The Second Ship Author: Visit Amazon's Richard Phillips Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1612184936 | Format: PDF
The Second Ship Description
Review
"I promise you that Richard Phillips is going to be a popular and influential writer, period. As good as any science fiction being written today."Orson Scott Card --This text refers to the
MP3 CD
edition.
Review
“Richard Phillips has led such a life that he absolutely nails the science aspect of this new sci-fi classic - and yet also gets the action and the political aspects exactly right as well. Speaking as an old sci-fi writer myself, I know how hard it is to do what Phillips has done…I've read Immune to its brilliant and completely satisfying end - but only because this new writer is so skillful and this storyline is so inventive and moving that I don't want to miss a chapter of it…as good as any science fiction being written today.”
-Orson Scott Card says of Immune (The Rho Agenda: Book Two)
"The three books of the Rho Agenda trilogy (The Second Ship, Immune, and Wormhole) are a story that links a considerable amount of science with a thrilling storyline...I highly recommend readers pack their imagination and go for a ride with The Rho Agenda."
-NY Times best-selling Author Bob Mayer
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- Series: The Rho Agenda, Book One (Book 1)
- Paperback: 446 pages
- Publisher: 47North (October 2, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1612184936
- ISBN-13: 978-1612184937
- Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
I really appreciated this book. I love science fiction/thriller type books, but sometimes they are lacking in plot and believability. I have to say that this was one of the most INTELLIGENT books in this genre I have read.
I read the author's bio on the back of the book and noticed that he has the background to write this book. And it definitely shows.
The book centers on a space ship known as the Rho ship hidden by the government, three teens who find a second ship (hence the title of the book), and various mercenaries and government plots involved with the technology of the ships. The teens have started exploring the Second ship, learning about it, letting it learn them, and wisely keeping it a bit of a secret. I love the fact that Mr. Phillips didn't dumb down the teens. I'm not TOO far from that age group, myself, and I've often despaired of the fact that teens are treated as if they don't have a brain and can't make mature decisions.
Unfortunately there is one person aware of the second ship. A person who sees it as a sort of God-given gift to him. He's more or less inconsequential, but he IS a lesson.
The Rho ship that the government has found, and is releasing technology bit by bit to the public is a pawn used by various people. People blinded by science, and so, willing to lay aside the morality of their decisions. People after something greater, but in a gray way we're not privy to yet. And of course people who want what it yields for the perceived power of controlling the world.
The technology in this book is great. Computers on the Second ship are mind controlled. The ship computer enhances the abilities of the human mind from the 10% we use now to full capacity. The technology of both ships can be used for good.
First, be aware that the third book of this series is not out yet. Second, if torture/rape is a non-starter for you, look elsewhere. That stuff is not overly graphic and doesnt take up big pages, but its there. Ok, assuming your ok with these two things, lets get to the review.
I'll go over the plot a bit first. I'll provide the level of info sometimes found on a back cover, most of which is revealed in the first 10 pages. Its "safe" to read, but if you prefer to take 0 risk of the slightest spoiler, just skip the next paragraph.
Two ships fight high in the atmosphere in 1945 near Roswell and crash. Only one is discovered, and studied for 60 years. The deputy director of the project researching the ship has discovered some surprising things about it, and has his own, apparently evil, agenda. The second ship is discovered by three teens, and, for no reason other than that its necessary for the plot to move forward, they put the circlets they find inside the ship onto their heads at exactly the same time, a ship-mind connection is formed, and they learn that their ship was the good guys and the other ship is some sort of harbringer of destruction. From this beginning, we are off to the races, and treated to a mix of alien technologies, evil plots, secret agents, assassins, with some rape, torture and murder thrown in.
The book moves along fairly nicely, and is a breezy and easy read. Lots of action and the heroes are fairly likeable. A few issues knocked it down to 3 stars for me though. First, the three protagonists are teens, and there are teen romances, high school hazing and revenge. These parts of the book almost feel a little like a young adult novel -- but with the rape, torture and killings in the book, its clear that isnt the intent.
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