At the Aya School, human children learn alien culture in a completely restricted environment to enable them to compete in the politics and economy of an alien-influenced Earth. The finest student of the school is the child of wealthy parents and a member of the Fine Hunt circuit--an outgrowth of traditional horse racing where bio-engineered horses are controlled by "riders" linked to electronic interfaces. As one of the up-and-coming "riders," the student is lured into the seedier world of the Claw Hunt, and discovers what the Aya aliens have really been teaching!

• In the tradition of Sheri S. Tepper, Melissa Scott, and Connie Willis • Polymorph has been optioned for a TV movie