Jack the Bodiless

I was introduced to Julian May’s Galactic Milieu in her Saga of Pliocene Exile series (I’ve read three out of four and find them fabulous). So when I found the first two books of her Galactic Milieu trilogy at my local used book shop, I grabbed them fast and headed directly to the till. Although I enjoyed this novel, I didn’t find it nearly as entrancing as the Pliocene books and it’s taken me a little while to figure out why. There are multiple points of view, which I’m okay with. I t [...]

I got hooked on this series and this entry, the first, did the trick. An unexpected story line that works really well even if you figure it all out in the first few pages. Very technical and intricate but leaves you wanting a lot more detail about all the powers that these characters possess and struggle with as an essential plot line.The whole of the Remillard clan come across in human terms that strongly balances the obvious differences that makes them 'not like the others'.If you start this T [...]

Galactic Milieu is probably my favourite series ever. I re-read all of them (including the prequels Surveillance and Metaconcert) every few years or so and they never disappoint. In my opinion, one of the strengths of this series is its characterisation. I adore Jack (who despite his physical state is so very very human), but I also love Rogi and Marc and Denis and Dorothea/Diamond Mask and basically all of the other characters. In some places the writing gets a bit tedious (I don't particularly [...]

I first got this book, not knowing what it was about, because the title was interesting. I now own three copies, one a first edition, another a signed, numbered readers-edition. It is that good. On my first read, when it was over, I was hopeful for humanity, that someone could still write a book that good. I just re-read it and got goose bumps at the end. So very worth your time as a reader.

read before June 1993love this whole series, but especially liked this part of it

This is one of the best series I have read. Though I read it back in the 80's, I have since re-read it a couple of times and I still find it engaging. Personal tastes I suppose

Not content with hinting at her future history through the Saga of the Pliocene Exile or giving us a prelude to it via the two part "Intervention" novel, May has to go all out and show us all the hard work she did by plunging us right into yet another series, this time "only" a trilogy but centered on the changes that Earth underwent after the aforementioned Intervention (for those just joining in, the short version is that Earth has been monitored all along by a conglomerate of alien races watc [...]

One of my favorite books. This is the first one that sucked me into the Galactic Milieu series and then later into the Pliocene prequel series. So Jack the Bodiless is technically book #6 since its based in the future, but only if you look at like the stupid Star Wars re-numbering insanity lol. Actually its Pliocene 1-4, Intervention which is book 5 (though some countries broke it into two books) and then the Galactic Milieu which are books 6-8. (honestly I had to re-edit this as I confused myse [...]

Within the first 13 chapters I realized this book had a fatal flaw -- multiple personality disorder. Rogi is the protagonist, and he works in that regard. But there are at least a dozen other characters, many of them too minor to deserve a POV of their own. Due to this fact, I never felt a great connection to any of the characters. The reader never stays in the head of any of them long enough (with the sole exception of Rogi). The POV problem felt glaring, especially early on. I didn't like jump [...]

The scope of this saga spanning eight novels is staggering. A gate is opened to the past, specifically the Pliocene era. But it is a one-way trip. Adventurous souls travel back, and find a world unlike any they could imagine. Epic conflict rages between ancient races, and the future destiny of man is decided. The initial four books make up The Saga of Pliocene Exile. * The Many-Coloured Land * The Golden Torc * The Nonborn King * The AdversaryThese can be read as a standalone series, but who wou [...]

I first read this back in 1992 when it was published and felt it was one of the best sci-fi books I had read to that point. When I saw that it was released on the Kindle I scooped it, and the rest of the Galactic Milieu series, up and hoped it was as good as I remembered. It was. The book hasn't really grown old, the technology that she writes about is not out-dated, the central theme of the book -metaphysical powers, the effect of being a immature part of a galactic unity and the desire to stay [...]

How can you go wrong with a book that starts with "It was a dark and stormy night"? This is the first book of The Galactic Milieu Trilogy. In addition there is a set of prequels and post-quels to the trilogy. I'm a sucker for good plot and this series definitely has it. In addition, it also has great humor, lots of big words (a dictionary by my side at all times), and impeccable research (who knew that you could still buy ice axes are REI in the year 2113?). And so the first paragraph continues [...]

This book was kinda interesting. It was just good enough for me to finish, but when it was over I realized it was total garbage. Most of what happens in the middle of the book doesn't have any bearing whatsoever on the end or the beginning. It's about 300 pages of wasted words. If it weren't for the somewhat amusing character of Uncle Rogi, I would've given up on it long ago. As it stands, I started reading the second one, and I may never stop regretting that mistake.

I've read it before. Enjoyed it more now. Family and Science. What a combo. Hollywood should try this series. Don't know why they haven't. Humans & Exotics just trying to get along. A very sick little boy to worry about. And a Metapsychic bogyman to contend with. A trilogy that ends and circles around to begin with The Pliocene Exiles series. This trilogy starts with The Intervention duo and shouldn't be missed.

The strongest of the four books in May's Galactic Milieu series, Jack the Bodiless packs a punch that will leave readers breathless. Brilliant plotting. (Note that the series starts with a prequel, Intervention.)

Characters were too self absorbed for me to get all the way through this. Then there's the prospect of two more lengthy novels. Couldn't make myself do it.

This is one of my all time favorite SF books. EXCELLENT!This actually falls in the "middle" of the world Julian May has created, but it was an EXCELLENT place to dive in.

The entire series gets better each reading. Why isn't this a movie yet?

I have not read what could be considered the prequel to this trilogy, The Pliocene Exile, and would recommend that you start there if you want to break into this series as the events from that series are heavily alluded to in this. The galaxy painted in this series is intriguing and Julian May is clear that she believes powers of the mind are key to a kind of Singularity, called Unity in the series. The different alien species humans encounter are interesting and I can’t wait to get into more [...]

Entertaining read. It lacks a lot of characterisation so that the whodunnit element becomes who cares; just names without faces, so no surprise and less suspense. It's forgivable because the ideas come like a series of tall waves but the adventure elements are skippable. It makes me reticent to read the next in the series because it might be more of the same. Given the stakes it struggles to develope much space opera importance so, whilst it reminded me of Banks' Culture novels it lacked the hef [...]

One of the best of the Galactic Milieu/exile books.I particularly like Uncle Rogi, and all the backwoods stuffrious hoe relevant all the should we/shouldn't we argument over being part of the milieu feels in this age of Brexit!

If you can ignore the 'too detailed' description of the fantasy sci-fi world May has created, the story line and boundless thought-provoking ideas put forward in this book and the other two that follow are absolutely amazing, especially for the time when it was first published in 1991.

surprised by the book. not sure if i loved it but i enjoyed the read. a little macabre and long winded at point's but enjoyable enough

A great introduction to some of the series most influential and interesting characters.

This is probably the third time I have read this book, possibly the fourth. It seems that it is a natural continuation of a cycle which begins with The Many-Colored Land and ends up with The Adversary. Inevitably, I want to read more and Intervention follows, which is also an excellent book.Sadly, after all those great reads, Jack falls somewhat flat. To be sure, there are some vague glimpses of the overstory which are appreciated, and it is interesting to see the continuing story of Remillard f [...]

I loved her earlier four part Saga of Pliocene Exile (Saga of the Exiles), which I read way back when I was a teenager. They stuck in my mind all these years. This in comparison was at times a chore to read, particularly when she describes how the bureaucracy of the Galactic Milieu operates.What kept me reading was my memories of her earlier works, my own stubbornness and the need to find out more of the origins of Marc Remillard the charismatic human progtagonist from the Pliocene books. This b [...]

Science Fiction can be a fun genre to explore. Alien beings, other worlds to inhabit, cultures to compare ourselves to, you name it. Jack the Bodiless was written in the early 1990's and I suspect Julian May thought the human race would be a lot more advanced than we appear to be in 2016. She sets her story about a half century into the future and there will have to be some pretty significant breakthroughs in the next couple of decades to match her vision. Could happen scientifically. As for the [...]

Amazing book, so well written and such a gripping plot.Intervention has happened and Earth is on the brink of being accepted into the Galactic milieu but things are not running smoothly, a metapsychic child is born to Teresa Kendall a member of the Remillard dynasty, he is an incredibly gifted being who is fighting for his own survival against medical odds as his body is fighting against him and only his mind is keeping him alive together with the help of medical science. Uncle Rogi and Marc Rem [...]

After the necessary but comparatively mundane prologues of Surveillance and Metaconcert, here's where the Milieu Saga starts to catch up with the Pliocene Exile as far as fun and excitement.The story of Jack's beginning intertwines with the rise of Fury and Hydra, and it was almost as thrilling as the first time I read it and didn't already know the identity of Hydra. Like all great mysteries, in hindsight the clues were all there for the reader to see.And while this book is named for Jack, the [...]

In the year 2051, Earth stood on the brink of acceptance as full member of the Galactic Milieu, a confederation of worlds spread across the galaxy. Leading humanity was the powerful Remillard family, but somebody—or something—known only as "Fury" wanted them out of the way.Only Rogi Remillard, the chosen tool of the most powerful alien being in the Milieu, and his nephew Marc, the greatest metapsychic yet born on Earth, knew about Fury. But even they were powerless to stop it when it began to [...]