Sternenfall

by Michael McCollum, Norbert Stöbe (Translator)

The new comet found near Jupiter was an incredible treasure trove of water-ice and rock. Immediately, the water-starved Luna Republic and Sierra Corporation, a leader in asteroid mining, were squabbling over rights to the new resource. But all thoughts of profit and fame were abandoned when a scientific expedition discovered that the comet's trajectory placed it on a collision course with Earth!
As scientists struggled to find a way to alter the comet's course, world leaders tried desperately to restrain mass panic, and two lovers quarreled over the direction the comet was to take, all Earth waited to see if humanity had any future at all ...

Genres: Science Fiction

639 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Michael McCollum was born in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1946, and is a graduate of Arizona State University, where he majored in aerospace propulsion and minored in nuclear engineering. He is employed at Honeywell in Tempe, Arizona, where he is Chief Engineer in the valve product line. In his career, Mr. McCollum has worked on the precursor to the Space Shuttle Main Engine, a nuclear valve to replace the one that failed at Three Mile Island, several guided missiles, Space Station Freedom, and virtually every aircraft in production today. He is currently involved in an effort to create a joint venture company with a major Russian aerospace engine manufacturer and has traveled extensively to Russia in the last several years. In addition to his engineering, Mr. McCollum is a successful professional writer in the field of science fiction. He is the author of a dozen pieces of short fiction and has appeared in magazines such as Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, Amazing, and Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. Mr. McCollum is married to a lovely lady named Catherine, and has three children: Robert, Michael, and Elizabeth.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a quite enjoyable, optimistic action-packed story.

It is projected that a recently discovered comet, after having its course altered by the gravity of both Jupiter and Luna, will collide with Earth. Its collision would effect the extinction of mankind. When antimatter explosives planted within it fail to accelerate its journey as hoped such that the collision with Earth might be averted, a plan is orchestrated to redirect its path by colliding two commercially owned mining asteroids into it. This works, but at the sacrifice of Lunarian society.

If you get butt-hurt over lack of character development, you might reconsider reading this.

[Scott Shjefte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asteroid/comet heading for impact Earth!

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early take on 'asteroid threatens Earth' genre. Decent writing, sort of Heinlein-esque. I like this author. His "Antares" trilogy are pretty good space opera tales.

[Chet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is good hard SF but not quite on target. The general theme is redirecting the orbits of sub-planetary objects, such as for mining, and this is generally carried out well. An interesting solution is presented when catastrophe threatens, but this solution falls apart and is substituted with a lame ending. The science at the end was not believable.

Unfortunately, I had read "Moonfall" before I read this book which kind of ruined the ending of this book for me.

[Foxtower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of action!