Amazon.co.uk Review
The premise is this-just weeks before the planet Deepsix will be destroyed by a collision with a gas giant, ruins are detected on its surface, suggesting the presence of civilisation. The Academy diverts scientists from the nearest spaceship to go down and explore, and they are joined by their century's Ellsworth Toohey: a misogynistic, sanctimonious gadfly who has never before been off of Earth's surface. The party's landers are destroyed in an earthquake induced by the approaching gas giant, so now they must find a way to get off Deepsix before it is destroyed by the collision. Needless to say, their excavations are placed on the back burner.
The science and technology, both the physics describing the space travel and the archaeology used to reconstruct the lost culture of Deepsix, are interesting and explained well. There is plenty of action and suspense-will the party survive? And the evolving characters and group dynamics are more complex than those usually found in science fiction books, making Deepsix a worthwhile read. --Diana Gitig, Amazon.com
Review
Praise for McDevitt:
‘Jack McDevitt is that splendid rarity… a storyteller first and a science fiction writer second. In his ability to absolutely rivet the reader, he is the logical heir to Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke… . Snatch this baby up, all right? You’re going to love it even if you think you don’t like science fiction. You might even want to drop me a thank-you note for the tip before racing out to your local bookstore to pick up the Jack McDevitt backlist’ STEPHEN KING
Product Description
The blistering sequel to McDevitt’s most successful novel THE ENGINES OF GOD.
It should have been a straightforward exercise; but they were reckoning without mechanical failures, earthquakes and hostile indigenous species.
It’s 2225. Mankind has reached the outskirts of the universe, and discovered evidence of intelligent life on dozens of planets. Nothing still alive, but some amazing archaeological remains. On the distant planet Maleiva III, known colloquially as Deepsix (it’s about to be wiped out by a rogue gas giant, the Jerry Morgan) they’ve found traces of an ancient civilization. With two weeks to go before the gas giant destroys the planet, a team of crack archaeologists lands on the surface to record and salvage as much of this ancient civilzation as they can.
Suddenly, the team is stranded there with no means of getting off it. With the Jerry Morgan bearing down on them day by day, survival is going to require some ingenuity…
From the Back Cover
It should have been a straightforward exercise; but they were reckoning without mechanical failures, earthquakes and hostile indigenous species.
It’s 2225. Mankind has reached the outskirts of the universe, and discovered evidence of intelligent life on dozens of planets. Nothing still alive, but some amazing archaeological remains. On the distant planet Maleiva III, known colloquially as Deepsix (it’s about to be wiped out by a rogue gas giant, the Jerry Morgan) they’ve found traces of an ancient civilization. With two weeks to go before the gas giant destroys the planet, a team of crack archaeologists lands on the surface to record and salvage as much of this ancient civilzation as they can.
Suddenly, the team is stranded there with no means of getting off it. With the Jerry Morgan bearing down on them day by day, survival is going to require some ingenuity…
About the Author
Jack McDevitt is widely regarded by his fellow professionals as one of the finest sf writers working in the USA. His previous novels include Ancient Shores, Moonfall and the highly acclaimed The Engines of God. He has served as an officer in the US Navy, taught English and literature, and worked for the US Customs Service. He currently lives in Georgia, USA.
