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Taylor's Ark #2
Medicine Show
Taylor's Ark, an unusual starship medical unit that makes house calls throughout the galaxy, run by Dr. Shona Taylor and her menagerie of assistants, comes to the aid of a planet on which humans and aliens alike are dying of a mysterious aging epidemic. Reissue.
265 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1994
27 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Jody Lynn Nye
311 books287 followersJody Lynn Nye lists her main career activity as ‘spoiling cats.’ When not engaged upon this worthy occupation, she writes fantasy and science fiction books and short stories.
Before breaking away from gainful employment to write full time, Jody worked as a file clerk, book-keeper at a small publishing house, freelance journalist and photographer, accounting assistant and costume maker.
For four years, she was on the technical operations staff of a local Chicago television station, WFBN (WGBO), serving the last year as Technical Operations Manager. During her time at WFBN, she was part of the engineering team that built the station, acted as Technical Director during live sports broadcasts, and worked to produce in-house spots and public service announcements.
Over the last twenty-five or so years, Jody has taught in numerous writing workshops and participated on hundreds of panels covering the subjects of writing and being published at science-fiction conventions. She has also spoken in schools and libraries around the north and northwest suburbs. In 2007 she taught fantasy writing at Columbia College Chicago. She also runs the two-day writers workshop at DragonCon, and is a judge for the Writers of the Future contest, the largest speculative fiction contest in the world.
Jody lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, with her husband Bill Fawcett, a writer, game designer, military historian and book packager, and three feline overlords, Athena, Minx, and Marmalade.
Before breaking away from gainful employment to write full time, Jody worked as a file clerk, book-keeper at a small publishing house, freelance journalist and photographer, accounting assistant and costume maker.
For four years, she was on the technical operations staff of a local Chicago television station, WFBN (WGBO), serving the last year as Technical Operations Manager. During her time at WFBN, she was part of the engineering team that built the station, acted as Technical Director during live sports broadcasts, and worked to produce in-house spots and public service announcements.
Over the last twenty-five or so years, Jody has taught in numerous writing workshops and participated on hundreds of panels covering the subjects of writing and being published at science-fiction conventions. She has also spoken in schools and libraries around the north and northwest suburbs. In 2007 she taught fantasy writing at Columbia College Chicago. She also runs the two-day writers workshop at DragonCon, and is a judge for the Writers of the Future contest, the largest speculative fiction contest in the world.
Jody lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, with her husband Bill Fawcett, a writer, game designer, military historian and book packager, and three feline overlords, Athena, Minx, and Marmalade.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
partially-read
June 27, 2010Yeah, I don't think I'm going to finish this one. In the first chapter, it is explained that the cool alien of the book (an ottle, some kind of alien that is sort of like a cross between a turtle and an otter) has been with the protagonist and her family for seven years but still doesn't understand that spaceships are not sentient (despite having spent a good deal of time on and around them). Also, in those seven years, apparently the protagonist never got around to talking to the ottle about his family on his home planet. She is surprised to discover that he has three parents.
It's not a terrible book thus far and maybe I'll give it another go sometime when I'm in a different mood, but it's not grabbing me and I'm not in the mood for sloppy storytelling just now.
It's not a terrible book thus far and maybe I'll give it another go sometime when I'm in a different mood, but it's not grabbing me and I'm not in the mood for sloppy storytelling just now.
May 14, 2020
10/10 would watch this TV series
September 22, 2022
Really enjoyed re-reading the Taylor's Ark series, then found out there's a third book that I never had last time round! Bring on the Lady and the Tiger 😎
July 29, 2020
My favorite of this series. I want an ottle!
April 25, 2013
This sequel to Taylor's Ark, by Jody Lynn Nye, continues the story of Dr. Shona Taylor as she travels in space in a ship piloted by her husband. They have moved on from the traumatic events in the previous story, and have added some children to their traveling menagerie. Lani is the young girl they rescued from a colony planet where everyone else was killed by a plague. And they have had a child of their own, Alex, who makes Shona's job a little more difficult when it comes to balancing career and motherhood.
They travel to the planet Poxt, which is the native planet of the ottles, to deliver the ottle, Chirrel (guessing at the spelling here - one of the problems with listening to a book - how are names spelled?), back home. They are dogged by people that want them dead because of the events in the first book. And bureaucratic red tape in the adoption of Lani doesn't help either.
Characters are well developed and believable. Tish Hicks does a great job narrating. This book is suitable for younger readers who will probably enjoy the ottles and animals, as well as the space adventure.
They travel to the planet Poxt, which is the native planet of the ottles, to deliver the ottle, Chirrel (guessing at the spelling here - one of the problems with listening to a book - how are names spelled?), back home. They are dogged by people that want them dead because of the events in the first book. And bureaucratic red tape in the adoption of Lani doesn't help either.
Characters are well developed and believable. Tish Hicks does a great job narrating. This book is suitable for younger readers who will probably enjoy the ottles and animals, as well as the space adventure.
March 20, 2024
Definitely a different track than the first book, but done well!
I really enjoyed the setting on this one, giving us more insight on the Ottles and how they live. well written little characters! The author definitely managed to portray them as intelligent, sentiment species, equals to the humans, but still remain charming and somewhat "animal like." I think that's a really hard thing to do!
The MC defintiely has an issue of always being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it's not overly annoying, so I let it pass. And while no one character is spectacular, Nye excels at balancing a host of competently written personas that keeps it fresh. Good little sci fi read for sure!
I really enjoyed the setting on this one, giving us more insight on the Ottles and how they live. well written little characters! The author definitely managed to portray them as intelligent, sentiment species, equals to the humans, but still remain charming and somewhat "animal like." I think that's a really hard thing to do!
The MC defintiely has an issue of always being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it's not overly annoying, so I let it pass. And while no one character is spectacular, Nye excels at balancing a host of competently written personas that keeps it fresh. Good little sci fi read for sure!
November 8, 2011
Great follow-up to Taylor's Ark, but can also stand alone. Good action, would liked to have seen a little more alien-ness about the ottle home planet, Poxt, but then again, we don't know that a planet with sentient life would be that different.
In this book, the secondary characters get to strut their stuff more, which I enjoyed. Lani takes some decisive action, the author inserts some nice ticking clock pressures, and then there is the challenge of being an action heroine with a toddler strapped to Taylor's back. Fun, quick read.
In this book, the secondary characters get to strut their stuff more, which I enjoyed. Lani takes some decisive action, the author inserts some nice ticking clock pressures, and then there is the challenge of being an action heroine with a toddler strapped to Taylor's back. Fun, quick read.
June 26, 2015
More like 3.5 stars. Another enjoyable thriller of medical space opera. Dr. Shona Taylor's escapades are fun.
July 8, 2017
to-read
March 23, 2024
A very good story
Ms. Nye always tells a good story and this one was particularly engrossing. The mixture of personal, family, and procedural problems was deftly handled.
Ms. Nye always tells a good story and this one was particularly engrossing. The mixture of personal, family, and procedural problems was deftly handled.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews