Twillinger's Voyage
Book Review Copyright 04/25/01 by J. Ewbank, 1150 Woods Road, Southampton, PA 18966
TWILLINGER'S VOYAGE, by Daniel Turner, a science fiction novel, ISBN 185072 2595
Sessions of York, UK, Ebon Press, 403 pp, paperback, 11 illustrations, $25.00 Pendle Hill, FGC
As the 23rd Century approaches, many of the complications of government remain much the same notwithstanding the development of several cities on the moon and other technological advances. When his buddy Chin Lee is accidentally killed, space rigger Jerry Twillinger feels that an appropriate burial would be better than the sewage processing favored by his boss. In trying to bury the corpse on an asteroid, Jerry stumbles onto a Zini culture which has been space-travelling for 40,000 years.
The Zinis stressed individual responsibility so effectively that voluntarism and individual freedom thrived with minimized governmental coercion. The upper classes are not hereditary, but volunteered for by individuals risking servant leadership, analogous to the servant leadership promoted by the Greenleaf Center. Gigantic projects are administered by committees using consensus for decision-making. Individuals volunteer for such responsibilities, which are somewhat analogous to "grades" in civil service. Such a group is not hereditary. The author designates the leadership group as a "caste" possibly because he attended high school in Bombay, India. Jerry studied diligently for three years to complete the Zini nursery and high schools to qualify as an operator of a lunch stand. He enjoyed being the one person lunch server more than any previous vocational activity. Having demonstrated his willingness to fully participate in the Zini culture, he was given greater responsibilities for coping with the clashes with the militaristic governments on earth. Tranquilizers and espionage help the Zinis to achieve a treaty granting equal rights to all galactic civilizations.
This novel guides the reader to imagine a technological society seeking sustainable justice by providing a level playing field for all children and with minimized privilege due to accidents of birth. Useful tidbits of reliable information about thermodynamics, relativity, evolution, neurology, and biospheres fascinate readers who enjoy Science News.
The eleven pages of illustrations guide the reader to comprehend how 200,000 intelligent Zini live in a rotating cylinder in a structure looking like an asteroid. Those who have read TWILLINGER'S VOYAGE have an enthusiasm for it which offers potentialities for fan clubs and discussion groups.
The world is endangered less by the pollution explosion than by the cynicism explosion. Readers of TWILLINGER'S VOYAGE can join the ranks of the pragmatic cautious optimists who have experienced enough spirituality to hope that the combination of intelligent reform of society, spontaneous order, and future randomness will bring intelligent cultures closer to widespread freedom for individuals and the voluntarism attributable to individual responsibility.
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