No, this book has nothing to do with Cameron’s more widely-known movie, although critics
have noted a similarity between the movie and an earlier Anderson story, “Call Me Joe.”
As for
The Avatar, it’s a political story of time-space portals (Tipler cylinders
known in the book as T-machines) left behind by the “Others.” Wealthy Daniel Broderson
wants to use results of a portal exploration team for the benefit of all mankind, while the
authoritarian leaders of Earth thinks that mankind isn’t ready for the full truth.
The
title avatar of Anderson’s book is present as one of the portal exploration team members
right from the start of the goings-on, but the name avatar isn’t used until the
conclusion of the book—and the meaning of the word is the one that predates our modern
digital view.
For us, approximately eight Terrestrial years have passed. It turns out that the
T-machine is indeed a time machine of sorts, as well as a space transporter. The
Betans—the beings whom we followed—calculated our course to bring us out near the
date when we left.