The Einstein Papers

Rating:
Summary: A Good First Novel - Hope To See More in the Future
Review: Craig Dirgo has written a fast-paced and entrtaining first novel. "The Einsten Papers" has an interesting storyline and several subplots which he ties together very nicely. I would agree to some extent with the critic who gave this book 2 stars that he has used to a fair extent the writing style of his co-hort, the great Clive Cussler. But I do not think that is a bad thing. Clive Cussler writes terrific adventure stories! Is that a bad thing? Isn't that what we want?

A criticism I have of the book is that the main characters (Taft and Martinez) aren't really developed very well. They just kind of show up and do their thing. But I suspect if Mr. Dirgo continues to use Taft and Martinez in future books, we'll get to know them like Mr. Cussler's Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino.

But overall, Craig Dirgo has shown he can tell a good story. I hope we'll see more of his work in the future!

Rating:
Summary: Dirgo is sure not Cussler
Review: Even though Dirgo worked with Cussler on "Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed" he doesn't seem to have learned how to write a good "thriller". After the first "James Bond" escape he makes his heros look like a couple of keystone cops for much of the rest of the book, "The Einstein Papers". His main character, John Taft, is supposed to be like Dirk Pitt but he's a bit off-- maybe because he drinks ginger ale instead of tequila. And Taft's sidekick, Martinez, has promised his wife he won't fight. Some of his premises are so far out as to be not even good science fiction. For example, Dirgo has his characters get several hundred cylotrons "scavenged from storage racks and test centers" and place one in each old plane at Davis-Monthan Air Base. Does he know that a cyclotron weigh many TONS? Oh well--maybe he can take another lesson from Cussler sometime!

Rating:
Summary: Read's like Cussler 'light'
Review: I have to admit the opening portion of 'The Einstein Paper's' is as action-packed as any half-dozen Bond movies--COMBINED. I felt this book has promise after all...however it slows down a bit and becomes a bit choppy at times. It was still a fun and exciting book to read. The premise of the Unified Field Theory is actually very creative and so chock-full of technological explanations that as far as I could tell, it actually could WORK (shoulda paid more attention in Math class...). What would happen if this theory actually could work, and what if it fell into the wrong hands? Hands of those who might actually USE it? We're talking about a weapon of such destructive power it could destroy the entire PLANET. Poof and we're all history. 'Course nobody would actually USE it...would they? The journey to find the answer to that is of course half the fun of 'The Einstein Papers'. It seems to me that Dirgo has a great future ahead of him if this is his first solo novel, but he has a ways to go before claiming Cussler's crown (which is more in danger of being swiped by Jack Du Brul). Hey, if you're looking for a clone of Cussler, look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a fun action/adventure novel, 'The Einstein Papers' just might fit the bill...it sure did for ME.