Astronaut Aldrin (Men from Earth, 1989), who was the second man to walk on the moon, and the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated Barnes (Mother of Storms, etc.) join forces in this enjoyable saga which combines two classic SF themes: the future of spaceflight and contact with intelligent alien life. The story oscillates between the careers of two human astronauts, Chris Terence and his son, Jason, on the moon and Mars, and the efforts of the Tiberians (from a planet of Alpha Centauri) to colonize Earth during prehistoric times. Chris meets his destiny while trying to retrieve a Tiberian relic from the moon.

Meanwhile, the Tiberians' desperate efforts to colonize a habitable planet before their own is destroyed runs up against a host of well-depicted obstacles. Folly, prejudice, petty rivalries and bureaucratic befuddlement are shown to be common to both races, which are depicted with wit and empathy. Multiple subplots, a huge cast that deserves a glossary but doesn't get one and too many expository lumps impede narrative flow. Even so, the authors' lively storytelling will engage readers as it conveys the wonder and promise of space. Author tour. (July) Library Journal Former astronaut Aldrin and Hugo and Nebula award nominee Barnes team up to produce a lavishly detailed story of the flight of the Nisuans from their doomed planet. They arrive on 73rd century B.C. Earth only to be enslaved by humans. Interspersed is the story of 21st-century humans who receive a radio signal from the Nisuans. They accelerate the space program to find them and the encyclopedia they've sent to the moon and Mars. The complex story is rich in technical and scientific detail that can come only from one so intimately acquainted with real space flight.

 Grand Central Publishing 0446518549 / 9780446518543
Hardcover New Condition As New Bookjacket New York out of Print 

Price: 19.31 USD