Friday, December 2, 2011

Earthbound-Joe Haldeman

Earthbound


Joe Haldeman

Ace, Dec 6 2011, $24.95

ISBN: 9780441020959



After earthling Carmen Dula made contact with Martians (see Marsbound), a third mysterious race, the "Others" destroy the moon and the planet’s space fleet. Splintered into several billion pieces, the rocks that were once earth’s lunar serve as a barrier to keep humans Earthbound.



Carmen returns to earth to find five decades passed while she was in space trying to meet with the Others. She finds two groups argue over their vision of the planet. Meanwhile mankind has always tested limits and does so again when they send a rocket to determine whether the obstruction can be by-passed. The Others act with impunity at this affronting test by devastating the world when they shut down all power causing many deaths. Carmen and her allies including a stranded Martian try to fight back using pre-Edison technology.



The latest Marsbound science fiction thriller (see Starbound) is a great finish to a strong saga. The story line starts off with a Rapture-like scenario as the Others retaliate to the affront of the humans testing their mettle by pulling the plug on power and never slows down. Carmen has come a long way from the angst-laden teen whose family are first wave colonists on Mars as she takes responsibility to save her race. Readers will enjoy the exploits of the heroine and others as they try to take the fight to Goliath.



Harriet Klausner

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