Polaris

Rating:
Summary: Good but not his best
Review: "Polaris" is a good book though I do not think it is Jack McDevitt's best work. I almost liked "A Talent for War" better because on some level I feel that that book is inadvertantly (or purposely) a social commentary. Though, I did like seeing the storyfrom Chase's point of view in "Polaris".

I really like Jack McDevitt as an author. His books always make me stop and think - to wonder if we will ever travel amongst the stars like his characters. My favorite book of his is "Eternity Road" - I've reread it multiple times, and it's hard to drive down a highway and to see overpasses without thinking about "Eternity Road". I highly suggest it.

Rating:
Summary: Sci-Fi Who-Dunit
Review: I gobbled up McDevitt's last three novels, DeepSix, Chindi and Omega. So without hesitation, I sprung for Polaris without waiting for the softcover.

I have to say though, that I was a bit dissapointed. The novel, a story of what happened to the crew of the Polaris, reads much like a mystery who-dunit: pages and pages of the two lead characters interviewing suspects and chasing leads.

Now, if you like this sort of thing, you'll find an intelligent story with an satisfying ending.

But I guess I wasn't up to the task of slogging through 250 plus pages before things got really going ... or probably the real reason is, I'm just not that big of a fan of this type of novel.

But again, I did enjoy the ending and the rather fascinating ethical questions it raised. And I'll probably be buying McDevitt's next novel ... before it comes out in softcover.

Rating:
Summary: Good detective science fiction
Review: I prefer McDevitt's other work, exploring alien worlds and alien species. However, this is a good detective science fiction novel as it eventually reveals how and why a crew of a space yacht disappear. The female point-of-view is interesting though I have always been suspicious when a male author writes from the female point-of-view (and vice versa); how can they get it right?

Rating:
Summary: Action-packed sf mytery
Review: In the far distant future, a dwarf star is crashing into the Delta Karpis System so a fleet of ships leave when the danger becomes too great. One vessel the Polaris carries six dignitaries, but instead of departing the danger zone, it remains inside the doomed system. Later a spaceship investigates only to find the Polaris but without the six passengers or the pilot.

A century later on the planet Rimway, an exhibit of the Polaris that includes recovered objects from the doomed ship is about to go on display or sold off to antique dealers. Alex Benedict and his associate Chase Kalpath buy several of the items before evacuating the building due to a bomb scare that turns real when an explosion destroy the edifice and all it contained. The only Polaris artifacts left are those Alex purchased. From that moment, several attempts to kill Alex and Chase occur while someone is obviously seeking a particular Polaris memento. The beleaguered partners conclude that the remains must include evidence of what happened to the vanished seven. They plan to learn what that is and who wants them dead.

Although Polaris occurs in the future in outer space thus providing a science fiction background, the story line is a classic style investigative tale with Alex serving as an amateur sleuth Holmes and Chase as Watson. The likeable duo hooks readers as they struggle to find out what is going on and why. Though a stand alone novel, the dynamic duo sleuthing in an outer space setting deserves a series so hopefully Jack McDevitt receives a Hugo nomination to encourage him to bring back Alex and Chase for more Sherlockian not of this earth adventures.

Harriet Klausner



Rating:
Summary: McDevitt is capable of MUCH better than this . . .
Review: McDevitt is capable of turning out thoughtful, literate, involving science fiction novels of very high quality indeed. Unfortunately, this isn't one of them. This is a not-quite-sequel to his excellent A TALENT FOR WAR, in that it is set in the same future and shares some of the same characters several thousand years from now, in a diverse, dispersed human galactic civilization. A space-going yacht, POLARIS, accompanies a group of scientific research ships to witness and record a rare stellar event. Aboard are half a dozen scientific, philosophical, and political luminaries. And they never return, though the ship itself is found, mysterious empty of life. Sixty years later, the disappearance of the passengers of POLARIS is still one of the great modern mysteries. Alex Benedict, now a prominent antiquities dealer, acquires a number of the personal possessions found on the derelict ship -- just before the rest of the artifacts are destroyed in an explosion. And now someone, or some organization, is trying to kill him off, too. What does he unknowingly possess that could be that important? Well, McDevitt never quite makes it worth the reader's while to want to find out. The minutiae of life in his future are interesting at the beginning and help supply verisimilitude, but it gets a little old to be reading detailed descriptions of the lives of very minor characters when you're three hundred pages into the book. Also, it's an old sf device to casually mention the names of future historical figures in the company of names we would recognize from our own times, but McDevitt does this far, far too often -- and usually without giving any hint of who these great figures are. I'm prepared to believe, I guess, that a civilization that could produce a "quantum drive" (an improvement on mere FTL) still can't extend the human life span beyond 130 or so years, but that out not to have become the centerpiece of the plot. And I'm *not* willing to accept that ordinary people with only a basic education in that future are so conversant with the details of history and everyday life thousands of years in their past when few Americans in 2005 could pass a test on the lives of their ancestors only a few centuries ago. There's some good ideas and good writing here, but ultimately, this book just doesn't work.

Rating:
Summary: A space mystery disappointment...
Review: Normally I try not to read reviews before I get to read the book so that I am not prejudiced, for or against, by the reviews. Now I wish I had read the reviews as it would have saved me some time and money. I am a big McDevitt fan, but quite frankly this story left me "high and dry". The characters are well developed and even interesting, but the plot itself is so lame and the premise behind it is so preachy I found it often annoying. There is very little science in this "science" fiction novel. Indeed, it could easily have been written as a western or a 1930's film noir script. There is far more Sherlock Holmes, than Hawking or Einstein in the story. I hope McDevitt's future novels are more interesting than this one was, but then again it wouldn't take much.

Rating:
Summary: Seize the day. Eat the jelly donut.
Review: This book is a sequel to "A Talent For War", which McDevitt wrote over 10 years ago. That book was a stirring elegy of a future star spanning mankind at war with an alien race. He imbued that book with a grand backdrop, and invoked timeless qualities of heroism and sacrifice. The book had a typical print run for a paperback and quickly sold out. Even in used bookstores, it was hard to find, and people hung onto their copies. It was reissued about a year ago.

So when I saw this book, I read it eagerly. Hoping for a similarly engaging plot. As a twist, this book is told from the vantage point of the female character, Chase Kolpath, who is the secondary persona in the earlier novel. It expands on her personality, and gives another look at Alex Benedict, who was the main character in Talent.

But, the plot is tepid. Sadly, nothing to match the grandeur of Talent. Also, the plot unfolding contains elements that have been seen in McDevitt's earlier works. Somewhat predictable.

A portion of this book also deals with the topic of aging. His story is set millenia in the future. With faster than light travel and artificial intelligence software as a viable construct. Many futuristic details. But, the human lifespan is still only some 120 years. A marginal improvment over what we already have. This seems very implausible, given the other advances in the book over the postulated time period. It is as though our biology and medicine sputtered to a stop right about now.

But there is one nice item in the book - the quote in my subject line.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment from this author
Review: This review, and my rating, is for those readers of "Deepsix", "Omega" and "Chindi" who, like myself, have been excitedly anticipating the next thrilling tale from this author. Why do so many great Science-Fiction writers seem doomed to this ignoble burn-out? Remember the downward spiraling later efforts of Heinlein, Clarke, Niven? It is so sad to witness this (inevitable?) process. So, here we are again disappointed by such a promising author. Icarus-like, McDevitt took us through absolutely fascinating, thoroughly engrossing and exciting tales in "Deepsix, "Omega" and "Chindi" only to ultimately dash our expectations with this unfortunately pedestrian mystery. Do not expect a dynamic protagonist in the mold of McDevitt's "Hutch" depicted so vividly in the aforementioned books. The main characters in this book are scetchily drawn in comparison and just do not involve us in their adventures. Chase and Alex simply blunder their way through dull and tedious plot details that lead them finally to an archly `profound' resolution that we dreaded so much earlier than we should have. Apparently the authors interest just fizzled out along the way, as does our own while negotiating this sadly boring and needlessly complicated plot-line. The intended profundity of the `resolution'- if it can even be called that, simply collapses with an empty, dry, disappointing thud. We can only hope that Mr M will use his profits from this one to take a vacation and seriously recharge his creative powers.

Rating:
Summary: Polaris left me cold, and annoyed. "C-"
Review: ______________________________________________
I'm usually a pretty big McDevitt fan, but this one left me cold, and annoyed. I finished it, but barely, and only by skimming the dull parts. A "C-" book, disappointing.

POLARIS is a locked-room mystery (in this case, a locked spaceship), marred by long dull stretches, stupid-character gimmicks, a really stupid denouement, and an astonishingly clumsy twist ending (which is sequel-ready). What's there to like? This is a 15 year-later followup to _A Talent for War_, which I recall as being quite good.

POLARIS has gotten some pretty good notices, such as Ernest Lilley's review at sfrevu.com (Google). It does have a good opening scene, and has flashes of Good McDevitt (space archaeology, cool gadgets). But, overall, it's the weakest McDevitt I've read. Avoid if you're lukewarm on McDevitt, and start with hesitation and low expectations if you're a fan.

If you've never tried McDevitt, I'd start with INFINITY BEACH ,
or the first Priscilla Hutchins book, ENGINES of GOD.

Just don't let POLARIS be your first McDevitt experience!

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman
Google "Peter D. Tillman" +review for McDevitt reviews, and many more!