Dreams of an Unseen Planet

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Synopsis

Three colony ships arrive on Gaea to find their presence has triggered the production of a red particulate atmospheric haze, rendering the surface uninhabitable & cutting off communication with Earth. Six years later, they're in desperate trouble. Aboard the American vessel, the birthrate has fallen to zero, the hydroponic crops are failing; sexual tensions rise as Estros--a last-gasp attempt to stimulate mass pregnancies--approaches. Timid hydroponics expert Micra suspects that the technicians have formed some sort of cabal. A delegation from the Chinese vessel pays a visit: telepathic spy Odile tells Micra that the Chinese, hoping to capture the Russian ship, caused a plague that has wiped out everyone aboard. Miera, influenced by an experimental drug prescribed by her psychiatrist to control her nightmarish "red" dreams, finally becomes sensitized to Gaea-influence: the planet is apparently a protoconscious entity; Miera's red dreams are the result of Gaea's contact attempts. Soon the cabal members, also telepathic, become sensitized to Gaea too. Then, after a visit to plagueridden Earth, Micra returns convinced that the colony must stay on Gaea & make the best of it: an opinion bolstered by the fact that those sensitized to Gaea are once more fully fertile. A dreamy, extraordinarily sensual debut, with well-handled telepathy notions, but few signs of originality & a plot that doesn't hold water. Indications of talent are, overall, fairly encouraging.--Kirkus (edited)