The Hercules Text - Jack McDevitt Book Review

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Review Summaries
"Astronomers start receiving transmissions from a rogue pulsar unbelievably far away. There's no chance of returning the message within our planet's lifetime, but they can still receive. How the message is being transmitted, and how they got our attention in the first place, immediately set the tone for the novel." Craig Little, Resident Jack McDevitt Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 50%

Tone of book - sensitive (sigh....)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - generally friendly contact with alien(s)
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - info about lifeform(s)/society/phenomena
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - business executive
Age: - 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - quite fatty

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - politician/elected ruler
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
Earth setting: - near future (later in 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
scientific jargon? (SF only) - an average amount of scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - mostly dialog

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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