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The Engines of God
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Series: The Academy by Jack McDevitt ("Engines of God")
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This is a fantastic series!! The first 3-4 books are at the top of the best sci-fi IMHO
The first one is available on storytel, so perhaps I'll join.
Gabi wrote: "The first one is available on storytel, so perhaps I'll join."That would be wonderful! :-)
Eva wrote: "Gabi wrote: "The first one is available on storytel, so perhaps I'll join."That would be wonderful! :-)"
Yes, I've seen that some of them are in the H/N spreadsheet, which I try to read as much of as possible :D.
I usually dont care for this genre of sci-fi, but this book hooked me in right away....
Read all of these last year and really liked them, with these and the Alex Benedict series, McDewitt has created a sub-genre of his own, enjoy !
Starting this right now - very excited!
Due to absolute RL sh** the last days I will join the party later. Have fun, folks!
No problem, you know I'm a slow reader and you might still finish it before me! I hope your real life s... got sorted out okay. :-)
Since I'm a slower reader as well I started this a bit early. So far it's got a strong old school classic SF feeling to it. It's a change from what I've been reading recently and I'm enjoying that shift.
19% in: very intriguing mysteries and good characterization so far. I loved that e.g. Richard describes Hutch as obviously feeling anxious in Oz due to her active imagination about spookiness, when actually she'd been mostly worried about him constantly falling off of things due to him being a bit of an oblivious putz. 😄 I like it when changes in POV actually show that people (even when they're generally reliable narrators) are aware of different things and interpret occurrences differently from another equally reliable narrator.
There are some small things that show it was written a while ago, e.g. that there are some quite obvious things (the reverse-image design of Oz) that they can still discover, even though people on the internet would have spotted this within minutes of pictures being released. Didn't really bother me though.
And there are gems such as (view spoiler)
I'm liking all the female characters so far - none of them are stereotypes, just complex and interesting people.
What about you, are you enjoying it so far?
Mod
Eva wrote: "... And there are gems such as (view spoiler) ..."I loved that one too. It's good to know that my physics degree is still useful.
I'm early on in chapter 5 and am getting sucked into the book. The characters are interesting in ways that complement the story. I'm appreciating that.
I started it (cause today I was in a spot where I had no mobile data and couldn't listen to my current audiobook ) I'm in chapter 4 and so far have the feeling that there is a good story on there, but I have to shovel through to it through rather generic character descriptions. I've already lost the overview which of the male names is who, cause they feel all the same to me.
I'm sorry, but I already have to leave this BR. I tried and slogged through to 65%, but then my curiosity about the story couldn't hold up anymore with my distaste of the flat and uninspired character writing (with the exception of Hutch I couldn't really distinguish any of them or had the feeling that it was even necessary to know who is who) and the quite unfortunate choice of audiobook narrator who made things even worse for me. So in the end I looked up a plot summary on wiki to know how the story evolves and called it a day.I will pick up more books in this series as long as they are on the H/N nominees lists for my personal challenge. But the next one I will eye read.
Mod
(view spoiler)
I liked the characterizations early on. But that was more Hutch and to a lesser extent Richard. I'm in chapter 10 and am seeing more of what you mean.Chapter 8/10: In particular (view spoiler)
But I still want to see where the overall story ends up. It's just taking me a while to get there.
I agree with you guys! For me, it was how unprofessionally everyone acted and how they constantly had accidents, deaths or near-deaths because of it. And the unnecessary-feeling romance. I actually liked the first Alex Benedict by McDevitt much more. I'll finish the book, but all the various crises that constantly erupt are getting a bit hard to believe. A shame because it started out so solid. The central mystery is still interesting, though, so we'll see.
Mod
I've finished it now and the ending resolution actually captivated me again and I thought it was very cool how it all came together. The underlying idea was great. I'm not sure why the characters and plot didn't really connect with me, but it was still a solid 3.5 book overall (3 stars if you're less crazy about alien ruins than I am). I actually felt that all the secondary stuff that endangered them all the time *detracted* from my enjoyment, it felt like annoying distractions from the exploration and analysis I was actually interested in. My personal low point was the attack by those crab-like beings. I think the problem with these obstacles was for me that they were all incidental: not an actual adversary trying to prevent the protagonists from finding out the truth, but just random hassles that had nothing to do with the core of the plot.
Mod
Agree about the incidentals. Its a though McDevitt wanted to write a story of exploration and was forced to shoehorn in some action /peril.
Yes, exactly. It always felt to me as if he's really most interested in all the cool ideas and mysteries, but the publisher demands some sort of action scene every 50 pages, so in they go! :-D I don't need them, but perhaps it widens his appeal for more action-oriented readers. I thought the Alex Benedict series action scenes were better because they were entwined with the actual plot and adversary. But maybe future installments of The Academy no longer have this problem, either, not sure.
Eva wrote: ... It always felt to me as if he's really most interested in all the cool ideas and mysteries, but the publisher demands some sort of action scene every 50 pages, so in they go! :-D I don't need them, but perhaps it widens his appeal for more action-oriented readers.I agree with Eva about the action scenes, however I must be one of those people that needs them as I breathed a sign of relief (view spoiler)
I found the overall premise of the book very interesting but also hard work. I felt that I had got the general idea quite early on and much of the rest was just padding.
One issue that nagged at me was the opening quest (view spoiler)
I will probably read the later books in due course just to see how the story and also McDevitt's own style develops but it won't be in the near future.
I'm only at 5% and already finding it hard work. We were on Saturn's little moon, and then--bam--we are light years away, and I am not sure what the deal is or why there's some problem with having to hurry? Is this the same cast? With Hutch? Not sure. So much being thrown at me at onceI'll be back to talk later!
After the prologue it switches to a different group who are searching the ruins of a planet underwater. They need to hurry because the planet is about to be terraformed for human habitation, and the remnants of this alien civilization will be lost forever and can't be analyzed anymore. The two groups will meet soon because the pilot and scientist who were on Saturn's moon are also tasked with helping that second group evacuate.
Eva wrote: "After the prologue it switches to a different group who are searching the ruins of a planet underwater. They need to hurry because the planet is about to be terraformed for human habitation, and th..."Yes, thanks Eva. They are approaching Oz now.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I loved the archeology framework that this story hangs on. It was interesting reading and a compelling way to drive the plot. (view spoiler)There were some stylistic things that were really annoying me by the end. Others have mentioned the mixed characterizations. The "bad guys," in particular, were paper thin.
(view spoiler)
There's a good story in here but I think it struggled a bit to get out around the action scenes and, yes, even the romances. I don't usually say this but they fit in badly enough that I'd have liked this book better without them.
Ending:(view spoiler)
Overall I'm glad that I read the book (and not just because I got it off of my TBR) but I'm not sure that I'll be reading any more in the series.
@Raucous: I totally agree with your sentiment of 'there's a good story in there '. This is exactly how it felt for me (before I dnf'd ^^')
I'm not reading these currently and the only McDevitt book on my TBR pile right now is the last book of the Alex Benedict series, but I did want to just pop in to say McDevitt has been my favorite writer over the years.He's had a couple bad misfires in recent years for sure (including the last few books of this series; book six was frankly an insult, and I straight up don't remember the prequel or the final book. I'm not even 100% sure I've read the last one), and his books were never going to change the face of science fiction. But most of his books I've loved and have re-read a few times (especially the Benedict series).
I appreciate that they're not buried in science or overtly futuristic stuff (though I acknowledge that can be a weakness as well; one of the issues I do have with his books is that everything feels too familiar and contemporary for them to take place as far into the future as they do). They're just adventure stories, with some mystery thrown in. They'd make good summer blockbusters.
As for this series, I can't say it gets better. In a way, each book is worse than the one before it. I might put Chindi over Deepsix, but it drops off precipitously after Omega. (And again, I'm only assuming I read the final book, Long Sunset, because I don't remember a single detail from it. My only justification for believing I read it is that there's no reason I wouldn't have.)
Wow. Thanks Joon. But I am now completely unsure whether I should ever continue with these. I am totally uninterested in the first book. I have never read more than the 5% I had read in my note above. And I read some of the comments above, which are discouraging.
I wish I could encourage you, but like I said, they don't get better.He's got a standalone I recommend (Infinity Beach), and though his Alex Benedict series is much better than his Academy series, the first book of that series (A Talent For War) is very weak, has the wrong narrator, and has no doubt scared off a lot of people from continuing that series. The second and third books of that series, Polaris and Seeker, are among his very best books, though I have also said that about Engines of God so take it with a huge helping of salt.
Joon, I am going to remember all of this. One of my problems has been that Academy series and Alex Benedict series names are confusing to me given that the Academy series is often also called by the Hutchins' characters' name. So I just have to remember . . . Alex Benedict, Alex Benedict, Alex Benedict
Yeah it doesn't help that neither series really ever had an official name. Over the years even I have confused a book or two from one series as being in the other, and to this day I can still get the order wrong on some of the books in each series. (I had to double check that Omega was the fourth book and not the fifth book of the Academy series.)As far as the Alex Benedict books...I would normally never ever EVER recommend doing this for any series but I think skipping the first book wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. The books are standalone, though like the Academy series there is one overarching plotline that is touched upon throughout the series which is introduced in the first book, but not in a way that would leave you confused if you started with the second.
The first book could possibly even benefit from being read later on as a sort of prequel.
I like the prequel idea. Now if I can find time to read a bunch of books . . . maybe in 2056 . . .
Hmmm I think the Academy series is better than the Alex Benedict series.I also think his best book is probably ENGINES OF GOD or DEEP SIX.
The Benedict books always seem somewhat frivolous to me, although I agree they are engaging.
The Hutchins books are better because Hutch is a more interesting character.
I agree that Chase is the better narrator in the Benedict series
MadProfessah wrote: "Hmmm I think the Academy series is better than the Alex Benedict series.I also think his best book is probably ENGINES OF GOD or DEEP SIX.
The Benedict books always seem somewhat frivolous to me..."
I'll agree that for the most part the Benedict books feel like smaller stakes (if only because of the central mystery surrounding the Academy books, and the fact that almost without exception each mystery starts the same way: Alex acquires a seemingly basic artifact which turns out to lead to a world-changing discovery), but I think I prefer them because they're more consistent. At least through the seventh book, they stay relatively strong, whereas the Academy series got really bad really quickly after the fourth book.
Speaking of really bad really quickly, I'll also say that if anyone ever reads Ancient Shores (which is excellent), do yourself a favor and do not read its sequel, Thunderbird (which is offensively, infuriatingly bad.)
Wow! Sounds as if this author is mightily inconsistent! I think I might start with a standalone before I read anything else. Infinity Beach is the one Joon suggested above, but I see that Moonfall was also nominated for the Nebula. Although I realize that the Nebula voters are often seeing something in books that is other than what I look for in a book, have any of you read and liked it? Also, I note that the third Alex book Seeker actually won the Nebula. Opinions about it?
Yeah, I'll concede he's inconsistent. I actually think Infinity Beach was the first book of his I read, and I'm fairly certain it was because it had a Stephen King blurb on the cover.
I didn't love Moonfall, though I guess it was fine. Review-wise it does okay. Most of McDevitt's books feel like mysteries, which is why I love them, but Moonfall was just a straightforward action/disaster story with no mystery whatsoever. Still a competent story, just not the kind of story I tend to prefer. Pretty agonizingly slow start as well.
I liked Ancient Shores a lot, and it does function well as a stand-alone (like I said, avoid its sequel at all costs.) Honestly I doubt it was ever intended to have a sequel. It's very open-ended, but not like in a cliffhanger way. Just in the way McDevitt doesn't give you all the answers to the mysteries he presents. I'm wary of recommending it because I can see how it would be unsatisfying to some people, but its sequel proved that sometimes not getting the answers is the better alternative.
He has a few other standalones: Time Travelers Never Die, which I'll admit to not remembering much about, and Eternity Road, which is a standard post-apocalyptic story. Hercules Text (his first published novel) was like what if Contact had just ended halfway through the story.
The Cassandra Project is hard to recommend because while the story itself can be a compelling conspiracy theory tale about the moon landing (though it is longer than it needed to be), it goes all in on its twist ending, which a lot of people have found cheesy at best and intellectually insulting at worst. I liked it, but as I've suggested, I'm easy to please.
He also has a couple short story collections, but I'll admit to never really having cracked them open (I've just never really been a short story reader). Cryptic and A Voice in the Night.
As for Seeker, I was stoked when it won the Nebula. To this day it's probably my favorite McDevitt novel.
I agree that SEEKER is one of his better books. One way of describing the Alex Benedict books is to say they are “consistent.” Another way of describing then is to say they are basically all the same. I agree, the stakes are lower with the Benedict books than the Hutchins books. That’s probably why I prefer the latter.The good thing about McDevitt’s books is that they are quick, comfy reads.
Some of the Hutchins books get to be quite suspenseful (something which almost never happens in the Benedict series).
The Benedict books aren't as suspenseful because they're effectively just mysteries. (And not even necessarily murder mysteries, but more "where did this ship go" mysteries.) There are brief (and admittedly flimsy) moments of danger, veiled threats from shady people, a few side characters get knocked off, but for the most part everyone's relatively safe. Even in the few books where there is a great deal at stake (Devil's Eye, book 4), you never for a second believe there's any real danger, it's more about seeing what interesting way they come up with to avoid that danger.
Well, one of my problems with the McDevitt books is that I am active in four other groups and they suck up all my reading time. There are 12 books in those groups for January. And a few related shorts, as well. I have already had to eliminate a couple of those books just for self preservation.And most months are like that. Plus, occasionally, I just cannot stand it and read something else. I just read Challenger Deep and highly recommend it. Plus, sometimes I just have to read a mystery.
Therefore, now that I have found the first book of the Academy series to be kind of "meh" and not at all what I expected, I am finding it difficult to get back to McDevitt's work.
Thanks for all your input.
The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that I never actually did read The Long Sunset (the most recent Academy book). I thought it came out longer ago than it did but it just hasn't been long enough for me to have read it and then completely forgotten having read it. (That said, it remains that I did read Starhawk and have very definitely forgotten having done so, but that was several years ago.)
Further, I do dimly recall wanting to do a full Academy re-read a couple years ago before reading this one, and I even remember starting Engines of God again, but never actually getting anywhere in that re-read.
So, bonus I guess. Didn't get a new McDevitt book in 2020, but in a way I sort of did. I'll try to squeeze it in this year. I probably don't really need to do that full Academy re-read anyway.
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Starhawk (other topics)The Long Sunset (other topics)
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I'm excited to be starting this epic SF series soon, which is comprised of fairly standalone individual novels set in a universe that was once teeming with alien life, which seems to have died out, leaving only mysterious ruins behind. It features a female main character who's a scientist out to explore those ruins.
The series has been nominated and/or won several SFF awards, and this first novel was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke award for best novel.
We'll start on the 10th, and anyone who'd like to is very welcome to join.
Right now we're only planning to read one novel in the series, but we might continue.