Bewulf’s Children by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes

The sequal to “The Legacy of Heorot”, it picks up where the last story left off. The characterizations are adequate if you read the first book. They are a bit superficial if you are only reading this book. The grendels are the turbo charged gator boogie men. The story development is recognizing that the impact the grendels have had on the colony is far more pervasive than their mere physical depravations. The interaction between the young planet born, the Earth born and the test tube babies provides the bulk of the character stress. The book illustrates that knowledge and understanding can be acquired and is necessary even when it is painful. I enjoyed the book and recommend both it and the prequel.

Body of work of Larry Niven
Body of work of Jerry Pournelle
Body of work of Steven Barnes


Review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/69448.Beowulf_s_Children

Web site:
http://www.larryniven.org/
http://www.jerrypournelle.com/
http://www.lifewrite.com/html/about.htm

Deep Storm by Lincoln Child

I love a book that grabs you by the throat and shakes you if you try and put it down. This book slams through first gear and stands on 2nd. I really enjoyed it. (ya think?) Child presents a first contact novel in a “novel” way. The book takes place on an oil rig and an undersea facility. The technical aspects seem plausible and the characterizations are believable. As his other books the mystery has enough nuances that you are kept guessing clear up to the end and beyond. Somehow Child makes the bizarre and fantastic believable. I recommend you read it.

Body of work of Lincoln Child

Review of the book: http://www.themysteryreader.com/child-deep.html

His site: http://www.prestonchild.com/