Heaven's Shadow

May 23, 2011
This slick space opera trilogy starter sets up an interesting situation but never quite brings it to life. Rival expeditions from the U.S. and a RussiaâIndiaâBrazil coalition land on a planetoid and discover it's actually an ancient interstellar space ship. Astronauts moving through the ship reawaken machines that alter the environment in strange and dangerous ways and resurrect dead people the explorers loved or hated. The characters attempt to decipher the aliens' purpose while struggling to survive in increasingly hostile surroundings. Meanwhile, back on Earth, NASA administrators try to monitor the situation while fending off political meddling and miscommunications. Both authors are experienced scriptwriters who are better at inventing dramatic spectacles than finding fresh things to say about people. Since the book has already been optioned by Warner Bros., readers may want to wait for flashy CGI special effects to balance out the limp characterization.

Goyer, who has written comic books and films like BATMAN BEGINS and the upcoming SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL, invigorates the science fiction genre. The last thing an astronaut expects to find on a runaway "neo" (near-Earth object) is his dead wife, but that's exactly what happens. Mixing science with religion and mysticism, the book is a true wonder from start to finish. Narrator Joe Thomas maintains a controlled yet electric pace as the astronauts make one incredible discovery after another on the mysterious object hurtling toward Earth. Thomas's skillful Indian and Russian accents and his effective female voices will keep listeners enthralled as they hurtle to the surprising climax. M.S. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine