In the Ocean of Night

Year: 1977

Abstract:
Nigel Walmsley, a British expatriate, now a NASA astronaut, is sent to deflect the trajectory of an asteroid before it collides with Earth. When he arrives at the asteroid, there is something about that doesn't seem quite right, it appears to be hollow. Inside the asteroid is a cache of old alien artifacts. 15 years later, Nigel is around again when a mysterious extra-solar craft causes a little radio interference with a probe orbiting Jupiter. 3 years after that, a crashed alien ship is discovered on the moon. Even though the alien artifacts are exciting, they pale in comparison to the discoveries Nigel makes when he finally deciphers the alien computer's codes.

Advanced Mind
Exploration/Quest
Military/Fighting
Horror
Magic
Advanced Technology
Time Travel/Alternate History
Science
Aliens/Beasties
Contemporality

Other books in this series: Ocean
Across the Sea of Suns [1984]
Great Sky River [1987]
Tides of Light [1989]
Furious Gulf [1994]
Sailing Bright Eternity [1995]

tyranist's Review
I picked up this book specifically because of the poetic title. I am a thinker's sci-fi kind of fan and any time an author can intrigue me with just a title, I give him my full effort. Really this book reads in three sections that are pretty different and only connected by characters and world. Since, I this is how I think of the book, I am going to talk about each section. Section one, which encompasses the Icarus incident (when you read it you will know), was a well-written and drew me into the book. It taught me to love Nigel and appreciate what he was willing to do. This is very good for a book that I read simply because I liked the title.
Section two, which encompasses the Snark incident, is where I think Greg Benford really shines. This is the section that matches the poetic title and really drew me in. There are passages of clear poetry and moments of quiet grace in the middle of what is a realistic political mock-up. There is a subtle eastern influence and at the same time, a firmly American motivation. This is the part of the book that simply wowed me and that I would read again and again.
Section three, which encompasses the Mare Marginis occurences, is where the book really fails. Up until this point in the book there has been something magical and all of that disappears. Not that this section isn't thought-out or well-crafted, it simply doesn't contain the poetry and elegance of the second section or the understandable conflict of the first section. I appreciate what Benford was trying to do, I simply didn't like it. Now, this didn't ruin the book for me, but it did leave things in a strange state. Mainly this section is why I feel compelled to review all three pieces separately before really talking about the book as a whole. It simply steps outside what I was expecting (not always bad) and does so in a way that I personally find alienating.
Still, I would say that the book definitely deserves a read. It is an interesting treatment of an idea that infatuates most sci-fi junkies. The setting for the story is intriguing as well. If you are bothered by dated sci-fi you may want to avoid this since it begins in 1999 and gets a few things wrong, but if you can live through that, Benford has painted a very interesting future.

Spectre's Review
I came into this book expecting some good technology, maybe some fighting, aliens, and the like. Instead, I found an interesting treat of a human drama. The focus on the book was not on the technology or the aliens, but on the possible way our society may react. One man, Nigel Walmsley, is pretty much the focus of the book. His perspective is interesting, and the characters around him are well developed, and well integrated into his life. This isn't fast paced, so don't read it expecting to get a fun ride. There are moments that are fun, but mostly it's a good, solid, thinker novel. The most frightening aspect was the mention of what was happening in the Aquila constellation. There have been an innordinate amount of supernovae there over the years, and it's headed our way. (That's all I'm gonna say on that, read it for yourself).

Spectre's Rating
Very different, yet still enjoyable. Not quite a keeper, though.

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