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Ancient Shores #1
Ancient Shores: A Bold Science Fiction Mystery of Impossible Discovery and First Contact
It turned up in a North Dakota wheat field: a triangle, like a shark's fin, sticking up from the black loam. Tom Lasker did what any farmer would have done. He dug it up. And discovered a boat, made of a fiberglass-like material with an utterly impossible atomic number. What it was doing buried under a dozen feet of prairie soil two thousand miles from any ocean, no one knew. True, Tom Lasker's wheat field had once been on the shoreline of a great inland sea, but that was a long time ago -- ten thousand years ago.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1996
110 people are currently reading
1661 people want to read
About the author
Jack McDevitt
185 books1,344 followersJack McDevitt is a former English teacher, naval officer, Philadelphia taxi driver, customs officer and motivational trainer. His work has been on the final ballot for the Nebula Awards for 12 of the past 13 years. His first novel, The Hercules Text, was published in the celebrated Ace Specials series and won the Philip K. Dick Special Award. In 1991, McDevitt won the first $10,000 UPC International Prize for his novella, "Ships in the Night." The Engines of God was a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and his novella, "Time Travelers Never Die," was nominated for both the Hugo and the Nebula awards.
McDevitt lives in Georgia with his wife, Maureen, where he plays chess, reads mysteries and eats lunch regularly with his cronies.
McDevitt lives in Georgia with his wife, Maureen, where he plays chess, reads mysteries and eats lunch regularly with his cronies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
October 17, 2019
A 1996 McDevitt that I’m just getting around to reading. Despite some clunky stuff, I got really caught up in the book. One of his strengths is portraying technical people at work, here including a chemist and some old-plane enthusiasts. One of the clunks is, the unobtanium for the mysterious yacht (read the intro material) is an unknown transuranic element. High-transuranics are a pretty unlikely material for long-lasting textiles, let alone building material — but leave that be. Another clunk is: panic in the textile industry! People won’t have to buy new clothes or tires every three or four years! Stock-market panic!
OK, you’ll just have to trust me that the novel actually works as a fast-moving SF thriller, that turns into a cool portal to unknown worlds discovery — the first being a really nice, Edenic one (that's the first portal world, and the chemist, in the cover art) . Which lets loose an invisible killer in our world — or is it just a prankster?
The panic over the (unobtanium, unreproducible) alien tech climaxes when the US Govt decides it needs to destroy the discovery to save our economy! But a doughty band of celebrities place their lives on the line to stall the US Marshall’s rampage — including two astronauts, Stephen Jay Gould, Gregory Benford, and Ursula LeGuin! This bravura ending brought me to tears, actually. Twice.
So the book doesn’t stand up to even casual analysis, but works as a light, fast read. And since I was half-sick today, this was just what I was looking for. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
OK, you’ll just have to trust me that the novel actually works as a fast-moving SF thriller, that turns into a cool portal to unknown worlds discovery — the first being a really nice, Edenic one (that's the first portal world, and the chemist, in the cover art) . Which lets loose an invisible killer in our world — or is it just a prankster?
The panic over the (unobtanium, unreproducible) alien tech climaxes when the US Govt decides it needs to destroy the discovery to save our economy! But a doughty band of celebrities place their lives on the line to stall the US Marshall’s rampage — including two astronauts, Stephen Jay Gould, Gregory Benford, and Ursula LeGuin! This bravura ending brought me to tears, actually. Twice.
So the book doesn’t stand up to even casual analysis, but works as a light, fast read. And since I was half-sick today, this was just what I was looking for. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
October 29, 2025
Разочароващо четиво.
Макдевит е написал посредствен sci-fi трилър, който е остарял твърде зле.
Преводът на български е много слаб и е пълен с елементарни неточности и грешки.
Сюжетът е далеч от оригинален, героите са твърде схематични, в резултат ми писна и погледнах края, вместо да дочета още петдесетина страници. Не си струва времето, което му отделих!
Макдевит е написал посредствен sci-fi трилър, който е остарял твърде зле.
Преводът на български е много слаб и е пълен с елементарни неточности и грешки.
Сюжетът е далеч от оригинален, героите са твърде схематични, в резултат ми писна и погледнах края, вместо да дочета още петдесетина страници. Не си струва времето, което му отделих!
May 11, 2023
Second read – 6 May 2023 - ****. After being disappointed with a few of Jack McDevitt’s most recent works, it was a pleasure to re-read this novel from his heyday decades of the 1990s and 2000s. While it was not the winner, it was nominated for the Nebula Award in 1998. There is a 2015 sequel, Thunderbird.
The initial hook of the story is that farmer Tom Lasker has unearthed an enigmatic yacht from the middle of one of his fields in North Dakota – a yacht whose sails are made of a transuranic element (atomic number 161) previously unknown to science. And some wood fiber embedded in the yacht carbon-dates to the late glacial period. The lead characters of the story soon change over to Max Collingswood, an old friend of Lasker who runs an aircraft restoration business, and April Cannon, the chemistry scientist who analyzes the samples that Max has brought in to the lab where she works. Through some logical thinking about the shoreline of prehistoric Lake Agassiz, they are led to the discovery of a more significant artifact located on the Sioux reservation. The revelations are continuous, and the impacts begin to roll out through society. The plot culminates with a tense struggle between the US government and the Sioux reservation for control of the technology.
The conceptual speculation revolves around the societal implications of science and technology change. The characters are diverse, interesting, and the almost-relationship between Max and April is finely nuanced. It was great to be reminded of how Jack McDevitt could write in those days. There is quite a bit of telling the story through print news citations and television dialog. While that is anachronous in his far-future stories, it is perfectly suited to this 1990s setting. Sadly, as I finished the novel, I realized that almost all of the hero figures of the ending have now passed. But it is still a great story, and a quick read.
First read - 23 September 2007 - ****. This is a classic artifact story, much in the same way that McDevitt's Eternity Road is a classic after-the-bomb story. North Dakota farmer Tom Lasker finds a strange shark-fin shaped object in his wheat field. After being dug up, it turns out to be the tip of a boat made of a previously unknown transuranic material, apparently lost on glacial Lake Agassiz ten thousand years ago. This book isn't so much about the artifact itself or the lost civilization it implies, although that part is interesting unto itself, as about the effect of such a discovery being made in the modern public world. How can the institutions that bind our civilization handle this? As I have come to expect from McDevitt, the stress builds right up to the final pages. Fun ending.
The initial hook of the story is that farmer Tom Lasker has unearthed an enigmatic yacht from the middle of one of his fields in North Dakota – a yacht whose sails are made of a transuranic element (atomic number 161) previously unknown to science. And some wood fiber embedded in the yacht carbon-dates to the late glacial period. The lead characters of the story soon change over to Max Collingswood, an old friend of Lasker who runs an aircraft restoration business, and April Cannon, the chemistry scientist who analyzes the samples that Max has brought in to the lab where she works. Through some logical thinking about the shoreline of prehistoric Lake Agassiz, they are led to the discovery of a more significant artifact located on the Sioux reservation. The revelations are continuous, and the impacts begin to roll out through society. The plot culminates with a tense struggle between the US government and the Sioux reservation for control of the technology.
The conceptual speculation revolves around the societal implications of science and technology change. The characters are diverse, interesting, and the almost-relationship between Max and April is finely nuanced. It was great to be reminded of how Jack McDevitt could write in those days. There is quite a bit of telling the story through print news citations and television dialog. While that is anachronous in his far-future stories, it is perfectly suited to this 1990s setting. Sadly, as I finished the novel, I realized that almost all of the hero figures of the ending have now passed. But it is still a great story, and a quick read.
First read - 23 September 2007 - ****. This is a classic artifact story, much in the same way that McDevitt's Eternity Road is a classic after-the-bomb story. North Dakota farmer Tom Lasker finds a strange shark-fin shaped object in his wheat field. After being dug up, it turns out to be the tip of a boat made of a previously unknown transuranic material, apparently lost on glacial Lake Agassiz ten thousand years ago. This book isn't so much about the artifact itself or the lost civilization it implies, although that part is interesting unto itself, as about the effect of such a discovery being made in the modern public world. How can the institutions that bind our civilization handle this? As I have come to expect from McDevitt, the stress builds right up to the final pages. Fun ending.
January 15, 2009
Solid McDevitt read, though with a few annoying fourth-wall-breaking narrarator asides that are probably the result of sloppy editing. Also, the typical McDevitt open ending resolves so little as to be annoying. At least the Indian characters (including a lawyer!) are presented intelligently and non-stereotypically.
December 21, 2020
Не ме грабна достатъчно , темата ми е интересна , но тук не се беше получило добре .
June 7, 2010
*May contain spoilers*
This is the third McDevitt book I have read, and it is my least favorite. I've found McDevitt to be a creative writer, usually presenting interesting ideas in a well thought out manner, and this book is no exception, although this story focused more on human reactions to the situations presented in the book rather than the more interesting science-fiction aspects.
I found it difficult to care or relate to most of the characters, and some of the situations discussed seemed "cartoonish" to me.
Nonetheless, the set up and mystery is very well done and McDevitt's imagination (his strength as a writer) during the better parts of the novel hold the story together well enough to provide an enjoyable ride.
The Good: Interesting mystery and set-up, intriguing ideas, nice global perspective of the situation--the exploration of what might happen to society if something like this (alien technology) were discovered.
The Bad: Nothing terrible. I thought the treatment of most characters rather shallow, but adequate; some situations didn't seem entirely plausible to me; spent too much time on the global social situation, and although that was obviously the point of the story, I would have preferred more exploration of the alien worlds/technology.
This is the third McDevitt book I have read, and it is my least favorite. I've found McDevitt to be a creative writer, usually presenting interesting ideas in a well thought out manner, and this book is no exception, although this story focused more on human reactions to the situations presented in the book rather than the more interesting science-fiction aspects.
I found it difficult to care or relate to most of the characters, and some of the situations discussed seemed "cartoonish" to me.
Nonetheless, the set up and mystery is very well done and McDevitt's imagination (his strength as a writer) during the better parts of the novel hold the story together well enough to provide an enjoyable ride.
The Good: Interesting mystery and set-up, intriguing ideas, nice global perspective of the situation--the exploration of what might happen to society if something like this (alien technology) were discovered.
The Bad: Nothing terrible. I thought the treatment of most characters rather shallow, but adequate; some situations didn't seem entirely plausible to me; spent too much time on the global social situation, and although that was obviously the point of the story, I would have preferred more exploration of the alien worlds/technology.
March 4, 2018
Enjoyed this one a lot. McDevitt has some fun with characters and tells a thoughtful tale of alien artifacts found in North Dakota. 3 Stars
December 5, 2021
Meine Rezension zum Erscheinen des Buches in deutscher Übersetzung:
In "Erstkontakt", seinem ersten SF-Roman, ist Jack McDevitt der Frage nachgegangen, was geschehen würde, bekäme die Menschheit tatsächlich eine Botschaft aus dem All. In "Die Küsten der Vergangenheit" geht, hat er sich der Frage gestellt, was geschähe, würde man auf der Erde ein Artefakt einer technisch weitfortgeschrittenen Zivilisation finden.
Die Handlung beginnt mit einer Entdeckung eines Segelbootes aus einem fieberglasähnlichen Material inmitten des amerikanischen Mittelwestens, genauer North Dakota. Der Finder, ein Farmer, weiß damit zuerst gar nichts anzufangen. Ein Freund der Familie wird hinzugezogen, der wiederum eine Probe des Materials an ein Labor schickt. Das Boot wird als Kuriosum von der lokalen Presse aufgegriffen, schnell wird es als "Teufelsboot" zu einem touristischen Ausflugsziel, was von den Honoratioren der nächsten Stadt gern gesehen wird, beschert es doch der Geschäftswelt neue Erwerbsquellen. Unterdessen hat die Chemikerin in diesem Labor, die ungeheure Entdeckung gemacht, dass das Boot aus einem Transuran besteht, ein chemisches Element, das es noch gar nicht geben dürfte. Ein praktisch unvergängliches Material, das mit der Umgebung überhaupt nicht reagiert. Dies weißt das Objekt eindeutig als außergeschichtliches Artekfakt aus. Die Chemikerin, eine Farbige, sieht in der Erforschung dieses Sache die Chance ihres Lebens und gemeinsam mit dem Freund der Familie sucht sie nach einem weiteren Artefakt, da das Land vor 10000 Jahren zu einem großen See gehörte. Und tatsächlich finden sie in einem Einschnitt bei den nächsten Bergkette, die das Binnenmeer damals begrenzte, ein weiteres Artefakt. Dieses Land gehört zu einem Sioux-Indianerreservat, und mit Erlaubnis des Stammes graben sie aus. Das zweite Objekt erweist sich als eine Bootsstation, als sie ins Innere gelangen, machen sie eine aufregende Entdeckung: Sie finden eine Art Transmittersystem, mit dem man auf fremde, jedoch "verlassene" Welten gelangen kann. Die Erbauer des Systems treffen sie nirgends an.
Mittlerweile zieht die Entdeckung immer weitere Kreise, die überregionalen und bald die übernationalen Medien berichten darüber.
Man wundert sich als Leser, dass Regierungsbehörden erst ab der Mitte des Buches, als praktisch die ganze Welt dank CNN davon weiß, auf das Objekt aufmerksam werden.
Als das Objekt, oder besser Gerüchte über die technische Verwendung des Transurans, dann die Auto- und Reifenindustrie in eine Krise stürzen, die sich wiederum über die Börse auf die Gesamtwirtschaft negativ auswirkt, spitzen sich die Ereignisse zu. Die Regierung sieht sich bald gezwungen, etwas gegen das Objekt zu unternehmen, da es mittlerweile auch weltweit ein Politikum geworden ist. Doch auch die Indianer aus dem Reservat haben ein Interesse an dem außerirdischen Artefakt, das ja ihnen gehört. Ein Konflikt bahnt sich an.
Jack McDevitt zeichnet ein Panorama der amerikanischen Gesellschaft, die im Banne diese ungeheuren Entdeckung steht. Esoteriker, ganz normale Leute, Spinner mit eindeutigen Absichten, Gewerkschaftler und Lobbyisten, bis hin zum amerikanischen Präsidenten, der daran am schwersten zu tragen hat, jede Figur in diesem Roman reagiert auf die Artefakte, auf die Möglichkeiten, die sie in sich bergen, anders. Hoffnungen und Ängste, Aggressionen und Verehrung, aber auch geschäftliche Interessen und wissenschaftliche Neugier werden geweckt. Das Szenario erhält dadurch große Glaubwürdigkeit. McDevitt behält im Großen ganzen den Überblick und vergisst nicht, jede Nebenfigur mit einem eigenen Charakter auszustatten. Dabei überlässt er es dem Leser, das Verhalten der Figuren zu bewerten. Er erzählt einfach. Manchmal überzeichnet er die Figuren ein bisschen, oder man merkt, wie er sich insgeheim amüsiert, aber McDevitt hat eindeutig ein positives Verhältnis zum Dargestellten.
Schließlich ist durch Handlungs- und Figurenkonstellation auch für Spannung gesorgt.
Mit einem Wort, der Roman ist rundum empfehlenswert, nicht zuletzt, weil er Einblick in die (amerikanische) Wirklichkeit zu geben vermag. Man wünscht sich so ein ähnlichen Roman von einem deutschen Autor.
In "Erstkontakt", seinem ersten SF-Roman, ist Jack McDevitt der Frage nachgegangen, was geschehen würde, bekäme die Menschheit tatsächlich eine Botschaft aus dem All. In "Die Küsten der Vergangenheit" geht, hat er sich der Frage gestellt, was geschähe, würde man auf der Erde ein Artefakt einer technisch weitfortgeschrittenen Zivilisation finden.
Die Handlung beginnt mit einer Entdeckung eines Segelbootes aus einem fieberglasähnlichen Material inmitten des amerikanischen Mittelwestens, genauer North Dakota. Der Finder, ein Farmer, weiß damit zuerst gar nichts anzufangen. Ein Freund der Familie wird hinzugezogen, der wiederum eine Probe des Materials an ein Labor schickt. Das Boot wird als Kuriosum von der lokalen Presse aufgegriffen, schnell wird es als "Teufelsboot" zu einem touristischen Ausflugsziel, was von den Honoratioren der nächsten Stadt gern gesehen wird, beschert es doch der Geschäftswelt neue Erwerbsquellen. Unterdessen hat die Chemikerin in diesem Labor, die ungeheure Entdeckung gemacht, dass das Boot aus einem Transuran besteht, ein chemisches Element, das es noch gar nicht geben dürfte. Ein praktisch unvergängliches Material, das mit der Umgebung überhaupt nicht reagiert. Dies weißt das Objekt eindeutig als außergeschichtliches Artekfakt aus. Die Chemikerin, eine Farbige, sieht in der Erforschung dieses Sache die Chance ihres Lebens und gemeinsam mit dem Freund der Familie sucht sie nach einem weiteren Artefakt, da das Land vor 10000 Jahren zu einem großen See gehörte. Und tatsächlich finden sie in einem Einschnitt bei den nächsten Bergkette, die das Binnenmeer damals begrenzte, ein weiteres Artefakt. Dieses Land gehört zu einem Sioux-Indianerreservat, und mit Erlaubnis des Stammes graben sie aus. Das zweite Objekt erweist sich als eine Bootsstation, als sie ins Innere gelangen, machen sie eine aufregende Entdeckung: Sie finden eine Art Transmittersystem, mit dem man auf fremde, jedoch "verlassene" Welten gelangen kann. Die Erbauer des Systems treffen sie nirgends an.
Mittlerweile zieht die Entdeckung immer weitere Kreise, die überregionalen und bald die übernationalen Medien berichten darüber.
Man wundert sich als Leser, dass Regierungsbehörden erst ab der Mitte des Buches, als praktisch die ganze Welt dank CNN davon weiß, auf das Objekt aufmerksam werden.
Als das Objekt, oder besser Gerüchte über die technische Verwendung des Transurans, dann die Auto- und Reifenindustrie in eine Krise stürzen, die sich wiederum über die Börse auf die Gesamtwirtschaft negativ auswirkt, spitzen sich die Ereignisse zu. Die Regierung sieht sich bald gezwungen, etwas gegen das Objekt zu unternehmen, da es mittlerweile auch weltweit ein Politikum geworden ist. Doch auch die Indianer aus dem Reservat haben ein Interesse an dem außerirdischen Artefakt, das ja ihnen gehört. Ein Konflikt bahnt sich an.
Jack McDevitt zeichnet ein Panorama der amerikanischen Gesellschaft, die im Banne diese ungeheuren Entdeckung steht. Esoteriker, ganz normale Leute, Spinner mit eindeutigen Absichten, Gewerkschaftler und Lobbyisten, bis hin zum amerikanischen Präsidenten, der daran am schwersten zu tragen hat, jede Figur in diesem Roman reagiert auf die Artefakte, auf die Möglichkeiten, die sie in sich bergen, anders. Hoffnungen und Ängste, Aggressionen und Verehrung, aber auch geschäftliche Interessen und wissenschaftliche Neugier werden geweckt. Das Szenario erhält dadurch große Glaubwürdigkeit. McDevitt behält im Großen ganzen den Überblick und vergisst nicht, jede Nebenfigur mit einem eigenen Charakter auszustatten. Dabei überlässt er es dem Leser, das Verhalten der Figuren zu bewerten. Er erzählt einfach. Manchmal überzeichnet er die Figuren ein bisschen, oder man merkt, wie er sich insgeheim amüsiert, aber McDevitt hat eindeutig ein positives Verhältnis zum Dargestellten.
Schließlich ist durch Handlungs- und Figurenkonstellation auch für Spannung gesorgt.
Mit einem Wort, der Roman ist rundum empfehlenswert, nicht zuletzt, weil er Einblick in die (amerikanische) Wirklichkeit zu geben vermag. Man wünscht sich so ein ähnlichen Roman von einem deutschen Autor.
December 9, 2013
I feel I have to give this book at least 4 stars even though it was a little slow for my taste at times. I say this because it prompted me to head back to the book store the following week to see what else Mr. McDevitt had written as I liked the overall flavor of the storytelling. Any book that leads you to buy another just to see what the author’s work is about has done it’s job and at least deserves 4 stars.
In this story what initially begins as a strange discovery turns into an all out archaeological project that results in an interesting form of access to other places. The story moved a bit slow for me at times and I wanted him to get on with it, but I really enjoyed the flavor of the characters and the tale being told. Perhaps part of my problem was the lack of patience as I waited for the story to unfold. I think perhaps I wouldn’t have been good at the dig site in this story and would have been the one beating my head against the structure in frustration while the others scientifically and methodically continued.
As stated above this book led me to pick up some more of Mr. McDevitt’s books and I have very much enjoyed several of them. McDevitt is a writer that makes you think about things along the way and I appreciate that in a story. This story was pretty well thought out for the most part. It had a few flaws, but nothing big enough to really mention. Additionally, I liked the characters though sometimes they seemed a bit reckless as they barreled ahead at unexpected times. So in the end it wasn’t a great book, but it was a good enough story that I enjoyed the adventure and hope to travel on others with this author.
This review originally posted at http://tjhapney.wordpress.com/
In this story what initially begins as a strange discovery turns into an all out archaeological project that results in an interesting form of access to other places. The story moved a bit slow for me at times and I wanted him to get on with it, but I really enjoyed the flavor of the characters and the tale being told. Perhaps part of my problem was the lack of patience as I waited for the story to unfold. I think perhaps I wouldn’t have been good at the dig site in this story and would have been the one beating my head against the structure in frustration while the others scientifically and methodically continued.
As stated above this book led me to pick up some more of Mr. McDevitt’s books and I have very much enjoyed several of them. McDevitt is a writer that makes you think about things along the way and I appreciate that in a story. This story was pretty well thought out for the most part. It had a few flaws, but nothing big enough to really mention. Additionally, I liked the characters though sometimes they seemed a bit reckless as they barreled ahead at unexpected times. So in the end it wasn’t a great book, but it was a good enough story that I enjoyed the adventure and hope to travel on others with this author.
This review originally posted at http://tjhapney.wordpress.com/
September 5, 2011
This is a stand alone book written by Jack McDevitt. I LOVE THIS BOOK!! When I was a teenager this was the first McDevitt book I had ever read and have since read everything he has ever published. I love the guy. Ancient Shores is a great read for both adults and young readers. If you go to the Jack McDevitt website he explains the town which was the inspiration for this book really interesting stuff.
Ancient Shores is about a farmer who finds a shark fin shaped metal stinking out of his farmland. The kicker is that the material is beyond the abilities of human technology. What the farmer finds under his farm is what every human being on earth has always been looking for. This book combines Jack McDevitt's love for archaeology and political intrigue with an Alice in wonderland type of adventure. Those who don't enjoy at least some aspect of this book must have no imagination whatsoever.
Ancient Shores is about a farmer who finds a shark fin shaped metal stinking out of his farmland. The kicker is that the material is beyond the abilities of human technology. What the farmer finds under his farm is what every human being on earth has always been looking for. This book combines Jack McDevitt's love for archaeology and political intrigue with an Alice in wonderland type of adventure. Those who don't enjoy at least some aspect of this book must have no imagination whatsoever.
March 8, 2009
written in 1996, "Ancient Shores" is eerily relevant to today's economic crisis, albeit for different reasons. in McDevitt's epic novel, the economy turns chaotic because of newly unearthed extraterrestrial technology that doesn't decay or wear out (thus throwing industries into free-fall for fear of not being able to compete with new scientific advances).
yet, the public response in this science-fiction scenario is so indicative of humanity's fear of the unknown--the most popular reaction is to destroy the artifact rather than risk the implications of change.
taking place in the real, known world with everyday people, in small towns in the Midwest, McDevitt creates a wide selection of characters. he explores human fears, thoughts, emotions, and relationships … including the continued struggle between Native Americans and Whites, science and religion, the tangible and imaginary, the known and unknown, as well as finding our place in the world (and the universe).
yet, the public response in this science-fiction scenario is so indicative of humanity's fear of the unknown--the most popular reaction is to destroy the artifact rather than risk the implications of change.
taking place in the real, known world with everyday people, in small towns in the Midwest, McDevitt creates a wide selection of characters. he explores human fears, thoughts, emotions, and relationships … including the continued struggle between Native Americans and Whites, science and religion, the tangible and imaginary, the known and unknown, as well as finding our place in the world (and the universe).
October 25, 2016
I read this book many years ago but I decided to read it again because after nearly 20 years the sequel, Thunderbird, has come out and I am going to read it next. I wanted the first book fresh in my mind and it was a very good read. In this one an ancient structure is unearthed on an Indian reservation and it is found to be a portal to several different worlds. It has been unused and buried for over 10,000 years but it shows no sign of decay and still has a functioning power source. This book tells the story of how the discovery affects all those on involved including the people who unearth it, the Indians on whose land it is situated and the U.S. Government as well as the other governments around the world. This book is a very good read and I am now looking forward to reading Thunderbird which I will start today.
December 28, 2008
Who hasn’t dreamed of digging up something mysterious in the back yard? Especially something deemed otherworldly. As some commentators indicated, this novel asks more questions than provides answers. Get used to it. This is the authors style, and as frustrating as that can be—isn’t science, math, even life, like that? Once you surrender to this authors flight of imagination and concerneth not your relieth on plot (Plot? What is that?) this is a descent read. Go with the flow and don’t worry if there will be a logical conclusion. Or a conclusion at all. There won’t be. It doesn’t matter. It will be an interesting ride into other galaxies vastly different than our own. It’s the journey that’s important.
January 9, 2012
This is very thought-provoking, and I found myself lingering over it. There's a lot about how human institutions fear change and seek to stamp out something that will have a big effect on the status quo, particularly about how technology does this. Since the US is currently struggling with the change to an economy based on creating ideas and dealing with information rather than manufactured goods, I found this especially interesting. Highly recommended.
May 25, 2010
All I can say is wow. This book is light on the sci-fi and deals more directly with the larger questions. What if stories are fun if done correctly and this book is no exception. This writing is very crisp and easy to follow the storyline. A good well-rounded tale. =)
July 18, 2015
Ug
Interesting premise, louse writing. If the author was actually a writer this could have been an interesting story. Reminds me of an Amazon free book but not worth even that price.
Interesting premise, louse writing. If the author was actually a writer this could have been an interesting story. Reminds me of an Amazon free book but not worth even that price.
April 12, 2013
This book was like a "wave" at a football game. You know the one where people stand up in turn waving their arms around and it gives the effect that the stadium is an ocean? Yeah. That. Let me explain the analogy.
Well you probably got that it was up and down with the suspense, drama and general kickassery of the story. It was indeed. The gait would pick up and get me real interested, then it would slow back down and even bog down with unnecessary character introductions and irrelevant loose ends. But it also reminded me of a stadium wave because of how imperfect the wave part of the wave actually was.
You know when you see those stadium waves they're sort of like poor excuses for real waves? Because some people are short and don't show up well. Some don't wave their arms properly or high enough, some don't participate at all. Some women don't shake their boobs when they stand up and wave. And some people start waving too early. All in all, it's just a disorganized chaotic poorly choreographed function that just really isn't as great as it could be. That's how this book read to me.
I mean it wasn't bad. Who doesn't want to find a ten-thousand-year-old ship in his yard? And a teleportation device that takes you to another world... upon which you can stand on a shore and look at the Horsehead Nebula. Seriously dude? Sign me the eff up for that. But no one seemed all that impressed. The nebula was described as looking like a coming storm, lightning and all. That sounds like something that would take my breath away, leave me with tears in my eyes, and probably drop me to my knees. Not to mention the chills. No one got emotional about that. This is something we'll never see with our naked eyes in our lifetimes. Or ever in the course of human history, I'll wager. But these people thought no more of it than a nice sunset. Ooh, ahh.
It was like he was in too much of a hurry to get back to the political battle going on over the reservation land. Yeah I think a few too many pages were spent telling me about that. And seriously... Mr. McDevitt wanted to tell all these threads to the story like how the Roundhouse affected certain people. So he'd introduce them one after the other, giving me their names, where they were from and all the good stuff they'd ever done - just to tell me they were going to visit the Roundhouse. And felt the presence of God when they got there. Yeah. Like this, for instance:
Then proceeds to tell me how she drove up there to see it, and got turned away at the gate. And then she's never mentioned again. Now tell me, Mr. McDevitt, why exactly did I need to know anything about her at all? Nothing ever happened with her! Seriously! He does that like thirty times. Or tells about how some dude is a great postman, has never put a letter in the wrong mailbox, never kicked a dog, et cetera, but decided this was a bad thing, so loads his truck full of C-4 and drives to the Roundhouse to blow it up. But some kid's walkie-talkie sets it off early and he dies in the wrong town. Who cares what his name was? All of these low-level characters could have been described by one paragraph, with no names, selling the fact that some people were drawn religiously to the device. Some came from many miles (and indeed, many states) away to see it, only to be turned away. One man from Sucksit County Michigan even tried to blow it up, but made it only halfway before accidentally killing himself. Boom. Done.
So yeah, he bogged down the story with way too many of these extraneous plotlines that were irrelevant to the story line and never went anywhere. And furthermore they served to confuse the reader because every one of them was given a full name and a brief biography. So when the regular characters would re-enter the scene, I'd find myself saying, "Wait, who was she? Was this the kindergarten teacher?" It was ridiculous.
All for a story that was mediocre at best. The storyline could have been ridiculously awesome. Set me free with a hundred thousand words and a teleportation device and I'll haunt your dreams and invade your emotions. You hear that Mr. McDevitt? I just said I could have written it better! Well, isn't that always the case? We think we could do better. Well, this was fun. But it wasn't great. We never really got any answers about who or when or why - or even where all the terminixes went. And in typical Jack McDevitt style, we don't actually meet any real alien life. Well, there is the thought that maybe there was an invisible one, which could have been a lot spookier. But once again, it never went anywhere.
Meh. Overall I give it three stars. Amy predicted this is what I would give it. And having forgotten that, I logged on with my tablet in bed, after I finished it and marked the three stars, saying I'd write a full review tomorrow. Then I scrolled down and saw her comment. Well played, Amy. You sure called it right. Not a bad book, but not something I ever need to read again.
Well you probably got that it was up and down with the suspense, drama and general kickassery of the story. It was indeed. The gait would pick up and get me real interested, then it would slow back down and even bog down with unnecessary character introductions and irrelevant loose ends. But it also reminded me of a stadium wave because of how imperfect the wave part of the wave actually was.
You know when you see those stadium waves they're sort of like poor excuses for real waves? Because some people are short and don't show up well. Some don't wave their arms properly or high enough, some don't participate at all. Some women don't shake their boobs when they stand up and wave. And some people start waving too early. All in all, it's just a disorganized chaotic poorly choreographed function that just really isn't as great as it could be. That's how this book read to me.
I mean it wasn't bad. Who doesn't want to find a ten-thousand-year-old ship in his yard? And a teleportation device that takes you to another world... upon which you can stand on a shore and look at the Horsehead Nebula. Seriously dude? Sign me the eff up for that. But no one seemed all that impressed. The nebula was described as looking like a coming storm, lightning and all. That sounds like something that would take my breath away, leave me with tears in my eyes, and probably drop me to my knees. Not to mention the chills. No one got emotional about that. This is something we'll never see with our naked eyes in our lifetimes. Or ever in the course of human history, I'll wager. But these people thought no more of it than a nice sunset. Ooh, ahh.
It was like he was in too much of a hurry to get back to the political battle going on over the reservation land. Yeah I think a few too many pages were spent telling me about that. And seriously... Mr. McDevitt wanted to tell all these threads to the story like how the Roundhouse affected certain people. So he'd introduce them one after the other, giving me their names, where they were from and all the good stuff they'd ever done - just to tell me they were going to visit the Roundhouse. And felt the presence of God when they got there. Yeah. Like this, for instance:
Teresa Blevins, from Norfolk, Lousiana was a kindergarten teacher. One of the best Suckix County School District had ever seen. She had never missed a day at work - even when her husband had been abducted by illegal aliens and shot out of a cannon over the Atlantic during the last River War. She loved her job, and loved the children. She believed that not only could she teach them life lessons, but she could learn from them as well. Teresa had been watching the news of the Roundhouse for the last two weeks now, and was beginning to think she should go visit. So she loaded up and...
Then proceeds to tell me how she drove up there to see it, and got turned away at the gate. And then she's never mentioned again. Now tell me, Mr. McDevitt, why exactly did I need to know anything about her at all? Nothing ever happened with her! Seriously! He does that like thirty times. Or tells about how some dude is a great postman, has never put a letter in the wrong mailbox, never kicked a dog, et cetera, but decided this was a bad thing, so loads his truck full of C-4 and drives to the Roundhouse to blow it up. But some kid's walkie-talkie sets it off early and he dies in the wrong town. Who cares what his name was? All of these low-level characters could have been described by one paragraph, with no names, selling the fact that some people were drawn religiously to the device. Some came from many miles (and indeed, many states) away to see it, only to be turned away. One man from Sucksit County Michigan even tried to blow it up, but made it only halfway before accidentally killing himself. Boom. Done.
So yeah, he bogged down the story with way too many of these extraneous plotlines that were irrelevant to the story line and never went anywhere. And furthermore they served to confuse the reader because every one of them was given a full name and a brief biography. So when the regular characters would re-enter the scene, I'd find myself saying, "Wait, who was she? Was this the kindergarten teacher?" It was ridiculous.
All for a story that was mediocre at best. The storyline could have been ridiculously awesome. Set me free with a hundred thousand words and a teleportation device and I'll haunt your dreams and invade your emotions. You hear that Mr. McDevitt? I just said I could have written it better! Well, isn't that always the case? We think we could do better. Well, this was fun. But it wasn't great. We never really got any answers about who or when or why - or even where all the terminixes went. And in typical Jack McDevitt style, we don't actually meet any real alien life. Well, there is the thought that maybe there was an invisible one, which could have been a lot spookier. But once again, it never went anywhere.
Meh. Overall I give it three stars. Amy predicted this is what I would give it. And having forgotten that, I logged on with my tablet in bed, after I finished it and marked the three stars, saying I'd write a full review tomorrow. Then I scrolled down and saw her comment. Well played, Amy. You sure called it right. Not a bad book, but not something I ever need to read again.
September 20, 2020
Mediocre first contact novel.
April 11, 2015
Originally posted on my blog, SpecFic Junkie.
Jack McDevitt takes a pretty stock standard science fiction trope and manages to make something bigger than expected out of it. Ancient Shores teems with deep, realistic characters, and a harrowing, yet optimistic look at how humanity reacts to fear.
Ancient Shores starts off with the premise of about a billion other science fiction works: a farmer finds something out of the ordinary on his land. In this case, it was a fully buried yacht, a yacht we quickly find out is made of materials humanity does not currently possess the technology to manufacture.
I was kind of surprised to see this trope being worked in this novel. For some reason, I felt like it was kind of "used up." But then again, Nolan just put out yet another science fiction work about a farmer, Interstellar. (Which I hated, but that's neither here nor there.)
I think there must be something about American science fiction and farmers. They represent this one last bastion of Americanness, and the nature of a farm allows for something unexplored, yet tantalizingly domestic.
The farmer's friend Max is the one who went to get one of the yacht's sails tested by a lab. For the most part, the story follows Max and the chemist who tested the sail, April. I say for the most part, because throughout the book, McDevitt treats us to other stories, other reactions to what's unfolding and shaking the world.
The yacht is not the only cause of strife. Max and April discover that there's another piece of technology, but this time it's not on a farmer's land; it's on a Sioux reservation. As it becomes more and more clear that this technology will have major impacts on the world economy, the fact that it's on native land becomes more and more important.
There's a lot McDevitt seems to be trying to do with this book. First and foremost, though, I think he's trying to caution us not to react out of a place of fear. While the end of the book felt a little cartoony to me, the fact that such a situation even needed to unfold was because no one was willing to look the situation in the face, adapt, and change. Instead, it was better to do something unspeakable, but keep the status quo.
We get to come face-to-face with these fears (and elations) throughout the book, as McDevitt gives us brief bits with less-related characters and their reactions. What struck me is how each of these characters, although some of them only got a few pages, were deeply pieced together. Some of them felt a bit stock, but McDevitt made sure that there was something about them that made them unique. And it never felt like the reason was to make them unique.
Because he managed to create so many real-feeling characters, he managed to remind us how diverse the world is. We aren't all going to react to situations in the same way, but we will all have our own unique experience, and it's that experience that will guide our reaction.
McDevitt also refuses to leave diversity to the minor characters. April is a young African-American chemist, and it never feels that was added for mere flavor. She has reactions throughout the book that feel like they are guided by her experience as a woman, as a female scientist, and as an African-American who has suddenly become palatable.
Many of the major characters are also Sioux, but McDevitt does not fall into the common stereotypes for Native characters. The first one we meet is a lawyer. McDevitt is aware the Sioux have a chairman, not a chief, even if Max doesn't. As he's dealing with Native characters who don't fit his stereotyped exceptions, Max expresses his own short-comings. In fact, at one point, when he gets to deal with someone who better fits the Native stereotype, he recognizes the cognitive dissonance of being more comfortable with the "typical" native, while knowing how messed up that is.
I feel like too often, race is either portrayed in a completely stereotypical way or it's portrayed in a way that defies all the stereotypes, but characters never take note of it. I feel like both are rather unrealistic, and while I prefer the latter, I immensely prefer a situation in which characters can be aware of their own biases.
It was hard to tell if I wanted to rate this 3 or 4 stars. It's probably somewhere smack in the middle, around a 3.5, but I think because the final, optimistic message resonated so deeply with me, it's hard not to bump it up to a 4. Even if the method in which he sent that message seemed a bit... much.
Jack McDevitt takes a pretty stock standard science fiction trope and manages to make something bigger than expected out of it. Ancient Shores teems with deep, realistic characters, and a harrowing, yet optimistic look at how humanity reacts to fear.
Ancient Shores starts off with the premise of about a billion other science fiction works: a farmer finds something out of the ordinary on his land. In this case, it was a fully buried yacht, a yacht we quickly find out is made of materials humanity does not currently possess the technology to manufacture.
I was kind of surprised to see this trope being worked in this novel. For some reason, I felt like it was kind of "used up." But then again, Nolan just put out yet another science fiction work about a farmer, Interstellar. (Which I hated, but that's neither here nor there.)
I think there must be something about American science fiction and farmers. They represent this one last bastion of Americanness, and the nature of a farm allows for something unexplored, yet tantalizingly domestic.
The farmer's friend Max is the one who went to get one of the yacht's sails tested by a lab. For the most part, the story follows Max and the chemist who tested the sail, April. I say for the most part, because throughout the book, McDevitt treats us to other stories, other reactions to what's unfolding and shaking the world.
The yacht is not the only cause of strife. Max and April discover that there's another piece of technology, but this time it's not on a farmer's land; it's on a Sioux reservation. As it becomes more and more clear that this technology will have major impacts on the world economy, the fact that it's on native land becomes more and more important.
There's a lot McDevitt seems to be trying to do with this book. First and foremost, though, I think he's trying to caution us not to react out of a place of fear. While the end of the book felt a little cartoony to me, the fact that such a situation even needed to unfold was because no one was willing to look the situation in the face, adapt, and change. Instead, it was better to do something unspeakable, but keep the status quo.
We get to come face-to-face with these fears (and elations) throughout the book, as McDevitt gives us brief bits with less-related characters and their reactions. What struck me is how each of these characters, although some of them only got a few pages, were deeply pieced together. Some of them felt a bit stock, but McDevitt made sure that there was something about them that made them unique. And it never felt like the reason was to make them unique.
Because he managed to create so many real-feeling characters, he managed to remind us how diverse the world is. We aren't all going to react to situations in the same way, but we will all have our own unique experience, and it's that experience that will guide our reaction.
McDevitt also refuses to leave diversity to the minor characters. April is a young African-American chemist, and it never feels that was added for mere flavor. She has reactions throughout the book that feel like they are guided by her experience as a woman, as a female scientist, and as an African-American who has suddenly become palatable.
Many of the major characters are also Sioux, but McDevitt does not fall into the common stereotypes for Native characters. The first one we meet is a lawyer. McDevitt is aware the Sioux have a chairman, not a chief, even if Max doesn't. As he's dealing with Native characters who don't fit his stereotyped exceptions, Max expresses his own short-comings. In fact, at one point, when he gets to deal with someone who better fits the Native stereotype, he recognizes the cognitive dissonance of being more comfortable with the "typical" native, while knowing how messed up that is.
I feel like too often, race is either portrayed in a completely stereotypical way or it's portrayed in a way that defies all the stereotypes, but characters never take note of it. I feel like both are rather unrealistic, and while I prefer the latter, I immensely prefer a situation in which characters can be aware of their own biases.
It was hard to tell if I wanted to rate this 3 or 4 stars. It's probably somewhere smack in the middle, around a 3.5, but I think because the final, optimistic message resonated so deeply with me, it's hard not to bump it up to a 4. Even if the method in which he sent that message seemed a bit... much.
September 8, 2017
I don’t really do re-reads. There are so many stories out there to be read, so much to ingest, to devour. Re-reads, even of past favorites, take time away from that further expansion of the pleasure zone of the mind (I’d have left it to ‘expansion of the mind’, but I read more for pleasure than anything else).
And yet . . . here I am, having finished a re-read of ‘Ancient Shores’. By an author who I kind of stuck onto my ‘favorite’ list then onto my ‘annoyed me’ list (in this authors specific case, the promise inherent in his Academy series never actually got developed, despite the 7 books in the series, and the last one of them was a prequel that I neither liked, nor could fathom why it had been written; similarly, the concept of someone who digs into antiques, from a future perspective, so some of these antiques are from a future between our own time and his, or from our time, or from a time prior to the readers perspective is a very intriguing idea – and the first book promised something that was both slightly delivered and slightly sidetracked – my I kind of hate the lead protagonist in that Alex Benedict series, specifically because it isn’t Alex Benedict).
So, why the reread? Because one of the books I did love written by this author had a sequel. A sequel that appeared somewhere between 9 and 10 years after the first book appeared. It didn’t appear to be a very highly rated sequel, but still, it was there. And I had rather enjoyed Ancient Shores way back in 1996 when I’d read it. Heard to read ‘Thunderbird’ without rereading the book that came before it.
So . . . took me months, but I eventually caved and did a little reread. One thing I learned almost immediately – I had loved this book, the discovery of mysterious objects, the, um, stuff that unfolded . . . and I couldn’t remember a single bloody part of it. No no, I remembered that something got dug up by a famer in the Dakotas. A device that was both mysterious and allowed . But beyond that I didn’t remember anything. No, I take that back, I did remember that the government .
There are no real ‘lead characters’, since things hopped around a lot, following a ton of people. But there were at least two that ‘close-ish’ to being the leads – April Cannon and Max something-or-other. I’d remembered the farmer, Tom Lasker, and the kid – his son, who had helped uncover the suspicious thingie that was buried on his land. I did not remember that the kid had no impact on the events. Nor that one of the two leads was a black woman (April), and the other was something of man who lived to run from danger, something of a coward (Max).
McDevitt isn’t always the best with character work, but he did a good job this time around. As much as I kind of grew to dislike Max, he was mostly full-formed. As was April. Heck, one of the problems I had with the book was that he was a little too detailed with minor characters of little importance. Boom – another character, has a very brief scene in the book, then gone. The reader, me, now knows more about that character than they had any desire to know. But bah, that’s life.
It was a good book. Interesting. Certain things that occurred seemed far-fetched (). But despite those occasional moments of far-fetchedness, there was still a good deal of fun and excitement to be found in the book.
Now to see if I’ll actually go ahead and read the sequel. Now that I’ve gone to all this trouble to do a reread.
March 28 2016
And yet . . . here I am, having finished a re-read of ‘Ancient Shores’. By an author who I kind of stuck onto my ‘favorite’ list then onto my ‘annoyed me’ list (in this authors specific case, the promise inherent in his Academy series never actually got developed, despite the 7 books in the series, and the last one of them was a prequel that I neither liked, nor could fathom why it had been written; similarly, the concept of someone who digs into antiques, from a future perspective, so some of these antiques are from a future between our own time and his, or from our time, or from a time prior to the readers perspective is a very intriguing idea – and the first book promised something that was both slightly delivered and slightly sidetracked – my I kind of hate the lead protagonist in that Alex Benedict series, specifically because it isn’t Alex Benedict).
So, why the reread? Because one of the books I did love written by this author had a sequel. A sequel that appeared somewhere between 9 and 10 years after the first book appeared. It didn’t appear to be a very highly rated sequel, but still, it was there. And I had rather enjoyed Ancient Shores way back in 1996 when I’d read it. Heard to read ‘Thunderbird’ without rereading the book that came before it.
So . . . took me months, but I eventually caved and did a little reread. One thing I learned almost immediately – I had loved this book, the discovery of mysterious objects, the, um, stuff that unfolded . . . and I couldn’t remember a single bloody part of it. No no, I remembered that something got dug up by a famer in the Dakotas. A device that was both mysterious and allowed . But beyond that I didn’t remember anything. No, I take that back, I did remember that the government .
There are no real ‘lead characters’, since things hopped around a lot, following a ton of people. But there were at least two that ‘close-ish’ to being the leads – April Cannon and Max something-or-other. I’d remembered the farmer, Tom Lasker, and the kid – his son, who had helped uncover the suspicious thingie that was buried on his land. I did not remember that the kid had no impact on the events. Nor that one of the two leads was a black woman (April), and the other was something of man who lived to run from danger, something of a coward (Max).
McDevitt isn’t always the best with character work, but he did a good job this time around. As much as I kind of grew to dislike Max, he was mostly full-formed. As was April. Heck, one of the problems I had with the book was that he was a little too detailed with minor characters of little importance. Boom – another character, has a very brief scene in the book, then gone. The reader, me, now knows more about that character than they had any desire to know. But bah, that’s life.
It was a good book. Interesting. Certain things that occurred seemed far-fetched (). But despite those occasional moments of far-fetchedness, there was still a good deal of fun and excitement to be found in the book.
Now to see if I’ll actually go ahead and read the sequel. Now that I’ve gone to all this trouble to do a reread.
March 28 2016
January 13, 2016
Jack McDevitt has long been one of my favorite science fiction writers. In addition to his clean prose and in-depth characterizations, his novels tend to have an element of mystery. I think to a large extent that’s what I like about his work.
Still, McDevitt is prolific enough that I haven’t read all of his work. Until recently, Ancient Shores fell into this category. When I found out that this year’s novel (McDevitt typically has a new release in either November or December each year) was the sequel, I knew I needed to read Ancient Shores.
Here’s the premise. About 10,000 years ago, there was a large lake covering much of south-central Canada and portions of North Dakota and Wisconsin called Lake Agassiz. The lake eventually drained during a period of glacial retreat.
Ancient Shores opens when a farmer uncovers a boat while digging on a hill on his farm. It’s no place for a boat to be, and furthermore, the boat is made of unknown material. The investigation of this mystery soon leads to the discovery of what’s becomes known as The Roundhouse. It’s a cylindrical structure atop a bluff that was once the shoreline of Lake Agassiz. It’s also on a Sioux reservation.
Before long a startling discovery is made. The Roundhouse contains machinery that allows instantaneous transportation to other worlds. In Ancient Shores, three of these destinations are explored: a paradise world near the Horsehead Nebula, a space station outside the galaxy, and a strange place the explorers call The Maze.
There aren’t a lot of answers given in Ancient Shores as to where this technology comes from or who built it. Remember the mystery aspect of McDevitt’s work I mentioned?
What McDevitt does is show how disruptive such a discovery would be. After all, if you could introduce instantaneous travel from one place to another, what effect would that have on the transportation industries such airlines, bus lines, and the oil industry? What are the theological implications of such a discovery? How will the Sioux, who own the land, be affected by The Roundhouse? How would the international balance of power be affected?
And where are the aliens who built The Roundhouse? Why did they abandon it? What happened to them? Are they still out there, and if so, will they come back?
Of course not all of these questions are answered. Which to me added to the realism of the scenario. For every question we answer about the universe, we often discover two more. McDevitt did an excellent job of examining these things. He introduces more characters than you typically find in a novel of this length my hardcover copy is 400 pgs) or even in an epic fantasy. I’m impressed by not only how he could keep track of them all, but how easy he made it for me to keep track of them.
Ancient Shores is everything science fiction should be. It’s got character growth, a scientific mystery, logical extrapolation, and a sense of wonder and adventure. Check it out.
I’ll review the sequel Thunderbird next.
Still, McDevitt is prolific enough that I haven’t read all of his work. Until recently, Ancient Shores fell into this category. When I found out that this year’s novel (McDevitt typically has a new release in either November or December each year) was the sequel, I knew I needed to read Ancient Shores.
Here’s the premise. About 10,000 years ago, there was a large lake covering much of south-central Canada and portions of North Dakota and Wisconsin called Lake Agassiz. The lake eventually drained during a period of glacial retreat.
Ancient Shores opens when a farmer uncovers a boat while digging on a hill on his farm. It’s no place for a boat to be, and furthermore, the boat is made of unknown material. The investigation of this mystery soon leads to the discovery of what’s becomes known as The Roundhouse. It’s a cylindrical structure atop a bluff that was once the shoreline of Lake Agassiz. It’s also on a Sioux reservation.
Before long a startling discovery is made. The Roundhouse contains machinery that allows instantaneous transportation to other worlds. In Ancient Shores, three of these destinations are explored: a paradise world near the Horsehead Nebula, a space station outside the galaxy, and a strange place the explorers call The Maze.
There aren’t a lot of answers given in Ancient Shores as to where this technology comes from or who built it. Remember the mystery aspect of McDevitt’s work I mentioned?
What McDevitt does is show how disruptive such a discovery would be. After all, if you could introduce instantaneous travel from one place to another, what effect would that have on the transportation industries such airlines, bus lines, and the oil industry? What are the theological implications of such a discovery? How will the Sioux, who own the land, be affected by The Roundhouse? How would the international balance of power be affected?
And where are the aliens who built The Roundhouse? Why did they abandon it? What happened to them? Are they still out there, and if so, will they come back?
Of course not all of these questions are answered. Which to me added to the realism of the scenario. For every question we answer about the universe, we often discover two more. McDevitt did an excellent job of examining these things. He introduces more characters than you typically find in a novel of this length my hardcover copy is 400 pgs) or even in an epic fantasy. I’m impressed by not only how he could keep track of them all, but how easy he made it for me to keep track of them.
Ancient Shores is everything science fiction should be. It’s got character growth, a scientific mystery, logical extrapolation, and a sense of wonder and adventure. Check it out.
I’ll review the sequel Thunderbird next.
October 9, 2024
What happened? I was really enjoying the first half or so of this book, which I thought was an intriguing science fiction mystery McDevitt is so good at writing, when all of a sudden the plot shifted to a boring and implausible political slog.
The novel is set in the old lake bed of the ancient Lake Agassiz in the NE corner of North Dakota near the Minnesota and Canadian borders. A farmer plowing his field uncovers a strange artifact -a large yacht buried in the soil. Further investigation shows that this yacht is constructed of an element which humans have not been able to stabilize. The area is investigated using ground penetrating radar and a strange structure is discovered which is dubbed the "Roundhouse". The Roundhouse is also constructed of this rare element and has several odd markings on it. A couple of the main characters discover how to enter the Roundhouse and determine that it is a portal to three very different places, seemingly not of Earth. I was really enjoying the novel at this point.
The plot of the novel then changed course, or rather veered off course and hit a tree. We were informed that the existence of an advanced artifact such as the Roundhouse caused a world wide depression and a number of governments wanted it destroyed. This level of economic collapse seemed very implausible. A plethora of new characters were introduced, some for sentences, some for pages - politicians, news people, religious leaders, law enforcement, crazy people inspired by aliens, the list goes on and on. It was impossible to keep track of what was going on or where this bloated story was going. Oh, and there may or may not have even been an alien in the mix, it was never confirmed.
The Roundhouse happened to be located on Native American land so we get to know half the Sioux tribe and as the book crawled to the end all we were left with was continuously escalating tensions and an eventual battle, along with some scientists, against the US government who decided to destroy the Roundhouse at all costs. I won't reveal any more than this but I will say that I though the ending of this novel was the MOST RIDICULOUS of any science fiction book I've ever read! Just mind bogglingly absurd! UGH. What a disappointment.
A minor nitpick I have is that in the book and on the map in the book I-94 is referred to I-95. Not sure how this mistake was not caught. Anyone living in the Midwest has spent their share of time on this interstate.
About half-way through Ancient Shores I ordered a cheap used copy of the sequel Thunderbird and now I am questioning whether or not I want to read it. I think I give it a go, and hope it re-focuses on the science fiction mystery and not politics and irrelevant characters. Stay tuned.
The novel is set in the old lake bed of the ancient Lake Agassiz in the NE corner of North Dakota near the Minnesota and Canadian borders. A farmer plowing his field uncovers a strange artifact -a large yacht buried in the soil. Further investigation shows that this yacht is constructed of an element which humans have not been able to stabilize. The area is investigated using ground penetrating radar and a strange structure is discovered which is dubbed the "Roundhouse". The Roundhouse is also constructed of this rare element and has several odd markings on it. A couple of the main characters discover how to enter the Roundhouse and determine that it is a portal to three very different places, seemingly not of Earth. I was really enjoying the novel at this point.
The plot of the novel then changed course, or rather veered off course and hit a tree. We were informed that the existence of an advanced artifact such as the Roundhouse caused a world wide depression and a number of governments wanted it destroyed. This level of economic collapse seemed very implausible. A plethora of new characters were introduced, some for sentences, some for pages - politicians, news people, religious leaders, law enforcement, crazy people inspired by aliens, the list goes on and on. It was impossible to keep track of what was going on or where this bloated story was going. Oh, and there may or may not have even been an alien in the mix, it was never confirmed.
The Roundhouse happened to be located on Native American land so we get to know half the Sioux tribe and as the book crawled to the end all we were left with was continuously escalating tensions and an eventual battle, along with some scientists, against the US government who decided to destroy the Roundhouse at all costs. I won't reveal any more than this but I will say that I though the ending of this novel was the MOST RIDICULOUS of any science fiction book I've ever read! Just mind bogglingly absurd! UGH. What a disappointment.
A minor nitpick I have is that in the book and on the map in the book I-94 is referred to I-95. Not sure how this mistake was not caught. Anyone living in the Midwest has spent their share of time on this interstate.
About half-way through Ancient Shores I ordered a cheap used copy of the sequel Thunderbird and now I am questioning whether or not I want to read it. I think I give it a go, and hope it re-focuses on the science fiction mystery and not politics and irrelevant characters. Stay tuned.
October 2, 2012
"Stargate" Lite!
First Impressions:
I’ve read Jack’s “The Odyssey” and was mildly entertained. With that, I decided to explore his earlier novels including the stand-alone book Ancient Shores. A decent tale, but goes off on too many tangents to follow. Ending seemed rushed.
Story & Plot:
I enjoyed the build-up of the character Max, a man who was good with antique airplanes, had a military family history but shunned that route, deciding instead to restore old aircraft. The book makes a big deal of a horror accident where he could have saved but did not save a girl in a plane that exploded on a runway as a hapless man attempted to save her.
From this we get that Max is not one to take chances or risks that would endanger himself. Later in the book this takes the form of his not defending the “Roundhouse” (an alien artifact that turns out to be a transporter to other worlds) from the USA which wants to destroy it in order to save the economy (a roundabout way of building that plot!).
April, the Black scientist, who thought it sad that her retiring collegue got recognized for his work and then faded out, wanted fame and fortune and saw the sailboat found on a farm in North Dakota her ticket to ride. It’s a story of “be careful what you wish for.”
And the author’s tendency to give the reader the complete rundown of each main character’s love life was a bit much and did not add to the overall plot.
The book tends to go off on several tangents, telling stories of minor characters who are affected by the discovery of alien technology – some find religion, some radio minister makes money off it (not sure what the point of that was) and some want to blow the Roundhouse up (an odd account of a man who has a radio-controlled bomb in his truck and drives by someone who just happens to have the same frequency for his garage door opener – really?).
There are some interesting points that are immediately dropped – who is this invisible alien who comes onto Earth? What happened to him?
And the subplot of the Native American plot of land and how they’re repeating history by defending their land against the government was a fine opinion of exploitation and political ranting & raving, but highly unlikely.
Bottom Line: As other reviewers have found, the book seemed to have a hard time finding its way until the end, where we finally get some closure – but a disappointing ending where we’re still left to wonder what about the other worlds out there – would the discovery of super-human technology actually crash the economy?
I recommend reading his Nebula and Hugo award-winning tales instead. Ancient Shores, like Odyssey, are cute one-time novels that make a point of the human condition but leave the reader unsatisfied at the end.
First Impressions:
I’ve read Jack’s “The Odyssey” and was mildly entertained. With that, I decided to explore his earlier novels including the stand-alone book Ancient Shores. A decent tale, but goes off on too many tangents to follow. Ending seemed rushed.
Story & Plot:
I enjoyed the build-up of the character Max, a man who was good with antique airplanes, had a military family history but shunned that route, deciding instead to restore old aircraft. The book makes a big deal of a horror accident where he could have saved but did not save a girl in a plane that exploded on a runway as a hapless man attempted to save her.
From this we get that Max is not one to take chances or risks that would endanger himself. Later in the book this takes the form of his not defending the “Roundhouse” (an alien artifact that turns out to be a transporter to other worlds) from the USA which wants to destroy it in order to save the economy (a roundabout way of building that plot!).
April, the Black scientist, who thought it sad that her retiring collegue got recognized for his work and then faded out, wanted fame and fortune and saw the sailboat found on a farm in North Dakota her ticket to ride. It’s a story of “be careful what you wish for.”
And the author’s tendency to give the reader the complete rundown of each main character’s love life was a bit much and did not add to the overall plot.
The book tends to go off on several tangents, telling stories of minor characters who are affected by the discovery of alien technology – some find religion, some radio minister makes money off it (not sure what the point of that was) and some want to blow the Roundhouse up (an odd account of a man who has a radio-controlled bomb in his truck and drives by someone who just happens to have the same frequency for his garage door opener – really?).
There are some interesting points that are immediately dropped – who is this invisible alien who comes onto Earth? What happened to him?
And the subplot of the Native American plot of land and how they’re repeating history by defending their land against the government was a fine opinion of exploitation and political ranting & raving, but highly unlikely.
Bottom Line: As other reviewers have found, the book seemed to have a hard time finding its way until the end, where we finally get some closure – but a disappointing ending where we’re still left to wonder what about the other worlds out there – would the discovery of super-human technology actually crash the economy?
I recommend reading his Nebula and Hugo award-winning tales instead. Ancient Shores, like Odyssey, are cute one-time novels that make a point of the human condition but leave the reader unsatisfied at the end.
June 8, 2016
Jack McDevitt is a pretty good writer. I’ve enjoyed a couple of his series. He’s thoughtful, has interesting ideas, and thinks big. But he has some weaknesses too. For one thing, many of his books border on boring. Not much happens. Compared to other sci fi books out there, his books are antiquated. I know they’re mysteries masquerading as sci fi, but God, they drag. By the time you’ve discovered the three or four major things/events in his books, you’ve read 400-500 pages and not much has actually happened. I’ve always thought his books could be cut in half (by page count) and still get his ideas across.
Ancient Shores is an example of McDevitt’s propensity for boredom. He tends to start slow and slowly work up to major points or events, but it usually takes half the book and I find I no longer have the patience with him that I once had. In this book, a farmer finds something unusual on his land. It’s a completely buried yacht, a ship we soon find out is made of material no one on Earth currently possesses in terms of the technology it would take to manufacture any of it. By the time I got to page 81, the boat has been pulled out of the ground and tourists are coming to look at it. The farmer’s friend and his scientist colleague who has made these secret discoveries are asking the local Native Americans to look over and possibly do some digging on their land.
Maybe that sounds like a lot to you, but trust me, it drags. Boy, does it drag. And I’m sorry, while finding an ancient buried yacht with futuristic technology is certainly sci fi, I like a little more diversity and action in most of my sci fi novels these days. For instance, I’ve been reading Alastair Reynolds, Thomas Harlan, John Barnes, and Peter Hamilton. There’s just so much more there. So, I gave/am giving up on this book before finishing it. I’ve started doing that recently because I’m no longer content to read hundreds of pages that don’t satisfy me when there are so many other books available that do. This book probably appeals to many people, especially those who like sci fi mysteries, but it’s too dull for me. Two stars and not recommended.
Ancient Shores is an example of McDevitt’s propensity for boredom. He tends to start slow and slowly work up to major points or events, but it usually takes half the book and I find I no longer have the patience with him that I once had. In this book, a farmer finds something unusual on his land. It’s a completely buried yacht, a ship we soon find out is made of material no one on Earth currently possesses in terms of the technology it would take to manufacture any of it. By the time I got to page 81, the boat has been pulled out of the ground and tourists are coming to look at it. The farmer’s friend and his scientist colleague who has made these secret discoveries are asking the local Native Americans to look over and possibly do some digging on their land.
Maybe that sounds like a lot to you, but trust me, it drags. Boy, does it drag. And I’m sorry, while finding an ancient buried yacht with futuristic technology is certainly sci fi, I like a little more diversity and action in most of my sci fi novels these days. For instance, I’ve been reading Alastair Reynolds, Thomas Harlan, John Barnes, and Peter Hamilton. There’s just so much more there. So, I gave/am giving up on this book before finishing it. I’ve started doing that recently because I’m no longer content to read hundreds of pages that don’t satisfy me when there are so many other books available that do. This book probably appeals to many people, especially those who like sci fi mysteries, but it’s too dull for me. Two stars and not recommended.
May 28, 2013
This is one of McDevitt's first novels, and possibly his least well-known. It's aged less well than his other work, because there are quite a few references to people and technologies that are nearly twenty years out of date; it's mentioned that Whitney Houston is rumored to being cast to star in a film about one of the main characters, the security system employs VCR tapes, Carl Sagan is a character, etc. I suspect the book may have been overlooked to some extent when it was published because of a garish purple and green and pink and red cover. Anyway, despite rambling off-track in all directions a bit too much at times, I found it to be a fine, old-fashioned, sense-of-wonder adventure in the same vein as Simak's "The Big Front Yard." The ending is left rather open in a way that makes me think a sequel was planned, but I was happy with the way it all turned out.
October 7, 2011
McDevitt's talent for imagining intriguing scenarios, asking what would hapen if... ?, and then fleshing out what interesting people would do if is I think unmatched today in science fiction. Ancient Shores is an engrossing book, without hardly any explosions or magic handwavium sci-fi plot helpers. It's ending is abrupt and ultimately unsatisfying enough to cost the book a star, but it's nothing that will ruin the experience of having read an accomplished storyteller with a bright and keen imagination telling you what would happen if. I have a fuller review up on my site, but the jist is the same.
August 4, 2017
Really didn't enjoy this one much at all. I remember picking up the paperback in the late 90s but never reading it until this week.
I thought this would be more of a first contact w/ aliens or an ancient civilization book, which it kind of is, but really more of the focus is on what happens around the country (and the world) socially and politically when a discovery as mysterious as the one in the book is made. I thought I'd get a more charater-driven book about their relationships, but really every character in this book has a name and a brief description (i.e. no real depth).
I thought this would be more of a first contact w/ aliens or an ancient civilization book, which it kind of is, but really more of the focus is on what happens around the country (and the world) socially and politically when a discovery as mysterious as the one in the book is made. I thought I'd get a more charater-driven book about their relationships, but really every character in this book has a name and a brief description (i.e. no real depth).
January 4, 2009
One of my guilty pleasures -- stories on present-day earth where people dig up alien artifacts and try to figure them out. This was a great read.
January 23, 2011
The theme has been handled before but this was entertaining and kept me gripped throughout...
March 3, 2016
Archeological sci-fi speculating on bridges to other worlds/dimensions.
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