I'm going to be trying something new from now on. Every other week or so, whenever I'm not posting a chapter, I'll instead post a small review of a book or comic that I like and want to share.
I hope someone enjoys...
"When an asteroid out of nowhere threatens to hit Earth, a space shuttle is sent to nudge it into a safe orbit. Venturing to the surface, three crew members become trapped as the asteroid suddenly leaves orbit, transporting them to a strange planet light years away. To find their way home, the intrepid explorers must embark on a dangerous archaeological adventure in this tale of galactic intrigue and suspense."
I played the game "The Dig", made by Steven Spielberg and LucasArts, years before I read the book. In fact, I didn't even know that there was a book. The game was my first experience with a point-and-click style adventure and I absolutely fell in love, not only with the genre, but also with the story.
The premise of the story is simple: a party of three astronauts (a veteran American astronaut, a German scientist, and an Asian journalist) travels to an asteroid that has come too close for comfort to Earth. After setting off a series of carefully placed explosive charges to move the rock into a stable orbit, they discover that the asteroid is in fact an alien artifact - some sort of powerful FTL transportation device.
As you can expect, the trio are then transported against their will to a far off alien planet. But instead of encountering a welcoming committee, they uncover a long deserted alien civilization. What can you do in a situation like that, but go exploring in an attempt to find a way home? Besides the themes of exploration and discovery, adventure and the need to get home before they starve, there are also deeper delvings into the meanings of life/death/immortality.
The book might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it holds a special place on my bookshelf. Check it out if you're willing and able.
Super choice. I was enthralled with this story. And the language used, both the Deutsch, as well as the high-brow English. It stimulated more than a few of my neurons. Thanks for pointing out out to me.
ReplyDeleteWade Geery