Take one part Tom Clancy, one part Michael Crichton, add a pinch of Ian Flemming and sprinkle liberally with Arthur C. Clarke's "2001 A Space Odyssey" and you have Steve Alten's "Goliath". It's a boffo, sci-fi, action, techno-thriller destined for the big screen. Alten effectively mixes science, with breath taking action, with a good deal of philosophy. This is book that will make you think.
At the center of "Goliath" is the character Simon Covah; a villain in the best James Bond tradition. Yet unlike the usual amoral Bond villain Covah has an almost overdeveloped sense of morality. Covah is a brilliant ex-Soviet scientist who sets out to reform humanity through force. His engine for change is the Declaration of Humanity. The means through which he will enforce his will is the US designed, massive, nearly invincible, stealth super sub the Goliath. At the heart of the Goliath is the super sophisticated bio-chemical computer call Sorceress (think HAL from "2001 A Space Odyssey").
Standing between Covah and his plans for humanity are three things: former US Army Ranger and convicted traitor Gunnar Wolfe, the beautiful ex-fiancé of Gunnar Wolfe Navy Commander Rochelle "Rocky" Jackson and Sorceress itself.
The editing in "Goliath" is a bit sloppy. I detected a couple of misspellings and there is some confusion regarding Jackson's military service (in one instance they talk about her becoming a general, which is not a rank in the Navy, and in another she talks about always wanting to be in the Army, she's a naval officer).
These minor things aside "Goliath" is a first rate read. It provides a thought-provoking premise with edge of your seat action. I highly recommend it and look forward to the promised sequel entitled "Sorceress".
Friday, September 24, 2004
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Book Review: "Trasfer of Power".....
"Transfer of Power" by Vince Flynn is an exceptionally well written, well paced action novel that is literally impossible to put down. "Can't put it down" is one of the most overused cliches in publishing but in this case it happens to be true. I devoured it in a handful of sittings. Rarely have I enjoyed a political thriller more.
The plot, which in a post September 11 world takes on new significance, involves the capture of the White House by a group of Middle Eastern terrorists and the efforts made to take back the presidential mansion. What comes in between is enough political intrigue and special forces action to satisfy even the most jaded of techno thriller fans.
My only criticism is that the character's that populate Flynn's book are a fairly standard lot for his type of novel. The protagonist of "ToP" Mitch Rapp, while a very engaging and likable character, is nearly indistinguishable from Tom Clancy's John Clark or Jack Ryan or any of the other black ops super spy's that are so common in this genre. Other character's suffer from the same sense of familiarity. The exception being the villain. Terrorist mastermind Rafique Aziz is a very well crafted foe for agent Rapp and is one the reasons the novel is so entertaining. I should note that while the characters are fairly standard I still found myself making a significant emotional connection with them
It's minor character flaws aside "Transfer of Power" is an example of the political/techno thriller at it's finest. It moves at lighting speed with not a single wasted page or sentence and packs a number of very satisfying moments. I highly recommend it!
The plot, which in a post September 11 world takes on new significance, involves the capture of the White House by a group of Middle Eastern terrorists and the efforts made to take back the presidential mansion. What comes in between is enough political intrigue and special forces action to satisfy even the most jaded of techno thriller fans.
My only criticism is that the character's that populate Flynn's book are a fairly standard lot for his type of novel. The protagonist of "ToP" Mitch Rapp, while a very engaging and likable character, is nearly indistinguishable from Tom Clancy's John Clark or Jack Ryan or any of the other black ops super spy's that are so common in this genre. Other character's suffer from the same sense of familiarity. The exception being the villain. Terrorist mastermind Rafique Aziz is a very well crafted foe for agent Rapp and is one the reasons the novel is so entertaining. I should note that while the characters are fairly standard I still found myself making a significant emotional connection with them
It's minor character flaws aside "Transfer of Power" is an example of the political/techno thriller at it's finest. It moves at lighting speed with not a single wasted page or sentence and packs a number of very satisfying moments. I highly recommend it!
Book Review: "First Landing".....
"First Landing" is a quick reading no-brakes story (I devoured the 262 pages in a couple of sittings) about humankind's first landing on Mars that packs a shocker of an ending to boot. "First Landing" is the tale of a team of five Americans (three men and two women) that make the long the and perilous journey to Mars only to find themselves stranded by the vagaries of public opinion and a few nasty surprises. As a result they are forced to rely on themselves if they are to survive.
Wasting very little time with exposition Robert Zubrin (president of the Mars Society) jumps right into this story and never slows down until the end. His detailing is quite effective if somewhat limited. Despite the speed with which the story unfolds his characterization is sufficient for me to have rapidly made an emotional connection with main actors.
In an interesting addendum the books epilogue is Zubrin's contention that the type of mission he details in "First Land" is what he sees as a blue print for real manned mission to Mars by 2011. In that limited space he makes a convincing case for a more ambitious Mars program than the one currently being undertaken.
On the down side, I wished there were a bit more to this book. I would have liked to have spent more time getting to know these characters. Further, the swiftness with which things unfold leaves a few holes in the motivations of certain key actors that a longer novel could have addressed.
However, if you are fan of Mars fiction you will find "First Landing" a fun and fast read. It's not as detailed or plot heavy as Kim Stanley Robinson's "Red Mars", "Green Mars" and "Blue Mars" trilogy. But it definitely put a smile on my face when I finished.
Wasting very little time with exposition Robert Zubrin (president of the Mars Society) jumps right into this story and never slows down until the end. His detailing is quite effective if somewhat limited. Despite the speed with which the story unfolds his characterization is sufficient for me to have rapidly made an emotional connection with main actors.
In an interesting addendum the books epilogue is Zubrin's contention that the type of mission he details in "First Land" is what he sees as a blue print for real manned mission to Mars by 2011. In that limited space he makes a convincing case for a more ambitious Mars program than the one currently being undertaken.
On the down side, I wished there were a bit more to this book. I would have liked to have spent more time getting to know these characters. Further, the swiftness with which things unfold leaves a few holes in the motivations of certain key actors that a longer novel could have addressed.
However, if you are fan of Mars fiction you will find "First Landing" a fun and fast read. It's not as detailed or plot heavy as Kim Stanley Robinson's "Red Mars", "Green Mars" and "Blue Mars" trilogy. But it definitely put a smile on my face when I finished.
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