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41st out of 197 books
—
430 voters
The Engines of God (The Academy #1)
Two hundred years ago, humans made a stunning discovery in the far reaches of the solar system: a huge statue of an alien creature, with an inscription that defied all efforts at translation. Now, as faster-than-light drive opens the stars to exploration, humans are finding other relics of the race they call the Monument-Makers - each different, and each heartbreakingly be...more
Mass Market Paperback, 419 pages
Published
December 1st 1995
by Ace
(first published 1994)
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Mar 01, 2009
Terence
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
HardSF fans
Shelves:
sf-fantasy
Rating: 2.5 stars
Is there a requirement that a "hard" SF author can't write believable characters or dialog to save their life? Or, rather, considering the general level of education and IQ among that crowd, is it a conspiracy so that they can chortle over the nearly inevitable comment in any review of their books about the simplistic characters and amateurish dialog?
Well, no matter. I picked up a copy of The Engines of God at a library booksale for 50 cents so I can't complain too vociferously....more
Is there a requirement that a "hard" SF author can't write believable characters or dialog to save their life? Or, rather, considering the general level of education and IQ among that crowd, is it a conspiracy so that they can chortle over the nearly inevitable comment in any review of their books about the simplistic characters and amateurish dialog?
Well, no matter. I picked up a copy of The Engines of God at a library booksale for 50 cents so I can't complain too vociferously....more
Jack McDevitt tends to tell his story like a mystery. There is always a final discovery that makes things click into place, somewhat like a detective getting everyone in the room explaining everything and then pointing out one of them as a perpetrator. Nevermind that this is science fiction and more often than not the discovery is a historical fact.
McDevitt manages to put ageless questions in his work. Reflections on the human condition, even if he never starts to preach or philosophize. This p...more
McDevitt manages to put ageless questions in his work. Reflections on the human condition, even if he never starts to preach or philosophize. This p...more
My first book by Jack McDevitt. I read this followed by one of his others, The War Lover. Interestingly they both have extraterrestrial archeology as a major part of the plot line, but after that, they are very different books.
Good points about the book. Very interesting mystery as to who the Monument Builders are and why did they leave the various structures behind, and what happened to them. McDevitt also does a great job at handling the aspects of the conflict between the archaeologic team tr...more
Good points about the book. Very interesting mystery as to who the Monument Builders are and why did they leave the various structures behind, and what happened to them. McDevitt also does a great job at handling the aspects of the conflict between the archaeologic team tr...more
by Jack McDevitt, published in 1994.
There is something I really, really like about a mystery science fiction, especially if that mystery comes from a long vanished alien race.
Well, this novel, “The Engines of God” is just such a novel. It seems that thousands of years ago, when humanity was just picking up sticks and learning how to brain each other with them, an advanced alien race was busy building incredible monuments in the galaxy.
We follow Hutch, a spaceship pilot, as she travels with archa...more
There is something I really, really like about a mystery science fiction, especially if that mystery comes from a long vanished alien race.
Well, this novel, “The Engines of God” is just such a novel. It seems that thousands of years ago, when humanity was just picking up sticks and learning how to brain each other with them, an advanced alien race was busy building incredible monuments in the galaxy.
We follow Hutch, a spaceship pilot, as she travels with archa...more
The Engines of God is the first novel in the Priscilla Hutchins series. Reputed to be a good pilot, this series demonstrates just how unlucky she is in life.
In the 1st chapter we learn that we're not alone, at least we weren't at one time. A monument has been found on Iapetus, a moon of Saturn. A large portion of the novel is spent trying to figure out who they were and if they're still alive.
We learn that by 2200 Earth's climate has degraded to the point where a distant world is to be terraform...more
In the 1st chapter we learn that we're not alone, at least we weren't at one time. A monument has been found on Iapetus, a moon of Saturn. A large portion of the novel is spent trying to figure out who they were and if they're still alive.
We learn that by 2200 Earth's climate has degraded to the point where a distant world is to be terraform...more
Humanity has achieved starflight. Expeditions have found mysterious monuments from several civilizations. Most intriguing is the evidence of extinction events which have occured repeatedly and independently on various worlds. We follow pilot Priscilla “Hutch” Hutchins and various archeologists and linguists as they try to solve the puzzle.
The plot is certainly engaging, and well laid out. The characters are well described, although some felt two dimensional. McDevitt takes a good stab at sense o...more
The plot is certainly engaging, and well laid out. The characters are well described, although some felt two dimensional. McDevitt takes a good stab at sense o...more
This is book 1 of a 6 book series known as The Academy Novels (aka the Priscilla Hutchins Novels). Sadly for me, I read book 5 first, not knowing any difference. But, it really didn't make much difference except I know where Priscilla Hutchins is in her career.
This is a very good book and a treat to read. McDevitt has been praised by other Sci-fi authors as being one of the best...and I could not agree more. I like his works very much.
This book introduces us to outer space archaeology, where Hut...more
This is a very good book and a treat to read. McDevitt has been praised by other Sci-fi authors as being one of the best...and I could not agree more. I like his works very much.
This book introduces us to outer space archaeology, where Hut...more
I will have to read more McDevitt to get a feel for his writing style. In a nutshell, I like this book. Would I recommend this book: yes. Now, on to the finer points. I found the prose dry and uninspiring for the most part. The characters were flat and uninteresting with the exception of the female protagonist, whose name eludes me. She was interesting, and following her story line was one of the few elements that helped me through completing this novel. The only other element that prevented me...more
You can get a synopsis of the plot on the Amazon pages. So I am going to give my impression of the overall series.
This is the first book in a series by McDevitt. It introduces the character of Priscilla Hutchins, a star ship pilot circa 2220. As another reviewer said, the books have something of a mystery novel feel to it. Much more noticeable is the documentary/diary feel to this series. Overall though, it is good "hard sci-fi". A couple of things that stand out in the series to me:
1) His main...more
This is the first book in a series by McDevitt. It introduces the character of Priscilla Hutchins, a star ship pilot circa 2220. As another reviewer said, the books have something of a mystery novel feel to it. Much more noticeable is the documentary/diary feel to this series. Overall though, it is good "hard sci-fi". A couple of things that stand out in the series to me:
1) His main...more
En 2200, on a retrouvé dans plusieurs points de l'espace connu des monuments différents, mais venant tous d'une même race (disparue depuis longtemps). Sur une planète éloignée, des archéologues tentent de trouver une pierre de Rosette dans des ruines d'une autre race. Ils n'ont que quelques jours pour cela, car la planète doit commencer un terraformage destructeur, pour soulager a terme une Terre exsangue. Trouveront ils de quoi déchiffrer le langage ET ? Quelles sont les significations de ces s...more
I asked for recommendations for good sci fi and this was on the list. I can't say I agree.
Partly it's the setting - two hundred years in the future, but that odd sort of future which is just like 1995 with a couple of future-y things added. The telephones have video and there are faxes, but now they go faster than light. Are there really science-minded writers who think that the modern world is just like the early 19th century?
The lack of characterization is typical for science fiction, so I was...more
Partly it's the setting - two hundred years in the future, but that odd sort of future which is just like 1995 with a couple of future-y things added. The telephones have video and there are faxes, but now they go faster than light. Are there really science-minded writers who think that the modern world is just like the early 19th century?
The lack of characterization is typical for science fiction, so I was...more
McDevitt has created a terrific little niche of space archaeology that's all his own with the Alex Benedict books and the Priscilla Hutchins series. This is the first volume of the Priscilla Hutchins series, and I enjoyed it very much despite having previously read later volumes. This one feels more two books than one, in that there's an adventure and conclusion just about exactly half-way through, and then they're off to a second planet. The stories are told with the flavor of adventurous myste...more
I am not a big science fiction fan but this book was enjoyable. It is the first of six books from the Priscilla Hutchins series (or Academy Series or Engine of God Series0.
Hutch is a pilot who works for the Academy. The Academy collects artifacts from formerly inhabited plenets. The Academy is working on resurecting artifacts from Quraqua when they are given a deadline to get off the planet but terraformers. Terraformers are also people from Earth who are trying to form a planet to be inhabitabl...more
Hutch is a pilot who works for the Academy. The Academy collects artifacts from formerly inhabited plenets. The Academy is working on resurecting artifacts from Quraqua when they are given a deadline to get off the planet but terraformers. Terraformers are also people from Earth who are trying to form a planet to be inhabitabl...more
I really enjoyed the book although it felt a bit like two books. About 1/2 way through there is a climax and some closure. I really liked the mystery of the book and feel like it isn't really solved which is good for future books. I was sold on the book during the introduction of the big mystery of the monument makers. I can't resist unexplained ruins and my imagination goes running.
The "big menace" at the end seems lame and needs some development. For something rumored to destroy civilizations...more
The "big menace" at the end seems lame and needs some development. For something rumored to destroy civilizations...more
It was fun reading this right before I picked up [Book:Do Good Design] by David Berman. The state of Earth in The Engines of God reflects Berman's cautions about our current mistreatment of the environment and the like. I love seeing ties between books that aren't even remotely from the same genre.
As for the book itself, I enjoyed reading it enough to want to read the books that follow but not enough to keep the book on my shelves. It was slow going at first but a page turner by the middle. I ap...more
As for the book itself, I enjoyed reading it enough to want to read the books that follow but not enough to keep the book on my shelves. It was slow going at first but a page turner by the middle. I ap...more
This book was such a pleasant surprise. Most modern archeological thrillers are confined by Dan Brown-esque junk food narrative threads, and hell, if Mr. McDevitt's choice to make his story space-aged counts as a crutch, I couldn't give less of a damn because of how harrowing the story manages to be regardless. It manages to capture the same panicked solitude of Stanisław Lem's Solaris. The story was so fluid I managed to stop/start reading without overwhelming disorientation. Also notable for t...more
A very solid science fiction novel, though it really felt like two novellas smashed together. This is the book that starts off McDevitt's "Academy" series, and establishes the idea of extraterrestrial archaeology (which tends to compete with the terraformers who want to change worlds wholesale). Or at any rate, that's the bulk of the first half of the book. The second half of the book is about the discovery of what come to be known as Omega Clouds, which seem to be the big bad guy for the remain...more
This is my first McDevitt book. I bought a used paperback because he is going to be in town for Osfest in July.
First I want to say how happy I am to see a Science Fiction book with some science in it. So few do these days and really, that's the point. Otherwise it's fantasy. I don't know anything about archeology, it's not a big interest of mine but I can see the fascination.
It seemed to me like McDevitt kept jumping ahead in the book instead of sharing the characters feelings and the excite...more
First I want to say how happy I am to see a Science Fiction book with some science in it. So few do these days and really, that's the point. Otherwise it's fantasy. I don't know anything about archeology, it's not a big interest of mine but I can see the fascination.
It seemed to me like McDevitt kept jumping ahead in the book instead of sharing the characters feelings and the excite...more
The story structure is divided into two halves, each of which feels completely different in tone and pacing. While each holds the attention, they are so stylistically divergent that one may even forget they share an author.
The first half of the book is a satisfying salute to the archeological profession, and primarily takes place on a planet named Quraqua, the site of an ancient civilization which has mysteriously disappeared. The methodology and techniques used by the archeologist, linguists,...more
The first half of the book is a satisfying salute to the archeological profession, and primarily takes place on a planet named Quraqua, the site of an ancient civilization which has mysteriously disappeared. The methodology and techniques used by the archeologist, linguists,...more
May 02, 2011
Paul Baker
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Science fiction lovers
Shelves:
science-fiction
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The Engines of God is set in the near future when humanity, in my opinion, is desperately struggling against the decay of civilizations and, perhaps, the precipice of extinction. I felt that the story was also about the hubris of humanity. The portrayal of humanity made me uncomfortable as I felt that it honed too closely to reality and I preferred a more optimistic portrayal.
I was amazed at the lack of foresight and preparation by the characters. Even after experiencing a devastating event, th...more
I was amazed at the lack of foresight and preparation by the characters. Even after experiencing a devastating event, th...more
Space archeology! If The Mote in God's Eye is still my favorite "first contact" novel, it's not because this one is any less complex. The cultures in question are long dead, and all of what we see of them is through the educated inference of the characters. Slowly learning more about the other races' long histories and the author's vision of a future Earth is the main draw here- the overarching plot, while a pleasantly mysterious driving force for the real gems, ends a bit predictably. On the ot...more
Nunca hemos estado solos en el universo. El hombre ha conseguido viajar por las estrellas y ha descubierto una raza extraterrestre que está sumida en una tremenda guerra total y restos de otra, llena de misterios y mensajes ocultos. Un grupo de arqueólogos investiga estos restos, incluidos unos extraños monumentos y construcciones. Lo que descubren es realmente inquietante.
Realmente hacía mucho tiempo que no disfrutaba tanto con un libro de ciencia ficción. Me ha encantado el argumento y cómo lo...more
Realmente hacía mucho tiempo que no disfrutaba tanto con un libro de ciencia ficción. Me ha encantado el argumento y cómo lo...more
I enjoy McDevitt's style and general pacing. His setting is also very intriguing: space is an expanding frontier for the relatively young human race. What we find among the stars are ruins and other young species that are themselves struggling to make sense of life. There are no aliens as characters, and the reader's knowledge of the aliens is usually discovered through the work of scholars investigating alien archeological sites. This is the first of the "Priscilla Hutchins" novels that follow...more
An incredible novel that illustrates the excitement of discovery of alien civilization and artifacts from the point of view of space archeologists. McDevitt is able to show us an advanced society without having your eyes glaze over with the technical details. He reminds me of Anne McCaffrey's works although the characters are not the most developed. It sometimes feels like other books I've read where the characters don't own their personalities, but simple reflect the author's in each character....more
I couldn't really tell if this book was a 3 or 4 star...I enjoyed it overall and read right through it, but it seemed like it could have been a bit...more. Certainly the author threw the characters into thrilling situations over and over again, with accompanying anxiety for the reader (will she survive this terrifying ordeal?)- so that was good, but...I can't say.
I liked the story, but apparently there are more books featuring the heroine and I am not thinking of looking them up. So- a 3.
By the...more
I liked the story, but apparently there are more books featuring the heroine and I am not thinking of looking them up. So- a 3.
By the...more
My second Jack McDevitt and I am not disappointed. He packs enough materiel into this one book for a series. Edge-of-the-seat suspense, great characterizations, crisp writing. I don't understand why everyone compares him to Heinlein. Heinlein should be so lucky!
This is a First Contact book for all you First Contact nuts out there. It involves an archaeological mystery, space exploration, a lot of techie stuff which blew right past me - but bless Jack - he doesn't drown you in technical jargon. T...more
This is a First Contact book for all you First Contact nuts out there. It involves an archaeological mystery, space exploration, a lot of techie stuff which blew right past me - but bless Jack - he doesn't drown you in technical jargon. T...more
The story is well told and gripping, but it is very hard to get past the blatant and absurd scientific holes, several of which are pivotal in the most important places. No matter how sharp the corners or high tech the engineering, no line can be drawn between two points on a moon and expect it to point to any single place. Moons rotate, and revolve, usually with a wobble around a planet that revolves, usually with a wobble, around a star. A fixed line on the surface cannot point to the same plac...more
As usual, McDevitt's characters embark on a path to discovering the mysteries of the galaxy that is compelling. But then everyone starts dying because the discovery is more important than their lives. Now, I know of some cases where archaeologists and anthropologists have died because of accidents in remote places, but we lose half the characters in these stories. At this rate, you would have no peers left because the discoveries killed them all. This might benefit graduate students in this fict...more
This is the first book of a series. I read another series by this author, and really liked it. This did not disappoint.
Similar to the other series, this story uses the idea of people in the future, trying to interpret an alien race from their artifacts. A cool idea which the author pulls off very well.
This book had a bit more drama than the other books I have read, including a scene on an alien planet, in alien ruins which I had trouble putting down.
Highly recommended, whether you enjoy myster...more
Similar to the other series, this story uses the idea of people in the future, trying to interpret an alien race from their artifacts. A cool idea which the author pulls off very well.
This book had a bit more drama than the other books I have read, including a scene on an alien planet, in alien ruins which I had trouble putting down.
Highly recommended, whether you enjoy myster...more
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Jack 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 Internation...more
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updated Sep 19, 2012 11:18am
Sep 20, 2012 11:02pm