Across The Sea Of Suns - Dark Publications

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Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent. This is real sci-fi. July 25, 2005
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

In reading science fiction of all kinds for over 25 years, I came across the best novels in the genre and also across some real stinkers. I've been a bit disappointed with my most recent sci-fi reads and have resorted to research reviews at Amazon.com to discover some "sure bets". It paid off. I recently discovered Benford's Galactic Center Series and although I wasn't terribly excited with the first book, this one, the second in the series is beyond my wildest expectations.

The range of themes Benford explores in this volume is ambitious, but he still manages to deliver a page turner that invites the reader into deep questionings in topics from first contact, to exobiology, to sociology, and even gender issues. What I have come to expect from science fiction (specially in hard sci-fi) is exactly what Benford put in this book: a good amount of speculation based on whatever scientific knowledge is available at the time of writing. And to his benefit, he does it in a way that fits the story arc and keeps you wanting more.

The narrative is linear, but progresses in two different fronts. In one, we follow the discoveries of the Lancer spaceship, which travels the galaxy trying to find life, or the remnants of life, in planetary systems that show potential. What they find is not very encouraging and leads one to hypothesize that biological life has been systematically eradicated from the galaxy by some advanced intelligence. The other front deals with what is happening on Earth as Lancer roams about and what a lot is happening! Alien life forms arrive on Earth and start to thrive in our oceans destroying existing marine life and attacking also large ships. It seems two different populations of being share our oceans and a survivor from a ship that was attack tries to make sense of their behavior. Top it off with human, petty political/military intrigue and you have a plot like that contends for the reader attention on equal footing with the galactic exploration. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

5 out of 5 stars

Still one of my favorites June 24, 2005
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

The best hard science fiction book ever written. Imagine that technology is viewed as a disease by a race of alien AI machines and humans are the mosquitoes (that spread the disease) that must be eradicated. Big concept science fiction.If you like Greg Bear, Dan Simmons, Neal Stevenson - this is going to be added to your favorite books list.

4 out of 5 stars

Good characters, great plot December 18, 2003
7 out of 10 found this review helpful

This story has been done a thousand times. Still Benford has done a slamup job on making the old into something new. There is the usual mix of humans and their meeting other sentient beings. In this case the surprise comes as the main guy figures out just who the aliens are and why they are the way they are. Great read.

5 out of 5 stars

And I thought 'In the Ocean of Night' was good. October 26, 1999
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

It was. But this is probably one of the top three hard sf books I have ever read. Following and building on the characters in the first book, 'Across the Sea of Suns' carries off a near perfect sequel and handily sets up the rest of the series. An amusing note... I acquired the book when it was first published and didn't notice the last chapter was missing. It wasn't until years later when a friend had bought the paperback and we were talking about it that I discovered the problem. What an ending... even if I had to wait several years to actually read it.

2 out of 5 stars

Benford is king!!!! August 11, 2005
5 out of 8 found this review helpful

King of run-on sentences, that is.

The problem with Benford's books isn't the story. This book, along with the first in the series, In the Ocean of Night, presents an absolutely fabulous story. Benford has come up with a really excellent idea for a series of books. The problem is Benford's writing.

For some reason, Benford forgets that "science fiction" consists of two words. He places much emphasis on the first word, but doesn't realize that it's fiction. Mr. Benford, this is not a science textbook!!!!!!! Getting the science right in a fictional book is all well and good, but if one can use the book to teach a physics class, then the writer's priorities are a wee bit skewed. If you wish to write a textbook, then write a textbook, and leave the fiction to fiction authors.

In addition to putting waaaaaaaaaaay too much emphasis on the science, the structure of his writing leaves much to be desired. As previously mentioned, he seems to have an ongoing love affair with the run-on sentence. There are literally whole paragraphs in the book which are nothing but one huge sentence. And you can forget trying to follow a conversation via the use of properly placed quotation marks. A quotation mark is to Benford what holy water and crosses are to vampires.

I give this book 2 stars simply because the writing is so horribly bad. The idea behind the story rates a stellar 5 stars, but I had to subtract at least 3 for Benford's pitiful excuse for prose. I actually feel that giving it 2 stars is a generous showing on my part, as I was sorely tempted to give it 1.

A word of advice to the prospective reader of this series: Read it after having a couple of glasses of wine. It helps. (Seriously.)

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