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The Tenth Planet
Humans have long feared the heavens...perhaps for good reasons
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The Tenth Planet
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By Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch
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Del Rey
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$5.99/$6.99 Canada
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Paperback, June 1999
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ISBN 0-345-42140-X
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Review by Susan Dunman
 r. Edwin Bradshaw is an archeology professor at Oregon State University who's about to turn 60.
He spends his time supervising dig sites
along the Oregon coast and avoiding a research controversy that discredited
his professional reputation 20 years earlier. His current excavations
reveal nothing extraordinary, so he is shocked to receive a request for
additional information about his site from Dr. Leo Cross, the world's
preeminent archeological historian.
Clark wants to know if there is a thin layer of black residue covering
the Oregon site at any level. Bradshaw finds a black
ring one-eighth inch wide at the 4,000-year-old depth level and eventually learns Cross has found
more than 50 archeological sites containing black rings composed of magnetite.
Even more perplexing is the appearance of the rings at depths ranging from 16,000
to 2,000 years old. Cross explains that many ancient cultures refer to a
"Time of Blackness" and these records correlate to the dates of the
rings. But most disturbing is the conclusion made by Cross that the
mysterious black rings appear every 2,006 years...and it's time for another
occurrence.
Meanwhile, an international space buoy orbiting Uranus unexpectedly stops
transmitting. A thorough analysis of the data shows that the buoy was
instantly drained of all power--an anomaly that should not be possible.
When telescopes are trained toward Uranus, scientists are amazed to find a
black, unidentifiable mass headed toward the inner solar system.
Calculations indicate the object orbits the sun, it's twice the size of the
moon, and it passes near Earth every 2,006 years.
240 days until arrival
It won't take long for readers to figure out where this story is going, but
fortunately, a little premonition seems to help the plot. In fact, it's
part of the fun to see if these authors will take the expected routes
with their disaster tale or veer off
into uncharted territory. Although it may sound
similar, this is not another Independence Day. As the book
cover suggests, there are alien forces at work, but they do not approach
Earth with evil intent. It is the unexpected results of their seemingly
harmless activity (at least from their point of view) that provide the
intrigue and suspense.
The story is told from multiple viewpoints, giving an immediacy and urgency to
the narration. The authors create believable characters that readers can cheer as
they try to solve an ancient riddle. There are also enough tidbits about
archeology and astronomy to give the book a feeling of authority. The first
chapter begins with the heading "240 Days Until Arrival." Each following
chapter continues the countdown, building up tension in a way that really keeps
the pages turning.
Those who like their stories wrapped up in one volume may wish to steer away
from this adventure, as it's the first of a three-part offering. The
authors have previously written for series such as The X-Men and
Star Wars, and this book has much the same feel as one of those ongoing sagas.
Also, readers seeking profound insights should look elsewhere. On the other hand, this
quick read can't be beat for those who need a break during a bad TV night.
The threat of world cataclysm may seem like a worn-out topic, but this book
makes the subject fresh and inviting.
-- Susan
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The Icarus Hunt
A freighter pilot and his ship become fugitives sought throughout the
inhabited universe
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The Icarus Hunt
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By Timothy Zahn
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Bantam Spectra
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$23.95/$34.95 Canada
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Hardcover, Aug. 1999
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ISBN 0-553-10702-X
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Review by Clinton Lawrence
 n Timothy Zahn's new novel The Icarus Hunt, a rich
industrialist clandestinely hires Jordan McKell to pilot a
freighter carrying a secret cargo from the planet Meima to Earth. McKell
takes the assignment and leaves it up to his alien partner to fulfill their
current obligations to their usual employer, an underground organization.
Unfortunately, on his way to meet the crew of his new ship, the
Icarus, McKell is detained by authorities. The industrialist, Arno
Cameron, is wanted for murder, and the authorities have been tipped that McKell
met with him.
McKell is quickly released, but Cameron fails to meet the crew at the ship as
expected. Instead, they find a letter and their bonuses, with instructions
to proceed without him. But on the first hyperspace jump the ship malfunctions, and McKell
suspects sabotage. Then, as repairs are being made, someone murders one of the
crew members. Faced with a crew he can't trust, McKell decides to divert
the Icarus from its planned course to pick up his old partner as a
replacement. Unfortunately, he quickly learns that the Icarus is a
wanted ship.
Another species, known as the Patth, dominate interstellar trade because
of their vastly superior stardrive. Suspicions are arising that the
secret cargo carried by the Icarus is an alien stardrive, uncovered by archaeologists on Meima,
even better than the Patth's. The Patth
have the political influence to coerce other governments to help them find
the Icarus and prevent the cargo from reaching human space. Worse,
one of the crew members has a deadly disease contracted on a visit to an
illegal planet, and McKell must find a black-market source at every stop in
order to buy the drug that can treat the disease. The only solution is to create a false
identity for the Icarus, and try to select planets that minimize the
risks.
A competent space opera
The Icarus Hunt is a competent, enjoyable space opera, but it lacks
the depth to achieve a place alongside the best current science fiction novels.
Nonetheless, Zahn creates an interesting mystery with a conclusion that's both
consistent with the previous events and concealed well enough until the end
to be satisfying. While the characterizations don't go beyond the basic
needs of the narrative, they're adequate for the story being told. McKell
and his partner, Ixil, are enjoyably resourceful for reasons that are
surprising when revealed at the end. And the chase itself, across numerous
backwater worlds in Zahn's inhabited universe, is suspenseful,
especially when superimposed upon the mysterious occurrences aboard the
Icarus.
Unfortunately, Zahn's universe doesn't seem to come alive as much as it
should. It's a potentially fascinating world, filled with alien species
that are forced to coexist, but the story and structure of The Icarus Hunt
don't allow Zahn the opportunity to fully explore some of the more
interesting aspects. What he does reveal suggests the possibility that it's
a universe where Zahn could find many more novels without repeating himself,
and which could be much better than The Icarus Hunt.
Still, The Icarus Hunt is a reasonably good novel that should
entertain many readers. It's not without its flaws, but Zahn overcomes most of them by controlling the pacing so that the story unfolds naturally, and by making sure the plot
isn't predictable. Best of all, while Zahn conceals much until the
end, he never cheats his readers in this novel. It's a good book for those
who read science fiction primarily for entertainment rather than
intellectual or literary value.
I think The Icarus Hunt would make a pretty good SF movie. It's got
enough intrigue and action to translate well to the screen, without insulting
the intelligence of its audience.
-- Clint
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