Customer Reviews

The Prometheus Project

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is impressive - it's easy to read, holds a lot of intrigue, and saves a lot of surprises for later in the book.. I especially enjoyed the "tone of the book" -- it is written somewhat first person -- with a lot of reflection and thought that really adds to the atmosphere and the story (and also gets the reader thinking).

I couldn't put this book down!

One of those books I could not put down. I did not see the wrap-up until three or four chapters from the end - pretty much as the author intended. Far too many books hold no secrets or are way too predictable - not this one!

Another great read!

In 1969 when Bob Devaney is hired to escort a lady to an appointment and is then ambushed by some very strange criminals he finds himself drawn into a super-secret conspiracy that will change is life forever. This book is easy an easy and somewhat old fashioned read. It has a good twist at the end, which while is not totally original, gives this story a nice conclusion. I enjoyed this novel, but its one of those books you take on holidays with you if you want something to read that doesn't require a lot of thinking. If you want some light SciFi to keep you occupied on the beach then this is a good choice.

There seems to be something loose at Baen these days, perhaps a directive even, for its authors to create, insert into the story, and then lampoon characters with liberal political views. I have been reading more and more of this lately, but with the exception of just a couple of Baen authors who have taken this silliness too far (and are no longer readable or purchasable), I have been able to overlook these small jabs and just stay in the story. But now Steve White is doing it, and darn it, I LIKED Steve White; I've been reading his stuff for a really long time.

In "The Prometheus Project", Steve puts together another great story with well-drawn characters, and takes off (as he always does) at a good page-turner pace. But the finale comes up short, the characters go flat, and a plot that could have introduced a new series of books gets locked up in temporal circularity instead. This was a disappointment, for sure, but the book could still have been enjoyable if Steve had not inserted a stupid, stupid, stupid liberal character hung out in excessive stereotype for attack. Nobody would behave the way this character does, not in the real world and not in the tense fictional world of "The Prometheus Project". This kind of self indulgence doesn't belong in serious science fiction.

The President explains to the President-elect the real burden past down from leaders since the Truman-Eisenhower transition when Mr. Inconnu arrived with the threat. With evidence including the ship he stole, Mr. Inconnu proved that the galaxy is owned by superpowers that use the technologically backward like Earth as colonial pawns. To survive Earth must show they are much higher up on the food chain than we are.

Former Special Forces grunt Bob Devaney (not the Cornhusker) works for THE PROMETHEUS PROJECT; the greatest disinformation campaign ever conducted, whose mission is to keep aliens from realizing how backward we really are. Bob understands that failure means earth will become an exploited protectorate. However, two events have occurred that could wreck the deception. The President elect is an ideologue who may not be able to accept the real meaning of the theory of relativity and that someone intimately involved in the hoax is selling real world information to an outer space criminal mob. Bob is to find out who is the traitor worse than Judas is and insure that THE PROMETHEUS PROJECT continues to fake out the ETs. The prime suspect is the woman Bob loves.

Steve White writes a fabulous satirical science fiction thriller that skewers we're number one American political- information-military-production complex. The story line is fast-paced with the audience learning from the onset how the greatest disinformation top secret project works and why through the change of administrations. Bob is a terrific protagonist as he struggles to uncover the identity of the traitor with all evidence pointing towards his beloved. Fans except those who believe God directs the president will appreciate this terrific lampooning of the values of the USA.

Harriet Klausner

The Prometheus Project (2005) is a standalone SF novel. It begins on Earth just after World War II and extends to the near future and worlds elsewhere in the galaxy.

In this novel, Mr. Inconnu is the head of the secret Prometheus Project. He is a human from another world who has brought word of the galactic empires that would soon be contacting Earth. He also provides documentation on galactic science and technology.

Robert Devaney is a former Special Forces soldier who left the Army with a less than honorable discharge. Bob became a private security operative in the District of Columbia. He occasionally works as a freelance for the government.

Renata Novak is a member of Section Five within the Prometheus Project. Bob first met her on a government job.

Chloe Bryant is another member of Section Five. Bob first met her in an orientation class presented by Section One.

In this story, Bob has a meeting scheduled in 1963 with his government contact in a Washington bar. The bar is crowded and becoming even more so. The news of the Kennedy assassination is spreading to the shocked populace.

Bob is also shocked and does a little drinking of his own. His contact finds him in another bar and gives him his assignment. He is to pick up a Miss Smith at National Airport and drive her to the White House.

Bob takes a very round about route to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He takes side roads and twists throughout the District. As he gets close to his destination, a truck pulls out in front of him and overturns.

Bob slams on the brakes and stops short of the truck. Men surround the car and Bob pulls his .45 automatic out of the shoulder holster. Then he pulls the woman out of his car.

Bob has his arm partially paralyzed and the woman comments about public use of a nerve paralyzer. Bob is more careful about exposing himself after that. He gives his backup .25 pistol to the woman and they make a run for an alley while shooting to keep down the opposition.

After reaching the next corner, the woman pulls him aside and takes a case out of her bag. Once she activates it, the air turns cloudy. She announces that the opposition can no longer see or hear them.

Afterward, the woman guides him to a safehouse. Then she paralyzes him and dumps him into a bed. When he awakes, Bob finds himself faced with the choice of a memory wipe or death. Then another man arrives and says that Mr. Inconnu wants to recruit him for the Prometheus Project.

The woman -- Renata Novak -- travels with him to the Section One base in Alaska. Section One is Administration and conducts basic training among other duties. He and his fellow trainees learn about the start of the Prometheus Project and its organization. Bob is sure that he will become part of Section Two (Security).

This tale takes Bob out into the galaxy as the security man for a Section Five diplomatic mission. Renata is the mission leader and Chloe is a diplomat within the mission. They are traveling on a Delkasu ship to the capital of the largest empire in the galaxy.

This story follows a classical plotline. Only the details differ from several golden age novels. But the devil is in the details. Read and enjoy!

Recommended for White fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of government conspiracies, forced development, and old fashioned romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Take the basic premise of Men in Black, remove the humor, and then slather it with needless liberal-bashing. The over-the-top, forced politics really detract from the storyline. The author needlessly takes swipes at Carter, Clinton, and particulary rips into Kennedy...but no Republicans are criticized, not even Nixon. Lightweight reading, unless you really hate liberals, Hollywood, etc. However, if you think the only good liberal is a.....well, you may be able to guess the ending.