PartnerShip Author:Anne McCaffrey, Margaret Ball "PartnerShip" is the second book in the Brainship Series that was begun by Anne McCaffrey in the short stories that were collected under the title "The Ship That Sang." But this second book is a novel rather than a short story collection, tells the story of a new shellperson, and is co-written by McCaffrey with Margaret Ball (they also collabora... more »ted on the Acorna boks). Readers of the first book might be disappointed that this "sequel" is not about Helva, but the idea of brainships lends itself to new characters and if you have read McCaffrey's Pern and/or Talent series then you know she likes to tell new stories about new characters more than she does finding new tales for familiar (and even beloved) ones.
Nancia Perez y des Gras was an aristocrat, a member of one of the High Families, who was born with grave physical disabilities that required her human body to be encased in a massive titanium column that provided a direct link between her mind and the computer of her ship, XN-935. Nancia never would have survived without the complex life-support system the shell provided and which also allowed her to have a career as a new brainship for the Courier Service. Although she has been well trained, Nancia is not ready for dealing with the five "ordinary" human beings who are her passengers on her first voyage.« less