The Dragon's Eye

The setup for The Dragon's Eye is intriguing: the fifth habitable planet to be colonized by humans was not all that habitable; it lacked an abundance of natural resources, and its second sun beamed down poisonous ultraviolet rays causing burns and blindness. Overpopulated China was the only nation desperate enough to take on the challenge--and the debt--of colonizing it. Over a hundred years later, secret agent Tanner arrives on New China on assignment to the European Enclave. He's got a couple of days to soak up information on local habits, politics, and personalities--then he disguises himself as Chinese and embarks on his mission to the interior with Hamakawa, a jaded Japanese agent. Along the way, they pick up Qingling, a New Chinese woman who falls for Tanner.

The Dragon's Eye is the first of French-Canadian Joel Champetier's novels to be translated into English. It starts off well, but in its quest to be both science fiction and political thriller it does justice to neither. The science fiction aspect could delve more into the cultural changes of the New Chinese and interactions with the Terrans who settle there. The hapless Tanner, Hamakawa, and Qingling can't quite hold our interest as characters in a better-plotted thriller would. Tanner's struggles with his biological disguise are interesting, but his character development isn't convincing.

While one can imagine The Dragon's Eye as better SF or better espionage, Champetier's New China and its political intrigue may be worth a look for those who like their SF with some action mixed in. --Bonnie Bouman