Book Review: Crossover

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Crossover     Amazon US TPB Amazon Canada TPB
Joel Shepherd
Class/Genre:   Science Fiction   Woman Main Character
Series: Cassandra Kresnov # 1
PYR, Aug 2006, $15.00

Mankind has spread across the galaxies and is divided into two different groups. The League is where the visionaries, who are constantly on the cutting edge of science, live. The Federation which is more conservative went to war against the League over biotech laboratory work. The less populated League created GI androids to augment their human soldiers.

Cassandra “Sandy” Kresnov is a new prototype android GI. Over time she becomes sentient in a world that refuses to recognize her rights after the hostilities end. She leaves the League to reside on the Federation world of Calley where Sandy tries to act human, but is caught and jailed for her actions. However, when she saves the president’s life that act insures she becomes a citizen and a soldier in the planet’s war against adversaries who wants her back as a deadly machine.

CROSSOVER is an amazing tale that focuses on what is sentient intelligence and how does that make one human. Readers will ponder whether an essence that can create, think and feel but was manufactured not born can be classified as having a spirit. Readers will adore Sandy who seems more human than many purebreds as she takes nothing for granted. Joel Shepherd following in the footsteps of Phillip K. Dick provides a penetrating science fiction tale in which Johnny Five is alive in space.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner