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Pip & Flinx #13
Patrimony
In this new Pip & Flinx thriller, Alan Dean Foster displays the brilliance that has made him one of the brightest lights in science fiction. In Patrimony, fans will learn more about their favorite redhead–with emerald eyes, uncanny powers, and a poisonous minidrag–than they ever dreamed possible.
“I know who your father is . . . Gestalt.” A shocked Flinx hears these dying words from one of the renegade eugenicists whose experiments with humans twenty-odd years ago shocked the galaxy . . . and spawned Flinx. So Flinx and his minidrag, Pip, venture to Gestalt, an out-of-the-way planet perfect for someone who never wants to be found–disregarding the advice of those who think Flinx could make better use of his time locating the ancient, sentient weapons platform that could be the galaxy’s only chance of stopping the exterminating scourge that’s fast approaching. Flinx might agree with them–but the quest for patrimony wins out. (Sorry, galaxy!)
Could Gestalt supply the key to Flinx’s shadowy past and strange powers? An eccentric loner in a remote area could be the father Flinx has never stopped searching for, perhaps the only person who can unravel the mystery of his birth and his amazing, agonizing powers. An eccentric longer in a remote area of the distant planet could be he father Flinx has never stopped searching for, perhaps the only person who can unravel the mystery of Flinx’s birth and his amazing, agonizing powers.
Unfortunately for Flinx, Gestalt also hosts a resident bounty hunter who’s just learned about the stupendous reward offered for a certain dead redhead. Flinx gets a chance to test his adversary’s skills when our hero’s skimmer is blasted out of the sky and into a raging river in the middle of nowhere–a nowhere of impassable terrain and ravenous, carnivorous beasts.
But hey, what’s one more impossible challenge for someone who’s spent his life defying the odds and escaping the inescapable? Flinx has one thing going for him . . . plenty of experience.
“I know who your father is . . . Gestalt.” A shocked Flinx hears these dying words from one of the renegade eugenicists whose experiments with humans twenty-odd years ago shocked the galaxy . . . and spawned Flinx. So Flinx and his minidrag, Pip, venture to Gestalt, an out-of-the-way planet perfect for someone who never wants to be found–disregarding the advice of those who think Flinx could make better use of his time locating the ancient, sentient weapons platform that could be the galaxy’s only chance of stopping the exterminating scourge that’s fast approaching. Flinx might agree with them–but the quest for patrimony wins out. (Sorry, galaxy!)
Could Gestalt supply the key to Flinx’s shadowy past and strange powers? An eccentric loner in a remote area could be the father Flinx has never stopped searching for, perhaps the only person who can unravel the mystery of his birth and his amazing, agonizing powers. An eccentric longer in a remote area of the distant planet could be he father Flinx has never stopped searching for, perhaps the only person who can unravel the mystery of Flinx’s birth and his amazing, agonizing powers.
Unfortunately for Flinx, Gestalt also hosts a resident bounty hunter who’s just learned about the stupendous reward offered for a certain dead redhead. Flinx gets a chance to test his adversary’s skills when our hero’s skimmer is blasted out of the sky and into a raging river in the middle of nowhere–a nowhere of impassable terrain and ravenous, carnivorous beasts.
But hey, what’s one more impossible challenge for someone who’s spent his life defying the odds and escaping the inescapable? Flinx has one thing going for him . . . plenty of experience.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
62 people are currently reading
655 people want to read
About the author
Alan Dean Foster
494 books2,008 followersBestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
December 1, 2017
Alan Dean Foster has one thing down more than anything: the discovery and exploration of alien species. This new planet is full of some rather interesting intelligent races, and they're rather funny even when they're murdering each other over ideological political stances. I suppose it takes all types, right? And not a Democrat or a Republican in sight, either!
But truly, this is more of a regular space opera with a special and rather more reveal-y twist than usual. Flinx finally knows who his father is! Talks with him! Sends him with his mind powers to unimaginable spaces and times! Um. Ooops.
Oh well, at least we have cool aliens! :)
Seriously though, there's a lot of cool action, assassins, warfare, and avalanches. It's a shame these cool aliens are so stinky! Still, a fun novel even if things feel rather... formulaic. Maybe it was a mistake to read this all in a row. I probably wouldn't have minded so much if I had years in-between installments. Alas. Fortunately, I've read a lot of formulaic stuff in the past and what the author does right are characters and cool world-building and a steady progression, so I really can't complain all that much. :)
But truly, this is more of a regular space opera with a special and rather more reveal-y twist than usual. Flinx finally knows who his father is! Talks with him! Sends him with his mind powers to unimaginable spaces and times! Um. Ooops.
Oh well, at least we have cool aliens! :)
Seriously though, there's a lot of cool action, assassins, warfare, and avalanches. It's a shame these cool aliens are so stinky! Still, a fun novel even if things feel rather... formulaic. Maybe it was a mistake to read this all in a row. I probably wouldn't have minded so much if I had years in-between installments. Alas. Fortunately, I've read a lot of formulaic stuff in the past and what the author does right are characters and cool world-building and a steady progression, so I really can't complain all that much. :)
February 26, 2023
Patrimony is one of the later books in Foster's Pip & Flinx series, and I somehow missed it when it was originally published. (Perhaps because the early books had lovely and colorful highly detailed and distinctive covers by Darrell Sweet or Michael Whelan whereas the later ones all tried to look like Luke Skywalker poses... but I digress.) Flinx is on his quest to save the galaxy but takes a detour to try to find some information about his origin; he's recently been given to believe he may find his father on the planet Gestalt. Foster created another fascinating alien world and society here, and it's an engaging adventure story, though a bit more violent and melancholy than the earlier books. Flinx is soon stranded on the planet by a bounty hunter, and Pip proves that's she carries her more than her share of the load of heart and brains of their relationship. Flinx gets the answer he's looking for (though not the one he wants) in this exciting part of the overall story.
May 6, 2016
In this, the penultimate chapter of Pip and Flinx's adventures (but not the series), Flinx continues his epic search for his biological father.
You've heard the expression 'be careful what you wish for' though, right? Flinx clearly hasn't but he's about to learn it the hard way. Does he finally find his absent dad? Weeeellll... yes and no. (I refuse to believe that last sentence is a spoiler.)
There are still certain factions who want Flinx's head on a spike (metaphorically speaking... I think) though and it doesn't take long for the hunter to become the hunted. This book is jam-packed with thrills and spills (sometimes literally) and should satisfy fans of space opera action and adventure.
For me, though, it's mostly significant because I know the next book finally concludes Flinx's adventures! I've been waiting to read the next book for over half my life so it would be true to say I'm a little excited... BRING IT ON!!!
You've heard the expression 'be careful what you wish for' though, right? Flinx clearly hasn't but he's about to learn it the hard way. Does he finally find his absent dad? Weeeellll... yes and no. (I refuse to believe that last sentence is a spoiler.)
There are still certain factions who want Flinx's head on a spike (metaphorically speaking... I think) though and it doesn't take long for the hunter to become the hunted. This book is jam-packed with thrills and spills (sometimes literally) and should satisfy fans of space opera action and adventure.
For me, though, it's mostly significant because I know the next book finally concludes Flinx's adventures! I've been waiting to read the next book for over half my life so it would be true to say I'm a little excited... BRING IT ON!!!
May 27, 2010
Flinx and his minidrag, Pip, go to the frontier planet of Gestalt, looking for his father. This is, of course, more important than saving the galaxy from the swiftly approaching hungry evil nothingness.
On Gestalt his skimmer is shot down in the impassable, snowbound wilderness by a bounty hunter looking to collect the humongo reward offered for Flinx's head by the doomsday cult.
I've renamed this "Flinx's Extreme Wilderness Survival Adventure."
When he does find the man he is looking for, and gets the answer to his questions about his father, it is pretty much a major nothing.
This mystery of Flinx's parentage has been doled out in minute doses for 13 books, over 3 decades. And the payoff is blah. Talk about milking the cash cow, this is the best I've seen yet.
Flinx does not develop or really use his psionic talents in this book. The has been a very, very, very big disappointment to me for the series as a whole.
On Gestalt his skimmer is shot down in the impassable, snowbound wilderness by a bounty hunter looking to collect the humongo reward offered for Flinx's head by the doomsday cult.
I've renamed this "Flinx's Extreme Wilderness Survival Adventure."
When he does find the man he is looking for, and gets the answer to his questions about his father, it is pretty much a major nothing.
This mystery of Flinx's parentage has been doled out in minute doses for 13 books, over 3 decades. And the payoff is blah. Talk about milking the cash cow, this is the best I've seen yet.
Flinx does not develop or really use his psionic talents in this book. The has been a very, very, very big disappointment to me for the series as a whole.
July 15, 2019
For the intended penultimate book in the series it falls a bit flat. This installment brings absolutely nothing new or original to a series of books I generally love without question. We get the same kind of story where Flinx is lost in an alien wilderness that we've seen several times before. We get the same kind of hitman tracking him as we've seen many times previously. We get the same type of mad scientist who Flinx escapes in the same way that he has a few times previously. The revelation at the end is both uninspired and as disappointing to the reader as it is to the character. After reading this very typical installment in the series one comes away with the impression that it may as well have been skipped. Most books in this series, even at the most formulaic offer something new and interesting. Even as we see the umpteenth assassin or mad scientist gunning for the hero the story will be unique enough that it stands apart. This book has all of the formula and none of the substance of the others in the series.
January 23, 2009
When I was a kid, Alan Dean Foster was one of my favorite writers. I enjoyed his sense of humor and felt like I was just getting the in jokes. Unfortunately, it seems I have grown out of him. Part of the problem is that he's been writing the same story in miniscule stages (drawn out over a few hundred pages each step) for decades. Presumably the work is also (still) targeted at kids.
It's a pity.
It's a pity.
October 5, 2010
16. Patrimony by Alan Dean Foster – The latest in Foster’s Pip & Flinx adventures. A satisfying read, with one major question answered. The major disaster that’s threatening the galaxy is still looming, promising more adventures to come.
February 23, 2019
Patrimony is the 13th book in the Pip & Flinx series and I'm guessing the original penultimate novel based on the gap in time between 14 and 15 and the title of the next book. Here our two travelers visit the alien world of Gestalt, a planet with an alien race happy to deal with the more technologically advanced Commonwealth (for the most part). Still, there are dangers around, with snowy mountains, bounty hunters and secrets lurking wherever Flinx travels.
I enjoyed this book for its simplicity. Flinx is looking for answers about his father. He meets new aliens, visits new terrain, and then finds answers to many of his questions. In a nutshell, that's what I look for in a book that's part of a new series. Introduce some new ideas, but above all advance the plot! There's also only one bad guy for most of this book, and he's not in it much. Instead much of the time Flinx is spending trying to figure out a mystery and surviving the elements, both of which I find more interesting than him using his abilities to outfight another unsuspecting henchman.
If there's one Achilles heel for this series, it's Foster's use of coincidences in timing/location that always either result in a last minute near death or rescue. The result is I've come to expect how many situations will play out before reading them. (An example in this book is when a pack of hungry animals starts to follow Flinx; I'm aware that there will come a point when they finally get the courage to attack him but he'll be saved the person he has been traveling toward the entire chapter.) **Spoiler follows** However, one of our character suffers a serious wound that I did NOT see coming, and which had me worried for his/her fate with the knowledge that Foster may have been wrapping up the series. Can't wait to see what happens next with these two.
I enjoyed this book for its simplicity. Flinx is looking for answers about his father. He meets new aliens, visits new terrain, and then finds answers to many of his questions. In a nutshell, that's what I look for in a book that's part of a new series. Introduce some new ideas, but above all advance the plot! There's also only one bad guy for most of this book, and he's not in it much. Instead much of the time Flinx is spending trying to figure out a mystery and surviving the elements, both of which I find more interesting than him using his abilities to outfight another unsuspecting henchman.
If there's one Achilles heel for this series, it's Foster's use of coincidences in timing/location that always either result in a last minute near death or rescue. The result is I've come to expect how many situations will play out before reading them. (An example in this book is when a pack of hungry animals starts to follow Flinx; I'm aware that there will come a point when they finally get the courage to attack him but he'll be saved the person he has been traveling toward the entire chapter.) **Spoiler follows** However, one of our character suffers a serious wound that I did NOT see coming, and which had me worried for his/her fate with the knowledge that Foster may have been wrapping up the series. Can't wait to see what happens next with these two.
May 14, 2025
I am never sure whether to use the Wesley Crusher comparison or the Return of The King disaster when reviewing stuff that just irks me to the core. Wes remains one of the most hated characters in sci-fi television history. "Oh, woes me, I have to fly a starship while telling these senior professionals what they are doing wrong". Mr. Jackson's sin was at least funny. "Oh Frodo, just a few more steps. Don't give up Frodo" FOR AN HOUR. In the directors' cut, that sequence is credited with multiple self-harm attempts. People have been talked down from bridges just by showing images of Frodo holding the true ring. There is an element of that in this book. Ignore the hot life partner. Ignore the two iconoclast mentors. The fact that you are the only one who can perhaps save the galaxy. Head out on your own on a world inhabited by vicious carnivores and get your guide killed. You almost die, ho hum, just you and perhaps the galaxy. Then get befriended by a village, nursed back to health, then kill most of its' male population wandering around in the snow. You find daddy and it turns out, he IS Joseph Menengle reincarnated. You turn his bones, brain, skin into a soup with your mind and squirt him out a hole into the surrounding countryside. "I still have unresolved issues, but for now, I will get on my luxury private starship, return to my island paradise home and go back to banging my supermodel girlfriend. But, I am still not content! Torn, I say.
May 16, 2025
3.5 rounded down. Damn your eyes ADF.
After the horrible Sliding Scales, Running from the Deity & the crap Trouble Magnet / I was about to give up on Flinx…ADF was phoning it in.
Here, he’s back to basics with a good enough outing…the plot doesn’t move much - we do learn he doesn’t have a proper father & the sperm used was genetically modified. That’s it. That’s all we learn & I sorta think it’s a nothing burger
The planet was good enough too & so were the locals & creatures. Some Mid-World member berries…nice touch. Nothing new…of yeah, some dorky assassin is after him for a Meliore bounty.
Even if this is an improvement on the last 3 (not counting Bloodhype since that one is an outlier), it still feels a bit limp…ADF is writing about a new world, but his heart didn’t seem to be in it. Now, it could be that I’m listening to the audible & reading along for good chunks of it…and it’s just not as immersive when actually reading…but given my new work situation, time alone with a book is relegated to the weekends.
2 to go…which I’ll read.
After the horrible Sliding Scales, Running from the Deity & the crap Trouble Magnet / I was about to give up on Flinx…ADF was phoning it in.
Here, he’s back to basics with a good enough outing…the plot doesn’t move much - we do learn he doesn’t have a proper father & the sperm used was genetically modified. That’s it. That’s all we learn & I sorta think it’s a nothing burger
The planet was good enough too & so were the locals & creatures. Some Mid-World member berries…nice touch. Nothing new…of yeah, some dorky assassin is after him for a Meliore bounty.
Even if this is an improvement on the last 3 (not counting Bloodhype since that one is an outlier), it still feels a bit limp…ADF is writing about a new world, but his heart didn’t seem to be in it. Now, it could be that I’m listening to the audible & reading along for good chunks of it…and it’s just not as immersive when actually reading…but given my new work situation, time alone with a book is relegated to the weekends.
2 to go…which I’ll read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2017
Emotional Dead Ends
The truth about his Father is finally revealed. Flinx is not happy with the results of a search which has consumed 13 books. I am truly looking forward to Flinx finally looking for the means to stop the great Evil which consumes universes. He has been boxing himself into a corner with his concern over who his parents were instead of who he actually is. As if his worth was dependent on them. Also his other obsession with are other people worth saving feeds back into what is a person worth. Can anyone person have the right to pass Judgement on another let alone numerous species.
The truth about his Father is finally revealed. Flinx is not happy with the results of a search which has consumed 13 books. I am truly looking forward to Flinx finally looking for the means to stop the great Evil which consumes universes. He has been boxing himself into a corner with his concern over who his parents were instead of who he actually is. As if his worth was dependent on them. Also his other obsession with are other people worth saving feeds back into what is a person worth. Can anyone person have the right to pass Judgement on another let alone numerous species.
January 13, 2023
An ongoing enjoyably story
This is the 13th book in this saga. I started this a few months ago. This is more of an again as I originally started it as a teen and got sidetracked by life. Here, I am back, rereading the old ones and totally enjoying this tale. Flinx (Philip Linx) and his flying mini dragon accel at finding trouble. The ever looming evil that is bent on the destruction of everything doesn't seem to want to go away either. So, it's a fun series to read. The multitude of characters, lifeforms and flora and fauna is enough to cause a pause while reading, where does he come up with these ideas. Would make a great movie, done right.
This is the 13th book in this saga. I started this a few months ago. This is more of an again as I originally started it as a teen and got sidetracked by life. Here, I am back, rereading the old ones and totally enjoying this tale. Flinx (Philip Linx) and his flying mini dragon accel at finding trouble. The ever looming evil that is bent on the destruction of everything doesn't seem to want to go away either. So, it's a fun series to read. The multitude of characters, lifeforms and flora and fauna is enough to cause a pause while reading, where does he come up with these ideas. Would make a great movie, done right.
July 7, 2022
Alan Dean Foster has completely lost his mind. This book was overly packed with a constant barrage of alliterations. We started anticipating them, making a game out of it. The story wasn’t all that great, and does practically nothing to advance the main plot going to through these books. I hope things improve with the next book, but I’m not going to hold my breath. His early books are far better. Midworld remains one of my favorites.
July 20, 2024
Not the greatest Flinx adventure, but still an enjoyable enough read and an answer to questions that have played a part throughout the series. I realized in reading this that I've missed a lot of this character's adventures over the years.
It has been a long time since I read any of Mr. Foster's books, this was a reminder why he used to be a regular in my reading rotation. I really want to go and pick up The Tar-Aiym Krang and read through it once again now
It has been a long time since I read any of Mr. Foster's books, this was a reminder why he used to be a regular in my reading rotation. I really want to go and pick up The Tar-Aiym Krang and read through it once again now
September 20, 2022
Good book. Flinx continues on his journey to save the universe, or at least his small part of it. Another fun-filled adventure with the natives of another world, this one a part of the Commonwealth. More a personal tale of survival, him against nature and criminal kind, he meets a ghost from his past and learns a little more about himself. Still no closer to the great advancing evil.
September 9, 2025
So much fun reading this series. I just realized it is part of a larger Humanx Commonwealth Series. I thought it was just Pip & Flinx. So I need to go back and read missing books. This book is full of tight spots and wonderful alien physionomie (sorry, that is the French word not sure of English). I highly recommend this book.
February 27, 2018
Book 13 finds Pip and Flinx on a back water planet in search of Flinx's possible father, a further distraction from their main quest. Of course answers lead to more question and naturally, mayhem ensues. Check it out.
November 12, 2019
This book was kind of a Cool adventure, Pun intended, I was sad for all the people that seemed to be destroyed just because Flinx came to town, Sort of like a bad Santa, Their songs are going to be dark on that planet. but this was a Good Read, and a must for any Pip and Flinx follower.
January 20, 2019
Flinx ends up on the planet Gestalt in the quest to find his biological father. In his attempt to remain unnoticed, he doesn't use any of his own assets. All to no avail as a local assassin is hired to do away with him. Gestalt is a Commonwealth planet and has adapted many technological advances but still maintains its remoteness due to topography and low population density. PL is nearly killed outright, then twice is forced to on his own with no aid or companion other than Pip, trek through some part of the hostile landscape in order to survive.
March 18, 2019
Probably my least favorite Pip & Flinx book. I love the series, this story was just predictable.
March 4, 2020
Good story, but tended to ramble in the center. Flinx seeks to identify who his father is. Takes him to a cold planet with multiple adventures.
May 28, 2020
Parts of the book drag, but generally enjoyable. New weird aliens, lots of people still out to get Flinx, and s few more hints of his grand purpose
February 19, 2025
Such a great book and an amazing entry in this series. It’s all building up for the conclusion in the next book or two.
August 25, 2024
Once more on a possible lead to find his father, Flinx and Pip travel to a world that has welcome the Commonwealth but there are not large amount of humans or other alien races on this inhabited by dangerous world. Full of interesting creatures, this story is darker than most of the others in this series. Death visits many people Flinx encounters and not just by Pip's lethal venom or Flinx's sometimes erratic powers.
The most striking thing is Flinx's despair. In the book before this in the series, Flinx was disillusioned about humanity and wondered if he should bother spending unknown years of life trying to find the Tar-Aiym Krang that has a minuscule chance of defeating the great evil and missing out on a life with his love. Though most of a planet's inhabitants did little to change his mind there was still a sense of curiosity and a bit of his childhood rebelness were there. He left with some hope. Here it is a constant struggle to survive, death to friendly sentient beings (who in the end disappoint him as well because they have warlike tendencies as do humans) and despondency because of the Meliorate Society's creation of his DNA instead of human parents with some modifications. He's willing to just give up on life itself. But whatever thing he was trying to find from locating his true parents would never give him a purpose. Everyone must find that within himself.
The book is worth the ride for a different species that interprets the world very differently than humans, some adventure, and final, answers of sorts about Flinx's parentage.
The most striking thing is Flinx's despair. In the book before this in the series, Flinx was disillusioned about humanity and wondered if he should bother spending unknown years of life trying to find the Tar-Aiym Krang that has a minuscule chance of defeating the great evil and missing out on a life with his love. Though most of a planet's inhabitants did little to change his mind there was still a sense of curiosity and a bit of his childhood rebelness were there. He left with some hope. Here it is a constant struggle to survive, death to friendly sentient beings (who in the end disappoint him as well because they have warlike tendencies as do humans) and despondency because of the Meliorate Society's creation of his DNA instead of human parents with some modifications. He's willing to just give up on life itself. But whatever thing he was trying to find from locating his true parents would never give him a purpose. Everyone must find that within himself.
The book is worth the ride for a different species that interprets the world very differently than humans, some adventure, and final, answers of sorts about Flinx's parentage.
December 29, 2015
I remember reading Foster's The Tar-Aiym Krang when it was first published. At the time, I thought it was great. It led me to read various other adventures of Pip and Flinx.
Flinx was an orphan gifted with the ability to read other people's emotions. Pip is a flying snake known as a minidrag. The 2 have had many adventures during the last 30 years.
In this book Foster is letting Flinx discover the truth about his father. I picked this one up for that revelation. Unfortunately, either Foster is not as good a writer as he used to be or my tastes have changed since my early teens. Patrimony was a disappointment. It seemed to take forever to get to the end of this 255 page story. It would have been a better story if he had focused on the main story. Instead, we were given many pages of details that were not necessary. The revelation at the end was well done once you get to it.
I do not plan on any more Foster books in the near future. Sometime I might go back and reread Midworld and some of his earlier books. But for now I have enough other authors to read. Alan Dean Foster will remain a favorite from my early years of reading sf but not part of my current must read list.
Flinx was an orphan gifted with the ability to read other people's emotions. Pip is a flying snake known as a minidrag. The 2 have had many adventures during the last 30 years.
In this book Foster is letting Flinx discover the truth about his father. I picked this one up for that revelation. Unfortunately, either Foster is not as good a writer as he used to be or my tastes have changed since my early teens. Patrimony was a disappointment. It seemed to take forever to get to the end of this 255 page story. It would have been a better story if he had focused on the main story. Instead, we were given many pages of details that were not necessary. The revelation at the end was well done once you get to it.
I do not plan on any more Foster books in the near future. Sometime I might go back and reread Midworld and some of his earlier books. But for now I have enough other authors to read. Alan Dean Foster will remain a favorite from my early years of reading sf but not part of my current must read list.
August 15, 2016
Flinx travels to a new world to get answers about his heritage, and along the way learns about a new species and has to survive multiple threats to his life (natural and homicidal). I was not so drawn into another nature survival scenario, and was kind of surprised that Flinx was so surprised with the news he received about his father. I guess his research had not been comprehensive, but rather purposeful. So, he missed certain details, consciously or unconsciously. However, the different entities overseeing his role as key are finally named -- two were pretty obvious, but the third was always vague enough not to be identified. For the next to last book, it continued to be entertaining, and I worried even though I knew Flinx would survive. I also worried about Pip, as it seems these adventures can be hard on her as well.
March 2, 2008
I had to read this because I have long been a follower of Pip(mini dragon) and Flinx(main character) by Alan Dean Foster. In all the books he has been searching for his parents due to being a scientific experiment where he can feel and influence other peoples thoughts. He finally has a lead to who his father is!
Well, it was a long struggle that didn't go far and he finds he is a mix of genetics with not one particular father.
It alludes to the fact that he was created to do "something" grande and life saving to the world. It will definitely be in the next book.
The aliens in the book are always well described and he finds out more about the Tlel.
It was ok, but the others had a deeper and more complex thought. I just didn't feel the energy.
Well, it was a long struggle that didn't go far and he finds he is a mix of genetics with not one particular father.
It alludes to the fact that he was created to do "something" grande and life saving to the world. It will definitely be in the next book.
The aliens in the book are always well described and he finds out more about the Tlel.
It was ok, but the others had a deeper and more complex thought. I just didn't feel the energy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2016
Pretty much entirely worthless. Complete retread of previous books in terms of basic structure. Plot revelations entirely non-shocking. Flinx continues to be effectively a sociopath written as if he were a sympathetic character—we keep being told how good he is, but then his callous disregard for the life of anyone who's opposed to him puts the lie to that description. This book cements for me the idea that this series is written pretty much purely for adolescent boys. Having moved a bit beyond that, at least in years and hopefully in insight, it's not really doing much for me anymore. Still sufficiently interested in seeing how he wraps it up to read the last one, but not really looking forward to it.
March 22, 2012
I have been reading Flinx and Pip since late grade school. I feel like I have grown up with this series, and so I have been putting off reading the final two in the series.
Patrimony was well done. As always, Alan Dean Foster created an interesting world with detailed native species.
Flinx is continuing his quest to find his father, and he runs into all sorts of obstacles along the way - partly due to a pesky bounty hunter and partly due to the weather and omnivorous predators. Pip saves his ass more than once.
The ending was intense and satisfying.
Patrimony was well done. As always, Alan Dean Foster created an interesting world with detailed native species.
Flinx is continuing his quest to find his father, and he runs into all sorts of obstacles along the way - partly due to a pesky bounty hunter and partly due to the weather and omnivorous predators. Pip saves his ass more than once.
The ending was intense and satisfying.
July 31, 2014
This episode seems a return to grand space opera form like the early books in the series and is by far better than the previous faux-West Side Story volume. Herein is yet another enjoyable example of exotic world building, the main reason I'm following the series. Along the way some questions that have been haunting the hero and the readers for decades are finally answered - but not all! There is yet one more volume. In a way, I'm glad. I was a teen when the series started and now I am middle-aged. It is about time to wrap this thing up.
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