L. E. Modesitt Jr.'s "Solar Express"...A Book Review

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I think it was last February when I was on a panel at LTUE with several authors, one (and I'm ashamed to say it now...) I did not know. His name is L. E. Modesitt Jr. He was older--a lot of the authors at these events are young bucks and does. And even though I didn't know him, the writers I did know treated him with respect and a sense of reverence. 

After a little research, I know why. How did I not hear about this author before now?

If you'd like to know how many books the man has listed in Goodreads, he's got 3 1/2 pages worth (and there's thirty listings per page...). I decided to check out one of his books from the library. This past week I finished Solar Express. 

If you're like me, you make assumptions about a new author. I knew that, just from the shear size of his titles, people read his stuff. But even so, sometimes one author can "click" for one person and not for another. It's especially true with science fiction. Some like the really deep SciFi that gets down to the basics--the science behind the fiction. Others like something that doesn't hurt their brain. Mr. Modesitt Jr. writes more the former, at least from what I can tell by this one book.

Solar Express takes place one-hundred years from our present day. A strange object is found in our solar system. Several teams are sent to study the object to find out more about it. It's concluded it was not made by humans. But even in the future, political squabbles have not ceased. Countries are willing to go to war over how things are done, not only on earth, but also in space.

I was worried, when I began reading Solar Express, that it would be too technical for me. I don't mind a technical book, but when I listen to an audiobook (as I did with this one...), I can easily get lost in all the jargon. I'm happy to say that did not happen. It begins in a somewhat sterile environment, but soon we get to know the principle characters and we start to care for them. The book ends with a race against time and governments willing to wage war on each other.

I hope to one day meet Mr. Modesitt Jr., or even be on another panel with him. And if I do, I'll be one of those people who hopefully bestow on him the respect he deserves.

* Photo used without permission from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23848420-solar-express