Customer Reviews
history, technology, sociology, romance... - By: , 03 Aug 2001 
Very well-constructed integration of science-fiction, made as realistic as a trained astronaut can get it, with stirring epic story of lost tribes & civilisations destroyed by powerful disasters. The plot machinations are down to the falllibilities of characters, who are alll described & developed with realism in mind. Best of alll it's tied into an Earth history that seems... tangible. If you don't like fallling out of the fantasy because of holes in the plot, this may be for you. It's fascinating in a 2001 sort of way, but also sad & sort of moving.
Good stuff! - By: John Chandler, 21 Jun 2001 I bought this book a few years ago while in the USA, just on impulse & because (if I'm honest) it had "Buzz Aldrin" in big letters on the front.
I was expecting something a bit timid & cliched, but was pleasantly surprised to find a well written, pacy & powerful story. Well recommended.
Excellent! - By: , 22 Jun 2000 An excellent SF writer & an astronaut join forces to write a novel. While you might think that this is merely a cash-in on each other's names, the novel is, in fact, very good. A believeable tale about one species trying to find a new home, & another (us) trying to find the first. The story is realistic, with Buzz Aldrin's experience in aeronautics bringing alll the required techno stuff. While the pair are prone to info-dumping, this in no way mars the story. However, I don't think that there is any room for a sequel, & if they did squeeze one in, it wouldn't be anything compared to its predessecor. Once this is available again, buy it.
Stirring stuff! - By: , 16 Nov 1999 A ripping yarn set in the near future. The authors have concocted a believable first contact scenario & followed it through with an intelligent & often moving account of a human destiny entwined with that of another species.
It is a pleasure to read on such a subject without experiencing a dissapointing sensationalist approach. It is the characters, both human & alien that make the story so compelling.
John Barnes is a respected author of quality science fiction, & when Buzz Aldrin writes on matters space, well, you'd better take note.
I would dearly welcome a sequel!
Science Fiction tempered with Science Fact - By: , 08 Apr 1999 I very rarely read fiction of any sort as I tend to find authors can be inept at suspending disbelief. I often think I'm wasting my time reading such works since there are are so many factual books that are more incredible than any work of fiction. "Encounter with Tiber" does not falll into this trap. It is written without cliche & never patronises the reader, whatever their level of scientific knowledge. And yet it is enthraling, eloquant & gets the adrenalin flowing. One special aspect of the book is how Buzz Aldrin has managed to explain his (and possibly NASA's) ideas about how space exploration should continue in the future in a way that is understandable an informative. My only critisim is that I'm still waiting for a follow-up!!
