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Déjà Doomed
On the Moon’s far side, shielded from Earth’s radio cacophony, Americans are building a radio-astronomy observatory. Russians sift the dust of a lunar “sea” for helium-3 to run future fusion reactors. Commercial robots, remotely operated from Earth, roam the Moon’s near side in a hunt for mineral wealth. Why chase distant asteroids for precious metals? Onetime asteroids must lie close beneath the much-bombarded lunar surface.
Then a prospecting robot encounters a desiccated, spacesuited figure. An alien figure ….
Americans from the lunar observatory investigate. Near the original find, underground, they discover an alien installation. Lunar Russians, realizing that the Americans are up to something clandestine, send their own small team. Each group distrusts the other … even before the fatal “accidents” begin. By the time anyone suspects what ancient evil they have awakened, it may be too late―
For everyone on Earth, too.
Then a prospecting robot encounters a desiccated, spacesuited figure. An alien figure ….
Americans from the lunar observatory investigate. Near the original find, underground, they discover an alien installation. Lunar Russians, realizing that the Americans are up to something clandestine, send their own small team. Each group distrusts the other … even before the fatal “accidents” begin. By the time anyone suspects what ancient evil they have awakened, it may be too late―
For everyone on Earth, too.
- GenresScience Fiction
1 pages, Audio CD
First published May 25, 2021
5 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Edward M. Lerner
120 books58 followersI'm a physicist and computer scientist (among other things). After thirty years in industry, working at every level from individual technical contributor to senior vice president, I now write full-time. Mostly I write science fiction and techno-thrillers, now and again throwing in a straight science or technology article.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 6, 2021
‘He was a robot wrangler’
Virginia author Edward M. Lerner is a physicist and computer scientist and has retired from his years of service in the aerospace and information technology industries at such companies as Bell Labs, Hughes Aircraft, Honeywell and Northrop Grumman. His experience in the technical backgrounds lends realism and depth to his science fiction novels. In addition to his many sci-fi novels he writes nonfiction – his topics include nanotechnology, privacy in the Internet era, defending Earth from asteroids and the role of language in science fiction. He also teaches writing and maintains a blog on the state of science and science fiction (SF and Nonsense).
One of the many reasons that this science fiction novel works so well is Edward’s obvious in depth knowledge about physics and hi-tech intricacies that allow his storyline development to be not only entertaining but also intellectually credible. These factors are evident as he opens his novel with a lunar description: ‘Knife-edged, as black as pitch, long shadows sprawled across the airless moonscape. In any shadow, unseen, dangers might lurk. Massive boulders, single and in jumbles. Scattered rocky detritus. Yawning fissures. Concealed slopes. The treacherous crumbling rims of ancient craters. In shades of gray and brown and the occasional dark blue, the portions of the lunar surface not in shadow seemed almost indistinct. All experienced in spectral translucence, overlaid on mundane living-room clutter. Even where the setting Sun could still reach, temperatures had plummeted. Soon enough, only the crescent Earth’s eerie blue light would shine here. A few more minutes, Ethan Nyquist told himself. ‘
The story so well paced and plotted that the reading process is accelerated, allowing the tensions and sidebars to blend seamlessly. As the story is about new places, the author provides a fine distillation of the plot: ‘On the Moon’s far side, shielded from Earth’s radio cacophony, Americans are building a radio-astronomy observatory. Russians sift the dust of a lunar “sea” for helium-3 to run future fusion reactors. Commercial robots, remotely operated from Earth, roam the Moon’s near side in a hunt for mineral wealth. Why chase distant asteroids for precious metals? Onetime asteroids must lie close beneath the much-bombarded lunar surface. Then a prospecting robot encounters a desiccated, spacesuited figure. An alien figure ….Americans from the lunar observatory investigate. Near the original find, underground, they discover an alien installation. Lunar Russians, realizing that the Americans are up to something clandestine, send their own small team. Each group distrusts the other … even before the fatal “accidents” begin. By the time anyone suspects what ancient evil they have awakened, it may be too late - For everyone on Earth, too.’
This is polished fiction, sci-fi in this case, and underscores the importance of Lerner’s credentials as one of today’s most skilled authors. Highly recommended.
Virginia author Edward M. Lerner is a physicist and computer scientist and has retired from his years of service in the aerospace and information technology industries at such companies as Bell Labs, Hughes Aircraft, Honeywell and Northrop Grumman. His experience in the technical backgrounds lends realism and depth to his science fiction novels. In addition to his many sci-fi novels he writes nonfiction – his topics include nanotechnology, privacy in the Internet era, defending Earth from asteroids and the role of language in science fiction. He also teaches writing and maintains a blog on the state of science and science fiction (SF and Nonsense).
One of the many reasons that this science fiction novel works so well is Edward’s obvious in depth knowledge about physics and hi-tech intricacies that allow his storyline development to be not only entertaining but also intellectually credible. These factors are evident as he opens his novel with a lunar description: ‘Knife-edged, as black as pitch, long shadows sprawled across the airless moonscape. In any shadow, unseen, dangers might lurk. Massive boulders, single and in jumbles. Scattered rocky detritus. Yawning fissures. Concealed slopes. The treacherous crumbling rims of ancient craters. In shades of gray and brown and the occasional dark blue, the portions of the lunar surface not in shadow seemed almost indistinct. All experienced in spectral translucence, overlaid on mundane living-room clutter. Even where the setting Sun could still reach, temperatures had plummeted. Soon enough, only the crescent Earth’s eerie blue light would shine here. A few more minutes, Ethan Nyquist told himself. ‘
The story so well paced and plotted that the reading process is accelerated, allowing the tensions and sidebars to blend seamlessly. As the story is about new places, the author provides a fine distillation of the plot: ‘On the Moon’s far side, shielded from Earth’s radio cacophony, Americans are building a radio-astronomy observatory. Russians sift the dust of a lunar “sea” for helium-3 to run future fusion reactors. Commercial robots, remotely operated from Earth, roam the Moon’s near side in a hunt for mineral wealth. Why chase distant asteroids for precious metals? Onetime asteroids must lie close beneath the much-bombarded lunar surface. Then a prospecting robot encounters a desiccated, spacesuited figure. An alien figure ….Americans from the lunar observatory investigate. Near the original find, underground, they discover an alien installation. Lunar Russians, realizing that the Americans are up to something clandestine, send their own small team. Each group distrusts the other … even before the fatal “accidents” begin. By the time anyone suspects what ancient evil they have awakened, it may be too late - For everyone on Earth, too.’
This is polished fiction, sci-fi in this case, and underscores the importance of Lerner’s credentials as one of today’s most skilled authors. Highly recommended.
Want to read
August 7, 2023"Well plotted, scientifically accurate, a story plausible and exciting -- hard sf at its best."
— Gregory Benford, cover blurb.
Not at our libraries, 8/7/23. ZIP next year?
— Gregory Benford, cover blurb.
Not at our libraries, 8/7/23. ZIP next year?
May 30, 2021
I picked up this book due to the blurb from the publisher. They gave me a deal to get the ebook immediately. Yea! I am always one for humans finding aliens on the moon type stories. I like the archeology aspect along with the implications the humans have to wrestle with.
So I knew going in its ancient aliens time. Plus a little bit of cold war between the Americans and Russians. Then add in a bit of hard sci-fi realism, it sounded good.
But it isn’t. While the science is interesting, the characters are not. The author defaults to crew allotments and descriptions from the 1960’s. Women are described in terms of their curves, the men to their brawn. The lone African American is only used to get another round of beer for the loud Russian agent. Russians are suspicious & smart, the Americans ignorant & helpful.
As I went through the chapters, I’m not sure what the book was trying to be. Was it a horror story, the “ancient evil” in the blurb? Was it a spy-on-the-moon novel since the CIA & FSB are involved? The ancient aliens story I was hoping for? See, it felt like the book shifted from one to the next, to the next. Then the last act it is like a well known sci-fi movie (mentioning it would be a spoiler, but you’ll know it when the humans move to that phase). About half way through I found myself skimming just to find out what the end game was. The long sections of explanation got dull, the sections about Valerie got annoying. I didn’t miss out on anything, it just felt like filler.
For a book that is supposed to be rooted in physics, the computer part was silly. The humans find alien computers. What do they see? Chips. The Russian engineering genius is able to power up the systems with a simple DC power supply set to a specific voltage. But power supplies are a bit more complex than that. No worry that there is an AC input component or even if the leads from the human’s power supply were connected to the wrong place. Magically the humans could power up the computers and play with them. Magically the alien computer could figure out how to interface to the human systems. It is a big enough pain trying to get two human made, though built on different protocols, to talk to each other. A bit of a stretch all of the computers can work together.
The same with the alien’s power source. Again, one of the Russians is able to discern exactly how it works and even how to fire up the ship (on the cover). No real sense of wonder, as the Russians are paranoid and prone to keeping data to themselves. The Americans are around for labor & project management.
While the human technology side is plausible, the rest doesn’t fit together well. I wanted to learn more about the aliens, as we only get snippets. The “ancient evil” isn’t really evil, at least not in the terms as we use them today. Marcus’s past adventures are also interesting, but mainly used as flashbacks and fodder for the Russian paranoia. The people have a single purpose (Valerie’s grad student’s project obviously will fit into the plot) and I never really liked any of them. Or even really cared.
A seriously good quote:
- All of which made at least half of the Russians visibly unhappy. And so what? The laws of physics did not give a shit about Russian pride or paranoia. Or as a science-fiction author once put it, Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.
So I knew going in its ancient aliens time. Plus a little bit of cold war between the Americans and Russians. Then add in a bit of hard sci-fi realism, it sounded good.
But it isn’t. While the science is interesting, the characters are not. The author defaults to crew allotments and descriptions from the 1960’s. Women are described in terms of their curves, the men to their brawn. The lone African American is only used to get another round of beer for the loud Russian agent. Russians are suspicious & smart, the Americans ignorant & helpful.
As I went through the chapters, I’m not sure what the book was trying to be. Was it a horror story, the “ancient evil” in the blurb? Was it a spy-on-the-moon novel since the CIA & FSB are involved? The ancient aliens story I was hoping for? See, it felt like the book shifted from one to the next, to the next. Then the last act it is like a well known sci-fi movie (mentioning it would be a spoiler, but you’ll know it when the humans move to that phase). About half way through I found myself skimming just to find out what the end game was. The long sections of explanation got dull, the sections about Valerie got annoying. I didn’t miss out on anything, it just felt like filler.
For a book that is supposed to be rooted in physics, the computer part was silly. The humans find alien computers. What do they see? Chips. The Russian engineering genius is able to power up the systems with a simple DC power supply set to a specific voltage. But power supplies are a bit more complex than that. No worry that there is an AC input component or even if the leads from the human’s power supply were connected to the wrong place. Magically the humans could power up the computers and play with them. Magically the alien computer could figure out how to interface to the human systems. It is a big enough pain trying to get two human made, though built on different protocols, to talk to each other. A bit of a stretch all of the computers can work together.
The same with the alien’s power source. Again, one of the Russians is able to discern exactly how it works and even how to fire up the ship (on the cover). No real sense of wonder, as the Russians are paranoid and prone to keeping data to themselves. The Americans are around for labor & project management.
While the human technology side is plausible, the rest doesn’t fit together well. I wanted to learn more about the aliens, as we only get snippets. The “ancient evil” isn’t really evil, at least not in the terms as we use them today. Marcus’s past adventures are also interesting, but mainly used as flashbacks and fodder for the Russian paranoia. The people have a single purpose (Valerie’s grad student’s project obviously will fit into the plot) and I never really liked any of them. Or even really cared.
A seriously good quote:
- All of which made at least half of the Russians visibly unhappy. And so what? The laws of physics did not give a shit about Russian pride or paranoia. Or as a science-fiction author once put it, Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.
October 27, 2021
Lerner, Edward M. Déjà Doomed. Caezik, 2021.
Edward M. Lerner’s new near future novel is about what one would expect from him: knowledgeable science and a well-constructed plot. Russians are mining helium-3 on the back side of the Moon, while the Americans are building a large radio-telescope there. Near future or not, the cold war seems to still be on, and both scientific teams have intelligence agents watching over the doings of their rivals. Things change when an independent “robot wrangler” discovers an ancient spacesuited alien corpse, and the race is on to discover and scoop up alien tech. All the espionage and other activities wake up an alien AI that has been waiting eons for a chance to put an end to Earth primates. It is all good, unless you delve into the political realities. Projects on this scale are bound to be more international than Lerner suggests. However, good hard science fiction is hard enough to find that a guy with Lerner’s science chops and the ability to tell a story will always get my attention. 4 stars.
Edward M. Lerner’s new near future novel is about what one would expect from him: knowledgeable science and a well-constructed plot. Russians are mining helium-3 on the back side of the Moon, while the Americans are building a large radio-telescope there. Near future or not, the cold war seems to still be on, and both scientific teams have intelligence agents watching over the doings of their rivals. Things change when an independent “robot wrangler” discovers an ancient spacesuited alien corpse, and the race is on to discover and scoop up alien tech. All the espionage and other activities wake up an alien AI that has been waiting eons for a chance to put an end to Earth primates. It is all good, unless you delve into the political realities. Projects on this scale are bound to be more international than Lerner suggests. However, good hard science fiction is hard enough to find that a guy with Lerner’s science chops and the ability to tell a story will always get my attention. 4 stars.
June 1, 2021
Not a new story by any means, but the voracious enemy and clever all-or-nothing attempts at solutions made for compelling reading nonetheless.
May 20, 2021
The first paragraph sets up the reader’s expectation perfectly:
Knife-edged, as black as pitch, long shadows sprawled across the airless moonscape. In any shadow, unseen, dangers might lurk. Massive boulders, single and in jumbles. Scattered rocky detritus. Yawning fissures. Concealed slopes. The treacherous crumbling rims of ancient craters. In shades of gray and brown and the occasional dark blue, the portions of the lunar surface not in shadow seemed almost indistinct. All experienced in spectral translucence, overlaid on mundane living-room clutter. Even where the setting Sun could still reach, temperatures had plummeted. Soon enough, only the crescent Earth’s eerie blue light would shine here. A few more minutes, Ethan Nyquist told himself.
This is definitely a book that will appeal to hard science fictions fans, with vivid and credible descriptions of the lunar environment and the technology that allows humans to operate there. For my personal taste, there was a bit more than I would prefer, but it deserves the 4 stars because Lerner does what he set out to do well, and I hope there will be an audio version of the book so that my visually impaired husband will be able to read and enjoy it.
That is the science part, but what about the fiction? There is an intriguing plot and characters I came to care about. I hope it will not be too much of a spoiler to add that there is also a happy ending, with a final line that left me with a smile on my face.
I received an advance review copy of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher.
Knife-edged, as black as pitch, long shadows sprawled across the airless moonscape. In any shadow, unseen, dangers might lurk. Massive boulders, single and in jumbles. Scattered rocky detritus. Yawning fissures. Concealed slopes. The treacherous crumbling rims of ancient craters. In shades of gray and brown and the occasional dark blue, the portions of the lunar surface not in shadow seemed almost indistinct. All experienced in spectral translucence, overlaid on mundane living-room clutter. Even where the setting Sun could still reach, temperatures had plummeted. Soon enough, only the crescent Earth’s eerie blue light would shine here. A few more minutes, Ethan Nyquist told himself.
This is definitely a book that will appeal to hard science fictions fans, with vivid and credible descriptions of the lunar environment and the technology that allows humans to operate there. For my personal taste, there was a bit more than I would prefer, but it deserves the 4 stars because Lerner does what he set out to do well, and I hope there will be an audio version of the book so that my visually impaired husband will be able to read and enjoy it.
That is the science part, but what about the fiction? There is an intriguing plot and characters I came to care about. I hope it will not be too much of a spoiler to add that there is also a happy ending, with a final line that left me with a smile on my face.
I received an advance review copy of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher.
May 30, 2021
The Review
This was a fantastic blend of Cold War-era espionage and thriller storytelling with a twist of sci-fi and fantasy that readers of both genres will love. The pacing and atmosphere are apparent within the book’s first chapters, highlighting the awe-inspiring nature of exploring space while also highlighting the isolation and tension surrounding the pioneer of space exploration.
What really stands out to readers is the incredible attention to detail that hardcore sci-fi fans will absolutely love. The story is rife with haunting atmospheres and engaging characters as the two teams of explorers highlight the growing tension between the nations they represent. The attention to detail the author shows even with the technology that the teams use to navigate and survive on the lunar surface is incredible to behold and delves into the sci-fi genre at full throttle.
The Verdict
A gripping, entertaining, and thought-provoking sci-fi thriller, author Edward M. Lerner’s “Déjà Doomed” is a must-read novel of 2021. A fantastic blend of character growth and haunting atmospheric storytelling, the pacing of the story and the tension that mounts not only in the teams as they search for what remains hidden but the suspense and action that takes place really elevates the story and highlights how powerful of a writer the author is. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
This was a fantastic blend of Cold War-era espionage and thriller storytelling with a twist of sci-fi and fantasy that readers of both genres will love. The pacing and atmosphere are apparent within the book’s first chapters, highlighting the awe-inspiring nature of exploring space while also highlighting the isolation and tension surrounding the pioneer of space exploration.
What really stands out to readers is the incredible attention to detail that hardcore sci-fi fans will absolutely love. The story is rife with haunting atmospheres and engaging characters as the two teams of explorers highlight the growing tension between the nations they represent. The attention to detail the author shows even with the technology that the teams use to navigate and survive on the lunar surface is incredible to behold and delves into the sci-fi genre at full throttle.
The Verdict
A gripping, entertaining, and thought-provoking sci-fi thriller, author Edward M. Lerner’s “Déjà Doomed” is a must-read novel of 2021. A fantastic blend of character growth and haunting atmospheric storytelling, the pacing of the story and the tension that mounts not only in the teams as they search for what remains hidden but the suspense and action that takes place really elevates the story and highlights how powerful of a writer the author is. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
April 1, 2023
Americans are building something big, away from the Earth's radio reaches, an observatory. The Russians are on the hunt for helium-3. When an alien figure is discovered at the lunar surface, a discovery leads to more disturbing ones. There is an alien installation that the Americans set out to investigate. Because the Russians do not trust the Americans, they send out their own team. But there is something far more sinister to fear than the rivalry and it could be too late.
The characters are solidly written, especially Marcus, the generalist radio astronomer who works for NASA. He has once been a CIA Spy. His pregnant wife is also well-developed. The elements of science fiction are intelligently written and the idea of an AI waking up after millions of sleep will intrigue readers. The conflict in this mesmerizing tale is wonderfully crafted, with the past colliding with the present, AIs trying to figure out what is happening, and humans at loggerheads with each other.
In addition to the strong plot points and the fully drawn characters, the author features stellar writing, punctuated by terrific descriptions.
The characters are solidly written, especially Marcus, the generalist radio astronomer who works for NASA. He has once been a CIA Spy. His pregnant wife is also well-developed. The elements of science fiction are intelligently written and the idea of an AI waking up after millions of sleep will intrigue readers. The conflict in this mesmerizing tale is wonderfully crafted, with the past colliding with the present, AIs trying to figure out what is happening, and humans at loggerheads with each other.
In addition to the strong plot points and the fully drawn characters, the author features stellar writing, punctuated by terrific descriptions.
August 4, 2024
Sci-fi with a touch of espionage : I am in!
Thank you to Edward for crafting together a wonderful sci-fi novel about discovery of aliens on the moon and how rivals come together to help figure out the universes greatest mysteries !
If you a fan on 2010: a space odyssey, this is your book!
A True must read!
Thank you to Edward for crafting together a wonderful sci-fi novel about discovery of aliens on the moon and how rivals come together to help figure out the universes greatest mysteries !
If you a fan on 2010: a space odyssey, this is your book!
A True must read!
May 30, 2021
Riveting action on every page!
When alien tech is found on the moon, the earth hangs in the balance.
A perfect combination of science, characters, and consequences—a must read for anyone who loves classic space exploration stories (or Hollywood blockbusters like Armageddon:)
When alien tech is found on the moon, the earth hangs in the balance.
A perfect combination of science, characters, and consequences—a must read for anyone who loves classic space exploration stories (or Hollywood blockbusters like Armageddon:)
August 24, 2021
Engaging story. Well drawn characters. Fresh approach to discovery of alien artifacts. Definitely not a rehash of well worn plot lines. A real page turner. I really enjoyed it.
January 22, 2022
Decent mix of near-future lunar exploration, cold war politics and espionage, alien cybernetics, imminent danger and heroic endeavors.
January 8, 2026
This novel blends hard science fiction with creeping cosmic horror to striking effect, using the Moon not as a romantic symbol but as a cold, contested frontier.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews