Excellent socio-political view of a world that avoided a nuclear holocaust only to find the cure as bad as the disease. When ET calls, a few world leaders realize we have guests coming and our house is a wreck. The story of getting the world back to a level of technology where we can send people into space was very interesting, but the actual meeting of the aliens was anti-climactic. This was probably intentional, since there are 2 more volumes in the series.
I have read science fiction, but it always had a romantic element. That being said, you can say that I was way out of my comfort zone reading this book.
I found some parts of the book interesting since it was published back in 1984 and I read it in 2013. The story starts off around the year 2011 with major changes to the way things really are.
It wasn't anything like the description. There was a long--very long-- period of time leading up to the arrival of the 'aliens'. You don't even get to the point of them meeting with the aliens until the end of the book. This book seemed like an agonizing and long journey of getting Earth ready for the arrival of visitors (which never happens).
There's also the fact that the book is written with so much technical jargon that I didn't understand half of it. I'm not a stupid person, but never had any training with computers or space aviation. That's what you would need to understand half of what is said in this book.
I know that there are two more books in the series, but I can't see myself reading them.
I found some parts of the book interesting since it was published back in 1984 and I read it in 2013. The story starts off around the year 2011 with major changes to the way things really are.
It wasn't anything like the description. There was a long--very long-- period of time leading up to the arrival of the 'aliens'. You don't even get to the point of them meeting with the aliens until the end of the book. This book seemed like an agonizing and long journey of getting Earth ready for the arrival of visitors (which never happens).
There's also the fact that the book is written with so much technical jargon that I didn't understand half of it. I'm not a stupid person, but never had any training with computers or space aviation. That's what you would need to understand half of what is said in this book.
I know that there are two more books in the series, but I can't see myself reading them.
The devastating Food and Fuel Wars have turned once-powerful nations into isolated farming communities. Barter has replaced currency, and scientists-considered responsible for the world's misery-are burned at the stake. Hidden in the Idaho hills, astronomer Allen Chandliss, secretly monitors his radiotelescope, listening for signs of intelligent life, hoping that the aliens will come and improve things on Earth. For seventeen years he has waited patiently. His patience is about to pay off.
