Helva had been born human, but only her brain had been saved—saved to be schooled, programmed, and implanted into the sleek titanium body of an intergalactic scout ship. But first she had to choose a human partner—male or female—to share her exhilirating excapades in space!Her life was to be rich and rewarding . . . resplendent with daring adventures and endless excitement, beyond the wildest … wildest dreams of mere mortals.
Gifted with the voice of an angel and being virtually indestructable, Helva XH-834 antipitated a sublime immortality.
Then one day she fell in love!
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Really good universe and characters.
Beautiful
This is the best of her novels.
You cannot go wrong with Anne McCaffrey!
I read this years ago, and I loved her characters — human, but not human, with their own view of a very different kind of life and freedom. I wanted to read more of these stories, in this universe, but Anne said she had written all the stories she needed to in this universe. So we have to be content with what there are.
A very good story about a world where the severely handicapped or hurt are made into cyborgs, often linked into spaceships. Actually a series of short stories about the same character. Related to several other books in the same universe.
i love this author. i read this book spme time ago. i’ve read the whole brain-ship series…just wish there were more. read ’em while you can; sometmes the books go away and then you can’t find them, not even at ABE’s
Interesting concept
What a wonderfully unique vision of the future. Definitely a fan.
This was a very interesting book to read.
It was packed full of adventure and a lot of wonderful characters. Very good to follow and is a great start to a series
This was one of my favorite books when I found the genre of Science Fantasy. It gave me a brainy heroine at a time when I was getting criticism for being a brainiac rather than pursuing a Mrs.
This was the first book I ever read by Anne McCaffrey. I read it in high school when it first came out, and it made me a lifelong fan. Helga was born with massive physical deformities which would have prevented her from having a meaningful life. Instead, she undergoes treatments and is sealed in a capsule which is connected to a spaceship which she runs as a flesh and blood computerz– the ship is her body, and she is its brain, living among the stars. She learned to sing, and can make her voice anything from.a bass to a clear, lovely soprano.
A brainship like Helga is always partnered with a human. In many ways, it is a marriage. The book is the story of how Helga finds her partner, visiting some fascinating alien cultures along the way and working with some interesting people along the way.
As always with the author, the world-building and concepts are fascinating, the characters well-drawn and believable, and the storytelling masterful. There isn’t a better way to spend time than with Helga.
This author is another of my favorites. I have read a lot of her books and I enjoyed all of them. I have not one complaint. I was entertained.
Who doesn’t enjoy a brain & brawn combo? Sc-fi at it’s most entertaining.
One-of my favorite books! Read it many years ago & it stays on my favorites list.
Very original. Writing style is easy to follow and get it.
An old favorite!
If you like Sci-fi, you will love it.
Can’t go wrong with a McCaffery book.
Helga is the original ship person in MacCaffrey’s world. It is still my favorite. The concept was so twisted that they would do that to small children. The relationship that built between the ship and the pilot was beautiful and the fact that they found a way to be together was beautiful. Leave it to Anne!