Einstein's Bridge [Paperback]

John Cramer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1999

Drawn together at the site of the Superconducting Super Collider, two physicists and a female novelist discover an unexpected anomaly, a communication from another universe that warns of a hostile alien life form known as ""The Hive"" that seeks out intelligent life to destroy it. Simultaneous."

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In his second novel, following No Man's a Mountain (Mayhaven, 1996), physics professor Cramer writes elegantly about the ramifications from the high-particle physics superconducting supercollider (SSC). Two alien races notice the SSC activities?the Hive assimilates and destroys civilizations while the Makers share knowledge. In a race toward first contact with Earth, we can only hope the Makers reach us first. Recommended for hard sf collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Arriving too late for a full review, physicist-author Cramer's latest hard science fiction yarn (Twistor, 1989) begins in an alternate ``bubble'' universe where the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) project didn't collapse through lack of funding in the 1990s. Instead, in 2004, the search for the elusive Higgs boson begins--but the operation of the SSC inadvertently sends a signal into another bubble universe, this inhabited by the malignant and utterly ruthless Hive, who colonize new universes by completely obliterating the competition. Fortunately, the benevolent Makers also receive the signal and send a message back alerting Earth to the danger. Cramer splendidly demonstrates just how fascinating and mind- boggling real science can be, and shows exactly how vulnerable basic research is to political whim. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Eos (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380792796
• ISBN-13: 978-0380792795
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #681,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely enjoyable--I loved it!, November 18, 2004

By 

Jackie Tortorella - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Einstein's Bridge (Mass Market Paperback)

Believe it or not, it was the Acknowledgements that made me buy Einstein's Bridge. John Cramer wrote that when the Superconducting Super Collider project was scrapped in 1993, it was a year before he could bear to look at his unfinished manuscript. I "felt his pain." Those who have an interest in particle physics will especially enjoy this book, although I think any fan of hard sci-fi will be delighted with it. The characters are great--likable and believable. The real beauty of this book is its highly original plot. The backdrop is Waxahatchie, TX, (yes, that was to be the SSC site) in the first decade of the 21st Century--in other words, 'bout now. Our high-energy physics experiments have attracted notice of two different groups of aliens. We have the bad guys, who invade and take over other worlds, and the good guys, who empower other civilizations to defeat the bad guys before the invasion can be completed. They do this by contacting us and teaching us to "read" and "write." (These words will never have the same mundane meaning to you again after this book!) There is plenty of good science mixed in with the fiction, and enough twists to keep you wondering how on earth it will resolve itself. Much to my delight, time travel was even introduced. I don't want to say more, as it would spoil the plot. This book takes you along on a great ride--enjoy it!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A hard science novel that reads like an adventure story, August 27, 1997

By 

Noel Cramer (Geneva, Switzerland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Einstein's Bridge (Paperback)

After having enjoyed TWISTOR some years ago, I have been waiting for a possible sequel to that novel. The tantalising glimpse of an alien world accessible through a "gateway" bore the promise of much adventure. EINSTEIN'S BRIDGE is certainly no sequel to that book, though the concept of parallel universes also forms its basis. It is an exceptionally good "hard science" story. The physics is credible and presented with such clarity that very few readers will be discouraged. They will indeed learn quite a lot about high energy physics along the way, and gain much insight concerning the way scientific research is done and how the related "politics" works. The characterisation of the protagonists is good, the plot is excellent for its rigour and unpredictability. There are some some truly terrifying moments (when the "hive" is found and breaks loose) that have the same kind of impact as the claustrophobic anguish of being embedded inside a tree in TWISTOR. Like in that novel, the ending is also open, though more ominous... An exciting adventure that no reader will ever forget. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and encourage the author to continue practicing his considerable talent for SF. He can at least count on one unconditional reader of his next novel: me!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It is great., October 13, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Einstein's Bridge (Paperback)

This book mixes hard science with an alternate universe. It is a mix that might have fallen flat in other hands, but it works well here. I was particularly interested to see how he handled the workings of the SSC (the superconducting supercollider, which was built in the alternate universe). Cramer's speculation of a hive mind that savages universes they contact was a scary one. The science was believable, and the characters behaved like other physicists I have known. This is the best science fiction I have read this year. I recommend it to anyone interested in speculation that is science-based, not "science fantasy". Also interesting is Cramer's description of what happened to the SSC in our universe. He is passionate and witty here too. He definitely had a lot of inside knowledge, which served him well in the book.