Cyber Way

The New York Times–bestselling author creates “a fascinating amalgam of sf/detective fiction and Native American lore” (Library Journal). A wealthy industrialist and folk art collector is murdered in his home and left beneath where a painting had been hanging. But theft is not the motive. The artwork—a Navajo sandpainting—has been completed pulverized. And no blood was found at the scene. Assigned to the case is bulldog detective Vernon Moody—sent to Arizona to investigate. It’s an unfamiliar environment for the born-and-bred southerner: dry air, altitude, and a booming economy spurred by high-tech manufacturing on the reservations. Still ancient superstitions linger, suggesting a motive for the crime. There is magic in traditional sandpaintings—a power that, when paired with technology, could unleash forces beyond human control . . .Praise for Alan Dean Foster “A master storyteller.” —SF Site “One of the most consistently and fertile writers of science fiction and fantasy.” —The Times (London)

From Publishers Weekly

Foster's ( Glory Lane ) talent for taking intellectual leaps into the near future is again evinced in this SF murder mystery that hinges on an understanding of ancient Navajo culture, the art of sandpainting and the secret medicine rituals known as Ways. The title alludes to the novel's central puzzle: Why was an industrialist killed, and the unusual, oddly designed sandpainting in his primitive art collection destroyed? Foster characteristically domesticates an incredible plot through the creation of commonplace heroes--in this case, an overweight police detective named Vernon Moody, whose deceptively sluggish appearance masks the determination to unravel a crime. Foster makes good use of his locales--the upper-class enclaves of Tampa, Fla., and the dry flats of Arizona's Navajo country. And although he isn't much of a stylist--the pace lags and sentences often have a stilted quality--he plays off technology and Native American tradition in a clever story. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The murder of a businessman/art collector and the destruction of a priceless Navaho sand painting involve reluctant detective Vernon Moody in a collision of cultures as computer technology and shamanistic mysticism open a path into an unfamiliar dimension. Known for his film novelizations as well as for his original sf and fantasy, Foster creates a fascinating amalgam of sf/detective fiction and Native American lore in a novel that features a pair of engagingly mismatched protagonists. This will be welcome in most sf collections.Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Alan Dean Foster is the New York Times bestselling author of dozens of science fiction and fantasy novels, including most recently, Jed the Dead.

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