Oceanspace - Softcover

Steele, Allen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 044100850X ISBN 13: 9780441008506

Publisher: Ace, 2001

Synopsis

As humankind struggles to unlock the complex mysteries of Earth's final unexplored frontier, the oceans, Tethys, the world's first self-sufficient undersea research station is threatened by deadly unknown mysteries and terrors of the deep. By the author of Orbital Decay. Reprint.

About this title

About the Author

Allen Steele is the author of the Locus Award-winning Orbital Decay, The Tranquillity Alternative, five other novels and three short-story collections. His novella "The Death of Captain Future" received the Hugo Award for Best Novella and was nominated for a 1997 Nebula Award by the Science Fiction Writers of America. His novella "...Where Angels Fear to Tread" received the Hugo Award, the Locus Award, the Asimov's Readers Award and the 1998 Science Fiction Chronicle Readers Award. He lives with his wife, Linda, in Whatley, Massachusetts.

From Publishers Weekly

A cluster of major SF awards (including two Hugos) distinguish Steele's r?sum?. It's notable, though, that most are prizes voted upon by fans rather than SF professionals. Steele's new novel mirrors his award-winning work. Set upon and deep within the Atlantic, it's a tightly crafted, highly atmospheric tale, but one that takes no risks and breaks no ground aesthetically or conceptually. During seven days in June 2011, a crew of scientists working for an oceanic mining corporation plus a few others set out to explore a newly arisen smoker (a hot vent teeming with primordial life) on the ocean floor--with the venture including a side trip to glimpse, hopefully, the strange beast-a sea serpent?-that has almost totaled a crew member's small submarine. Steele borrows his company from central casting--there's a salty sea captain, a pretty female scientist and her hunky scientist-husband, a venal journalist, a spunky teen, etc.--but he draws them sharply and tosses them into a captivating whirlpool of adventure, including corporate intrigue (one scientist plans to sell vent samples for millions to a rival corporation), romantic shenanigans (the journalist has eyes for the hunk) and lots of undersea derring-do. The high-tech detailing of oceanic habitats and vessels is first-rate, and Steele efficiently and effectively evokes the cold, dark and unrelenting alienness of the world deep beneath the sea. This novel is perfect for whiling away a plane trip or a stormy night, offering a comfortable, soapy blend of melodrama and action--nothing unexpected, nothing special, just a yarn that entertains modestly but very well. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ace
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 044100850X
• ISBN 13: 9780441008506
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384