Rating: 
Summary: No real surprises
Review: A few years ago I read a book called A TALENT FOR WAR by this guy called Jack McDevitt. I read the whole thing in a day and it has been one of my favorites ever since. After that I read every McDevitt book I could get hold of.Unfortunatly the rest of his books have not grabed me the way A TALENT FOR WAR did and MOONFALL is no exception. I found most of the characters very calm and almost bored with the fact that a giant comet is going to destroy the moon and possibly lead to earth's destruction. In fact they are far more interested in insurance, money and in the case of the vice president getting re-elected. There is very little sence of urgency in this book, it reads more like a report on a casual fishing trip. Also you know right from the start what the whole story was going to be about there were no surprises, no unexpected twists everything that you expected to happen happened. Oh well I can always read A TALENT FOR WAR again. Now there is a good book.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent!
Review: A great read--well-written, believeable characters, sweaty-palmed suspense, and realistic. ARMAGEDDON this is not. Definitely one of the best end-of-the-world novels (even if it is the moon that is destroyed); ranks right up there with LUCIFER'S HAMMER and A WRINKLE IN THE SKIN. Forget the movie--if handled well, MOONFALL would make an excellent mini-series.
Rating: 
Summary: Really 4 1/2
Review: Although the title may make you think the moon falls out of the sky, MOONFALL is actually a story of courage and daring to do great things even though they may lead to great failure (ala Teddy Roosevelt). In the early part of the next century the Vice-President of the United States travels to the Moon to officially open Moonbase to coincide with a total eclipse of the sun. During the phenomenon a comet is discovered heading our way from behind the sun. The comet is of unprecedented size and is traveling orders of magnitude faster than any comet previously known. Its trajectory will cause it to strike the moon and possibly shatter it. As the catastrophe looms, occurs and continues in the aftermath, we are led through the decisions of a handful of people all over the country and in space. Their tales of bravery are what make the book so enthralling. The book does not move as quickly as say Armageddon but although there are times I would have liked for things to speed up a little the overall quality of the book would have suffered. In the Big Things From Space sub-genre, MOONFALL is the best that I have read to date. It is also the best Jack McDevitt book I have read to date. This is a book I heartily recommend for anyone who likes straight science fiction (no fantasy elements whatsoever).
Rating:
Summary: Excelent Hard SF. A must for fans of the genre
Review: At firts I though it was just another "rock hitting Earth" novel, such as "The Hammer of God", "Lucifer's Hammer" and "Shiva Descending". However, instead of an update of the old novels, Mc Devitt, comes up with an original plot, which is clever, and technically feasible now. From the comet features (nature, size, speed) to the biliiard events, the plot is one of a kind. Even the political escenario fits very well. Much more interesting and fun that the two movies. Excelent novel, a must for fans of the hard stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting, fast paced, story.
Review: Do not waste your time and money on any of the "end-of-the-world-by-asteroid" movies curently available. Read this thrilling story instead. Politics, science, action, disaster, hardware, loss, adventure, thrills and real characters combine in one of the best sci-fi books you will ever read. In fact it will likely be one of your quickest reads as the story wont let you put it down once you begin. I found myself extending my lunch breaks and staying up way too late in order to read just one more chapter. You will not be dissapointed.
Rating:
Summary: A Novel Twist on Well Trod Ground
Review: Do you remember the body changer movies of the '80's? You know, where a father and son swap lives for a week or so? There were a bunch of them, all bad, until Tom Hanks came out with "Big." This book is "Big." Same ground as "Deep Impact", and "Meteor", and that Bruce Willis film that best remains nameless, but Mr. McDevitt takes a Tom Clancy approach and has the comet destroy the moon instead of the earth with the fall out of the moon debris being dealt with with a cast of wonderful, well written characters, and a plot that keeps you at the edge of your seat to the very last page. I've rarely read better fiction than what Jack McDevitt is putting to paper. Almost every book has it's own unique style and so far, they all are wonderful!
Rating:
Summary: A Novel Twist on Well Trod Ground
Review: Do you remember the body changer movies of the '80's? You know, where a father and son swap lives for a week or so? There were a bunch of them, all bad, until Tom Hanks came out with "Big." This book is "Big." Same ground as "Deep Impact", and "Meteor", and that Bruce Willis film that best remains nameless, but Mr. McDevitt takes a Tom Clancy approach and has the comet destroy the moon instead of the earth with the fall out of the moon debris being dealt with with a cast of wonderful, well written characters, and a plot that keeps you at the edge of your seat to the very last page. I've rarely read better fiction than what Jack McDevitt is putting to paper. Almost every book has it's own unique style and so far, they all are wonderful!
Rating:
Summary: Moonfall gives rocks-hitting-Earth a swift kick
Review: Fellow Amazonians may have read my previous 1-star review of Lucifer's Hammer...And after reading Moonfall, I'll stand by that rating AND the 5 stars I give Jack McDermott...Indeed, he took a theme that has been done to death and given it a new twist...The near-future technology, the politics, and particularly the characters flowed so well... Make no mistake, this is a heavyweight book...But unlike Lucifer's Hammer (a great premise written badly, AND forcing you to suffer through over 600 pages), Shiva Descending (a great premise written well with near-impossible overkill), and The Hermes Fall (a great premise written all over the darned map), Moonfall keeps it together wire to wire...This is what sci-fi is all about!!
Rating:
Summary: McDevitt's Best -- Exciting and believable
Review: Forget "Armeggedon". Forget "Deep Impact". This is THE space/disaster book that SHOULD have been made into a movie. Jack McDevitt's "Moonfall" presents the reader with a gripping plot, solid character development, and cutting edge "hard" science fiction. From the opening of "Moonbase" to the final hair-raising solutions, this book is not to be missed. From the coattail-riding Vice-President who wants to be a real hero; the chaplain (yes, unlike many SF writers, McDevitt is not ashamed to recognize that most people have and need a faith) who truly discovers his own faith; the young wife who discovers that her "Casper Milquetoast" husband is far more of a hero than she ever believed; to the brilliant young scientist who finally discovers the solution which may save the planet, McDevitt's characters are deep and believable. Finally, McDevitt's science is plausible. This is not a novel of the 24th century; rather it is set in the mid 21st century, using technological concepts quite feasible in the near future. Of all the McDevitt books I own and have read (5), this one is my favorite. Buy it -- you won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: McDevitt's Best -- Exciting and believable
Review: Forget "Armeggedon". Forget "Deep Impact". This is THE space/disaster book that SHOULD have been made into a movie. Jack McDevitt's "Moonfall" presents the reader with a gripping plot, solid character development, and cutting edge "hard" science fiction. From the opening of "Moonbase" to the final hair-raising solutions, this book is not to be missed. From the coattail-riding Vice-President who wants to be a real hero; the chaplain (yes, unlike many SF writers, McDevitt is not ashamed to recognize that most people have and need a faith) who truly discovers his own faith; the young wife who discovers that her "Casper Milquetoast" husband is far more of a hero than she ever believed; to the brilliant young scientist who finally discovers the solution which may save the planet, McDevitt's characters are deep and believable. Finally, McDevitt's science is plausible. This is not a novel of the 24th century; rather it is set in the mid 21st century, using technological concepts quite feasible in the near future. Of all the McDevitt books I own and have read (5), this one is my favorite. Buy it -- you won't regret it.
| 
