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Second Cousins
Second Cousins is a science fiction novel set in the present day. It is hard science fiction, which should not be too surprising, given that Frederich Pohl, Larry Niven, and Joe Haldeman are some of my favorite authors. This book is about 64,000 words in length and is a story about the discovery of another, advanced civilization.________
24,000 years ago during the last ice age, what is now White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico was then a 1,600 square mile lake which geologists have named Lake Otero. Gradually the weather became drier and warmer as the ice age retreated, and the gypsum that had been dissolved in the lake deposited out as the lake dried up, leaving the modern-day pure white dunes of gypsum sand.
At the southern end of this range of dunes on what is now part of the White Sands Missile Range, the sands have drifted, exposing something that should not have been there.
24,000 years ago during the last ice age, what is now White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico was then a 1,600 square mile lake which geologists have named Lake Otero. Gradually the weather became drier and warmer as the ice age retreated, and the gypsum that had been dissolved in the lake deposited out as the lake dried up, leaving the modern-day pure white dunes of gypsum sand.
At the southern end of this range of dunes on what is now part of the White Sands Missile Range, the sands have drifted, exposing something that should not have been there.
186 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 12, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 20, 2011
Scott Sigler's Earthcore meets Stargate. Great story that ends on mankind's urge to rip itself to pieces.
May 18, 2017
It has been quite a while ago, but I did enjoy the book.
October 27, 2011
I quite enjoyed this book. It is hard to categorize -- it is SF for sure, but it is also a techno-thriller/mystery.
Erosion uncovered a structure in the Southwestern desert area of the US. It turns out to be an alien artifact, a gateway, first to the Moon and then to the Stars. The bulk of the book tells the adventures of the people who headed the investigation of the artifact. However, there is a geopolitical undercurrent to the story which comes out strongly in the climax.
Roberts says he wrote the base story some 30 years ago but was never able to get it published. The recent changes in the book business gave him the choice of bypassing the traditional publishing gatekeepers and self-publishing. He updated the story and did so. That took some courage, and I am glad he did. While the right professional editing might have improved the story (in terms of dialog and pacing), it reads quite well as it is.
Mr. Roberts, may we have a sequel?
Erosion uncovered a structure in the Southwestern desert area of the US. It turns out to be an alien artifact, a gateway, first to the Moon and then to the Stars. The bulk of the book tells the adventures of the people who headed the investigation of the artifact. However, there is a geopolitical undercurrent to the story which comes out strongly in the climax.
Roberts says he wrote the base story some 30 years ago but was never able to get it published. The recent changes in the book business gave him the choice of bypassing the traditional publishing gatekeepers and self-publishing. He updated the story and did so. That took some courage, and I am glad he did. While the right professional editing might have improved the story (in terms of dialog and pacing), it reads quite well as it is.
Mr. Roberts, may we have a sequel?
April 13, 2013
Second Cousins challenges the reader with technology employed to discover the dome’s functions, which enable the investigation team to travel to other planets. The sections where the two planets are being explored and colonized should be developed more fully. Even though the human element of the characters and the conflict between Russia and the U.S. is dealt with too lightly, there is much that fascinates the reader in this short book.
Douglas Roberts has provided an interesting insight into dealing with alien technology and extraterrestrial contact. His vivid imagination and technical mastery makes it a pleasure to read his work.
Douglas Roberts has provided an interesting insight into dealing with alien technology and extraterrestrial contact. His vivid imagination and technical mastery makes it a pleasure to read his work.
January 23, 2013
Like most great works of science fiction the novel Second Cousins uses fantasy to dive into the inner working of human culture. Douglas Roberts asks the question, how would our world react to a discovery of a powerful alien artifact? How would we as individuals react?
A very hard book to put down. Definitely recommend.
A very hard book to put down. Definitely recommend.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews