Encounter With Tiber [Hardcover]

Buzz Aldrin (Author), John Barnes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1996

The second man to walk on the moon teams up with a Hugo Award finalist to chronicle the story of an astronaut who discovers evidence of an extinct race of aliens that left traces of their civilization on the moon.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Buzz Aldrin, one of manned space flight's pioneers, has helped create a stunning, possibly prophetic novel of the future of space exploration. A radio beacon from an unknown world leads an astronaut to disaster on the Moon -- and his son far beyond that as he searches for the key to the mystery of Tiber, a civilization who left artifacts in the solar system some 9,000 years ago, with sufficient impact on human affairs to explain some odd references in the Bible. The villains of the book are not the aliens, but the benighted politicians with the minds of accountants who won't fund the necessary scientific derring-do to save the world -- apparently an affliction which alien astronauts also have to bear.

You can read an exclusive interview with Buzz Aldrin written by Frank Braun.

From Publishers Weekly

Astronaut Aldrin (Men from Earth, 1989), who was the second man to walk on the moon, and the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated Barnes (Mother of Storms, etc.) join forces in this enjoyable saga which combines two classic SF themes: the future of spaceflight and contact with intelligent alien life. The story oscillates between the careers of two human astronauts, Chris Terence and his son, Jason, on the moon and Mars, and the efforts of the Tiberians (from a planet of Alpha Centauri) to colonize Earth during prehistoric times. Chris meets his destiny while trying to retrieve a Tiberian relic from the moon. Meanwhile, the Tiberians' desperate efforts to colonize a habitable planet before their own is destroyed runs up against a host of well-depicted obstacles. Folly, prejudice, petty rivalries and bureaucratic befuddlement are shown to be common to both races, which are depicted with wit and empathy. Multiple subplots, a huge cast that deserves a glossary but doesn't get one and too many expository lumps impede narrative flow. Even so, the authors' lively storytelling will engage readers as it conveys the wonder and promise of space. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: Aspect; First Edition edition (July 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425226301
• ISBN-13: 978-0446518543
• ASIN: 0446518549
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,103,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best I've ever read, May 10, 2005

By 

John R. Krawczyk II (miramar, fl United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Encounter with Tiber (Mass Market Paperback)

In my long and often fruitless search for decent sci-fi once in a while a gem is found. This is one of those cases. Also this book written in '96 predicted a 2nd shuttle accident which of course happened in Feb. 2003. The current science is very well researched and yet also leads us to see how future things may develop. The characters and the plot are very believable: characters and events are subject to wise decisions but also the flaws that exist in even the best people and governments have their part to play.

Not since the original writings of Asimov have I seen such decent and well planed out sci-fi writing.

Note to the 1st reviewer: B. Aldrin has a doctorate in astronautics from MIT. How can he be "in over his head" in writing a sci-fi book???

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book, March 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Encounter with Tiber (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read other reviews on amazon about this book and am slightly disappointed. Those who are true sci-fi fans do there best to see the big picture but let bits and pices of rational thought slip so they can take in the fantasay of it all. Some who have reviewed this book have not looked at things with an open mind all the way. This text is wonderfully written and in time will be one of the sci-fi treasures of the 20th century. Aldrin has lent his insight of alien worlds come through, but Barnes has certanly worked all the magic. If you are a true sci-fi fan this is a must read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thick novel of ideas..., June 28, 2004

By 

Peter LaPrade (worcester ma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Encounter With Tiber (Hardcover)

Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes wrote the long, but quite thought-provoking science fiction story "Encounter with Tiber". At almost 600 pages, it takes a reader at least a couple of days to trudge through the story, especially the early highly technical parts of the story. Aldrin essentially predicted commerical space travel, and from the news, we may not be far off from the scenerio that Aldrin and Barnes present here. The story is told through five different narrators with three humans at various points in the 2lst Century, and two "Tiberians" who came to Earth(or as they called it Setepos) in ancient times. Basically, the message is that science and space exploration takes time and commitment, but it's worth pursuing. The novel leaves the reader wanting more, as Clio(an astronaut traveling in the late 21st Century) discovers that her journey is just beginning. It leaves room for a sequel, which depending on your attitude towards the story is good or bad. I enjoyed this rich novel, and recommend this for anyone who really wants to know why we should try to go to Mars.