Manta's Gift, by Timothy Zahn

I had originally passed over Manta's Gift in my browsing at the library. The description of the book didn't really do anything for me. After reading some of Zahn's other novels, though, I went back to this one to give it a try.

The basic plot revolves around the idea that a human can be genetically combined with creatures who live in Jupiter's atmosphere. You pretty much just have to accept this proposition...it's a plot device that isn't explained even in psuedo-science terms.

Okay, so once you get past that, you now have two threads of plot going on. One is with Manta, the human turned Qanska (the creatures who live in Jupiter's atmosphere) and his attempts to adjust to Qanska society. The other is with the humans aboard Jupiter Prime, a space station orbiting Jupiter.

Manta's Gift is more than a bit cliched. You have the well-meaning project directory, overruled by the insensitive and amoral governmental representative. You have the shallow human turned Qanska who ends up solving the greatest threat the Qanskan people have ever encountered.

Overall, the book is enjoyable, but it doesn't have the outright fun and originality that I've come to expect from other Zahn novels (such as Spinneret).