Julian May is noted for her two long, complex and interlinked science-fantasy sagas, the "Pliocene Exile" and "Galactic Milieu" series. Perseus Spur opens the more light-hearted "Rampart Worlds" sequence, full of colourful planetary descriptions and slam-bang action. This future galaxy is dominated by Earth"s megacorporations, which have carved up space between them. The hero, who fought corporate corruption, has been framed and discredited. But not forgotten, as shown by bizarre murder attempts: a giant alien sea-toad gobbles his house and soon he"s staked out to die on a lonely comet. With help from his eccentric friends and estranged family of entrepreneurs, he sets off like James Bond to smash an ugly galactic conspiracy of companies treacherously selling human secrets--including our DNA--to hostile aliens. Like Bond, he"s repeatedly captured by the same bad guy and barely survives awful fates. Negotiating exotic, deadly jungles, he must penetrate a fortified enemy cave complex then escape before the inevitable time bomb blows everything to hell. Will he nobble the villain and get the girl? Need you ask? Fast-moving, tongue-in-cheek adventure, with sequels to come. --David Langford