Final Assault

The Tenth Planet #3

by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch

2018: COUNTDOWN TO APOCALYPSE

Two worlds are locked in mortal conflict. The aliens of the Tenth Planet must harvest Earth's vast resources soon--before their world's elliptical orbit hurls them back into deep space for another 2000 years. If they fail, their species cannot survive the long journey into the void. This is their last chance to avoid extinction.

On Earth, scientists work frantically to stop the huge alien fleet, but even nuclear weapons have only slowed the attackers' dreadful onslaught. Now the ultimate battle for the fate of Earth--and all human life--draws near. And as more powerful weapons are brought to bear, winning the war may be more devastating than the invasion.

A thrilling science fiction saga of epic proportions, THE TENTH PLANET: FINAL ASSAULT delivers high-tech action and pulse-pounding drama that culminate in the explosive finale to a rousing trilogy.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 28, 2000

About the author

Pen Names
Edward Taft
Dee W. Schofield
Sandy Schofield
Kathryn Wesley

Dean Wesley Smith is the bestselling author of over ninety novels under many names and well over 100 published short stories. He has over eight million copies of his books in print and has books published in nine different countries. He has written many original novels in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, and romance as well as books for television, movies, games, and comics. He is also known for writing quality work very quickly and has written a large number of novels as a ghost writer or under house names.

With Kristine Kathryn Rusch, he is the coauthor of The Tenth Planet trilogy and The 10th Kingdom. The following is a list of novels under the Dean Wesley Smith name, plus a number of pen names that are open knowledge. Many ghost and pen name books are not on this list because he is under contractual obligations not to disclose that he wrote them. Many of Dean’s original novels are also under hidden pen names for marketing reasons.

Dean has also written books and comics for all three major comic book companies, Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse, and has done scripts for Hollywood. One movie was actually made.

Over his career he has also been an editor and publisher, first at Pulphouse Publishing, then for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books.

Currently, he is writing thrillers and mystery novels under another name.

Reviews

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book of The Tenth Planet trilogy breaks cleanly into two sections. The first, occurring roughly a month before the orbit of the Tenth Planet brings the aliens back in reach of the earth, is focused primarily on getting the human race ready for one last titanic clash with the aliens. Its culmination is a speech by the president of the U.S. that is viewed as critical to get people to stop rioting in terror and start working constructively to save the planet. It’s a good speech, I just wonder why the president waited six months to give it.

The second half focuses on the assault of the aliens and all of those preparations that humanity has been making for the last book and a half. There’s a lot of tension, made more so by getting into the head of the alien leader who is frankly a very sympathetic figure. He’s trapped too. If he can’t harvest energy from the earth (which he does through a nanotech that destroys all biological material in a massive region (the first pass took out most of the Amazon jungle) and converts it into energy) his whole race will die. This is a nice touch to the story, because this isn’t good versus bad, it’s two “goods” clashing here with neither side having any choice but too fight.

I won’t give away the ending other than to say that both sides show they are flexible and creative in their tactics. I will also point out that the aliens don’t seem nearly worried enough about humans sending missiles after them after the Tenth Planet passes the earth. With 2006 years before the next pass, I would put my money on humanity finishing off the aliens while they are all in cold sleep waiting for their planet to come near the sun again. But had they realized it, it probably wouldn’t have greatly altered their tactics. Their window of opportunity to fight the humans was simply too short.

All in all, it’s a very fun trilogy.

[Christopher Phelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very exciting. I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the book. Excellent!

[SamB · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real page-turner. Some of the more compelling characters from the earlier instalments are short-changed here, perhaps inevitably with so much action to squeeze in, but others (Gail Banks!) come into their own. I particularly liked the range of perspectives as well as all the consequences beyond and around the attack.

[Tony Bittner-Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling ending. A great story full of action. This trilogy should definitely hit the big screen. I wish though that Dr Bradshaw had received the international recognition he deserved and Portia Groopman's nanorescuers were used appropriately.

[Raul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poco mierda que no se sacara en España pero bomba al fin y al cabo la trilogía

[Alla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid science fiction. Not great but good. I wish there was a sequel. What happens 2000 years later?

[Brett]

Sci-Fi