That might be my favorite part of these books. Rusch's approach to incorporating non-humans in her work resonates with that of the inclusion of the Phneri in the Future Boston project. In Buried Deep, Rusch provides one of the most interesting and in-depth portrayal of an alien society -- without giving you much to go on in terms of describing what the aliens look like. That's most writers' first approach -- to differentiate aliens based on their physicality -- and she avoids it entirely.
The Disappeared isn't as mysterious in portraying its aliens -- the Rev and the Wygnin are much more detailed -- perhaps because the Disty have been adequately described in earlier works... yet their physical, cultural, and societal descriptions are rich and worth considering. Rusch's aliens are more alien than most, and that's welcome. In addition to combining two alien races, she weaves two related plotlines, which connect well in the end and propel the protagonists forward into future narratives.
The characters are excellently portrayed. Their personal stories are worth following. The situations and intrigues they find themselves involved in -- and are trying to get out of -- are awesome. And the Earth-Moon-Mars world that surrounds them is very, very cool. One of my favorite new discoveries in terms of authors -- and what might be one of the best science-fiction series I've encountered.
Make a new year's resolution: Read these books.
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