Strange Attractors

The second installment in the Chaos Chronicles dispatches genetically altered earthling John Bandicut to a massive planet-like place called Shipworld to help the alien Ik find his friend. In lieu of a preface, John's history and earlier adventures are revealed via one of Carver's several futuristic beings--a chaos-manipulating Quarx that lives inside the protagonist's head. Readers, too, might hope for the Quarx's clarifying assistance: characters' motivations are somewhat hazy here--Why must John battle Shipworld's malevolent elements? What is Ik's secret agenda?--and an assortment of odd keystrokes that supposedly identify the speakers in a series of inner and outer voices proves confusing. Also, Carver is slow to deliver on his implicit promise to deliver hard science. Still, his story is capably told, with welcome infusions of humor periodically bolstering the complex narrative. (Mar.)