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Saturn Run

John Sandford,

Ctein

3.89 · Rating details · 11,474 ratings · 1,608 reviews

The year is 2066. A Caltech intern inadvertently notices an anomaly from a space telescope—something is approaching Saturn, and decelerating. Space objects don’t decelerate. Spaceships do.

A flurry of top-level government meetings produces the inescapable conclusion: Whatever built that ship is at least one hundred years ahead in hard and soft technology, and whoever can g ...more

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Kindle Edition, 496 pages

Published October 6th 2015 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

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Jan 21, 2020 Kevin Kuhn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

John Sandford (aka John Camp) and Ctien wrote this book in 2015. Sandford (Camp) lived in the Twin Cities from 1978 and stayed until 1990 writing for the Pioneer Press and wining the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. He’s prolific with over 50 novels written. He largely writes crime drama.

His co-writer (on “Saturn Run”) is Ctien who is a well-known photographer and writer, largely writing articles and manuals on photography. He has a double degree from Caltech in English and Physics.

I’m alwa John Sandford (aka John Camp) and Ctien wrote this book in 2015. Sandford (Camp) lived in the Twin Cities from 1978 and stayed until 1990 writing for the Pioneer Press and wining the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. He’s prolific with over 50 novels written. He largely writes crime drama.

His co-writer (on “Saturn Run”) is Ctien who is a well-known photographer and writer, largely writing articles and manuals on photography. He has a double degree from Caltech in English and Physics.

I’m always a sucker for first contact stories, but I was also intrigued by this unlikely pairing of a crime author, combined with a professional photographer. The additional fact that Sandford (again aka Camp), had lived in the Twin Cities was enough for me to give it a whirl.

While I’m a confirmed science fiction fan, I usually don’t enjoy the ‘hard’ fiction side of sci-fi as much. Give me wonder, fast moving, lots of atmosphere, and big ideas and I’ll tolerate any amount of ‘handwavium’. This novel fits firmly in the hard science fiction category. The story starts with clear evidence of alien activity around Saturn, then takes well over 100 pages before the ‘Saturn Run’ even begins. Then it was another 150 pages before we arrive in Saturn’s orbit! It’s almost feels like space flight, long periods where little happens, followed by brief moments of exhilaration. I found a new trick for this novel, and I’m going to employed with every ‘hard’ sci-fi book from now on. While I read, I had Amazon Alexa play Pink Floyd and Radiohead on Pandora! This worked, it added the atmosphere that I needed. I’m not saying I disliked this book, there is much to enjoy. It just has the pacing of a typical ‘hard’ sci-fi novel.

Let me cover what I liked about this book. I did appreciate the science – orbital mechanics, spaceship drive designs, and what not. I mean I occasionally read physics books for fun. There are also several near-future ideas to make the science interesting. But it is a hit on the pacing. I also appreciated the plot – there was clearly massive work that went into the storyline. While the science slows us down, there is constant conflict added throughout. There were several strong twists towards the end, and while I guessed one or two, the story was not predictable for me. Characters are well developed and unique. Plus, you always had to lure of the ‘prize’ orbiting Saturn that helps the pages turn.

I do feel like the book has some flaws beyond the pacing. For a book that relies so much on science, I thought the technology to deal with excess heat from the proposition system was ridiculous. I’m no scientist, but it was beyond me to believe a system like that could be developed and tested so quickly and deployed in space with relative success. While the book is never graphic, it explores some sexual situations that don’t really add to the overall plot. Finally, first contact books always have the challenge of living up to the anticipation and expectations that first contact implies. Without spoilers, I’ll say I enjoyed the scenario that was described, but I think some would be disappointed.

A slow burning, well-plotted, and researched hard sci-fi first contact novel with good character development that’s entertaining but falls short of exceeding the many works that have explored the scenario in the past. ...more

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Jul 30, 2017 Kevin Kelsey rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2017

Posted at Heradas

It’s been a while since I’ve read some good old fashioned hard science fiction. Hard SF novels are a different sort of beast than most novels. I find they usually need to be approached differently and appreciated using a different set of metrics.

It doesn’t have to be the case, but a lot of times hard SF will lose itself in the details, which can be fun if you’re interested in those specific details. Other times, hard SF will sacrifice an ungodly amount of character development f ...more

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Feb 16, 2017 James Thane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: john-sandford

When I heard John Sandford announce a couple of years ago that he was writing a science-fiction novel, my first reaction was to be disappointed, principally because that meant there would be no Virgil Flowers novel published in 2015. I'm a big fan of Virgil's and I'm not that big a fan of sci-fi, so I figured that, on balance, this would be a loss. As is so often the case, though, it turns out that I was wrong. Even though this is a sci-fi tale, it has all the trademarks of a John Sandford novel When I heard John Sandford announce a couple of years ago that he was writing a science-fiction novel, my first reaction was to be disappointed, principally because that meant there would be no Virgil Flowers novel published in 2015. I'm a big fan of Virgil's and I'm not that big a fan of sci-fi, so I figured that, on balance, this would be a loss. As is so often the case, though, it turns out that I was wrong. Even though this is a sci-fi tale, it has all the trademarks of a John Sandford novel, which means that it's enormously entertaining.

This is not a story featuring strange alien creatures from distant worlds set far out into the future. Rather, it focuses principally on people from earth on a journey through space in the relatively near future. In 2066, the United States has sophisticated space stations orbiting the earth and China, now the nation's principal superpower rival, is preparing a mission to colonize Mars. But then an intern at Caltech, running a routine check after adjustments to a space telescope, discovers an anomaly in some photographs taken in the direction of Saturn. And even someone who doesn't normally read science fiction realizes that when somebody discovers an anomaly, this is probably a pretty big deal.

And so it is.

The computers confirm that some giant object is approaching Saturn and, more important, that it's decelerating. The fact that it's slowing down can only mean that it's a spaceship of some sort--natural objects don't behave this way in space. Since this was a totally random discovery, for the moment only the U.S. realizes what has happened. Very quietly, under directions from the president, a U.S. space station is reconfigured as a space ship to go to Saturn and figure out what the hell is going on out there. The official story is that we've decided to join the Chinese on their mission to Mars, and the hope is that before the Chinese or anyone else discovers what we're really doing, the U.S. will have a head start toward Saturn and no one else will be able to do anything about it.

Those plans are upended, though, when the mysterious space vehicle leaves Saturn in a blaze of propulsion that is noticed around the world. The secret is out and the Chinese quickly repurpose their Mars expedition to go to Saturn. Thus the race is on as the two superpowers compete to see which can get to Saturn first and perhaps gain an advance in knowledge that would give them world domination for years to come and, perhaps, forever.

Sandford and his co-author Ctein, have created a great cast of characters. Fans of Sandford's will recognize the type of characters that he likes to create and will bond with them pretty quickly. Sandford's quirky humor is also on display and, while none of the cast is on a level with that F***in' Flowers, at least a couple of them are a lot of fun. The technology involved is, for the most part, based on science that is readily available now and does not require any real suspension of disbelief. No one in this book, for example, will suddenly be going into Warp Drive.

As is the case with any novel by John Sandford, the story moves at a rapid pace and the suspense is palpable. The stakes in this race are very high, and the payoff at the end is well worth waiting for. I'm really glad that I finally got around to reading this book, but that said, I'm also very happy to know that I now have a new Virgil Flowers novel waiting in the wings as well. ...more

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Sep 05, 2015 Kemper rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: space, aliens, 2015, arc, politics, spy-vs-spy, sci-fi

(I received a free copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for this review.)

I’ve read a lot of John Sandford novels so I was a little confused at first when there wasn’t a serial killer on the spaceship.

In the year 2066 telescopes spot what can only be an alien ship near Saturn as it docks with a previously unknown object in orbit. The governments of the United States and China both want to get there first which leads to a rushed program to quickly put together ships capable of making the long j ...more

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Oct 30, 2015 Bradley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Strong points: Characterization and the science. We can classify this pretty easily as a realistic SF, even including the the scenes of "Meet The Aliens". It's a Go To Saturn and Come Back novel, after all. No real need for anything truly out of the ordinary. After all, the novel's strong points are in its characters.

I like Sandy and Crow. What can I say? The hooks were fantastic and strange and they just kept coming, adding some truly oddball mixes to the MCs. I never once got bored with any of Strong points: Characterization and the science. We can classify this pretty easily as a realistic SF, even including the the scenes of "Meet The Aliens". It's a Go To Saturn and Come Back novel, after all. No real need for anything truly out of the ordinary. After all, the novel's strong points are in its characters.

I like Sandy and Crow. What can I say? The hooks were fantastic and strange and they just kept coming, adding some truly oddball mixes to the MCs. I never once got bored with any of the peeps.

The science, on the other hand, seemed like an old primer recapitulating on all the things we need to do a run toward Saturn. I mean, I can recall the first few novels I'd read that did this. A. C. Clarke was quite fun, after all, but after the eighth... well... there's gotta be something quite good about the novel for me to care about rehashing the same science over such a long stretch of pages. There wasn't anything wrong with it that I could tell. Nothing super obvious. Hell, to me, that's just an added bonus, especially since I read SF for the stories, not always to learn something new. Consistency is truly wonderful, but consistency can be internal or universal and still make a great tale either way. This one aimed for universal, and that's great. It can be a bit boring, to be perfectly honest, but I can appreciate it.

The characters made up for most of anything that went wrong in the novel. I truly enjoyed them. Hell, I think I enjoyed all of them. The author has a talent at writing engaging characters. What I didn't appreciate so much was the rather black/white depictions of governments and government functionaries. Sure, having a villain is good, sometimes, but turning the Chinese into such an obvious black hat and relatively incompetent to boot just stretched a lot of credulity. It's the whole culture-centric thing played relatively straight for American readers, and it's so ham-fisted that the cover artist should have added some red to the design. Then we'd all know, as prospective readers, that this was obviously a propaganda piece.

Fortunately, it also pulled off a good yarn, or at least a fairly satisfying one.

(view spoiler)

All in all, the good guys win, and don't we all love a great celluloid ending?

...more

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Oct 17, 2015 Carrie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: goodreads-first-reads

In the year 2066 an unidentified object is spotted approaching Saturn and slowing down speed as if to land. The government is sent into a flurry of activity trying to figure out how to build a ship that will make the journey to Saturn before the Chinese can launch their own mission in a race to see what is out there and obtain the technology that would be needed for such a ship.

I had such high hopes for this novel when I first read about it but unfortunately this is another case of it just wasn ...more

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Sep 19, 2015 Christy LoveOfBooks rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2015, arc-galley, e-book, favorites-of-2015

What a great book! Saturn Run is an adult science fiction thriller that I found engrossing and exciting from beginning to the very last page. It's quite a ride, that's for sure.

The year is 2066 and the human race is about to be gobsmacked, because a huge alien spaceship has arrived. Well, technically it’s parked out by Saturn doing who knows what, but one thing is certain, every country wants that technology. It becomes a race between China and the United States to get there first, and it gets i
What a great book! Saturn Run is an adult science fiction thriller that I found engrossing and exciting from beginning to the very last page. It's quite a ride, that's for sure.

The year is 2066 and the human race is about to be gobsmacked, because a huge alien spaceship has arrived. Well, technically it’s parked out by Saturn doing who knows what, but one thing is certain, every country wants that technology. It becomes a race between China and the United States to get there first, and it gets intense.

Sandford wove a fantastic story with anticipation coming from all sides and a good mix of wit and humor. Seriously, so much happens! From the race to get the ships ready, to the race to get to Saturn, to what they find, to … well, that’s as far as I’ll go, because that’s the fun part of wondering what the hell will happen next. It all sounds so simple, but there’s a lot going on that had me on the edge of my seat. It truly is a thriller.

This cast of characters rock! They’re all fleshed out really well and had such distinct personalities. I definitely grew attached to them, while some were quite the surprise. I loved getting to know all of them and seeing how their roles would play out. I usually go on and on about the characters, but it's such an incredible collective, that I feel like I'd be at it all day.

I really like how this is futuristic, yet it isn’t outlandishly so. The world is still very familiar, giving it a realistic feel. That’s a big reason why I was so anxious about what they would discover once they reached Saturn. I was dying to know! And I love science, so I find it interesting when it starts to get technical. I like to know how things work and what the author came up with to put their ideas in motion, especially with something like this. It does get a little labored a couple times in the beginning, but really, any good science fiction tends to do that.

Saturn Run was definitely an experience. I felt like I was on the journey with them and didn’t want it to end, even though I was going crazy with wanting to know what would happen next. It’s a book I got so engrossed in, that it felt weird when it was all over, like my head had to adjust to being back in this world. So yeah, the author did his job of really transporting me there.

I honestly don’t know what exactly it was that made me want to read Saturn Run, but I’m glad I did! So good! I’m already stalking Sandford’s other books.

I just had to include this quote that made me smile, because I think we all know someone like John ...

“John, I didn’t actually want to throw this out there before I heard your opinions, … The President would like you to join the crew on the Saturn run.”

Crow took some small pleasure in the surprise on Clover’s face.

“You mean … go out in space?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Jesus, Crow, who’d take care of my cat?”

...more

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Feb 24, 2017 Jim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi, 1audio, 2fiction

I read one or two of his Lucas Davenport (Prey) series, but never managed to find them all in order so didn't read the series. Still, it was interesting & when I saw he'd written an SF book I was intrigued. Then one of my GR friends raved about it & my library had it so I took a flyer. I wasn't expecting much, but have been very pleasantly surprised.

The writing is very good; great characters, believable plot, & good SF elements. Even better, he's scattered some fun references throughout. One th I read one or two of his Lucas Davenport (Prey) series, but never managed to find them all in order so didn't read the series. Still, it was interesting & when I saw he'd written an SF book I was intrigued. Then one of my GR friends raved about it & my library had it so I took a flyer. I wasn't expecting much, but have been very pleasantly surprised.

The writing is very good; great characters, believable plot, & good SF elements. Even better, he's scattered some fun references throughout. One that made me chuckle today was Sandy reading a book by the Go master Nicholai Hel, the main character in Shibumi. There were quite a few other easter eggs like that, but some would be real spoilers. Fun!

The plot was somewhat typical, but that's not a negative. An alien craft is sighted & the world responds some 60 years into the future. China & the US are the big dogs in space, so politics flies to the forefront. Definitely realistic & not boring at all as they scramble. This plays out throughout the book in some predictable & unpredictable ways. Very well done.

Best of all was the tech. I'm no expert, but I've had a love of space all my life & read quite a few popular articles. This is 60 years in the future - enough time to allow for steady, believable progression in tech. Nothing crazy or magical. This, as much as the politics, keeps the situation tense. Very realistic to me. There was an afterword that was well worth listening to. I found out that the tech was so realistic & good because they spent hundreds of hours making sure it was.

Aliens... Can't say without a terrible spoiler, save that it was fantastically well done. Not what I expected, but it made such perfect sense that I had no trouble believing it.

I'm tempted to give this 5 stars. It's the single best first contact novel I've read in ages & it was so unexpected from a guy who cranks out a mystery thriller series even though he only co-wrote it. I really can't recommend this highly enough to all SF fans. It has humor, drama, excellent characters, a good plot, & solid tech. What more could anyone ask? ...more

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Jan 19, 2016 Mike French rated it it was amazing

DISCLAIMER- I have never been a fan of SCI-FI !

I might be changing my mind after reading THE MARTIAN and now-SATURN RUN! Since I am a big fan of John Sanford 's Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers books. After the first few chapters,I was hooked! Very entertaining and enjoyable from start to finish.

...more

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Oct 17, 2015 Tim rated it liked it · review of another edition

John must have wanted to challenge himself away from great characters he has created. Writing science fiction is hard and technical details tend to be boring. The plot revolves around nationalism, science fiction and is saved by its good ending. 6 of 10 stars

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Jun 29, 2015 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-all

www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com

This book wasn't entirely a book for me. I was thinking it was going to be a whole different story about astronauts going to find this space ship and making some kind of contact with aliens. They do go and find the space ship, but that is all I'm going to say, no spoilers.

It took me a little bit to get into the book. There were a lot of slow parts for me, but this is because I'm not really into all of the technical stuff that confuse my small brain. I think t www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com

This book wasn't entirely a book for me. I was thinking it was going to be a whole different story about astronauts going to find this space ship and making some kind of contact with aliens. They do go and find the space ship, but that is all I'm going to say, no spoilers.

It took me a little bit to get into the book. There were a lot of slow parts for me, but this is because I'm not really into all of the technical stuff that confuse my small brain. I think this is a very good book for those die hard science fiction fans that love that kind of detail and can understand it.

There are many characters in the book and they all have detailed stories of their lives and what they bring to the mission. There are some that stick in my mind more than others.

I was thinking about giving this book 3 stars for not being able to get into a lot of the detailed stuff as I mentioned before. After reading the book, I found there were several areas that I really enjoyed, I would say the most exciting for me was the ship finally making it to Saturn and the descriptions of all that you could see.

I wasn't too thrilled with all of the fighting with the Chinese on who is getting to the space ship first and all that conspired afterward.

After reading the author's note I can see why this book was written in this format and I appreciate all of the information that he gave about these particular things. It also made me thing about the book more and change my view on my rating. Sometimes you just need someone telling things to you in a different light for you to see where they were going and I think all of the hard work put into the book deserves a better rating.

I do wish I had better brain cells to enjoy the book more, but I like I said before I enjoyed the parts I could understand.

I recommend for all of you hardcore sci fi fans, but if your looking for people going out to meet some aliens, you probably won't enjoy the book.

**I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Group for giving me a free kindle copy of this book for my honest review.** ...more

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Jun 12, 2020 Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, librofm, audiobooks

4.0 Stars
This was an engrossing near-future science fiction thriller that held my attention from start to finish. The premise was SO just intriguing. I was dying to know what they would find on Saturn. I thought the characters were decent, if a little stereotypical, but they weren't the strongest aspect of the book.

Instead, what I absolutely loved about this novel was the science! Co-written by a physics major, this thriller incorporated some fascinating theories and ideas that made the story f ...more

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Aug 10, 2016 Sci-Fi & Scary rated it liked it · review of another edition

Up to probably just past the halfway point in Saturn Run (which I listened to, not read), I really liked this book. There were interesting characters, intrigue, enough science to satisfy my thirst for hard sci-fi, and just enough possibilities to really keep my interest. I really expected to be giving this book a top rating. It was just that good.

Unfortunately, by the end of the book, I was scowling and ready to throw it. I’ve never read Sanford before, so I went into this with no expectations w Up to probably just past the halfway point in Saturn Run (which I listened to, not read), I really liked this book. There were interesting characters, intrigue, enough science to satisfy my thirst for hard sci-fi, and just enough possibilities to really keep my interest. I really expected to be giving this book a top rating. It was just that good.

Unfortunately, by the end of the book, I was scowling and ready to throw it. I’ve never read Sanford before, so I went into this with no expectations whatsoever. The only thing I knew was that he was building up an awesome story, and it was a pleasure to listen to. That’s why I was completely puzzled at how the book ended. It didn’t end anything like I expected. It was almost like the first part of the book and the last part were written by two different people. Or maybe Sanford and Ctein just hit a certain point, and said “Eh, screw it” and just gave it an ending so it would be done. I don’t get it.

My favorite parts of the book were the main characters themselves, and the science explained in the spaceships early on. The characters were awesome. You had the pudgy, sweet-looking genius from Minnesota who had to practice her stern face because otherwise no one would take her seriously. The ex-NFL player who cooked cajun, smoked weed, and gave anthropology lectures and refused to go anywhere- even to space – without his cat. The veteran with PTSD who preferred to play the underdog and let everyone underestimate him. The interactions were fantastic, and the dialogue made me chuckle. The science was well-explained, fun to imagine, and seemingly realistic in scope. So why did it all pretty much have to disappear?

Why was it assumed that the Americans would do what they did? Why did the novel have to come down to essentially just the race between the Chinese and Americans? The authors could have went for this epic, overarching exploration of working together to further humanity as a whole. They could have made the novel so much more than it was. Instead, what it boiled down to was a “I want it!” “No, I want it!” “I got here first!” “You need to share!” “No.” “YES!” “No!” “YES!” “No! NEENER NEENER NEENER!” “We’ll see about that!” If I wanted to read about relationships that basic, I’d pick up one of my kid’s Junie B. Jones books.

Overall, Saturn Run honestly wasn’t a bad book, but it definitely doesn’t reach the bar that it set for itself, and it definitely frustrates rather than intrigues you. Its not one I could honestly recommend. However, the narrator (Eric Conger) was awesome and he has definitely entered onto my short list of narrators to look for when choosing audio books. ...more

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Sep 21, 2015 Lindsay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A solar system exploration SF novel with a background of a future Sino-American Cold War. The Americans in a race with the Chinese to get to the Rings of Saturn and an alien presence there.

The Americans discover an object decelerating towards the Saturn system where it makes contact with something in the Rings. They are aware that the Chinese already have a Mars mission almost ready to go that's set to take a colony to Mars that could very easily be converted to something that could get to Satur ...more

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Feb 20, 2017 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

“We got three hundred contingency plans, and not a single one for a f****n’ soap opera.”

I have been a John Sandford fan for years. I haven't read all of his books but I have read a goodly number of books in his Lucas Davenport series and his Virgil Flowers series. I like his writing style and the way he draws his readers into his stories.

So, for me, it was a no brainer when I heard about his new stand-alone book about space travel. I like space travel, space opera books as long as there are peop ...more

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Aug 24, 2015 Beau rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

When I read a sci-fi book, I'm looking for a balance among the plot, the science, and the characters. Is there any reason for me to care about what might happen to the characters?

This book was a great ride. I cared about the characters, I loved the science. I especially liked the way that they made a whiz-bang kind of propulsion system to go to Saturn and back.

There was also a fundamental conflict between the Americans and the Chinese. I mean, sure, they were competing, but the conflict was one ...more

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Jul 05, 2015 Susan W rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Science fiction isn't really my cup of tea, and this book had a lot of technical, space jargon, which completely overwhelmed me. But finally, we got into a interesting plot line and it became much more readable.
I think i will stick with Sandford's current time frame mysteries, Lucas, Virgil the best, sci-fi... No thanks. ...more

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Oct 13, 2018 RM(Alwaysdaddygirl) Griffin (alwaysdaddyprincess) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4 stars:

It took me forever to finish because I love this book! I so did not want to end it. I am probably bias because John Sanford is one of my favorite authors. There was one part I did not like( not giving away a spolier). For me, the science was mostly intersting. I do read science fiction and non fiction science books.

🤙🇺🇸

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Jul 11, 2020 Scott A. Miller rated it really liked it · review of another edition

At the mid-point it was at best 3 Stars. The second half was really fun though. While this, I think, is the first Sci-Fi I’ve ever read, I enjoyed it. There was so much technical stuff that I thought it got bogged down. People probably read this for the technical stuff and I appreciate it. The second half was very much a Sanford book. That was just what I was hoping for.

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Jun 25, 2015 Faith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, netgalley

In 2066 a space telescope detects a spacecraft approaching Saturn. This starts a race between the United States and China to reach Saturn first and to take control of the advanced technology developed by a previously unknown group of aliens. (Like somehow it's their right to do that. But this book is not a philosophical treatise on first contact or space rights.) I want to avoid spoilers, but I must say that this book did not proceed the way I expected it to.

I like science in my sci-fi, but the ...more

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Jul 06, 2015 Connie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 0reviewed, muse-reviews, edelweiss, 2015-reads

I can't say I expected this to be the best Sandford book I've read...and trust me, I've read them all (even the art one he did way back when), but I certainly didn't expect it to the worst. I was wrong. The thing I love most about Sandford (and he is the ONLY author I've read every single year for the last 20 plus years) is his dialogue between characters. I absolutely love the relationships he builds between people via dialogue....it doesn't matter if they are life long friends, or complete str I can't say I expected this to be the best Sandford book I've read...and trust me, I've read them all (even the art one he did way back when), but I certainly didn't expect it to the worst. I was wrong. The thing I love most about Sandford (and he is the ONLY author I've read every single year for the last 20 plus years) is his dialogue between characters. I absolutely love the relationships he builds between people via dialogue....it doesn't matter if they are life long friends, or complete strangers. He has a gift for dialogue that I've never seen matched.

This book had none of that. Sandford presented us with some characters that could have been phenomenal. There were there. However, the building up of their characters and the thrill of discovering what makes them tick just wasn't. There actions made them seem flat and uncaring, simply because we weren't allowed to have insight to them. Sandford simply dropped tantalizing bread crumbs, and we found ourselves excited to finally get to the tasty cake at the end....to reach the end of trail and be met with only an empty package.

The book was bogged down with endless details of things the reader didn't need to know....yes, we needed to know how grave the situation was at times...and how smart the characters were to overcome any obstacles...but I think Sandford could have spent less time in those details and more with the details of the relationships of the main characters.

I will say that I can see this playing out 50 years from now. I will also say that this novel and how politics played into it gave me very little faith or hope for the human race. The value placed on human life was non existent. As was the care for the tax payers money and the lies and deceit that played into hiding this information from the general public. Yes, that might sound political. It probably is. However, this novel was chock-a-block of politics....

On a side note, and completely unrelated, Sandford has now done a couple of books outside his normal crime thriller genre. I sincerely hope he isn't bored with it all. As a writer he is completely free to write whatever he chooses. However, I would be totally gutted if he gave up that genre. I can honestly say I find his Pey books better with each new release. He is the ONLY and I stress ONLY writer that has ever managed to keep me so engaged with a character for any amount of time....let alone 20 plus years....

ARC provided by Edelweiss for an honest review

www.RandomBookMuses.com ...more

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Oct 27, 2015 Alex Telander rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2015

When authors switch genres, it can be a risky move, both for the writer and the readers. John Sandford is a very well known thriller writer, particular for his numerous Prey novels, as well as other thrillers. But one thing Sandford has clearly proven to his readers: he can spin a good yarn.

In Saturn Run, along with some help from Ctein, Sandford has created an epic work of science fiction that is gripping with every turn of the page, filled with scientific details that are well researched, and When authors switch genres, it can be a risky move, both for the writer and the readers. John Sandford is a very well known thriller writer, particular for his numerous Prey novels, as well as other thrillers. But one thing Sandford has clearly proven to his readers: he can spin a good yarn.

In Saturn Run, along with some help from Ctein, Sandford has created an epic work of science fiction that is gripping with every turn of the page, filled with scientific details that are well researched, and an original science fiction plot that has elements that have been done time and time again in the genre, and yet feature a story completely new, fascinating and compelling.

The year is 2066. A Caltech intern who is pretty much where he is because of money and his family notices something unusual on the monitor attached to a space telescope: something is approaching Saturn and it’s decelerating. Thus begins the first part of the novel, as a bunch of important people at various levels of the government get together and decide what the hell they’re going to do about this historic information. Also are they going to tell the rest of the world or keep it a secret? Which begs the question: who else saw what they saw and what sort of head start do they have?

Then the race is on to get a crew together and get them to Saturn as quick as possible to find what out what’s going on. China is close behind with their own mission in the works. This is where Sandford’s skill as a thriller writer comes into play as the reader gets page-by-page addictive action with the two countries putting their missions together, launching their vessels, and racing to the finish line.

The final part of Saturn Run is just as enthralling as the rest of the book, as the reader learns what is going on at distant Saturn and what the fall out of it all is going to be. Perhaps having a mystery writer tackling a science fiction book brings a whole new set of ideas and tools to the genre, because there is nothing predictable or conveniently-plotted and easily solvable in Saturn Run, making the reader thoroughly entertained from start to finish.

Originally written on January 17, 2015 ©Alex C. Telander.

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Mar 23, 2017 Bryan Alexander rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sf, hard-science-fiction

A fun romp, combining classic suspense with hard science fiction, Saturn Run will appeal to fans of both genres.

The conceit is an interplanetary race between a Chinese and an American spacecraft to reach Saturn, taking place around 50 years from now. Technology hasn't advanced far, and in fact the authors choose to build their world and its ships with tech we currently possess.

Much of the suspense and fun in the book's first half comes from getting the US ship built and hurled across the solar A fun romp, combining classic suspense with hard science fiction, Saturn Run will appeal to fans of both genres.

The conceit is an interplanetary race between a Chinese and an American spacecraft to reach Saturn, taking place around 50 years from now. Technology hasn't advanced far, and in fact the authors choose to build their world and its ships with tech we currently possess.

Much of the suspense and fun in the book's first half comes from getting the US ship built and hurled across the solar system. The second half brings the ships together at their mysterious goal, allowing for all kinds of schemes and revelations.

It's a well put together thriller. I haven't read John Sanford, but know his reputation and can see it on display here. Neatly sketched characters are sympathetic and/or entertaining, and they are embedded in a good variety of challenges, (metaphorical) ticking bombs, and ever-ratcheting-upwards tension. Plots keep ticking over right through the last page (before a nice little coda).

So why am I not raving about it?

Because it's fluff, for one thing. This is what Graham Greene called "an entertainment", not something designed to probe the mysteries of space travel (Saturn is barely described) or international relations, much less the human mind.

But it's also weirdly gap-toothed. The first 1/3rd or so introduces a variety of characters, then leaves many of them alone for too long. Their interactions are barely allowed to occur.

And in the plot, well, (view spoiler)

But that's probably me taking it too seriously. Otherwise, I enjoyed watching them solve engineering puzzles (yes, this is hard sf) and outwit each other. Some scenes were funny. The novel fades from my memory as I type this, which is all right. ...more

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Mar 10, 2017 Stewart Tame rated it really liked it · review of another edition

First of all, let me just say what a lovely job of packaging was done on this hardcover. The plastic, translucent jacket with transparent lettering allows glimpses of the colorful cover beneath. It's just a lovely thing, and I doubt that the paperback version will have a gimmick anywhere near as cool. Definitely worth springing for the hardcover on this one, and it's an experience you'll never get with an e-reader.

This reminded me quite a bit of the classic Niven/Pournelle collaborations like Lu First of all, let me just say what a lovely job of packaging was done on this hardcover. The plastic, translucent jacket with transparent lettering allows glimpses of the colorful cover beneath. It's just a lovely thing, and I doubt that the paperback version will have a gimmick anywhere near as cool. Definitely worth springing for the hardcover on this one, and it's an experience you'll never get with an e-reader.

This reminded me quite a bit of the classic Niven/Pournelle collaborations like Lucifer's Hammer, Footfall, or The Mote In God's Eye. John Sandford isn't generally known as a science fiction writer, so I was impressed by how good this book was. Ctein's name was unfamiliar to me, but clearly his help was invaluable. In the afterword, they talk a bit about the book, mostly about the lengths to which they went to make sure the science details worked out. I definitely would be up for reading further collaborations between them.

Set about fifty years in the future, astronomers on Earth detect an object entering the solar system. And it appears to be decelerating. It heads for a rendezvous with a body in Saturn's rings, previously thought to be a small moon. And the race is on between the US and the Chinese to be the first to get a mission to Saturn and the presumed technological wonders and possible alien contact that await. Both countries have a head start in the race. The Chinese had been putting together a manned mission to Mars, and begin souping up their rocket. The US begins modifying an orbital space station. The race is on!

Some reviews compare this book to The Martian, probably mainly because it's another hard SF novel with which the general public is familiar. Aside from both being generally thrilling, and both taking the trouble to get the science right, they really aren't that similar. For someone who isn't familiar with science fiction, it may be a useful point of reference, but for SF fans, think Niven/Pournelle. I enjoyed this book very much, and, just when I thought it was over, there were still twists and turns left. Highly recommended! ...more

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Jun 30, 2015 Rose rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, aliens, netgalley

The basic story is that the Americans, purely by chance in scanning the skies, happened to discover an alien spacecraft stopping at Saturn. They decided to keep this quiet and pretend they were building a spacecraft to join the Chinese on their mission to Mars when in fact they were going to go to Saturn. Before the ships were ready, the alien craft left Saturn but their engines left a signature that many people on Earth could see, the Chinese realized they were duped, now it was a race to Satur The basic story is that the Americans, purely by chance in scanning the skies, happened to discover an alien spacecraft stopping at Saturn. They decided to keep this quiet and pretend they were building a spacecraft to join the Chinese on their mission to Mars when in fact they were going to go to Saturn. Before the ships were ready, the alien craft left Saturn but their engines left a signature that many people on Earth could see, the Chinese realized they were duped, now it was a race to Saturn between the Americans and the Chinese.

If I hadn’t looked up the author’s bio, I would have sworn his previous occupation was engineer. I say this for two reasons. Engines and details. The spacecraft the Americans built was described with so much detail but more specifically the engines that would power it. Too much detail in my opinion. I don’t need to know enough to build one myself. Just to put this in perspective, the first 175 pages or so (about 35% of the book) was about the initial discovery and building of the ship. I had a horrible time trying to stay interested and put the book down many times to clear my head. Thankfully the story picks up after this as we have the travel to Saturn, the discoveries themselves and then finally the return home.

Now if you’re anything like me, you’ll read the synopsis and think “this sounds like Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clark” but I can assure you the stories aren’t close and the writing style of the authors just isn’t the same. I originally thought this was going to be a total science fiction (blast off into space, discover aliens, find out what they’re like, etc) but this wasn’t the case. It was very political and probably a lot more realistic than I was expecting. A fair amount of time was dedicated to “what if the Chinese do this…” and “what if they do that..” and as it turns out, rightly so.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes realistic science fiction, political drama and lots of detail. Lots and lots of detail.
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Oct 19, 2015 Cheryl rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I am a HUGE John Sandford fan. I think I've read just about everything of ficton that he's written. I'm hooked on the Prey series and I love Virgil Flowers. So I was really excited to read Saturn Run. And then the disappointment set in. I don't think I've ever had to work so hard to finish a book. Sandford has a gift for developing characters and creating engaging plots. He missed the mark with this one. It read more like an astrophysics textbook than a novel. There was nothing to grab me and su ...more

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Nov 28, 2015 Jessica rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I have never read a book by either of these authors and had no preconceived notions of how this book should go. I picked it up solely based on reading the cover and checking the reviews. I really hated it. I finished the whole book even though I wanted to put it down numerous times. I kept wanting something, ANYTHING, to happen but it just drags on and on until it's finally over. This was definitely not my idea of a sci-fi book, it was more political to me. I'm not sure if I'll be picking a book ...more

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Oct 10, 2015 Tim rated it liked it · review of another edition

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Nov 15, 2019 Julie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Wow this must have been a fun book to write with someone else! Sitting around talking and what ifs...how can we...as this is science fiction in the future and you can do whatever you want! This was a fun read and a great ending :) And since Sanford is involved it has great characters!

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Oct 19, 2015 Mal Warwick rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries-thrillers

H.G. Wells in War of the Worlds, Steven Spielberg in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and countless other authors and filmmakers have imagined what First Contact with an alien race might be like. Get ready now for Saturn Run by John Sandford and Ctein, which paints a picture that’s entirely different from anything else you’re likely to have come across.

This book is full of surprises — so many that merely to summarize the plot would be to spoil the story. Suffice it to say that this tale, whic H.G. Wells in War of the Worlds, Steven Spielberg in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and countless other authors and filmmakers have imagined what First Contact with an alien race might be like. Get ready now for Saturn Run by John Sandford and Ctein, which paints a picture that’s entirely different from anything else you’re likely to have come across.

This book is full of surprises — so many that merely to summarize the plot would be to spoil the story. Suffice it to say that this tale, which begins in the year 2067, describes humanity’s first contact with civilization from beyond the Solar System. However, Saturn Run is “hard” science fiction, based on proven science and engineering, with as little speculation as possible.

Because of Sandford’s skill in plotting and character development, the novel is a superior example of the genre. However, for a klutz like me with zero mechanical ability and only the most rudimentary understanding of science, I found myself getting bogged down in what seemed to be interminable passages about the technical side of the story. Sandford and Ctein could have been a lot kinder to general readers like me by taking a red pencil to most of that and compressing the book into a shorter and faster-moving story.

John Sandford — a pen name for John Roswell Camp — is one of America’s best-selling crime writers. He’s the author of forty-two novels and three books of nonfiction (Sandford is a former journalist). Ctein, who looks like a refugee from Game of Thrones, is a photographer (he calls himself an artist) and an English and Physics graduate of CalTech who has written more than 500 articles.

In a lengthy Authors’ Note at the conclusion of Saturn Run, the two men go into considerable detail to explain the scientific basis of virtually all the technical aspects of their novel. Apparently, Sandford had the original idea for the novel, and Ctein supplied the scientific know-how. I got the impression that Sandford bent over backwards to give Ctein equal time — or, rather, an equal number of pages. The book could have benefited greatly from a less even-handed division of labor. ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Sci-fi and Heroic...: Saturn Run by John Sandford & Ctein	21	31	Dec 08, 2018 02:35AM
Cyborg Knights: May 2017 Sci-Fi Selection: Saturn Run	4	8	Apr 11, 2018 03:40PM
Mystery/Thriller ...: Group Read - Saturn Run Chap 1-22 Spoilers welcome	19	24	Dec 30, 2016 08:54PM
Mystery/Thriller ...: * Group Read - Saturn Run General No Spoilers	19	28	Aug 24, 2016 09:49AM
Saturn Run vs. The Martian	3	36	Jul 22, 2016 11:44AM

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About John Sandford

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John Sandford was born John Roswell Camp on February 23, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended the public schools in Cedar Rapids, graduating from Washington High School in 1962. He then spent four years at the University of Iowa, graduating with a bachelor's degree in American Studies in 1966. In 1966, he married Susan Lee Jones of Cedar Rapids, a fellow student at the Univer ...more