Summary ...

An unknown alien force able to traverse time, space, and dimension enlists five strangers for a secret mission. Tempted by big money and adventure, the group undergoes a process which places the, out of phase with the physical earth, enabling them to embark upon a long journey across the bottom of the sea their objective unknown.

Archaeologist Don Kestle and his fellow travelers find much more beneath the sea than they bargained for. Challenged by rough terrain and a tight schedule, their skills are pushed to the limit while their speculation on the secret purpose of their mission intensifies...

As they surmount one obstacle after another, the five disparate individuals become united as a team just in time to confront their real mission...

Story Synopsis ...

A discreet advertisement brings a group of apparently disparate individuals together to a bizarre rendezvous--on the ocean floor.

The reasons for their selection are unclear; Don, an archaeoloist, chronically shy, Gaspar, marine biologist, suffering from terminal directness, middle-aged Pacifica, and Melanie, whose normal exterior masks a strange genetic inheritence, seem, on the face of it, to have little in common--except their feeling that they are part of a greater plan ... a feeling that grows as they embark on their strange odyssey across the bed of the ocean ...

For the underwater explorers, the mystery of being out of phase with the world above water is heightened by that surrounding the mysterious Eleph--a mystery which is ultimately revealed to be more significant and bewildering than they could ever have imagined ...

By the bestselling author of the Mode series--a magical, fantastic journey from the master of the genre.

Piers Anthony does it again with this modern day 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

An unknown alien force able to traverse time, space, and dimension enlists five strangers for a secret mission. Tempted by big money and adventure, the group undergoes a process which places them out of phase with the physical earth, enabling them to embark upon a long journey across the bottom of the sea--their objective unknown.

Archaeologist Don Kestle and his fellow travelers find much more beneath the sea than they bargained for. Challenged by rough terrain and a tight schedule, their skills are pushed to the limit while their speculation on the secret mission intensifies.

As they surmount one obstacle after another, the five disparate individuals become united as a team just in time to confront their real mission...

Author Information ...

Piers Anthony was born in England and later naturalized in America in 1958. He sold his first science fiction story in 1962 and his first novel four years later. Among his many books have been no fewer than twenty-two different best-sellers. Mercycle is Anthony's 86th published book.

Piers Anthony has been nominated for numerous Hugo and Nebula Awards and is the winner of the British Fantasy Award.

Notes ...

Piers wrote Mercycle in 1971 and could not sell it. It was one of eight unsold novels he had at the time. Later Piers did a full revision of the novel, revamping both the characters and the plot, and adding about 25,000 words. Finally after 20 years it was placed with a publisher.

Originally the character Melanie was named Melody, but since Piers had re-used that name in the second Cluster series book, Chaining the Lady, he changed it to Melanie. Or course, Piers re-used Melody again in the Xanth series. Melody is one of the triplet princesses and the main heroine in the latest Xanth novel, The Dastard.

Chapters ...

The following chapter list refers to the Ace Paperback Edition publication of Mercycle.