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The planet called Dendra seemed too good to be true. One vast forest world, marvelous climate, few dangerous beasts, a balanced hospitable ecology all should have spelled out a good place for a human colony.

But the original survey team had registered doubts, listed it as borderline without further explanation. Nevertheless the politicians had okayed it and a colony had been landed there... and a hundred and fifty Earthly years had passed without anyone hearing from it.

Now the recontact vessel Daedalus was coming to check up and they found the climate as marvelous as before, the forest green and friendly, and the colony an inexplicable disaster. There was a biological and psychological puzzle that had to be solved for the sake of all human worlds and for the crew of the Daedalus it was either crack it or crack up.

Cover by Douglas Beekman

Published in 1977 by DAW.
ISBN:0-87997-282-3

The planet Dendra seemed too good to be true. One vast forest world, marvellous climate, few dangerous beasts, a balanced and hospitable ecology all should have signified a good place for a human colony.

But the original survey team had registered doubts; they had listed it as borderline without further explanation. Nevertheless the politicians had approved it, a colony had been landed there... and a hundred and fifty years had passed without anyone hearing from it.

Now the Deadalus was coming to check up, and to re-establish contact. Its crew found the climate as marvellous as before, the forest green and friendly and the colony an inexplicable disaster. There was a biological and psychological puzzle that had to be solved for the sake of all human worlds...

Cover art by Tim White

Published in 1979 by Hamlyn.
ISBN:0-600-32041-3

Review by Ian Braidwood

Cast of Charcters:
Alexis Alexander, Cpt Peter Rolving, Linda Beck, Karen Karelia, Nathan Parrick, Conrad Silvian, Marial Valory.

The contrast with Floria couldn't be starker: the apparently idyllic Dendra has turned into a disaster area. The initial survey of the planet had put Dendra down as marginal; they were unwilling to sanction the colony, but unable to articulate their misgivings. The crew of the Daedalus find not a thriving colony, but a ragged band of illiterate degenerates, living in a state of constant desperation within a walled compound.

What could possibly have wiped out what seemed to be a prosperous settlement? This is the mystery facing the crew and an important one; you can learn more from mistakes than when things go exactly to plan. So once the situation within the compound has been established, Alexis sets off to explore with Karen and Mariel.

Mariel is the most interesting of the Daedalus crew. A shy and seemingly vulnerable girl in her mid teens, she has a talent for assessing the emotional states of others. The exact nature of this ability is not explained, but certainly picking up nuances in people's facial expressions is part of the mechanism. Alexis, who considers himself a private person, is intimidated by Mariel's talent and doesn't want to take the responsibility for someone so young; however, Mariel finds contact with the Dendrans distressing and needs to get away from the stockade. Critical Threshold allows Alexis and Mariel to reach some sort of understanding.

One of the themes unique to this book are positive feedback loops - hence the title - and how they can reinforce certain processes. The failure of the colony is partly explained by its members failing to establish such a process and the answer to this particular puzzle hangs upon it.

A strong and fitting follow up to The Florians, this book was my favourite Daedalus novel the first time around.

The Brian Stableford Website