Aliens

FROM AMAZON: Aliens are coming!

A year after young engineering student Rip Cantrell discovered the first flying saucer buried deep in the sands of the Sahara, another saucer is brought up from the bottom of the Atlantic. The recovery is funded by a pharmaceutical executive who believes that the saucer holds the key to an anti-aging drug formula that space travelers would need to voyage between galaxies. But one of his technicians, Adam Solo, an alien marooned on Earth for a thousand years, steals the saucer, hoping to summon a starship to rescue him. Unfortunately, the stolen saucer has damaged communications gear.

Solo goes to Rip Cantrell and his partner, ex-Air Force test pilot Charlotte “Charley” Pine, and Rip's uncle Egg, for help in summoning a starship. Meanwhile, as a terrified world fearful of space invaders approaches meltdown, big pharma moguls and their thugs are hot on the trail of the foursome.

In a world turned upside down, it may be the arriving aliens who offer limitless possibilities. Rip and Charley face an incredible decision: Do they dare leave the safety of earth to travel into the great wilderness of the universe? Full of UFO’s, futuristic technology, edge-of-your-seat flying scenes and unforgettable characters, human and otherwise, Stephen Coonts' Savage Planet is classic storytelling at its best…and pure, unadulterated fun.

No gifts keep giving to science fiction like Area 51 and UFO sightings. Stephen Coonts’s Saucer series shamelessly exploits all the tropes. Yes, some of the saucers look like saucers. And, yes, we had one in Area 51 and another one buried in the Sahara. Yes, there are ancient aliens—with the Vikings, no less. Yes, some of the aliens look like humans. Our heroes have macho familiar names like Rip Cantrell and Adam Solo. The love interest is a jet pilot nicknamed Charley. There is a lovable old scientist nicknamed Egg. Savage Planet, big hint, set entirely on Earth, is the best of the lot and fulfills all the expectations built into the genre. 3.5 stars. ( )

I wasn't sure what to make of this book at first. It was kind of funny because the characters, events, and science were so simplistic, often absurd...but I wasn't sure if this was intentional. Was it comic science fiction, or was it bad pulp science fiction? I finally concluded it must be the former, but it could have been funnier. It has its moments, but it lacks the kind of intelligent wit or insightful social commentary that marks a great work of comic sci-fi.

The story is about the recovery of an ancient flying saucer, its theft by an alien who has been stranded on Earth for over one thousand years, and his friendship with a small cast of characters who are willing to help him phone home and get rescued. It's written in third person and from multiple points of view, including those of the antagonists, a pair of unscrupulous drug company CEOs who want to capitalize on the information they believe they can extract from the saucer's computers or from the alien's DNA. You never spend enough time with any one particular character to really get to know them well, and all seem to lack depth.

That said, if you can tolerate the bad science, it's a passable afternoon read. ( )

Saucer: Savage Planet by Stephen Coonts concludes the series originally began with Saucer (2003) and Saucer: The Conquest (2006) and is recommended for those who need closure.

Rip Cantrell, discovers a flying saucer buried in the Sahara desert with help from Charlotte Pine and his uncle Arthur “Egg” Cantrell. Only a year later a second saucer is discovered buried in the Great Barrier Reef. Pharmaceutical baron Harrison Douglas is behind the funding for the recovery efforts because he believes he can reap financial gain from products made based on the alien science. Douglas gets a hold of the Roswell saucer which was originally at Area 51. Then Adam Solo, a technician who is actually an alien-in hiding and working for Douglas, steals the saucer.
Solo hopes to find a way to call for help but with the communications device damaged, he connects with Rip and the gang hoping the saucer he found can help him get home. In the meantime everyone is after them.

Those who read and enjoyed the previous two books may want to pick up this third installment just for the conclusion of the series. It's an easy read and the pace is fast enough to keep you entertained. While this final book was the weakest of the three, it is fun escapism. For me this is an airplane book - certainly worth reading but I wouldn't pull my hair out in grief if I misplaced my copy in my travels. I do like the closure, though it was a long time coming...


Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of St. Martin's Press via Netgalley for review purposes. ( )