Mission to Minerva (Giants) (Mass Market Paperback)

by James P. Hogan (Author)
Key Phrases: bubble generator, surface lander, engineering chief, Frenua Showm, Command Deck, Solar System (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In Hogan's intriguing fifth SF novel in the series that began with Inherit the Stars (1978), Earth has reestablished contact with the Ganymeans, an alien race that manipulated proto-humans into homo sapiens on Minerva, a planet that once occupied the region of the present asteroid belt. After the Ganymeans migrated to the Giants' Star 20 light-years from Earth, a war on Minerva caused by intelligences from an alternate reality—one of an infinite number suggested by the Multiverse hypothesis—led to the planet's destruction. Now, several decades into the 21st century, people on Earth have developed a means of exploring these realities, including one in which Minerva still exists, and mount a rescue mission to prevent the war on Minerva. While the need to establish the backstory slows the book's first half, Hogan does an excellent job of extrapolating the science from current theories of quantum physics. The second half moves briskly and logically to a satisfying climax, though the villain is straight out of James Bond. Readers who like their science hard will find this one a diamond. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
"In Hogan's intriguing fifth science fiction novel in the series that began with INHERIT THE STARS... Hogan does an excellent job of extrapolating the science from current theories of quantum physics... moves briskly and logically to a satisfying climax... the villain is straight out of James Bond. Readers who like their science hard will find this one a diamond." - Publishers Weekly."

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Baen (September 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416520902
• ISBN-13: 978-1416520900
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #92,750 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good read that sets the stage nicely for another..., May 3, 2005

By	Jim (St. Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mission to Minerva (Giants) (Hardcover)

I was 12 when I first spotted "Inherit the Stars" when it was released here in the U.S. The cover was fairly striking with two astronauts uncovering a body on the front and a close up of the body with a headline of "The Man on the Moon is Dead!" I bought it and that afternoon sat engrossed under the shade of our Maple tree devouring every word. Today the latest in the series, "Mission to Minerva", arrived at the house and once again I found myself sitting reading Mr. Hogan's work and engrossed with a series that now spans 28 years.

"Mission to Minerva" picks up with familiar characters and their habits in ways that jog your memory in clever ways. I've already dusted off my copies of the first 4 books to re-read and appreciate the interaction between the characters of Victor and Chris and all the rest. (The book references a view of Thurien from a building in "Giants Star" that I can remember as clearly as the day I read it.) As usual I find myself daunted in appreciating all of the physics involved but just as Inherit the Stars prompted me to poke around the library for scientific fact so has this one. (Easier with the internet now.)

This book wraps up some long standing questions from Giants Star: What happened to the Jevelenese troublemakers from the end of Giants Star who last seen had arrived in proximity to Minerva. The set up for getting "there", Minerva, a journey of time and distance, consumes over half the novel. When the stage is set we finally get to see where Charlie and Koriel came from: a world on the brink of ecological change that will bring about the death of one world and the beginning of life on ours.

I don't want to spoil any of this book for someone who's followed the series along so far. I enjoyed it and think anyone who's invested the time in the saga so far would be shortchanging themselves for not buying and reading it. I have a spoiler but will save that until the very end.

The summary of the other 4 novels in the series that begins "Mission to Minerva" does so aptly but without the emotional impact of the first two novels. (Not a slam at the next two but there are some drop dead page turners in "Inherit the Stars" and "Gentle Giants of Ganymede" that really need to be read to set the stage for what this book brings to the series.) For casual readers it does a good job of setting the stage.

I'm glad Mr. Hogan has continued the series. Few series such as this from the 1970's has held up as well or lasted as long. I think that's a statement to both the quality of the work and the ability of the author to weave scientific discovery and theory into a tapestry that makes sense despite the advancement of technology in the real world. There really isn't a much higher compliment.

Spoiler Warning!

Really! I'm not kidding!

For heavens sake, turn back now!

Ok...

The number one reason why this book needs a sequel is the one area that it disappointed me: Charlie and Koriel. We don't meet them and we don't "witness" their backstory. Some elements in the book bring to mind the characters, a card playing reference that makes you think of Charlie's diary entry from "Inherit the Stars" and a particular characters actions but the great potential is left unrealized. At the end of the novel Victor Hunt is thinking of Charlie and speculates as to where he is which by the last few pages I was wondering as well.

Perhaps the greater disappointment came in Koriel's absence as well. We know Koriel from his first appearance at the start of "Inherit the Stars" and then his dramatic and out of the blue historical reappearance in "Giant's Star". I've always thought of him as being a part of the team that these novels have centered around and I found myself waiting for him to appear in some form or another in "Mission to Minerva".

That being said the time of the events in this novel differ from the time of the final Cerian and Lambian conflict that Charlie and Koriel were a part of. Alas something along the lines of the end of "Inherit the Stars" didn't end "Mission to Minerva" and that unkept promise, the compelling reason to go back in time for the readers went to the wayside. That we don't meet Charlie and Koriel was the one horrific and jarring note in an otherwise fantastic work. It seems to me petitions are in order.

Highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant way to spend the afternoon, August 2, 2005

By	Henry Cate III (CA. United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mission to Minerva (Giants) (Hardcover)

This is the fifth book in the Gentle Giant series. Humans were not the first intelligent life to develop in our Solar system. James P. Hogan's earlier books explore in detail how a taller life form developed on Minerva. They call themselves the Thuriens. Minerva later became our asteroid belt. The Thuriens left our Solar system 25 million years ago. Humans developed on Minerva, and after a deadly war which destroyed Minerva a remnant of humanity migrated to Earth. In these books we find that part of the reason humans have been so warlike is another branch of humanity, the Jewlense, have been manipulating the people on Earth to start wars. Things work out.

The first four books are nicely summarized in the prologue, the first seven pages of "Mission to Minerva."

In the first chapter Victor Hunt, one of the main characters from the previous books, gets a phone call from himself from another universe, a parallel or alternate universe. The first half of the book recounts the efforts of humans and thuriens to develop the technology to go to other universes. This was fun and pleasant.

The second half of the book is about a trip back in time to try and save the humans on Minerva from blowing themselves up. There was a little more tension in this part of the story.

My biggest complaint with the story is that right after developing the technology to go back in time to other universes they mount an expedition to do so. It would seem that after figuring out how to do so, they could have spent some more time mastering the technology before they rushed off to Minerva. Since they can go back in time, they could have waited another five years, or even fifty years. They would have been better prepared and had more technology. Because they rushed off to Minerva there was much greater tension in the story, but I felt the tension was artificially created.

All in all it was a fun read. If you've read the other stories in the series, and enjoyed them, this should be a fun read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Mission to Minerva" a Solid Novel, December 3, 2005

By	M. Keck (Upper Midwest) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mission to Minerva (Giants) (Hardcover)

"Mission to Minerva" brought a whole lot memories rushing back when I spotted it on the bookshelves of a bookstore I was browsing through in late November.

James P. Hogan's "Inherit the Stars," "Gentle Giants of Ganymede" and "Giants' Star" were among the first SF novels I'd ever read. Heh. Suffice to say, I purchased "Mission" and, for the most part, don't regret it. What I liked and disliked follow:

LIKES

1. The recap at the beginning of the novel. It was a nice way of refamiliarizing myself with the characters. After all, I hadn't read of Hunt, Danchekker, et al., since the late 1980s!

2. The chronology at the end of the novel. That went far in helping me to visualize the breadth of the "Giants" universe, so to speak. Such huge expanses of time, a good part of which remain a mystery.

3. Getting a closer look at what the societies and governments of Minerva were like. There were times I felt like I was prying (in a good way!) into the affairs of my great-to-the-nth-power grandparents!

4. Learning a bit more about the Giants' former presence on Minerva.

5. VISAR and ZORAC. Need more be said? Yes! Their wisecracks were great!

6. Imares Broghuilio, the leader of the Jevlenese thrown back through time, and his "merry" bunch. It was a hoot to see Broghuilio in action again; I couldn't help but laugh at how he reacted to the circumstances he found himself in, especially toward the end. Classic Broghuilio! Heh. For some reason I kept envisioning Looney Tunes' Yosemite Sam whenever Broghuilio would go off the deep end.

DISLIKES

1. The "hard SF" went a little overboard. While I'm no physicist, neither am I completely unfamiliar with theories involving multiple realities and whatnot. Yet this is what took up a good chunk of the novel - the first half, minimum - and, frankly, it was a challenge to get into the story in the beginning. And, yes, I know Hogan is a "hard SF" writer, so I wasn't going in uninformed. Still ...

2. I wanted more of a character-driven story once the "mission to Minerva" part kicked off. I wanted to know more about the Cerians, the Lambians, Kles, Laisha, et al. Sadly, it wasn't fully to be, but I did savor what meat there was. Also, as another reviewer noted, I had hoped Charlie and Koriel (characters from previous Hogan novels in the "Giants" lineage) would make appearances, but they didn't.

3. While Hogan chose a novel way to excise the Jevlenese, it seemed a bit too "convenient" and quick for me.

CONCLUSION

Overall, Hogan's "Mission" is a solid piece of work. It's not perfect by any means - I counted close to a dozen grammatical errors throughout the novel (publishers really need to pay more attention to copy editing, because this is a trend I've noticed more and more over the last five to 10 years) - but its woes aren't enough to warrant a "no-buy" decision. This is particularly true if you're into the "Giants" series or Hogan's works in general.