Moonstruck

Edward M. Lerner

For Release February 2005

ISBN: 0-7434-9885-2

Baen Books
http://www.baen.com

Review by Larry Stanley

You know how you will be reading a book and one line in the whole thing just stands out? I mean, you can be loving the book, having a great time reading it and suddenly you read one sentence, one line and it either brings tears to your eyes or makes you break out laughing and for days after that it just stays in your brain like an old tune you can’t seem to shake?

The first time I remember this happening came in Robert Heinlein’s “Glory Road”, and dealt with fighting a Troll and not making a “Hobbit of it”.  This time, it hit me on page 102 and no, I am not going to tell you the line. Buy the book. It was the greatest single line in a Science Fiction book I have read in months.

So, I could not sleep the other night and I figured I would read for a few minutes and let my mind relax. Four hours later, I put Edward M. Lerner’s “Moonstruck” down and simply loved it. I hated that it ended so quickly, and could have read a good deal more of the story had it been written.

Dealing with a ‘first contact’ situation between humanity and an alien race called the “F’thk”, they are the representatives of the Galactic Commonwealth. Arriving in a two-mile wide spaceship that is orbiting the Moon, these centaur like beings seem intent only on helping mankind. Their interest lies in commerce, and according to them, “Information is a trade good.”

Despite this repeated comment however, they are somewhat reticent about their own world, science, and civilization. So, this attitude creates slight inconsistencies, causing many of Earth’s scientists to want to know more about the secretive aliens and their motives.

Turns out, these F’thk are simply here to check up on Earth and see if we are worthy to join the Galactic Commonwealth. They want to watch us, and appraise our development and progress.

If we measure up, we will have a golden future.

But, despite the great opportunity this presents for the human race, it also fans the flames of something we thought had passed us by. Cold War and the prospect of Nuclear Armageddon.

The aliens travel around the world trying to evaluate the race, giving gifts to us and asking nothing in return. But, much like us they Galactics have a multi-party political structure. There are the ones who are somewhat democratic, who believe in self-rule, elections and freedom. Then there are the ones who follow a more “Socialistic” approach, who think that a dictatorship is more in order for most life forms.  And both of these groups are plying against each other in the Commonwealth.

They each want the human race to follow their own political policy, giving them more power in the Commonwealth.

So, as the group of aliens travel around the world each group seems to have a representative of the party that fit the social-political structure of the nation they visit. Democratic in places like the U.S. and repressive in countries that are ruled by dictators or military regimes.

This creates the tension that brings back the fear of uncontrolled nuclear destruction. Which brings a major question to the minds of many people, “Do the Galactics represent the start of a golden age for mankind or the end of human civilization.”

Turns out the answer are even more creative. 

The whole thing is a great mixture of classic science fiction and modern espionage stories. The characters are interesting, the plot very imaginative and the story falls into place in the readers mind like a good movie. Just the right touch of humor at all the right places and the underlying imagery of one man’s overwhelming desire to reach the other planets is perfect.

The book is well thought out, and the scientific details are easy to follow and written so that they don’t give you a feeling of being sorry you fell asleep in Physics class that so long ago day. It is a nice mix of 1950’s sci fi movies and the Twilight Zone.

The F’thk are wonderful; deceptive, sneaky, cunning and self-serving. They don’t care about what is right and wrong to anyone but themselves and are at heart, greedy, manipulative and willing to do anything to accomplish what they want. In short, they are just like most of the human race, no matter what they look like.

Edward M. Lerner has given us a book that strikes not only at the heart of each of us, but reflects the best and worst of the human race while not once dipping into the clichéd, goofy or 'shock for shock sake' story telling of a lesser writer.