Seeker

Seeker is, to date, the height of McDevitt's stylish and large-themed science fiction adventures. It's no wonder it won the Nebula for best novel. He always does an excellent job of combining the mystery genre with SF. His narratives are well-paced and richly detailed. I like the characters, too. None of them are steely jawed spacemen. These are real people caught up in fantastic situations. This book also closes with one of the biggest bangs I've ever read. Seeker was fascinating and good fun, and I'll continue to look for more in this series.

This is my first, and likely last, attempt at a McDevitt book. I got it at a used book store. Nice cover, nice blurb, two bucks, what have I got to lose.

So here's the basic setup of the story: A couple of antique hunters in the far future stumble across the possibility of finding a lost colony ship that disappeared in route to an unknown location.

OK, not bad. The writing seems competent. So they start their search.

A) One of the characters goes to a location and interviews someone. Asks them about the ship and/or sifts through some documents.

Either i)Doesn't discover anything. Absolutely nothing.
or ii)Discovers a tiny, tiny sliver of evidence, but not even close
to anything helpful
B) Goto A
Repeat for first 250 pages.

Add to this the rather shallow descriptions and characterizations, ho hum setting, and it adds up to a book I couldn't finish.

I could list some authors that I like, but I won't bore you with that, just to say that any of them would have written it more like this:

A) Antique hunters hear about possible missing colony ship.
B) Within 10 to 50 pages they locate and go to colony ship.
C) Story continues in interesting vein.

I know McDevitt is respected an well liked by many. I feel that I gave it a fair shot. I just don't see how it can be compared favorably to the many, many superior books out there.

Seeker is a very interesting book. Different in tone then most young adult books as none of the young adults in the book are whinny which is a plus to the book in my opinion. The writing is very stripped down and straight forward like most of the characters. This style makes the story very compelling to read, as least it did for me. Morning Star is a fantastic character with fantastic lines. Its good to see a strong girl who still acts like a girl. All the characters are quite different and interesting. Overall, a fun new series.

I'd expected a similar majestic sweep that I found in A Talent For War, but this novel comes up short.

Seeker is an enjoyable read full of the detailed observations that made ATFW feel so realistic. Unfortunately, several setpieces from ATFW seemed to have been lifted, with somewhat different outcomes. There's even a deep space surprise not unlike the attack at the Corsarious in ATFW.

Several characters were poorly fleshed out and their main motivations appeared to be just to push the plot along. Even the central mystery figure, the leader of the Margolians, was pretty flat, no rival at all to Christopher Sims, the military genius of ATFW whose frail humanity was so well portrayed.

Seeker attempts the kind of broad historic view that ATFW did, but no where near as effective. The ham-handed reference to current events -- the United States of the 27th Century is a theocratic fascist state (gee, I wonder how that happened?) -- gave the book a touch of partisan polemic. Definitely no majestic sweep here.

But the most unforgivable faults were the payoffs at the end:

1) The malevolent force that pursues the protagonists through out the novel turned out to be, well, less than impressive. Any clues here would probably spoil the book for others but all I could say at the end was, "That's it??" It's like the mystery wasn't enough, McDevitt had to add murder for formula's sake.

2) The quest for Margolia, the novel's Atlantis, was very well imagined but when Margolia is found at the end -- no spoiler here, duh -- it was another "That's it??" moment.

The first 150 pages of this story are just good enough to keep you going... then after that everything moves to a unique and thought-provoking climax. The author did such a good job early in the book of setting the stage for the climax that it really does make your jaw drop, and puts you right into the story.

My only criticism of this book is that I didn't find the main characters all that interesting. (In fact I've already forgotten their names!) This book is really about the mystery and idea of the lost colony. But that is intriguing enough that it makes this story very, very good.

Highly recommended.

Nicholson's first trilogy astounded me with its intricate plot and very lovable characters. And although Seeker lacks something I can not place exactly, it still amounts to the brilliance of that first trilogy. First is its plot. Both unique and deep, it keeps you guessing continually throughout the book. Even though there are certain points where you know exactly whats going to happen next, it is still quite fascinating when it all comes together. The style- where he turns from character to character instead of focusing on only one through out the entire book- keeps you hooked. And at the conclusion of the book there is still more hint that the plot extends to a far greater complexity than it has shown before. Which will hopefully, be as powerful as his first trilogy.

But what I found still more promising are the characters. The main character is called Seeker after Truth (I was a little put off by the names at first). Seeker's determination and leadership are clear, although at times its difficult to determine his character- for me anyway. As for Morning Star, she's as spunky as Kestrel was and has a unique gift that I absolutely adored. I won't give it away, but I found it rather fascinating. ANd finally, the third main character is Wildman. Who is in fact, a wild man. At first he irritated me, but he rather grows on you after a while. And between his amusing remarks and Morning Star's occasional come backs to them, William Nicholson had me laughing.

These two factors help create yet another thrilling trilogy by Nicholson and one that I'm looking forward to seeing progress. And again, although I feel it lacks something that I can not really pick out, it was still an amazing read.

Yes, like Hillerman, expect grade school level prose, flat and supremely non-evocative, largely "telling" the story in a series of talky encounters, very little action. What action there is seems tacked on formula. As for big ideas, there's more in any single chapter of a Stross novel than everything here.
Feel free to skip descriptions of prosaic surroundings, there's nothing remotely intriguing to see. Not one plant or animal is accounted for. If you want fabulous descriptions of a human-colonized future, try Pandora's Star.

Having said that, I like Hillerman, and this is an amusing afternoon read while having a pint.

This was a good book in the sense that the author obviously rendered it with great care. The language is studiously polished; the plot, though it has holes here and there, is more carefully constructed than in most science fictions. But there's something lacking. Call it soul or mojo or magic narrative fairy dust, whatever. When I closed the book, my spirit wasn't vibrating back and forth with that bonging resonance which a really good book leaves in me.

In terms of thematic content, this book rather artfully depicts the process of investigation and discovery. In that sense, there's alot more "science" in this book than there is in most science fiction. This is probably my favorite aspect. It does especially well in illustrating how chance and work intersect in order to lead to discoveries.

One thing I didn't like: the narrator is supposed to be female, but the author really does not know how to think like a female. I never once felt a feminine presence. That was distracting.

Seeker After Truth wants one thing. He wants to be a Noble Warrior -- a member of the monastic order known as the Nomana. His father, however, wants him to follow in his own footsteps as a schoolmaster.

While visiting the garden sanctuary of the Nomana, Seeker discovers his brother Blaze being "cleansed" in a mind-erasing torture reserved for the worst criminals. The Nomana claim that he is part of a plot to destroy their island home of Anacrea.

Seeker defies his father and applies to the Nomana. He hopes to understand and avenge his brother's dismissal but he himself is rejected. He joins two other failed hopefuls -- a shepherdess named Morning Star and a former pirate known as the Wildman -- on a quest to find and destroy the plot against the Nomana. Then the order will be obliged to accept them.

To the north of Anacrea lies the empire of Radiance where an ancient evil moves those in power to destroy the Nomana. Soren Similin, secretary to the king, leads an effort to create the most powerful weapon the world has ever known.

He discovers a way to charge water with the power of the sun. Exposed to air, the liquid releases a tremendous explosion. The only way to sneak such a weapon onto Anacrea is to hide it in the blood of a man.

A volunteer must be found who hates the Nomana enough to give his own life for their destruction. Seeker, Morning Star and the Wildman face obstacles at every turn and their differences threaten to tear them apart. Do they have the strength to overcome evil and save Anacrea?

The name Nomana (no mana) appears to be an attempt to distance Seeker from Eastern Mysticism, yet the Nomana claim secret powers and knowledge of mysteries. Even though the book seems to espouse the One God of the Bible, one sometimes wonders about its loyalties.

William Nicholson also wrote the screenplay for Shadowlands about author C.S. Lewis. Lewis' Shadowland concept, that the present world is only a fore-type of things to come, is evident in Seeker.

Characters' names, and what these names tell us about them, is similar in style to John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress. Sadly, in spite of an apparent influence by masters of the genre, Seeker lacks the charm of Lewis and the spiritual significance of Bunyan.

I decided I had to read this book after checking out the first paragraph. It is good. It has a mystery, you want to solve the mystery, and it moves along well. I didn't find myself caring too deeply for the characters, but McDevitt is a hell of a writer, and I kept wanting to see what was around the next corner so to speak. I'd say this is worth taking a look at if you like sci fi mysteries. I gave it three stars, because to me, 3 stars means that the book did it's job for me, nothing less and nothing more. It's like a B or a B+.

n the future humanity has roamed in the stars for over 9000 years. We have discovered that for the most part that we have missed the great civilizations of the past and we share the universe with only a few other intelligent races. This makes the mysteries of the past something of a lucrative field for those that are willing to chase myths and legends to find the next untouched archeological site.

Alex Benedict, along with his companion Chase, is a dealer in antiques. He just considers himself one with higher morals than most. He does try to work with the various museums and archeological societies that want to preserve the past, but a man has to make a living.

After being outmaneuvered by one of his competitors, Alex is on the look out for the next big score. In this case it finds him in the form of a jilted girlfriend. The woman has a cup with the word "Seeker" stenciled on it in ancient English. After some research Alex determines that this cup may actually be a real artifact from a fabled expedition that left earth over 9000 years ago. If the ship can be found it would be one of the biggest historical finds he has ever come across.

That is, if he can find it. The trail is almost as cold as space itself and more than one faction wants to be able claim credit for themselves. As the trail heats up Alex and Chase will have to deal with competitors, governments, and those that think history should be free...

>>>>>>>>>

When I started reading this book I didn't realize that it was a part of a "space mystery" book series. Once I figured that out I enjoyed the story a lot more. It's definitely a bit of a slow burn story, with a lot of talking and investigating but it does build the world and the details are interesting.

If you can make it to the third act you'll get your death defying chases, explosions, and plot twists. All in all I think it was worth the read even if the back makes it sound more like an adventure than a space hunt. I would recommend to any one who likes Sci-Fi mysteries with a bit of adventure thrown in. mac

Condense the first 28 chapters (over 90%) of this book into one chapter, keep the remaining five or six in tact, and then maybe you could call it sci-fi (and a novella). Which is really how it should have been released in the first place. Instead, the author insists that you wade through chapter after chapter of the driest, generic, un sci-fi, and worst of all predictable detective story before you come to the sci-fi (and the end of the book). Replace any given future date in the book with any other and the majority could be set in the wild west, and you wouldn't know the difference (and would be just as bored). I'm amazed that this won an award in the first place, let alone one for sci-fi. Shame on the SFWA (Nebula) for putting this in the same league as Dune and Ender's Game. It's scandalous.

I picture SWFA members dancing in a smoke filled office around a fire built on Asimov books as the members feverishly mainline a concoction of crack, lsd, and peyote before they implement their new spin-the-bottle voting system.

I was not given the option to give no stars. this review is not about William Nicholson's Book, "Seeker"....it is a comment about the other reviews listed for Nicholson's Book. They are not about William Nicholson's Book!!! they are about some other author and that author's book! Hopefully someone from the store will read this and correct the error.

I love how in this future the past is the big unknown. In our world we want to unravel the future and the stars. In Alex's world it is discovering the past and their journey that is the great mystery. A mystery that some are willing to kill for to keep buried. Alex with his intellect and deductive reasoning puts me in mind of Sherlock Holmes. He can resist a challenge and hates not knowing. Meanwhile, Chase is the loyal yet daring female Watson. Penning the truth of their adventures and how often it is the truth that keeps their lives in danger. The characters are very well developed and each brings their own traits and quirks to the reader. The clues lead you on a wild chase across the universe and the findings will astound the reader just as they do the main characters. If you like adventure, mystery and a thrilling space battles and exploration you need to become a fan of Alex Benedict.

I have to say this novel is not very interesting due to flat characters and uninspiring plot (at least in the first 2/3 of the book). The writing leaves a lot to be desired, reading it is like reading guidebook to a RPG game, and apparently investigating a lost ship involves talking to a lot of people and asking endless questions.

It also unnerves me that human civilization 10,000 years in the future remains essentially the same as today's US society, that's just not believable. Usually I can suspend my belief in such matters, but unfortunately this book is about archeology so time is a factor here.

However, the author did pull of a twist near the end which, unlike early attempts, caught me by surprise. There're also some interesting knowledge about astronomy and some light humor, which makes the reading bearable.

This book is brutally slow. It is also really low on tech, action and adventure... pretty much everything that I read the space opera genre for. The minutiae that this author delves into seriously do not warrant the time or effort of hard sci-fi fans. Recognizing that I am not the target market, if you enjoy the plodding pace of a couple of old gumshoes (Barnaby Jones & Jessica Fletcher) in space... you might like this book that got on my recommendation list from the store.

Not much to say that hasn't already been written, But want to throw my two cents in on this one because it is a very good novel. McDevitt's story is 9,000+ years in the future and instead of going over board with the descriptions of what a future world is like, he just presents the future in a matter of fact manner. FTL travel is employed, AI's are common. He let's the characters really develop, and the plot carries the water. Nice twists and turns, has a gum-shoe element that works well. Worth reading!

This is not an objective review. I am a big McDevitt fan, and have read every novel penned by the author. Seeker is a solid novel in the same cut as his other previous works. This installment is the third book based on the two protagonists, Alex and Chase, from " A Talent for War," my personal favorite and the first book in the series. The book follows the same mystery/adventure template Mc Devitt fans enjoy and find in much of his work. While not as ground breaking as "A Talent for War," the book is still a fun and entertaining read. Consider the analogy of visiting your favorite restaurant and enjoying your favorite dish. It may not taste as delicious as the first time you had it, but it still hits the spot.

Another great book by McDevitt; the characters are well-developed and the story is superb. The only flaw in this book is the feeling that it ends way too quickly especially with the buildup. Mr. McDevitt does an excellent job setting the stage for the incredible plot development at the end and we are rushed right through it with no time to enjoy it. I continue to be impressed by the fact that McDevitt writes from the female perspective without it being weird though it does continue to feel awkward to me.

I love Jack McDevitt. My family and I met him about 5 years ago in Albuquerque at Bubonicon (the best Sci Fi Con I've ever been to). Me, the family, and some friends were going to breakfast and ran into Jack. We invited him to join us. What a delight he is! My husband still emails him from time to time.

Oh, the book. A Sci Fi archaeological mystery. Talk about mixing up genres, but it makes for a really good read. A group of 5000 board the Seeker and set out from Earth in the 27th Century never to be heard from again. Jump 9000 years forward to Chase Kolpath and, her boss, Alex Benedict, on an expedition to find the ship, the planet they settled, and survivors. They end up finding more than they'd bargained for.

A wonderfully structured mystery/adventure with pleasures around every corner. The author is very, very good at evoking feelings of awe, and transporting the reader away from the armchair, bath, bed into this future galaxy. I really cared that they would solve this mystery and find out what happened (SPOILER: to the crew of the Seeker). Can't give greater praise than that.
This is the third of the series and the strongest of the three so far. Which is pretty impressive as the first two were excellent!

There’s no doubt that Jack McDevitt is about as readable as any author. Factors are the innate beauty of his broad stellar canvas, any aspect of which can be drilled down into cosmic phenomena and dynamics that good narrative can exploit; the progressive problem solving employed by Chase and Alex, like detective work but including scientific and historical research; an imminent sense that things are going to go awry (planted by accounts of previous stuff-ups) and malevolent powers at work; and a buoyant characterisation, enabled by first person narrative and solipsistic romps through a life of the hedonism such as fine dining, attractive people and relationships, and encounters with credible villains.

In Seeker, the presentation of an antique cup opens the door on lives past and present. Careful and relentless investigation reveals a grand story. Uncovering this story proves to be dangerous with unexpected, except to master sleuth Alex, turns. Slight plot contrivances can be forgiven in this epic story.

After I finished the Wind on Fire trilogy, I couldn't wait for a new release from William Nicholson. Seeker really disappointed me because I consider The Wind Singer, Slaves of the Master and Firesong some of my favorite books. I only got to page 126 in Seeker before I just abandoned it. I couldn't even finish. I loved Kestrel and Bowman and Mumpo and Sisi and Pinto! Morning Star, Seeker and Wildman are all kind of weird and awkward and not as origanal. Espescially Seeker! He's just boring! I recommend you read The Wind on Fire Trilogy, it will not dissapoint.

Seeker is the most original, interesting, and thoughtful of the Alex Benedict novels. Like the others, so long as you don't take it too seriously, you can have some fun reading it.

I'm not a big McDevitt fan, but I like the Alex Benedict novels. They're reasonably well crafted. Just think of this book as a little "roughage" for your mind.

Seeker, by Jack McDevitt is a book I enjoyed reading very much. It gives the reader much to think about, in terms of both philosophy and mystery. I enjoyed the complexity of the plot, sometimes taking the expected turn, but then flipping it and making it an exciting and adventurous story. While some parts were starkly adventurous, there was really no direct violence. Some may like this; some may not, but even the last scene which was violent, read like the rest of the story. Another admirable aspect of the story was that it flowed very well. The events in the story flowed well, but not so well as to be predictable. At a certain point in the story I was wishing that I could read faster, I was enjoying the story so much. Another major plus to regarding the story is the details included. Much of what is said is actually real scientific data, regarding brown dwarfs, black holes, and a plethora of other topics. Not once did I doubt the plausibility of a situation, they all felt like that if they were to happen in real life, they would be completely realistic in the same situation. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone, even those who normally aren't into science fiction.

If you liked POLARIS, you'll love SEEKER.

This time the story dips into legend and myth. 9000 years earlier a group of pioneers leave earth for an undisclosed location known only as Margolis.

Move into present day, and Alex Benedict comes into possession of a plastic cup that has the name SEEKER etched on the cup.

This leads to a delicious mix of betrayal and murder.

A tremendous read!

This book just won the Nebula Award for best SF Novel in 2006, which was well-deserved. It is a superbly well-written and complex SF mystery, which so engaged my interest that I have embarked upon a program of reading everything that Jack McDevitt has ever written. I cannot praise the author or this book too highly. In particular, I enjoyed the intellectual and philosophical aspects, as well as the action and adventure elements. I further really appreciated the strong female character, a great role model for all women.

Jack McDevitt's SEEKER is set towards the end of the 27th century and provides a science fiction mystery revolving around an antiquities collector's mysterious find. A vanished colony involves Alex in a strange artifact which brings him to the heart of the answer to their whereabouts in a fast-paced blend of detective work and hard science fiction.

Are you looking for a decent story line after the end of Harry Potter? If so I would recommend this book. I am not saying that this book is as good as Harry Potter, but I am saying that it is a good book for the Harry Potter audience. This book has an interesting beginning, a solid middle, and an end that not only gives you a sense of closure for that particular book, but also leaves you wanting to read the next one in the series. The climax of the book in particular is very captivating. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to read simply to be entertained by the story line. I also wouldn't be very surprised if this book is turned into a movie in the next several years.

I don't generally write reviews for books I dislike, but I felt like potential readers need to understand what they are getting into. I wanted to like this book: it won the Nebula in 2006 for best science fiction novel, it was highly reviewed on here, it's a mystery (I love genre crossovers for beach reading), and I had heard good things from a friend.

Unfortunately, the awkwardness of the prose and a number of unbelievable aspects of the story intervened to ruin it for me. This is supposed to be the far future, when there is little written or archaeological record of the 21st Century, let alone the 20th. Yet the main character goes to restaurants and orders breadsticks! This may seem like a quibble, but it's just one example of how the future McDevitt constructs isn't terribly futuristic, and not in a "clever parable for what's wrong with today's world" kind of way, but in an "I just ate at the Olive Garden and I can't really imagine things being different several hundred years from now, even after all record of the Olive Garden or just about anything from today's world has been lost" kind of way.

Again, I don't want to hate on a popular writer or take away from the fact that other people have enjoyed this book immensely (as evidenced by the positive reviews). It's a matter of opinion, and to each their own. I just want to warn people who are bothered by this kind of stuff, that this is not the book for them. If that doesn't apply to you, by all means go ahead and enjoy this book.

Alex Benedict and Chase Kolpath, of "A Talent for War" and "Polaris" fame, are at it again solving ancient mysteries, avoiding persistent assassins, and makin' money hand over fist in their morally ambiguous profession as acquirers of and dealers in historically relevant "antiquties".

Mr. McDevitt is in top form doing what he does best creating an intriguing S-F mystery, and taking us for a very satisfying ride.

I am somewhat curious as to how a human civilization set ten thousand years in the future could still resemble our own, except with better appliances. It reminds me of "Forbidden Planet" set hundreds of years in the future with their 50's hairstyles, and 50's attitudes toward women and everything else ("We Still Like Ike!"). Well, there were numerous "dark ages"...

Jack McDevitt rarely disappoints, and "Seeker" is one of his best! Highly recommended!

(***** = breathtaking, **** = excellent, *** = good, ** = flawed, * = bad)

McDevitt is more of an idea-guy than a writer: his characters are flat and his descriptions employ so little sensory information that he manages to make scenes like an apartment break-in by a vengeful man and a fight for survival outside of a spaceship seem boring.

BUT -- his ideas such as a journey among a telepathic alien species among whom lying is unknown, and (especially) what happened to the lost colonists of the Bremerhaven and the Seeker) are absolutely breathtaking.

Reading Seeker was sometimes a slog, but I was entertained and glad I'd read it in the end. Longer review at ImpatientReader-dot-com.

I too like quite a few here wanted to enjoy this novel; especially since many of his books I do indeed find worthy of my time; engaging, fun, and thought-provoking. This book, however "well-written" in and of itself, has a plot as exciting as paint drying. It is extremely slow, as others noted as well, and there are just too many conversations that go absolutely nowhere and seem to serve only as filler. A few would have sufficed to let us know that hey, it isnt easy to find the Seeker.
But what truly just struck me as implausible was the ridiculous notion that 10 millenia hence, we are still stuck in too many of the backwards thinking that occurs today, as Chase Kolpath lets us know when she asserts that she will go on with the investigation into Ashiyyurean space despite her own misgivings only because "Alex would think never send a boy-or a woman-to do a man's job", and also like the times Chase(the ultimate self-effacing assistant/masochist sans any kind of a personality of her own)keeps on parroting how Alex thinks this, Alex does that about any given circumstance without giving her own in-put...she is more like an android than a person with her own mind! My God, I would hope that at least in ten thousand years we would be past such misogyny. Apparently not, we can get past racism, but not sexism, according to some. Jack, you are showing your age.
The other thing that was just unthinkably unrealistic is that we would still be in the same old clothes as today's, to name one such example, and with technology that(except for the FTL and the Quantum drive)just is in no way as advanced as we would probably be if we survive that long and if, in all probability, we keep on the same way as we are going now, regardless of political upheavals/religious conundrums, in another few millenia, never mind ten. Just not realistic. Look at the major changes in just the past century vis-a-vis clothing and technology, never mind (some)attitudes.
I have enjoyed other books by McDevitt, especially Chindi, which in my opinion had a much stronger main character in Priscilla Hutchins(Hutch) who was in no way a classic sturm-und-drang/always ready for action type hero, and which kept you on the edge of your seat as discovery lead to discovery, etc. and all minus patronizing males and lackluster dead-end conversations. And the Priscilla Hutchins books dont even occur in as far-flung a future as this book.
I recommend the author's Hutch novels over these, and also any of Alistair Reynolds galaxy-and-mind-bending TRULY far-futuristic novels.

I usually rely on Hugo and Nebula award-winners to help me wade through the mediocre science fiction / fantasy, and get to the good stuff. But I feel let down in this case: This book is actually mystery, and a tepid mystery at that (slow and non-clever). The science fiction trappings ranged from unremarkable to underwhelming ('sorry, our bureacracy deletes reports after 3yrs', 'in an age where messages take as long to travel between systems as people do, you might as well visit in person than send a letter'). I felt I was maybe 20yrs in the future, but certainly not 10000yrs. The *only* bit of world-building I found interesting was the way humans and the alien species regarded each other, and this was an incidental bit of only 2 chapters.

I'm not sure why this book won a Nebula; myself, I squarely peg it as part of the mountain of competent-writing-but-uninspired s.f./fantasy. Whether you like action, ideas, characters, or mystery, there are many better choices out there.

I had actually read Seeker before it came on bookshelves from a local librarian who let me read it. Seeker was entertaining and somewhat thrilling. Though the brief summary in the flap misleads you. I was expecting a high sci-fi thriller for teens but it was kind of slow. I do say, the book did have some intense scenes. Even though I was somewhat upset about the summary, I will definitely pick up the next volume in the series!

Here is another excellent science fiction/mystery/archaelology novel by Jack McDevitt. As usual, strong characters abound and a complex plot is woven. I love the concept of far future humans looking BACK on our future as an ancient civilization.

Thanks for another great read!

He's one of the best writers in modern science fiction. He explains his technology somewhat, but not to the point you need an advanced degree in physics to understand (that might even hurt!) and has very character driven stories.

I enjoyed the storyline of this book. I did find the writing style a little slow but I think it is worth the effort. It would be especially good for pre teens as it provides many opportunites for refelection. It express the growth of the characters well and you see them becoming who they are meant to be.

I had actually read Seeker before it came on bookshelves from a local librarian who let me read it. Seeker was entertaining and somewhat thrilling. Though the brief summary in the flap misleads you. I was expecting a high sci-fi thriller for teens but it was kind of slow. I do say, the book did have some intense scenes. Even though I was somewhat upset about the summary, I will definitely pick up the next volume in the series!

Here is another excellent science fiction/mystery/archaelology novel by Jack McDevitt. As usual, strong characters abound and a complex plot is woven. I love the concept of far future humans looking BACK on our future as an ancient civilization.

Thanks for another great read!

He's one of the best writers in modern science fiction. He explains his technology somewhat, but not to the point you need an advanced degree in physics to understand (that might even hurt!) and has very character driven stories.

I enjoyed the storyline of this book. I did find the writing style a little slow but I think it is worth the effort. It would be especially good for pre teens as it provides many opportunites for refelection. It express the growth of the characters well and you see them becoming who they are meant to be.

This book definately delivers-suspense, excitement and adventure. I have to admit that I always liked his Hutch series better but this is a very good book. Anyone who likes science fiction that's not over the top will enjoy this.

Seeker is a good story, well told. One of the things I liked best about it is that neither all of existence, nor a galaxy, nor even a planet is under threat. No billions of lives to be lost. Just a good science fiction mystery, well written, with interesting characters.

For some reason I really disliked this book. His earlier Talent for War was so much better. The characters here seem to act rather stupidly, unnatural and forced, and the endless explication of the female lead watching endless movies and spilling her guts to every joe on the street? WTF, who cares about description of fiction being watched in fiction? Seem like lots of filler. I haven't felt this irritated about a book since reading Brian Herbert's stupifying sequels to his father's masterpiece. I want to finish this book to see why it won the award, but the poor writing is forcing me to skip paragraphs. Not recommended.

The problem with McDevitt's work is pretty easy to summarize: The quality of his writing simply doesn't hold up to the quality of his ideas. There are occasionally great passages where his imagination shines through, involving evolution, technology, politics, sociology, etc., but these parts are buried between plodding stretches of mundane writing and incredibly sparse plot and character development. Unlike the ideas in his work, there is just no flair or creativity in the language he uses. And in my opinion, these few interesting ideas aren't enough to justify hundreds of pages of tedious high-school level writing. That might sound a little vicious, but sometimes the truth hurts.

I checked this book out from the public library and am glad I didn't buy it. Trite, cliche, written as if by a fifth grader. I couldn't get through the first chapter. I showed it to my teen son (who is an avid reader) and he immediately began mocking it. Our school librarian was appalled. I really don't understand what people are seeing in this book. What am I missing?

A pleasant read and somewhat engaging but not something I can strongly recomend. Altogether to predictable and the ending has no drama. Dirk Pit has nothing to fear of these futuristic treasure hunters if this any indication.