Message-ID: <853@topaz.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 3-Mar-85 16:01:02 EST
Article-I.D.: topaz.853
Posted: Sun Mar  3 16:01:02 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 6-Mar-85 02:43:13 EST
Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: Hank.Walker@CMU-CS-UNH

"Emergence" is David R. Palmer's first novel.  It was issued by Bantam in
paperback last November.  Emergence is based on the novelette "Emergence"
and the novella "Seeking" which appeared in the January 5, 1981 and February
1983 issues of Analog magazine.  Rewritten versions of these stories
comprise the first third of the novel.  These stories won Palmer a Nebula
nomination, two Hugo nominations, and two John W. Campbell nominations for
best new writer.  And these were his first two stories!  Emergence
chronicles the adventures of 11-year-old Candy Smith-Foster.  She is a
disease-immune superhuman homo post hominem, "man who follows man", created
by fetuses exposed to a flu epidemic.  A biowar has wiped out homo sapiens.
Hominems are divided into two classes, the AAs, recognized, studied, and
given all the advantages in life, and the ABs, with ordinary upbringings
that turned many into  sociopaths.  Armed with an AA address list, Candy
sets out with her pet macaw Terry on a quest to find AAs, solve the mystery
of why they have all moved away, while meeting up with other people, both
good and bad.

Spider Robinson's cover blurb states "This is probably the best first novel
I have ever read."  I completely agree.  The two Analog stories were easily
as good as their awards competition.  Do other people have their choices for
best first novel?  Possibilities that come to mind are Brin, Varley, and
Forward.