Moonfall

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!

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.

I read this book shortly after seeing Armaggedon, which, if you really like SF, you will agree was an absolutely horrid movie. Everything that is wrong with that movie is right with this book. I do not know about the comment about Seattle made in a earlier review, but my impression of this book is that it stuck with REALITY to build suspense. No rules of physics are violated (at least not obviously) which leads to a particularly riveting conclusion. It makes you wonder why garbage like Armageddon has to be made.

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.