Saucer / Stephen Coonts

Saucer

category: science fiction, author:

Stephen Coonts

book 1 of Saucer
original copyright 2002

read in March 2012

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10: well worth reading

If you want an enjoyable book, a book to fill a few pleasant hours, then Saucer is well worth reading. It's an enjoyable romp, with not too much deep meaning.

Modest but exceptionally talented hero finds super-powered toy, finds girl, fights to keep toy, then to keep toy from baddies. Fights to get girl. Gets help from talented relatives and a good scientist.

There are the evil baddies and the heroic goodies. A few neutral characters in the middle, for variety. Several of the neutrals are simple stereotypes, not quite caricatures, introduced in two dimensions as required by the lightweight plot.

Two ideas do stand out:

The author does seem to have a cynical view of politicians. Sure, I've developed a hearty cynicism regarding the motives of politicians, but it took me many years to develop. Are young adults already ready for that view?

And then there's the theory of planetary settlement; the difficulty of maintaining a high level of technological civilisation on a newly-settled planet. I'd never heard this particular view before. And when I read the idea in Saucer I thought, Yes, that seems such a reasonable concept... Thank you, Coonts, for a new idea!

Saucer is a wish-fulfilment fantasy for late teen boys and young adult men. The sort where only you can save the world and, yes, you may even get the older woman... An experienced older woman! Almost thirty!

Yep, it's a young man's wish-fulfilment fantasy adventure. Also suitable for older men who want to read a book just to enjoy it.

Possibly not a good choice of book for a girl or a woman. The heroine is beautiful and clever. She can kick butt in a crisis. But she still requires saving by the young hero.

So we have fun, adventure, a small level of teenage humour. Plus -- and I hope I'm not spoiling the plot -- a flying saucer...

A book to be read and enjoyed, then put back on the shelf with hardly a second thought.

Good, harmless, fun.

..o0o..

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