Three Miles Down

by Harry Turtledove

From New York Times bestselling author Harry Turtledove, the modern master of alternate history, a novel of alien contact set in the tumultuous year of the Watergate scandal.

It's 1974, and Jerry Stieglitz is a grad student in marine biology at UCLA with a side gig selling short stories to science fiction magazines, just weeks away from marrying his longtime fiancée. Then his life is upended by grim-faced men from three-letter agencies who want him to join a top-secret "Project Azorian" in the middle of the north Pacific Ocean—and they really don't take "no" for an answer. Further, they're offering enough money to solve all of his immediate problems.

Joining up and swearing to secrecy, what he first learns is that Project Azorian is secretly trying to raise a sunken Russian submarine, while pretending to be harvesting undersea manganese nodules. But the dead Russian sub, while real, turns out to be a cover story as well. What's down on the ocean floor next to it is the thing that killed the an alien spacecraft.

Jerry's a scientist, a longhair, a storyteller, a dreamer. He stands out like a sore thumb on the Glomar Explorer, a ship full of CIA operatives, RAND Corporation eggheads, and roustabout divers. But it turns out that he's the one person in the North Pacific who's truly thought out all the ways that human-alien first contact might go.

And meanwhile, it's still 1974 back on the mainland. Richard Nixon is drinking heavily and talking to the paintings on the White House walls. The USA is changing fast—and who knows what will happen when this story gets out? Three Miles Down is both a fresh and original take on First Contact, and a hugely enjoyable romp through the pop culture, political tumult, and conspiracies-within-conspiracies atmosphere that was 1974.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Alternate History, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Aliens, Adventure

279 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 26, 2022

About the author

Dr Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced a sizeable number of works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.

Harry Turtledove attended UCLA, where he received a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977.

Turtledove has been dubbed "The Master of Alternate History". Within this genre he is known both for creating original scenarios: such as survival of the Byzantine Empire; an alien invasion in the middle of the World War II; and for giving a fresh and original treatment to themes previously dealt with by other authors, such as the victory of the South in the American Civil War; and of Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

His novels have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream. His style of alternate history has a strong military theme.

Reviews

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This was a really cute alternative history story. As a piece of science fiction, this one felt very accessible with little science or technology talk.

Instead this is a humorous narrative with a lighter tone. I don't always get along with "funny books" but this was subtle and understated enough to work for me. It's not laugh out loud funny, but rather the quiet jokes that made me smile.

I would recommend this one to those who enjoy a light, entertaining story that was unique perspective.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Mikhail · Rating 2 out of 5]

(DNF at 40%)

When I was a teenager, I read basically everything I could find by Turtledove. The long, intricate alternate histories fascinated me, the way characters morphed and changed and the way worlds were built.

These days... alas, I am less impressed. Three reasons.

Strike One: I am older, I have my own doctorate in history nowadays, and Turtledove's constant dropping of random history trivia feels artificial, obvious in a way that, say, Barbara Hambly's historical fiction doesn't. Hambly's work conveys the feel of the time, Turtledove's just yells proper names at you.

Strike Two: The plot, I fear, is slower than molasses. This is a first contact-style story revolving around Project Azorian and the Glomar Explorer being used to raise a UFO from the ocean floor. This is good stuff, Cold War + Aliens, you can do stuff here. But a hundred pages into the book and there is no conflict, no action, the protagonist doesn't *do* anything except hang around the ship and exposit at us.

Like, we've got aliens and espionage here. But the aliens do nothing, at least for the first third of the book the aliens are a big dumb object that aren't even described in an interesting or memorable fashion. There's no creepiness, no suspense, no sense of wonder. Meanwhile, for a book that is up to its ears in CIA stuff, there's a lack of mystery or tension--none of the spooks seem very spooky, they just seem like humorless gov't employees. It's all very blandly bureaucratic.

Strike Three: To put it delicately, too much politics. The book spends nearly as much time on the ongoing Watergate scandal and Nixon's downfall as it does on the alien stuff, and it's clear that Turtledove is also working out some anger over the Trump impeachment(s). But the Watergate digressions add nothing to the plot, bring about no conflict, it's just another chance to exposit about stuff.

Aaaaand you're out. It's honestly the most boring book I've read in ages.

[Peter Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good Turtledove alternate-past book: what if the infamous Glomar Explorer had recovered an alien starship, instead of a Russian submarine? Based in true story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glomar_...
A good old-fashioned SF yarn. I was pleased to find that Turtledove hasn't lost his touch. Long time since I've read any of his stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_T...
Wow, he's written a LOT of books: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?...
This is his latest, and it's a worthy effort. 4 stars, recommended reading.

Other nice touches: the MC's GF, then wife: she's peppery, curvy, and sexy. Her cat, the King of Siam! Pure Siamese beauty, personality and bossiness. Turtledove must be a cat-person. I was a grad student then myself (mid-70s), struggling to finish my MS, falling in love with a beautiful blond geologist, then losing her a couple of years later. I had just completed my Naval Reserve tour of duty, so I had the GI Bill to support me. A great program. Still going, I think. Ah, memories . . .

I think my favorite Turtledove story remains his 1993 Novella "Down in the Bottomlands", which won the 94 Hugo. 4.5 stars, by memory. Here's a copy online: https://www.baen.com/Chapters/0671578...
Don't miss! I need to reread it myself. An alternate geological history of East Africa, if memory serves Very nicely done. Opening lines:
"A double handful of tourists climbed down from the omnibus, chattering with excitement. From under the long brim of his cap, Radnal vez Krobir looked them over, comparing them with previous groups he'd led through Trench Park. About average, he decided: an old man spending money before he died; younger folks searching for adventure in an overcivilized world; a few who didn't fit into an obvious category and might be artists, writers, researchers, or anything else under the sun.

He also looked over the women in the tour group with a different sort of curiosity. He was in the process of buying a bride from her father, but he hadn't done it; legally and morally, he remained a free agent. Some of the women were worth looking over, too: a couple of tall, slim, dark Highheads from the eastern lands who stuck by each other, and another of Radnal's own Strongbrow race, shorter, stockier, fairer, with deep-set light eyes under heavy brow ridges.

One of the Highhead girls gave him a dazzling smile. He smiled back . . ."

[Steve's Book Stuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry Turtledove was dubbed “the master of alternate history” in Publisher’s Weekly way back in 2008. He’s been a published author since 1979, writing under various pseudonyms as well as under his real name. He’s dabbled in science fiction, historical fiction, and mysteries as well as alternate history. Turtledove may be best known for his Southern Victory and WorldWar series, alternate histories of the Civil War and World War II.

In Three Miles Down Turtledove gives us an alternate history story about alien first contact, set in the America of the early 1970s.

First contact story lines vary wildly. There are the evil alien invaders intent on destroying or subjugating the human race as seen from HG Wells’ War of the Worlds of the 1890s to the 1996 film Independence Day, and many more before and since.

At the other end of the spectrum are the aliens who “come in peace”, or at least mean us no harm. Like ET. All he wanted to do was phone home. Or, like the Vulcans of Star Trek: First Contact, who came to greet humanity after Zefram Cochrane’s successful development of warp drive technology.

Three Miles Down falls somewhere in the middle. The aliens here don't reveal themselves to be world conquerors nor friendly ambassadors. They may be passersby in the spirit of ET, but it’s hard to say because in fact we only get a glimpse of them. If I could compare this book to any other First Contact work I’d have to say that it shares a lot with the 1977 movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. As in that movie, the focus here is much more on the impact on a handful of common people when extraterrestrials are confirmed to visit earth.

Jerry Stieglitz is a graduate student in marine biology at UCLA, who is an avid sci fi fan and sells short stories to science fiction magazines. Like many of his peers in the early 70s he wears his hair long and sports a beard. When we first meet him he’s wearing powder blue corduroy bell bottoms, and listening to humpback whale songs. He’s interrupted by a knock at his door. Opening the door he finds a couple of CIA men, and a man named Steve from the RAND Corporation. They are there to “invite” Jerry to accompany them on their mission aboard the Glomar Explorer, ostensibly a deep sea mining vessel owned by the mysterious Howard Hughes.

But, he's told, the Hughes story is just that - a cover story for a quest by the CIA to recover a sunken Soviet submarine. Yet Jerry finds, after he agrees to sign on the dotted line and join their mission, that the cover story hides another mission - the REAL mission - to haul up a submerged spaceship from three miles under the ocean. This is not a human spaceship.

Plenty of the reality of early 1970s America is spread through the book, as the Nixon presidency grinds to its historic end. Surprisingly, the Glomar Explorer, it’s mission to recover a Soviet sub, and the Hughes cover story are all real.

The focus remains on Stieglitz, and the growth and changes he goes through, along with his fiancée (and then wife) Anna, as the aliens are encountered and Cold War drama and skullduggery plays out. It’s actually kind of a sweet story of young love overcoming obstacles. That story, along with bits about Jerry’s sci-fi writing, and his encounters with some real life sci-fi writers and editors, is the heart of the book.

Which is why it’s so interesting that the book ends on a seeming cliffhanger as humans attempt to bring the aliens found aboard the sunken ship out of suspended animation. Whether this means that a sequel is on its way, or that the story Turtledove wanted to tell is done, and the aliens themselves aren't that central to it, I'm not entirely sure. But it's likely a safe bet that a sequel (and probably a series) is in the works. And if there is a sequel, I'm quite certain the aliens will take a more central role.

For me, though, this book is complete in and of itself. The pace is a bit slow, but the characters, the story, and the dip back in time to the early 70s were all well done and made for an enjoyable read.

RATING: Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

NOTE: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Tor Books. I am voluntarily providing this review. The book will be available to the public on July 26, 2022.

[Lacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was pretty disappointing. So BORING! It wasn't anything like I was hoping it would be. More about politics of the time, and not much about the aliens and stuff. I skimmed the last of it.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Tor, Macmillan, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

There's a saying that often gets trotted out anytime a movie, TV show, or book spends all its time laying the groundwork for a sequel it never gets - never save your best ideas for the sequel. If you've got a good idea, use it now. It's a saying that could easily apply to any number of recent projects. And it's one that definitely applies to Harry Turtledove’s new novel, "Three Miles Down." Set during the 1970s, "Three Miles Down" is one-part political thriller and one-part First-Contact science fiction romp. Unfortunately, the book features very little political intrigue and even less “First Contact”. Instead, "Three Miles Down" reads like the prelude to an as-yet-unannounced sequel. And that's a pretty big bummer considering how solid the premise is.

It's 1974. The Cold War is on everyone's mind. And the Watergate scandal is nearing its climax. But unbeknownst to the American public, the US Navy has found something at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Something that might just be out of this world. At least that's what the CIA agents tell grad student Jerry Stieglitz when they convince him to join a clandestine mission to rescue the craft and uncover its secrets. What follows is something that Jerry couldn't have even begun to imagine in his most inventive stories. But naturally, the mission proves to be a political and bureaucratic nightmare. And in a political climate where no secret seems safe, is there any hope of any of the team keeping such a monumental discovery from leaking to an unsuspecting and unprepared public?

Combining the paranoia of the 1970s with the world of UFO conspiracies feels like a match made in heaven. And it would've been had the book followed through on that combination. Instead, Turtledove takes a surprisingly lackadaisical approach to the premise. The pacing itself isn't necessarily slow, per se. It's just that very little happens between major plot points. And this lack of action robs the book of the opportunity to build up any real tension. For example, much of the book's first third revolves around various characters endlessly talking about what they might or might not do once they've gotten the alien spacecraft onto the boat. And then the book breezes past the actual process of getting the spacecraft onto the boat, launching into a new set of questions all about what the best ways to approach First Contact are. And so on and so forth.

When all the interesting stuff happens off-page, or when it gets endlessly discussed by the characters, it's hard to feel like there's any urgency to what's going on. None of the characters seem all that worried about the idea of the aliens, the possibility of their existence leaking, or anything along those lines. So, subsequently, the reader doesn't feel like there's much to worry about either. And you'd think that a healthy dose of political intrigue might fix this, given that the Nixon impeachment and resignation literally occurs in the story's background.

But Turtledove decides to push most of that intrigue and paranoia towards the story’s outer edges. Sure, Jerry is a hardcore liberal, the kind of person these rank-and-file CIA agents might call a “commie”. But none of this amounts to much more than a character trait for Jerry. And the book waits until the last possible to moment to even consider combining Cold War tensions with First Contact ones. The climax is easily where the book is most enjoyable. And I wish Turtledove had introduced more of those elements earlier in the book, giving the climax more room to breathe and the overall narrative a better sense of cohesion.

And speaking of Jerry, the novel spends so much time developing him, yet it never feels like he's given an actual character arc. He goes on a journey of sorts, sure. But it's primarily plot-driven rather than character-driven. On a character level, he doesn't seem to change all that much from the beginning of the story to the end. We don't get the impression that his worldview's been challenged all that much by everything he sees and learns while looking into this UFO. Or that his experiences have changed him in any fundamental way.

Sure, the latter half of the book tries to beef his storyline up with a little bit of subterfuge. But it feels too little too late. Especially since Turtledove takes the same approach to these elements as he does with the novel’s first third. Overall, Jerry’s a difficult character to care for. He's never all that sympathetic, despite the ways the book tries to endear him to readers. And since he doesn't really learn much or change much, there's not a whole lot to get invested in. Outside of his general survival, I guess.

Overall, "Three Miles Down" feels like a prelude to a different, more enjoyable story. Except the promotional material never suggests the book is anything other than a stand-alone story. And that's a big bummer because I think there was enough here for "Three Miles Down" to have been something special. It just feels like Turtledove decided to save all his best ideas for a sequel instead of using them here and now. So, we’re left with a political thriller devoid of any real political intrigue, and a First-Contact story with very little contact between aliens and humans. It's a fun enough read, I guess, especially if you enjoy a good retro sci-fi romp. But "Three Miles Down" doesn't live up to the potential of its premise.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

This was fun. Actually, it was considerably more fun than I expected. Although I wasn’t expecting The Hunt for Red October and every UFO story that takes place at Area 51 to have a book baby, either. But they did and this is definitely it.

It’s the summer of 1974 when this story opens, and does it ever feel like it. Watergate was in high gear, but the infamous tapes had not yet been released. Meaning that there was still plenty of room for people to believe that Nixon was being railroaded. There were also plenty of people who just didn’t like “Tricky Dick” and were happy to see him fall from grace – whether he was being railroaded or not.

The Cold War was still lukewarm at this point. It wouldn’t officially end for another decade, so the US and the USSR are still locking horns, but mostly on the diplomatic front. And the US is still stuck in the deeply unpopular and divisive Vietnam War, although there were certainly signs that the government of South Vietnam was teetering and that the US wouldn’t be able to prop it up for much longer.

Jerry Stieglitz was a graduate student at UCLA, very much like the author. But Jerry’s research for his doctorate in marine biology was about whalesong. If he ever managed to finish it. An issue that is even more in doubt after a visit from the CIA with an offer of the kind of money a graduate student can’t afford to turn down to do a job that sounds more like a boondoggle than anything that will advance his research.

It’s also going to be hell on his love life. Jerry and his fiancé Anna have their wedding all planned – and paid for – to take place in just three weeks.

The CIA wants Jerry on a research vessel in the Pacific Ocean starting ASAP. He thinks he’s part of their cover story. That research vessel is carrying some specialized equipment, to let the CIA raise a sunken Russian submarine from the titular “three miles down” under the ocean.

It’s only after Jerry is aboard ship and they’re on their way to the crash site that Jerry learns that he’s been brought aboard, not for the cover his marine biology research provides, but for the twists of mind necessary for his side-gig.

Jerry is a published (although not very much, yet) science fiction writer. Which makes him perfect for the real mission, hidden under the fake mission, concealed by a really thin cover story about mining manganese from the ocean floor.

It’s Jerry’s job to anticipate all the things that might go wrong when the ship brings up its real prize – a UFO that crashed under the waves who knows how and who knows when. All that anyone knows is that the UFO, whether crewed or not, managed to bring down that Russian submarine all by its lonesome.

Whatever is in there, the US wants to nab for itself before the Russians learn the truth about who sunk their nuclear equipped submarine.

Bringing up the UFO is the adventure of a lifetime. What Jerry finds in it will change, not just his life but quite possibly the world. But he doesn’t believe the US should be opening this particular can of worms on its own.

The problem is that if Jerry tells anyone what they found, somebody really will kill him. But they’ll have to catch him first.

Escape Rating A: Three Miles Down is fun on three different levels. First, there’s the obvious, the golly gee-whiz-bang fun of finding that UFO. It’s an edge-of-the-seat adventure that makes the reader feel like they are right there with Jerry and the crew – even if it’s also a boy’s only club. Which, to be fair, it would have been in 1974.

But just the idea of that discovery is fascinating – and all too easy to imagine for anyone who loves science fiction. Which leads directly to that second level. Because the story feels like it’s intended as a love note to the SF genre, particularly as it was at that period. (I was in high school when the book takes place, and I remember reading – or at least thinking about reading – many of the exact same books that Jerry reads on the trip. And the inclusion of real-life science fiction writer Jerry Pournelle in that latter part of the story reads as spot-on.)

And then there’s that third level, when Jerry’s situation goes pear-shaped and he finds himself on the run in the best spy thriller tradition, trying to keep one step ahead of the people who are out to get him. A part of the story that also flips the espionage thriller on its head, as Jerry, an American, is on the run from the CIA so that he can give the secret to America’s enemies. AND HE’S DOING THE RIGHT THING!

Put all those elements together and this story is an absolute blast from beginning to end, with an ending that opens up the possibility for so many wonderful new beginnings. I’d love to know what happens next, because I really enjoyed following Jerry’s “Magic Carpet Ride” of a journey

[Lis Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 1974, and Jerry Stieglitz is a marine biology grad student, working on his dissertation. He's sold a few science fiction stories, and he's a few weeks away from getting married. It's a good life.

Then three guys knock on his door, and push their way in when he answers it. They're from the CIA, and they have a proposition for him. They want him to join a secret expedition. No one is going to explain anything to him yet, but he'll be in the North Pacific, and will be able to continue his whale song research.

They're not really taking no for an answer, either, but they're willing to pay him enough to solve all his immediate problems--including paying for the cost of delaying his wedding.

There's a scary NDA to sign, and he can't tell Anna even as much as the little he knows, but with the costs of delaying the wedding covered, and the seemingly insane salary Jerry will be paid setting up nicely for the start of married life, she agrees.

He goes to an address in Los Angeles, and gets a false name, new ID, and the information that he'll be getting on Glomar Explorer, which will be trying to raise a sunken Soviet submarine, while pretending to mine magnesium from the ocean floor. And yes, sure, he can continue is whale song research. The new NDA includes a clause saying that if he tells anyone anything, the CIA may "terminate him with extreme prejudice."

When he gets to Glomar Explorer, he learns that retrieving the Soviet sub will be a "nice to get." They're really after something far more exciting: an alien spaceship on the ocean floor, that apparently sank the Soviet sub. They want Jerry not as window dressing, but for his science fiction writing. He's someone whose scientific reputation is good enough to be a cover for why they really want him. He's there to think creatively about the aliens and the alien ship.

Jerry makes genuinely useful contribution, including the extremely useful contribution of how to get into the alien ship without damaging it, and without triggering whatever the ship did to wreck the Soviet sub. He's also provided a well-thought-out list of possible scenarios for how things could play out, with or without live aliens on board the spaceship.

He also expresses concerns about how the CIA is managing this, both the unduly aggressive treatment of the ship, and the insistence on keeping the ship secret from the Soviets. This isn't because he likes the Soviets. Like most liberals of the 1970s, he's quite well aware that the Soviets actually are far worse than any of his concerns about the USA. No, he thinks this is just too big for one country to keep to itself. These are aliens, and their technology is far ahead of ours in several ways, and the whole world will need to deal with it--both the risks and the possible benefits--in any real good is to come of it, rather than a possible world war that could end the world.

Jerry is not always sufficiently diplomatic about this. He gets kicked off the ship with a reminder of the "termination with extreme prejudice" clause.

He tries to keep his head down. He really does. But something leaks from someone, and he looks like one of the two most obvious suspects. Dangerous things start happening, and Jerry runs. Not randomly, but to the only place where he thinks he can change the diretion of what's happening.

The last third of the book is mostly political thriller, resting on a foundation of science fiction and alternate history. Whether Jerry, his marriage, and the planet can survive is in serious question.

The main plot of this book has a satisfying ending, but in the larger setting animating the book, there's a cliffhanger setting. No sequel has been announced, but Turtledove doesn't set up a cliffhanger like that without intending to continue. I look forward to seeing at least one sequel.

It's a lot of fun, but not on the explosions and fights level. The excitement is in what they've found, and what they'll do about it, and what arguments will prevail. Both how first contact will go, and whether the world will survive, hang in the balance.

I like this kind of story a lot more than big explosions. It's a lot of fun, if you enjoy ideas and possibilities. Oh, and the occasional appearance of real-world science fiction writers.

I bought this audiobook.

[Aaron Lawson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like I know more about nonsense and eating habits in the main characters life then a sci-fi novel…… I love Turtledove, but ooooooooooof. This one was rough

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been over a decade since I've given Harry Turtledove a chance to entertain me, and it turns out that I had totally forgotten that I had picked up the novel in question. This gets to my main complaint with this author; his novels, once you get past the initial premise, often manage to seem brick-like and superficial at the same time. This time out those issues are transcended, as Turtledove gives you a fairly tight character study of one man thrust into extraordinary circumstances, and that is as interested in the textures of 1974 as it is in the big idea of a Cold War alien first contact.

There are a number of things I could downgrade this novel for. One, it does seem a little bit like a "Mary Sue," in that it just so happens that Turtledove was a grad student at the same time his main character was. Two, the "Washington political thriller" might not be Turtledove's metier; Tim Powers and Charlie Stross do this sort of thing better on a regular basis. Still, as someone who was in high school at the time, I think that Turtledove does relate the period well to someone for whom 1974 might as well be 1874, I like his main character, and I'd be willing to give further books a chance. I do suspect that Tor was tougher minded about editing than Del Rey (Turtledove's main publisher in his prime) ever was.

I'm being charitable with my rating because 3.5 is probably more honest.

[Angie Boyter · Rating 4 out of 5]

4++, almost a 5, and I may change my mind yet. My main reservation is that it is almost not SF, and I believe readers who do not normally read SF would enjoy it very much, so some readers may have the wrong expectations. It is an enthralling story about discovering an alien spaceship set in the era of Richard Nixon, with a fully developed protagonist, and a plot that really grips you. And there is super humor woven throughout, just in case the action and suspense are not enough for you.
No author I know evokes a historical period better that Turtledove. He and I both lived through that era, and I can say everything is spot on about the current events, political intrigue and international tensions, attitudes, and the details about protagonist Jerry, including his grooming, clothing, speech, and political attitudes. I hope younger readers will enjoy learning about the era as much as I enjoyed reliving it!

[Tomasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun bit of slightly (all right, very not-slightly) alternate 1970s, with the period done to perfection, and a very convincing, and delightfully snarky, protagonist. Why not five stars, then? Because the ending is not, and also because of a coupla' scratches marring the fine thing (the one-time pads do not work as described here, and also, yet again, it's no problem to get someone actually knowing Russian to check your Russian bits for, you know, spelling and grammar. Otherwise they just turn out lazy and laughable).
One more thing - Mr. Turtledove smartly posed masked for the publicity photo. The pun density here is such that the translators of foreign editions may entertain ideas of mayhem and retribution.

[Aurora Borealis · Rating 3 out of 5]

the jacket summary promised a story about first contact, but at least 60% of the book was about cold war politics and the minutiae of the main character’s life. the writing felt very cold and disconnected (as well as repetitive), which made it hard to get excited over even major plot points, the main character didn’t feel interesting or well developed, and the dialogue often bordered on nonsensical. very much a slog to get through.

[Susanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t for me. Absolutely nothing happened that the protagonist, Jerry, contributed to or took part in in a meaningful fashion. He was merely an observer in his book, with endless conversations about politics and other things that didn’t drive the plot, with people who were as bland and boring as he was. I kept hoping for a counter-factual twist where Nixon doesn’t resign, or something new apart from the alien ship that took forever to make an appearance, but absolutely nothing interesting happened by the time I stopped reading around mid-point, and nothing compelled me to continue.

Early seventies apparently has nothing to distinguish itself outside Nixon and the Vietnam war, and while the few details were amusing, they weren’t enough to make this interesting. But if you like slow stories from a point of view of a clueless outsider thrown into events he has no control over, this is for you. And who knows, maybe the latter half makes a difference.

[Derek Dewitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Holy smokes, what a bad book. Not only is it a boring book about an interesting topic, but the writing is turgid beyond belief. It seems Mr. Turtledove thinks he's a funny guy; he is not. Just one of hundreds of examples: (in regards to a piece of equipment the main character has as he's about to board a commercial flight) "He'd stow it in the overhead so it wouldn't suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous baggage handlers." That's a paraphrase, not an exact quote, but you get the picture. It caused me physical pain to read this book.

[Shannon Miz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

First thing you need to know: This book is light on the actual aliens, heavy on the political and moral implications of the possibility of aliens. That said, I did like the book! But if you are looking for a focus on first contact itself, this probably isn't it. In Three Days Down, we're introduced to Jerry. He's a grad student in the 1970s, moonlighting as a sci-fi writer. He's pretty comfortable in his life, has a fiancé, steady job, a modest apartment.

One day, Jerry gets a visit from some CIA fellows who'd like him to accept an opportunity. He doesn't know anything about it, but come on, who exactly would be able to turn down... whatever it is? Not Jerry, anyway. So he agrees, and finds out piece by piece what his mission will entail. He's going down in a submarine to basically fish for Soviets. Only when Jerry gets there, he finds out he's fishing less for Russians, and more for extraterrestrials.

The bulk of the story deals with Jerry's journey, both internally, and as it relates to the mission. The government is a giant mess, and no one can agree on how to proceed. Jerry's ideas are certainly the most appropriate and humane, yet Jerry wields very little power for decision making. Even so, Jerry's ideas clearly have value to the program, and he's got to make some very serious decisions. How far will he be willing to go to get the answers he craves? Will he be able to change the minds of any of the hardheads he's dealing with? Will their decisions doom humanity?

The story is certainly thought provoking, as you can't help but wonder what you would do in a similar position as Jerry. In addition, Jerry is dealing with his own mundane life stuff, that certainly many of us can relate to. I will say, it did feel a bit like this would have a sequel- or if it wasn't intended to, we're really not going to know how the alien storyline plays out, so be warned. That was probably my major complaint, that would lessen a bit if I knew if this was to be a series or a standalone. As it stands now, it is a story mostly dealing with the lead up to alien relationships, and contemplating the moral ramifications of such contact. Interesting and thought provoking no doubt, but also without answering the question.

Bottom Line: Provided a lot of introspection on what would happen if aliens were found, and the political ramifications of such an event, and look into how one man's life would change, and the choices he'd have to make.

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

[Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Jerry had trouble imagining himself in his thirties, much less his seventies. What would 2024 look like? The politics would have to be better than today’s. They couldn’t very well be any worse!”

In some ways, Turtledove's fun book is an examination of what the heart of the cold war was like, what America and Russia was like at the time, through the lens of having the Glomar Explorer go, as planned, after a Russian submarine but instead find an alien spacecraft beside it. And it's hard not to see it as a suggestion that the worst we could imagine in 1971 pales when compared to the world we have today.

It's well played, and it is intriguing that the hero is a hippie grad student who is perhaps too suspicious and too idealistic. It's hard not to imagine that this UCLA grad student in 1971-2, might be a person just like Turtledove was in those years.

I'm a little surprised that the book didn't wow me ... I think I'm the perfect target audience. But I couldn't ever quite sympathize with the hero, or quite buy the stereotypes of CIA folks, military men, Russian communists, and even World War veterans. I have found Turtledove's aliens more credible.

But I did enjoy it, and found it hard to put down, definitely wanting to see what happened next. And then, I didn't find out. The ending is such a cliffhanger that it made me think there must be a sequel underway, but I can't see evidence that such a sequel is on its way.

So 3.5 stars. Good, fun, great premise, but not quite working for me.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when I was younger, Harry Turtledove used to be my favourite author. I devoured whatever books I could find of his, placing hold after hold in the local libraries; when I had some pocket money, I would rush to buys latest novels the moment they came out. I don't know if I just grew up or if HT's writing quality has declined, but his more recent works just don't hit the same anymore. It was the same with this - while it was an okay enough way to pass the time, it just didn't do much for me. Not much really happened and it felt like the novel ended right when it was getting interesting. The characters didn't really feel fleshed out, there was a lot of repetition in the writing and the ML's relationship with his fiancee/wife slowly imploding was more fun to watch than the actual first contact plot.

[Deborah Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the height of the Cold War and on the brink of the 1974 Watergate scandal, the US discovers a sunken Soviet submarine…and something they didn’t expect. Something they want to keep even more secret. Under the guise of harvesting undersea manganese nodules, they recruit a team of experts, including marine biology grad student and aspiring science fiction author, Jerry Stieglitz. After being sworn to secrecy, Jerry learns the secret-inside-the-secret: the Soviet sub is sitting on top of an alien spaceship. They want Jerry not only to bolster their disguise when Soviet warships come to check them out but to use his writerly imagination in interacting with the ship and its inhabitants, both dead and in suspended animation. His insight (derived from the scene at the doors of Moria, “speak friend and enter”) opens the door to the ship, for example. Of course, all does not go swimmingly. These are the days of anticommunist paranoia, an increasingly embattled POTUS, and paranoid intelligence agencies. The stakes for Jerry are not just being kicked off a lucrative and historic mission, but survival itself.

Turtledove is a terrific writer, combining sfnal First Contact elements, humor, the unfolding domestic political drama, and human interactions, whether it’s Jerry’s friendships with the others on his alien-spaceship team or his difficulties with his fiancée when he goes missing for months. All this is highly enjoyable, fast reading, but what I found most delightful were the many homage-to-science-fiction touches, like a love letter to fans. There’s even a guest appearance by a well-known hard science fiction author (I won’t divulge who!) that had me laughing out loud at how brilliant the portrayal was. (I’d met the guest-appearance author and yet, that’s exactly what they’d say!)

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry Turtledove tells of the Hearst Glomar Explorer that in 1974, rented by the CIA, it recovered (a lost Soviet Sub Three Miles Down (hard from TOR). In his alternate version, the object brought up is a UFO. Jerry Stieglitz is graduate student selected for he voyage bcause he also wrttes SF. He and his co-worker manage to get inside the vehicle, but are soon sent home for other specialists. Then CIA monitering becomes oppressive. The next episode promises to be more exciting

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had potential but fell flat. It was predictable and didn’t encompass the political portion of the book as much as the jacket leads you to believe. The ending isn’t an ending. Maybe Turtledove has a part 2 planned or maybe he has lost his touch for writing great historical fiction. If this wasn’t a Turtledove book it would be a 2 instead of 3.

[Scott Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow start at the beginning and a 2nd act that dragged toward the end, but overall an enjoyable read. Lots of little one liners in the POV character’s head that felt like tongue in cheek nods to today’s political climate. That broke immersion a bit for me, but still a good read. Solid mix of sci-fi and political thriller elements.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book by Harry Turtledove!
Watergate, aliens, CIA, Gerald Ford, Jerry Pournelle?
Yes, thank you very much! 🙌🙌🙌

[Jeremy Bonnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, it took me a little while to get into this one. Not because the story wasn't interesting, but because I was busy. Once I finally reached about page 75 or so, I really wanted to see how things turned out, so I flew through the rest. The story didn't drag along and the writing wasn't overly complex. It was a good page turner. The ending left me wanting more, though! I literally said, "That's it?!? I want to know what happens next!"

3.9 out of 5 stars

[Jerry Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep reading my name, Jerry, in the 1970s on the Glomar Explorer looking to retrieve a foreign object 3 miles down. I did good.

[Whitney (SecretSauceofStorycraft) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A middle of road first contact after alien ship found in ocean story.

Honestly, the stupidity/naiveity of the main character was a drag on this story. He made the story feel very dated:

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun. A few too many “hey did you know we’re in the 70s?” References, but the concept and story were a great time.

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a doubt, one of my Best Books of 2022, and not just of this year! Harry Turtledove is an exceptionally talented author, thinker, imaginer, science-oriented, and historian. What he does with the concept of First Contact in THREE MILES DOWN is beyond belief and "out of this world." Couched in the rampant political paranoia of the mid-1970's, as Nixon and Watergate polarized the Vietnam War-divided American populace even further, Mr. Turtledove also manages to peel his characters like onions and riff on Academia, father-son conflicts, friendship, marriage, World War II, Stalin...and the CIA. Jerry Stieglitz immediately rose to the small pantheon of my favorite fictional characters--he is at all times a delight--and the Ending! Mind-boggling and so thought-provokingly unforgettable. I am now racing off to read the entire Turtledove Oeuvre as soon as possible.

[Joshua Bradley · Rating 2 out of 5]

So often I wish Readwise allowed for half stars or a scale of ten. Three Miles Down is a fun read that dives more into one man’s feelings of the time as he helps make the discovery of our species than a 70s alien adventure romp. The cover tells you exactly what’s inside, a story about the tumultuous early 70s with Vietnam, Nixon, finding footing after the 60s, and The Cold War, and first contact with an alien race.

The book reminded me of Scalzi’s Kaiju Preservation Society in that it was a book written during one of the most difficult times in history that feels like the author’s way to get through it all. Turtledove takes a footnote of 70s espionage and makes a pulpy little alt-history mystery out of it.

[David Critchfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great idea for a story. X-Files fans will like it. Not much action and uneven pacing (anticlimactic), although it was interesting enough to keep me reading. The ending is unsatisfying; if there's a sequel, I'll pass on it.