ALT.SF4M

  Amusements 9/10/2000

   • j********o@***.com
     10/09/2000 07:13:39 UTC

     Book Review: The Engines of God, by Jack McDevitt. I was initially
     attracted

     to this book by the sheer coincidence that it was shelved next to
     "Bloom," and,

     intrigued by the first few pages, indulged myself in its purchase. It
     had a

     promising premise: interstellar archaeologists investigating enigmatic
     alien

     monuments and lost civilizations, uncovering lost cities and tantalizing

     mythohistory. Well characterized, it was alas far too drawn out (400
     pages) -

     one gets the impression of an overfed novella: a pleasant read but not
     enough

     happens. The solution to the enigma was less than adequate, nor was the

     mythohistorical thread tied off to my satisfaction (I confess an odd mix
     of

     disappointment and relief regarding this, as the plot seemed to be
     heading

     straight for the enigmas in my SF RPG before veering off to a far less

     satisfactory solution). Not a bad read, and within the palette of
     stories that

     interested my generation of Forumites (e.g., Startide Rising, Marooned
     in

     Realtime).

     Gorno