroy his father. So when Marc starts visiting Elizabeth and helping her heal children, all anyone can think of is the terrifying power Marc is developing: learning to jump instantaneously anywhere in the universe, carrying along anything he chooses to bring. Everyone knows that soon Marc will be able to stop the building of the time gate.

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LibraryThing member infjsarah

Reread in 2024. This was nostalgia reread and I loved it. The series has flaws of course but it's still 5 stars from me (cos nostalgia) and I am going to now reread the Galactic Mileu set (after a short break for a different genre).
It's interesting how she seals Felice up and never comes back to

her - as if she had made her super powerful and intended her as the main antagonist and then either got bored with her or the character of Marc slipped his way in and JM thought WOW - he's MUCH more interesting! And thus he became a major character.

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