YOUNG BLEYS is the newest volume in Gordon R. Dickson's masterpiece, "The Childe Cycle," a future history that has been thrilling readers for more than three decades.

By the workings of chance Bleys Ahrens was born the genetic equal of Hal Mayne, the hero of The Final Encyclopedia, but he was destined by nurture to a far different fate.  Raised alone by his unhappy Exotic mother, Bleys was an outcast from every society until his half-brother Dahno claimed him.

Disciplined by Friendlies, schooled by Exotics, Dahno was beginning to build an interplanetary network of half-breeds, who called themselves "Others."  But Dahno thought only of gaining wealth and power for himself; Bleys saw an opppor-tunity to challenge the Dorsai for control of the Human Worlds.

'Good morning. We're doomed. Would you like a cup of tea?'

On the far side of a break in the fabric of space is the planet Zamper, home of a secretive organization that constructs and sells the mightiest warships in the galaxy. It is to Zamper that the last warriors of the fallen Chelonian Empire have come in a final attempt to restore their race's glory.

Separated from the TARDIS, the Doctor and his companions are intrigued by the bizarre operations on Zamper. Why are accidents and power failures afflicting the planet? What is the true agenda of the mysterious Management? And what are the strange powers of the alien shipbuilders?

'You've decided to concentrate on deriving energy from the kinetic force of planetary movement...'

A glib remark from the Doctor to a desperate scientist has had far-reaching effects on the empire of Morestra.  Eminent Morestran scientist Sorenson, attempting to find a new power source for his planet, risked a universal catastrophe by attempting to steal anti-matter crystals from the distant planet Zeta Minor.  The Doctor averted disaster, but has in effect sent all Morestra up a technological cul-de-sac.

Now in his fifth regeneration, the Doctor becomes involved once again in Morestra's future.  The empire has become a theocracy, and the all-powerful Church, finally discovering that Sorenson's world-spanning energy tower will never work, is attempting to save face by covertly returning to Zeta Minor to steal the powerful minerals they need.  This time, they believe they are prepared for all eventualities...

With his companions embroiled in ever-shifting loyalties and intrigues of the Morestran court, only the Doctor accepts that the forces of the anti-matter universe can never interact with our own.  Can he stop something he started two thousand years ago?