The Other

In this futuristic adventure, Hughes (Black Brillion) explores a world in which conformity has replaced diversity, with stifling results. Luff Imbry, a renowned forger, black market dealer, and gourmet, is kidnapped and stranded on the remote planet of Fulda. With his appearance and ignorance making it impossible for him to blend in, Luff finds refuge with a group of traveling performers. All he wants to do is get off-planet, get a decent meal, and take revenge on whoever did this to him. Instead, he has to dodge murderous locals as he stumbles into the mystery of Fulda’s past. To go home, he may have to change the planet’s society beyond recognition. Hughes constructs a solid story around Luff’s fish-out-of-water dilemma, though it suffers a little from uneven flow of information and old-fashioned, overblown writing. (Nov.)