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Chaos Chronicles #3
The Infinite Sea
Flung to an alien ocean world, John Bandicut and his companions find themselves plunged into the deepsea realm of the Neri. What will they find in the Neri's failing undersea city, or in the terrifying object of the deep abyss? Book 3 of The Chaos Chronicles continues the hard-SF saga inspired by chaos theory—with an all-new Afterword by the Nebula-nominated author of Eternity's End.
376 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
August 15, 2019
Really enjoyed it. Went on to read the others.
July 13, 2020
John Bandicut, his robots and alien friends master the "star tunnel" in Book #2 and now find themselves on an alien planet where an aquatic race to barely hanging on, harassed by a race of beings that live on the surface as well as sea-quakes and mysterious diseases. Jon and his friends end up solving the riddles and hopefully settling this world and it's inhabitants on a better path. John and the motley crew are inter galactic trouble shooters. Oh yes, John finds an alien love interest. This book was as strong as book #1 in the series; after a less interesting, to me, book #2.
January 3, 2016
It never gets any better. Ugh. It seems the writer didn't know where the story would go either.
July 8, 2021
Just not finding enough time to write up my reading properly at the moment!
I had it in my head that this was the last of three books in the series but it turns out there's another three still to come. And it also turns out I'm quite happy about that! This was more straight forward human/alien SF adventure with lots of interesting underwater detail based, according to the note at the end, on the author's own diving experience. Interesting aliens, well built characters and a good story. I thoroughly enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading future installments. Good hardish SF.
I had it in my head that this was the last of three books in the series but it turns out there's another three still to come. And it also turns out I'm quite happy about that! This was more straight forward human/alien SF adventure with lots of interesting underwater detail based, according to the note at the end, on the author's own diving experience. Interesting aliens, well built characters and a good story. I thoroughly enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading future installments. Good hardish SF.
August 26, 2019
Better than 3*, but not quite a 4*.
I enjoyed the book in general terms. Unfortunately, it is more of a repeat than a new book. New setting, new supporting cast, new "end of their world" to prevent. Same as the previous book for this team of "super heroes". I did thoroughly enjoy the 4th Charlie. A fun, engaging story none the less.
I enjoyed the book in general terms. Unfortunately, it is more of a repeat than a new book. New setting, new supporting cast, new "end of their world" to prevent. Same as the previous book for this team of "super heroes". I did thoroughly enjoy the 4th Charlie. A fun, engaging story none the less.
March 1, 2020
This story is very complicated and though I enjoyed it I struggled to understand some of the descriptions of the water world and the craft. I did enjoy the relationship Anteres and John have and the struggles portrayed between inter-species relationships.
May 27, 2017
This started slowly as the crew from the previous book land at the new story site. I don't recall reading a story in which so much took place below the sea since the Willard Price story, underwater adventure, when I was about 11. And so, after landing in an extraterrestrial ocean and meeting the locals the new challenge presents itself. Slowly. I did think at one stage this would be a bizarre twist of time and somehow they had landed on a future earth. This was not the case, but then, the true history of the inhabitants did not really get told to my satisfaction either. But the real mystery, a deep sea planet changer and a related-in-some-way sea poison are supposed to be the compelling plot line elements. But it didn't really grab me, starting too slow, never resolving the broader story elements, too-isolated returns to book 1 and then to finish with not just one but at least two books left in the series. I'll probably keep reading but these have not yet exceeded the interest of book one but neither has the quality completely deteriorated so I am hopeful that threads will be tied and intriguing stories and worlds presented in book 4.
April 12, 2021
Volume 3 of the Chaos Chronicles. John Bandicut and his alien friends--IK, Antares, Li-Jared--along with the robots Napoleon and Copernicus, find themselves in a city under the sea and among a race called the Neri. A large hole in the sea--The Maw of the Abyss--is destroying their cities. They are also having a problem with a lander race, the Astari. Turns out the Maw is a stargate that "got lost." It caused the Astari spaceship to crash land centuries ago, But John and his friends, along with his internal quark, Charlene, make peace and help the Maw do its job and stop ripping apart the Nei/Astari world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2021
Decent entry in the Chaos Chronicles, I find the mer folk interesting and am curious in what direction Carver is going to take the overall series in the future. I like the concept in Sci-Fi stories of Ancient civilizations and their remains that present a puzzle for current civilizations to have to put together and this series has aspects of that.
May 3, 2024
This story has familiar characters from other books in the Chaos series. The first two-thirds of the story is slow with a bit more details about living undersea than I was interested in reading. Not a bad book, just not Mr. Carver's best work.
July 15, 2017
about 3.5 stars- was much better than book 2
July 13, 2020
Enjoyable book and series. This one seemed to ramble a little and get stuck in esotericism.
September 3, 2020
Read this a while back as part of the Chaos Chronicles. A different story from the other two. I enjoyed it very much.
November 13, 2023
Didn’t grab me until the very end
February 2, 2025
A little confusing at first. Not as good as the first but still fun to read. I do like space opera.
June 1, 2025
This follows several characters from two previous books. I'm enjoying the series. The next in line is Sunborn. I hope to get to that one soon.
November 1, 2025
This book qwas better than the second book in the series. I thought the plot was more organized and the characters were more relatable. Looking forward to the next adventure.
October 5, 2015
Haven't read the others in the series, but found this book an okay stand-alone.
The translator stones imbedded in the neck of Bandicut have thrown them onto a planet that is all water. (Satisfyingly claustrophobic!) They spend the first part of the book learning about the people who live there, (the Neri) and we learn about the varied People(?) and Things who came with Bandicut. Unfortunately, some are like Star Trek characters, but I digress. That is 3/4 of the book. They are introduced to The Maw, an underwater THING that causes earthquakes, etc. FINALLY, they send their two computers R2D2 and -- whoops, sorry -- down to repair the broken parts. Meanwhile they meet the Astari who live topside, and learn what their mission is on this planet. The Maw is only a broken stargate which can get them home after they -- whoops, sorry again.
Why do authors feel the need to make a book out of a long story?
The translator stones imbedded in the neck of Bandicut have thrown them onto a planet that is all water. (Satisfyingly claustrophobic!) They spend the first part of the book learning about the people who live there, (the Neri) and we learn about the varied People(?) and Things who came with Bandicut. Unfortunately, some are like Star Trek characters, but I digress. That is 3/4 of the book. They are introduced to The Maw, an underwater THING that causes earthquakes, etc. FINALLY, they send their two computers R2D2 and -- whoops, sorry -- down to repair the broken parts. Meanwhile they meet the Astari who live topside, and learn what their mission is on this planet. The Maw is only a broken stargate which can get them home after they -- whoops, sorry again.
Why do authors feel the need to make a book out of a long story?
February 26, 2015
John Bandicut is in over his head this time, deep under an alien sea. In book three of the Chaos Chronicles, he and his company of friends have been tasked with settling a dispute between people of the sea, and land dwellers while trying to figure out what mysterious force living at the bottom of the abyss is trying to kill them all.
The under-sea habitat and cramped submarines in this story kept me feeling the need to seek wide open spaces and fresh air.
Carver tossed in a few snippets from the life of a character from book one and I believe that the story is only going to get more interesting from here on out. I'm looking forward to starting book four.
The under-sea habitat and cramped submarines in this story kept me feeling the need to seek wide open spaces and fresh air.
Carver tossed in a few snippets from the life of a character from book one and I believe that the story is only going to get more interesting from here on out. I'm looking forward to starting book four.
August 2, 2015
From the inky blackness of intergalactic space to the murky depths of an alien world in danger of destruction John Bandicut and crew set out to solve two crises at once while retaining their sanity and their lives. Can they do it? Only time - which is running out - will tell.
Cleanly written, superb character development, and a swiftly moving series of events seem to be Mr. Carver's hallmarks in the Chaos Chronicles. The Infinite Sea in no way lets you down. I will be venturing into his other novels soon enough.
Cleanly written, superb character development, and a swiftly moving series of events seem to be Mr. Carver's hallmarks in the Chaos Chronicles. The Infinite Sea in no way lets you down. I will be venturing into his other novels soon enough.
March 13, 2011
I know this is number three in a series, and it might explain why I found the book very heavy going. Bitty, fragmented, often referring to events in previous books and towards the end, foreshadowing events in future books. I didn't engage with any of the characters, though I did like the overall scope and breadth of the underlying ideas. Passed the time, but I won't be desperate to find the others in the series.
June 5, 2009
A good book, with an interesting storyline. The characters are as likable as they were before, but the story slows down a bit, which is why I liked it a bit less than the previous book (Strange Attractors)...
It's a good read anyway, and you can't go wrong, it's free to download and read; the author is paid on donations only...
It's a good read anyway, and you can't go wrong, it's free to download and read; the author is paid on donations only...
March 4, 2013
The weirdness journey continues in this one. I was hoping the series would go back to the style of the first book, but I was disappointed. Kind of a bizarre, metaphysical journey. Barely made it through.
September 12, 2016
After abandoning #2, gave this one a try to see if things got better. The intro was still badly written, but at least gave hope for a better story - but no. Made it halfway through chapter 1, then trashed it.
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September 25, 2014I enjoy the stories that push against the boundaries of pre-conceived ideas. This is definitely a must read, if you plan to read #4 in the series. Each book in the Chaos Chronicles takes you into a journey of exploration that builds on the previous experience of the unwilling explorers.
February 21, 2015
Maybe I am getting used to Carver, but this wasn't too bad. Intersecting plots of the fantastic four space travellers this time with Amphibious beings with a few problems the quartet always manages to solve. OK.
July 26, 2013
Continued the battle in a new space. More development of side characters.
September 3, 2014
vite lu vite oublié (bis)
April 27, 2015
Similar feedback to the first book of the series: didn't care for the teen-angst aspects of the story, but overall story was generally good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews