Black Sun

by Robert Leininger

Genres: Science Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and rather quirky 'end of the world' thriller by Leininger. Our main protagonist, Dr. Maurice Tyler, teaches physics at a university in Arizona but the sun constitutes his main research area. In fact, he has been working on a model whereby the sun may 'blink' for while (weeks or a few months) due to a lot of complex interactions, giving the science here a hardish feel to it. In any case, something seems to be happening to the sun (the so-called 'Tyler cycle?") and suddenly his 'lost' initial notes on the 'blink' have caught the attention of the PTB, who seek to keep a lid on him to avoid widespread panic.

While the sun 'blink' obviously is the major plot device, Leininger decided to give this a romantic angle, with Dr. Tyler first being 'stalked' by Gail, a beautiful reporter for a science mag for an interview, and then they both get nailed by cupid's arrows. Their whirlwind romance in the face of civilization coming to an end was rather endearing, but they just played footsies for most of the book.

Leininger paces this fairly well after a sluggish start, and when the Earth starts cooling the action really heats up. The pretty believable disaster scenarios laid out here I found gripping and the science was passible. All in all, a quick, fun light read that depicts the end of the world with a sardonic smile. 3.5 star blinks, rounding up!!

[Trilobyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent the first two thirds of the book thinking "get a room" as I endured the toe curling flirty banter that passes between the two main characters. Aside from that, it's a pretty decent post apocalyptic thriller.

As no reviews have been posted, here's the blurb -

"Week One - LA - The mercury drops to record - low levels. The days are getting shorter....

Week Two - New York - As the midday sky darkens, mass panic erupts. A city goes mad....

Week Three - South Carolina - A family man murders his wife, his children and himself, in mortal terror of the sun....

Brilliant physicist Maurice Tyler tried to warn the world about the approaching solar disaster, but no one listened. And now it is too late. In four short weeks, mankind will become extinct - as the rapidly freezing earth is transformed into an apocalyptic battleground where there is no law.... and no hope."

And from the inside cover -

"The Beginning of the End

The July snowfall and the bright edge of panic that swept the city lent a macabre, carnival atmosphere to the night.

Predators emerged, smiling, pulses quickened by screams that filled the night, blood hot as they sensed the impotence of the police in the gridlocked city. Smoke and flames rose from cars that had been torched for the simple thrill of watching them burn. The swirling snow muted gunshots, cries of rage and terror, shouted curses.

Behind loked doors, people stared out their windows at the fearsome beast of the city..."

[Andy Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite an entertaining apocalyptic fiction story, with a fairly unusual core plot. Essentially, a sunspot is growing and the output of the Sun is dropping, resulting in the temperature on Earth decreasing. So far, so good.

The main character is a brilliant scientist (and guitarist!) who predicted such a possibility but who was ignored, as is usually the way in these sorts of books. Without spoiling the story, he also has an amazing set of skills and assets that make him the perfect candidate for surviving the approaching chaos.

There's also a love interest who is similarly talented and provides a rather awkward romance sub-plot and some rather implausible action scenes (which causes me to knock off a star from five).

All in all, not a bad thriller.

[nx74defiant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tyler tries to warn of an upcoming solar disaster. Gail is a reporter who goes to interview him. I dislike Gail as she is introduced. She uses her femininity to get her interviews. She thinks no man would resist her. She and Tyler do end up together, but I dislike how she pursued him. Than it becomes a pretty standard end of the world story.

[Frasnik · Rating 3 out of 5]

A page turner for sure, some very tense moments! The bad guys are downright evil and the author pokes a bit of fun at the good guy. No major twists or surprises, but well-paced and kept my attention. I'm not really sure how to describe it, a slice-of-life disaster adventure? I picked it up at a bookstore on a whim and enjoyed it more than I deserved. It's a disaster movie where the scientist who warned everybody years before never goes to Washington or meets the President, worth a read for that alone.

[Nanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the writing is serviceable and, to my unscientific mind, the idea seems plausible, the story as a whole was not really believable. The main characters were flat, the semi-sex was gratuitous and unnecessary, their survival plan awkward and crazy. But how lucky is it that these two fantastically good looking, brilliant, skilled couple should find each other in the final days of a dying world! And they have just the right esoteric skills needed to save themselves and two children from certain doom. And don't forget the fortuitous inheritance, and the cliched and unexplainable friendships, that made it all possible. I love post apocalyptic tale and I can easily suspend beliefs for a good tale of survival, but this one really put a strain on my patience. Still, I read it all the way through and found the ending to be satisfactory, though not surprising.
PS I just found out that this book underwent a major overhaul some years after this edition was published in 1991. The new title is Sunspot and the author changed his name to Rob instead of Robert. I don't know if the new edition is better than the old, but I'm curious and will keep an eye open for it.