- Paperback: 560 pages
- Publisher: Voyager; New Ed edition (4 July 2011)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0006483968
- ISBN-13: 978-0006483960
- Product Dimensions: 17.4 x 10.6 x 4.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 832,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Jack McDevitt's debut novel was The Hercules Text in 1986; since then he has published further thoughtful science fiction and the disaster blockbuster Moonfall
Slow Lightning comes with an enthusiastic plug from Stephen King, but is still straight sci-fi, exploring the ever-fascinating theme of alien contact and whether the universe is as empty as it seems.
It's early in the 31st century, life is good, humanity has reached the stars, there are thriving colonies on other worlds and the long, unsuccessful search for alien neighbours is faltering. The last hope, detonating suns as message beacons, is surrounded by both controversy and apathy. Perhaps we have reached our limits and are going into retreat?
But 27 years earlier--as indicated in the prologue--something extraordinary happened, since very carefully covered up. Everyone who returned from a four-person interstellar mission is dead or vanished, leaving only abandoned houses, rumours of ghosts and a model spacecraft of unfamiliar design. McDevitt's attractive heroine Dr Kim Brandywine scents something profoundly odd, and stubbornly investigates even though repeatedly told to stop making waves or lose her job as a fund-raiser for big science. She is enjoyably resourceful, finding talents for trespass, disguise, impersonation, fraud and burglary as she follows a trail leading to a bizarre massacre and to the star Alnitak--where contact with the unknown was shockingly but very humanly bungled.
Despite hair-raising sequences in which Brandywine barely escapes with her life, she still presses on to a satisfying resolution. This is a solid sci-fi thriller with realistic underpinnings. --David Langford
Amazon.co.uk Review
Jack McDevitt's debut novel was The Hercules Text in 1986; since then he has published further thoughtful SF and the disaster blockbuster Moonfall (1998). Slow Lightning comes with an enthusiastic plug from Stephen King, but is still straight SF, exploring the ever-fascinating theme of alien contact and whether the universe is as empty as it seems.
It's early in the 31st century, life is good, humanity has reached the stars, there are thriving colonies on other worlds and the long, unsuccessful search for alien neighbours is faltering. The last hope, detonating suns as message beacons, is surrounded by both controversy and apathy. Perhaps we have reached our limits and are going into retreat?
But 27 years earlier--as indicated in the prologue--something extraordinary happened, since very carefully covered up. Everyone who returned from a four-person interstellar mission is dead or vanished, leaving only abandoned houses, rumours of ghosts and a model spacecraft of unfamiliar design. McDevitt's attractive heroine Dr Kim Brandywine scents something profoundly odd, and stubbornly investigates even though repeatedly told to stop making waves or lose her job as a fund-raiser for big science. She is enjoyably resourceful, finding talents for trespass, disguise, impersonation, fraud and burglary as she follows a trail leading to a bizarre massacre and to the star Alnitak--where contact with the unknown was shockingly but very humanly bungled.
Despite hair-raising sequences in which Brandywine barely escapes with her life, she still presses on to a satisfying resolution. A solid SF thriller with realistic underpinnings. Recommended. --David Langford --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Reasonable thriller, just take care not to buy if if you have already read infinity beach as it is the same novel with a different title for the uk
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There is a certain flavour to McDevitt's books that I find attractive. There is little that is new in Slow Lightning and it is sometimes a little laboured, but it constantly kept me wanting to know what lay just around the corner. I think he scratches where most (moderately) hard sf fans itch.
This *is* an adventure - almost a who-dun-it - with a few surprises along the way. However, it is not generally the fast-action type and does a fair amount of exploring human motives along the way. Like his earlier books, there are a few rather large jumps of coincidence to swallow along the way. Still highly enjoyable though.
You will not be raving about this but, if you like e.g. Niven, Bear, Brin, then I think you will enjoy this too. However, I didn't think it was as good as the Engines of God.
Format:Paperback
I recently bought and read every Jack McDevitt book I could get my hands on whilst on a lazy holiday. I feel I know the universe that he creates quite well and, given a little variation between book series, this one remains very constant and familiar. I don't think this comes anywhere near being his best, but it is an enjoyable read. There is a bit of a murder-mystery in there and rather more alien-contact than in most (normally it's all old relics and civilisations seperated by centuries). If you are familiar with J McDevitt's books, this will not disappoint.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Tear the book in half
Interesting yet extremely slow with heavy meandering but nevertheless a decent read. Personally, I do not skim read books but had to with this one. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Behemoth
A fine piece of Science fiction
After a long break this is the first book in this genre I have read in a while, and it reminded me of what I was missing. Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2007 by Mark Mewell
agonisingly slow lightning
this book started slow and stayed that way. It got tedious to the point where I started skim reading, something I've never done to any non-fiction book before, and trusted... Read more
Published on 13 Jan 2006
Slow but sure
.
It is the 31st Century and Dr Kim Brandywine works as a fund-raiser for a scientific institute that, among other things, explodes stars in a desperate attempt to attract the... Read more
It is the 31st Century and Dr Kim Brandywine works as a fund-raiser for a scientific institute that, among other things, explodes stars in a desperate attempt to attract the... Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2004 by Steve
Different
I remember been drawn by the originatality of 'Slow Lightning', it didn't seem, and isn't a typical alien blasting story.
Instead, it's much deeper than that. Read more
Instead, it's much deeper than that. Read more
Published on 26 Nov 2003 by "generalblob"
Unsatisfying but disturbing
I found this the most approachable McDevitt book although certainly not the most complex or thought provoking. Read more
Published on 28 Jun 2001
Slow Book
Within this genre just about anything goes, so its hard to explain why I found this so unsatisfactory. Read more
Published on 9 April 2001 by simonjgarrett@hotmail.com
A good detective story, but ...
With vivid memories of "A mote in God's eye" and encouraged by Stephen King's recommendation, I bought Slow Lightning. Read more
Published on 19 Jan 2001
A good 'What-if' from one of the best in the biz
Jack McDevitt is one of those rare authors who show a good old fashioned future, filling it with real people and situations. Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2001 by Clea Neil
Bland, bland, bland
Now if you're going to write ANOTHER story about first contact with aliens then you better have something pretty original up your sleeve... Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2000 by matthew.fudge@capgemini.co.uk
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