Twenty Trillion Leagues Under the Sea

January 1, 2015

In 1958, France's new nuclear submarine Plongeur is on a test voyage when it inexplicably plunges into depths far beyond anything previously deemed possible. Onboard the crew share shameful secrets and expose weaknesses when it looks like death is near, but the Plongeur just keeps diving. They pass through waters filled with strange creatures and face dangers without and within the sub as they head for a rendezvous with the unknown. VERDICT Both old-fashioned in its homage to Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and modern in its sf aspirations, the latest work from Roberts (Jack Glass) is a strange reading experience. He is a talented crafter of words, so in no way is the book ever not a pleasure to read; however, there are real issues with pacing and cohesion in this uneven and unusual undersea tale. This odd little novel, which includes Singh's (The Hunting of the Snark) 20 black-and-white illustrations, will probably best appeal to fans of Tim Powers or Christopher Priest. [Library marketing.]

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2015
Roberts has a gift for taking familiar sf tropes and catapulting them far from their origins to new and exciting destinations. In his latest novel, he revisits Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, and while the cover art and abundant illustrations suggest the atmosphere of that classic title, Roberts' imaginings soon diverge from the original. It's 1958 and France is launching the Plongeur, a nuclear submarine capable of reaching depths greater than any vessel before her. The Plongeur is captained by the acerbic Captain Cloche and manned by a skeleton crew, including scientists and the controversial political officer Lebret. Cloche mistrusts Lebret from the beginning, and things only get worse as the sub descends at first to depths beyond its tolerance and then to depths that defy logic and science. As the crew's sanity deteriorates, Roberts twists the plot further with strange creatures and philosophical discussions of the human condition. Readers looking for a simple update of Verne's classic may be challenged by the broad themes and ambiguous ending, but hard sf fans will relish this fascinating story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)