The Tranquillity Alternative is based on a history in which Nazi Germany and the United States simultaneously launch manned spacecraft in 1944, almost twenty years before this feat was really achieved. The resulting change in history led to the creation of Tranquillity Base, the home of six missiles trained on Earth and ready to function in a second strike capacity if the need should arise. The year is 1995, and America is seeing the end to its space race and the disarmament of nuclear weapons. It's up to Gene Parnell to fly his last mission to the moon, to destroy the missiles, and to turn over the base to German corporate interests.
The Tranquillity Alternative is a high tech thriller that didn't thrill me. The technical detail was vivid and believable. The characters were complex and likable. The plot was thick with twists and no threads were left dangling. The alternate history was flat. Each chapter was prefaced with historical short news broadcasts, hearing transcripts, or published article; and each time I encountered these pages I scanned, and quickly jumped back to the story. These pages irritatingly interrupted the flow of an otherwise wonderful novel. This book would be a true hit and thoroughly recommended if it could lose about 50 pages.
About the Book
The Tranquillity Alternative is an Ace Book published by Putnam Berkeley New York
copyright 1996 by Allen Steele
paperback ISBN: 0-441-00433-4
Other Reviews
- SFSite Review by Steven H. Silver
- Uchronia: Divergence Chronology
- Bookwire -- Book Report by Sean Doorly
Other Sites of Interest
- Steele's Website
- Cyberling Chat May 1998
- Alternate Histories my September 19, 1997 Suite101 article
Check out my booklist for a list of books I have recently read and plan to review.
Go To Page: 1
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Karen James's Fantasy & Science Fiction topic, please visit the Discussions page.