The Artifact [Paperback]

Patrick Astre (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2005

Brookhaven National Laboratory sprawls in the serene natural surroundings of Eastern Long Island, New York. Deep within a heavily guarded compound on the grounds of the Laboratory, a forbidding compound houses the nation's most protected secret: An active alien Artifact. Estimated at several millions of years of age, impervious to all efforts of modern science to penetrate its secrets, the Artifact taunts researchers with bursts of mysterious radiation that may be efforts at communication. Now the two top researchers have conducted unauthorized experiments using new technology, and something has awakened inside, something as old as time, wielding incalculable power and an agenda that would spell doom for humanity. As horrifying mutations and destruction descends on Long Island, it is only a mere portend of the true horror yet to come. While America's military struggles against an impossible power, only a 12-year-old crippled computer hacker and an aging police detective hold the key to the Artifact. But first they must overcome disbelieving authorities in a desperate race against time, with the very survival of humanity in the balance.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Salvo Press (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930486561
• ISBN-13: 978-1930486560
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,748,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, Alien Sci-Fi, June 4, 2006

By 

Serene (Marina, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Artifact (Paperback)

I listened to the unabridged audio edition of the Artifact and was pleasantly surprised. It was a gripping tense thriller, packed with action and suspense and quite a few endearing characters. Frankly, I hope Mr. Astre chooses to write another. In particular I liked the characters of Mikey, Donny, and the Janitor.

The story? It's about an ancient alien Artifact unearthed by the Israeli's and studied in an American lab. At first the artifact seems benign but soon the sinister truth becomes evident... Can a handicapped child and his uncle save the day or will earth be destroyed by a new alien menace?

Astre's writing is quite smooth. His characters are well-written and sympathetic. My only peeve with this book was the multiple POV switch. I found it a little herky jerky to stitch between so many characters especially at the beginning. And when each chapter introduces another character (usually someone who will die), I found it a bit disconcerting. I prefer novels where there is a single set of characters and the POV switches are kept to a minimum.

This was a fun quick read and reminds me a bit of Crichton's work. I can easily see a film being made out of this. Recommend fo sci-fi fans.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very bad book., May 8, 2008

By 

Nancy C. Roberts "BytheBook" (Syracuse, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Artifact (Paperback)

Great premise, very badly executed. It was so predictable: the "hero" is a 12-year-old kid in a wheel chair; his best buddy is the heart-of-gold black guy who can't get a break in this racist world; the "other" hero is a woman with the power of love. The baddies are all white government-type guys. Oh, and of course the supernatural baddie... who can remotely cause a CD drive to smoke. Right. Jeesh.

1.0 out of 5 stars Not good, and Not Science Fiction, January 11, 2012

By 

Doug in Whittaker (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Artifact (Paperback)

Very disappointing book. It is not really science fiction. In my opinion, science fiction requires a believable explanation. It this case, it was more like fantasy.

I also did not like the writing. The author describes everything in over the top terms. Everything is bigger and more amazing then anything in the history of the world, according to the author.