I did not get this book when it first came out, but I remembered liking the premise. Although I had read numerous books detailing mind transfers to computers since that time, the cover image stuck in my mind. After getting some help remembering the title (thank my friends at SFFWorld.com, I was able to track down a used copy.

The story harkens back to the early days of Niven in style and imagination, maybe handled a little better. I will admit that the premise of a person loving his space ship so much that upon seeing it destroyed (mistakenly) they leave their body to bond with and save it was a little weak. However, the interactions of the characters were otherwise quite engaging.

In addition, the story reads as a mystery novel. The lead characters are sent on a mission to make contact with an implacable alien enemy that defies known logic. The scenes on the alien homeworld had me rapidly turning pages to find out the next twist. If you like a good sci-fi mystery then you will enjoy this book. ( )

Penard has returned with his ship but his body hasn't, some experimentation later because this could be a way of exploration, the experiments make the experimenters learn a lot about themselves and how their minds work. ( )