Children — Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Dr. Justin Schafer travels to the Bountiful colony to investigate a series of brutal murders. The colonists blame the Dancers, an alien species the colony relies on for its livelihood. But the more Schafer investigates, the more complicated the case seems. He begins to wonder if his past mistakes-mistakes that led to genocide-will color his judgment. And he begins to suspect that the reasons for the unthinkable murders will shock everyone involved.

“Dancers Like Children” appears in a different form in the novel Alien Influences, which was a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award.

“A well-conceived, well-executed novel.”
-The New York Times Book Review on Alien Influences

“Rusch isn't here on this Earth to hand out easy answers. Alien Influences is, like all her work, memorable, enthralling, and just a touch frustrating; there are always more questions after the final page.”
-SF Site

“[Rusch]'s examination of the heights and depths of the human spirit is what engages and ultimately satisfies.”
-Publisher's Weekly on Alien Influences

USA Today bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes in almost every genre. Generally, she uses her real name (Rusch) for most of her writing. Under that name, she publishes bestselling science fiction and fantasy, award-winning mysteries, acclaimed mainstream fiction, controversial nonfiction, and the occasional romance. Her novels have made bestseller lists around the world and her short fiction has appeared in eighteen best of the year collections. She has won more than twenty-five awards for her fiction, including the Hugo, Le Prix Imaginales, the Asimov's Readers Choice award, and the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Choice Award.
To keep up with everything she does, go to kriswrites.com. To track her many pen names and series, see their individual websites (krisnelscott.com, kristinegrayson.com, krisdelake.com, retrievalartist.com, divingintothewreck.com, fictionriver.com). She lives and occasionally sleeps in Oregon.