WENN SIE ECHTE HARTE SF MÖGEN - GREIFEN SIE ZU! Ein Observatorium auf der Rückseite des Mondes entdeckt einen neuen Kometen, der auf dem Weg ins innere Sonnensystem ist. Er wird eine enge Begegnung mit dem Riesenplaneten Jupiter haben, der seine Bahn stark verändern wird. Doch wie diese Bahn aussehen wird, ist noch ziemlich offen. Sicher ist, daß er der Erde ziemlich nahe kommen könnte. Als der Komet den Jupiter passiert hat, steht fest, daß er genau auf die Erde zielt. Nach seiner Umrundung der Sonne liegt die Erde genau auf Kurs. Die Minengesellschaften auf Planetoiden in Erdnähe stellen ihre Arbeit ein und bereiten sich darauf vor, dem Brocken mit ihren wertvollen fliegenden Lagerstätten aus Eisen und Nickel den Weg zu verlegen und abzubremsen, doch der Bursche ist zu gewaltig, als daß ihn irgend etwas aufhalten könnte. Ein Hardcore Science Fiction-Roman mit HiTec und rasanterte Action, wie man ihn sich seit langem wieder einmal gewünscht hat, spannend bis zur letzten Seite. ! Dies ist ein Volltreffer! Science Fiction Deutsche Erstausgabe
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.
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.
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.
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.