Book 33: The Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn
The Icarus Hunt is one of the best books I've ever read. I think it's the first real modern sci-fi I've read that wasn't in the Star Wars universe. By modern I mean not considered a classic, like Asimov, Heinlein, or Vonnegut. But this novel was utterly fantastic. It was more than just science-fiction - it was equal parts mystery and suspense, and since I've always been a huge mystery buff, it was right up my alley. The best part was... I never saw it coming! WOW! The ending was such an intriguing surprise that I actually re-read the entire novel immediately after finishing it to try and find out how in the world I could have missed it, and how differently the book would read knowing what I now knew.
Zahn is such a terrific writer, but I'd never read anything of his that wasn't Star Wars. I'm happy to report that this novel exceeded expectations! His characters were well developed, and the plot line had more than enough twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout. He's so good at deliberately misleading the reader that the reader doesn't even realize they've been shanghaied until, well, they've been shanghaied. But it's such a fun ride, you can't help but thank him for the experience, especially when it's rare for an author to be able to completely pull the wool over your eyes like that.
Of course, I might have been reading it during an off week, but that doesn't change how much I enjoyed reading it, or the fact that I highly recommend it. Add it to your reading list. You don't even have to be a fan of science-fiction to enjoy it. Honest! (I'm still trying to figure out why this hasn't been made into a movie or animated feature yet.)
Zahn is such a terrific writer, but I'd never read anything of his that wasn't Star Wars. I'm happy to report that this novel exceeded expectations! His characters were well developed, and the plot line had more than enough twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout. He's so good at deliberately misleading the reader that the reader doesn't even realize they've been shanghaied until, well, they've been shanghaied. But it's such a fun ride, you can't help but thank him for the experience, especially when it's rare for an author to be able to completely pull the wool over your eyes like that.
Of course, I might have been reading it during an off week, but that doesn't change how much I enjoyed reading it, or the fact that I highly recommend it. Add it to your reading list. You don't even have to be a fan of science-fiction to enjoy it. Honest! (I'm still trying to figure out why this hasn't been made into a movie or animated feature yet.)