Giant's Star

Excitement and technical accuracy (Mr. Hogan was an engineer in his earlier career) have always been my favorite attributes of James P. Hogan's books. The Giant's Trilogy is my favorite. If you are a hard science fiction fan, you simply must read it.

Once again, Hogan's ideas are better that their execution. If he had real flesh and blood characters that actually developed I would gladly give a *****, but alas, Hunt seems as predictable as ever. Only that ZORAC alien is more formulaic. But these characters are only a foil for the real story: The discovery of mankind's origins and the problem facing us today now that we have finally met the allegedly died-out race. Best aspects: Great VR, description of the Giant's world, the almost magical technology.Worst aspects: Characters and style

Giant's Star picks up almost precisely where The Gentle Giants of Ganymede left off. This entry continues the problem solving theme of the first volume (Inherit the Stars), except the mystery is a current and urgent one, threatening the future of mankind, not just an ancient puzzle concerning man's origins. The cast of characters includes the familiar faces of Vic Hunt and Chris Danchekker, their Ganymeans friends (including the irrepressible ZORAC) and many new friends, and, in something of a first for this series, enemies. Typical Hogan high tech extrapolation, including the use of a virtual reality technology by the aliens (impressive for a book written in the early 80s). If you've enjoyed this series so far, you'll find this volume a worthy successor. Enjoy!