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Fantastic Voyage: Microcosm
After an unidentified flying object is shot down by Russian MiG fighters, a team of scientists from Project Proteus and their ship are reduced to a size smaller than a human cell and sent to penetrate the surface of the mysterious object and uncover its secrets.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
3 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Kevin J. Anderson
1,030 books3,110 followersYes, I have a lot of books, and if this is your first visit to my amazon author page, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are new to my work, let me recommend a few titles as good places to start. I love my Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, humorous horror/mysteries, which begin with DEATH WARMED OVER. My steampunk fantasy adventures, CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, written with Neil Peart, legendary drummer from Rush, are two of my very favorite novels ever. And my magnum opus, the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns, begins with HIDDEN EMPIRE. After you've tried those, I hope you'll check out some of my other series.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 14, 2025
Fantastic Voyage: Microcosm by Kevin Anderson is an action-packed, suspenseful adventure that keeps you hooked from start to finish. It’s a fast, thrilling read that dives into the excitement of the unknown. This was my first novel by Kevin Anderson, and I’m definitely looking forward to exploring more of his work!
July 3, 2019
I thought this felt familiar when I got to about the middle, it was because I'd read it about 5 years ago. Still a good book, compelling page turner.
September 19, 2014
This novel is about exploring the body of an alien...from the inside.
During a Soviet military operation in Azerbaijan, an alien ship is shot down. Instead of handing the escape pod, with an alien inside, to the Soviet government, the Deputy Foreign Minister ships it to Project Proteus. It's a Top Secret base located in an isolated part of the California desert. They have found a new method of exploration, by miniaturizing people and machines to microscopic size.
The escape pod resists all scanning attempts (x-ray, MRI, CT scan), so a specially-built vessel, with a four-person crew, is shrunk and sent inside (by drilling a needle-sized hole in the view plate). Once inside, they find lots of nano-machines, who treat the vessel as food, a threat or as raw materials to build whatever they are building. The crew is in the middle of a running battle/chase scene to keep away from the nano-machines. Unknowingly, the crew finds an On switch, which, among other things, opens the escape pod.
On the outside, the nano-machines easily make the jump to the two physicians who are examining the alien's body. Within a few minutes, the nano-machines transform the physicians into aliens. If even one of those nano-machines gets loose, it will create others and they will turn all of humanity into aliens before Earth can mount any sort of defense.
Inside the alien, the crew has been running from the nano-machines for so long that they no longer know where they are. The shrinking effect lasts for only a few hours, so it is very much in their interests to find any sort of escape route. Once they exit the body, they learn what has happened to the tow doctors; the original alien has also woken up. Can they make it out of the sealed room, while staying away from the three aliens, and not let out any of the nano-machines, before returning to normal size?
In my experience, Kevin J. Anderson has always written strong, well-done stories, and this is no exception. A person could question some parts of the story, but, for those who are new to science fiction, or have never read the original Isaac Asimov novel, this book is well worth reading.
During a Soviet military operation in Azerbaijan, an alien ship is shot down. Instead of handing the escape pod, with an alien inside, to the Soviet government, the Deputy Foreign Minister ships it to Project Proteus. It's a Top Secret base located in an isolated part of the California desert. They have found a new method of exploration, by miniaturizing people and machines to microscopic size.
The escape pod resists all scanning attempts (x-ray, MRI, CT scan), so a specially-built vessel, with a four-person crew, is shrunk and sent inside (by drilling a needle-sized hole in the view plate). Once inside, they find lots of nano-machines, who treat the vessel as food, a threat or as raw materials to build whatever they are building. The crew is in the middle of a running battle/chase scene to keep away from the nano-machines. Unknowingly, the crew finds an On switch, which, among other things, opens the escape pod.
On the outside, the nano-machines easily make the jump to the two physicians who are examining the alien's body. Within a few minutes, the nano-machines transform the physicians into aliens. If even one of those nano-machines gets loose, it will create others and they will turn all of humanity into aliens before Earth can mount any sort of defense.
Inside the alien, the crew has been running from the nano-machines for so long that they no longer know where they are. The shrinking effect lasts for only a few hours, so it is very much in their interests to find any sort of escape route. Once they exit the body, they learn what has happened to the tow doctors; the original alien has also woken up. Can they make it out of the sealed room, while staying away from the three aliens, and not let out any of the nano-machines, before returning to normal size?
In my experience, Kevin J. Anderson has always written strong, well-done stories, and this is no exception. A person could question some parts of the story, but, for those who are new to science fiction, or have never read the original Isaac Asimov novel, this book is well worth reading.
October 15, 2015
Kevin J Anderson is a very competent writer, you only have to look at his CV to spot that. He knows how to tell a story and to keep the reader entertained.
On this book - who could resist a follow up to the wonderfully cheesy science fiction film from way back when (novelised at the time by the esteemed Isaac Asimov). You do get a decent tribute, unlike some reviewers I though the characters were fine, the action was good and exploring an alien from the inside - excellent. That doesn't mean the book is anything like perfect. There are some major plot holes and the implication that the alien in question is one of the ubiquitous "greys" encountered by numerous drunken probees across America really falls down in relation to the rest of the plot.
Nevertheless a pleasant way to spend an afternoon if you check your brain at the door.
On this book - who could resist a follow up to the wonderfully cheesy science fiction film from way back when (novelised at the time by the esteemed Isaac Asimov). You do get a decent tribute, unlike some reviewers I though the characters were fine, the action was good and exploring an alien from the inside - excellent. That doesn't mean the book is anything like perfect. There are some major plot holes and the implication that the alien in question is one of the ubiquitous "greys" encountered by numerous drunken probees across America really falls down in relation to the rest of the plot.
Nevertheless a pleasant way to spend an afternoon if you check your brain at the door.
May 8, 2008
Had some interesting ideas, but quite sophomoric. Never draws you in and ties you to the main characters. Repeatative dialog and cliches. I hope this was one of his first books cause it doesn't pass muster.
September 2, 2012
Pretty good story, very cool idea. This is not one of my favorites by KJA, but still entertaining. The first part of the story dragged for me but the last 3/4 had great action and flew by. Over all a good read.
June 12, 2016
The idea is interesting and the plot well executed, but the characters are paper thin, existing only to serve the story. Although this isn't Anderson's finest work, his consistently tight prose and ability to shift viewpoints seamlessly still make for a pleasurable ride.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews