The Eternity Artifact

By L.E. Modesitt Jr.

Book Overview

5,000 years in the future, humankind has spread across thousands of worlds, and more than a dozen different governments exist in an uneasy truce. But human beings have found no signs of other life... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765353458
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Tor Science Fiction
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.9" x 1.3" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Terrific example of why I LOVE Modesitt! Sweeping, imaginative and thought-provoking

Told in first-person narrative from four different points of view, "The Eternity Artifact" is a return to a slower-moving space hard science fiction for Modesitt. While there are not a lot of space battles, there is a great deal of mystery and intrigue, and looking at what is occurring from the four differing points of view is a neat idea. I believe it is "Archeform: Beauty" where he did this sort of thing before. Each character has been chosen to go on an exploratory mission to Danann, a planet in the galactic void with mysterious buildings upon it. The main characters we see are: Goodman/Bond, who is a Covenanter spy on a mission to put together a beacon and send it to the surface so the Covenanter fleet can come to stop the Comity from gaining access to the Morning Star (hammer of Lucifer) or Spear of Iblis, as they believe this is what is on Danann; Liam Fitzhugh, a professor of applied history and former Special Forces operative (keep your dictionary handy -you WILL learn new vocabulary when you read his sections); Chendor Barna, an artist with great vision who can understand patterns; and Jiendra Chang, a pilot whose beauty is matched by her acerbic personality, which caused her to lose her master's certification despite her skill. Watching these four interact with each other and the other members of the crew as they deal with attacks, sabotage and the hostile environment of the planet itself - which has no atmosphere and a higher gravity well than anyone is accustomed to - is fascinating and at times rather heart-breaking. One thing I noticed - and I probably wouldn't have if I hadn't so recently read "Counterfeit Unrealities," is that Modesitt appears to have been somewhat influenced by Phillip K. Dick - some similar measurements, it seems. I don't recall exactly what it was now that I noted, I believe it had to do with time measurements. There were, of course, some editing errors - it wasn't spelling errors in this case, it was incorrect words placed in; for instance, "man" placed instead of "than," etc. But I can't deduct a star even for that, because this is the best Modesitt book I've read since - oh, the last one I praised lavishly :-) Definitely a don't miss on this one for fans of Modesitt, science fiction or a well-written space adventure.

A Masterpiece!

This is one of the finest works written by L.E. Modesitt. It incorporates some of the common threads from his other works but in an more elegant and refined way. If you have enjoyed any of Modesitt's science fiction this is a must read. If you have not read any of his science fiction this is a great place to start.

Stellar Reading

This is a book you can curl up with on a rainy afternoon and dream about what the future might hold for mankind. Sean O'Reilly Editor-at-Large Travelers' Tales

Drawbacks? Nope, Just Quibbling... Recommended

The criticism's of other reviewers, particularly those concerning the author's alleged "rehashing" of previous book characters and "slow pacing" (both by professional and amateur critics) are duly noted. However, personally speaking, I have not read any of Modesitt's books, this is the first I have heard of him so I cannot really comment on the veracity or not of reviewer's comments. _I_ can say however that I did not see any real problems with the writer's characters or character development. Further, I found the relationship (and related "sexual tension" tropes, etc.) between two of the main characters (who shall remain nameless ;) very interesting, not to mention familiar (in more ways then one). Indeed, you can find a very similar relationship (though arguably much more developed then in Modesitt's book) in Dread Empire's Fall: The Praxis by Walter Jon Williams (the first in a great series IMHO definitely highly recommend it). I do not really agree that the story started that slowly (though I found myself asking a couple of times, "When are they going to get to the space part" ;) but still thought it definitely kept the readers interest throughout, many times I found it very difficult to put down. To me the strongest aspects was the very realistic sociological, political, even psuedo-historical ruminations by the author especially through the "Professor Fitzugh" character. Though sometimes he was annoying and maybe a bit overwrought-stereotypical overall very informative and entertaining. Very recommended. Hope you enjoy as much as I did.

mindful of the cult classic movie Fillard Millmore

It has been five millennia since mankind has colonized planets all over the galaxy. Three main power groups control various worlds. The Comity has a humanistic worldview; The Covenanters are a Christian sect who believes that the Comity and the Sunnite Alliance (Muslims) are heretics who don't believe in God but in themselves or a different deity; the Sunnite Alliance are the mirror image of the Covenanters. It is because of these divisions and previous armed conflicts that Comity doesn't tell anyone about the journey they are making to a sunless world named Danann. It is racing through the universe at an unheard of speed, a perfectly formed world with only one city on it preserved by the frozen ice that encrusts the planet. In a few years it will go where humanity cannot travel so an expedition is mounted to explore the world, looking for technology, artifacts and a hunt for what kind of aliens created such a world since humans have yet to encounter other intelligent life. Spies on board the ship and an attack by Sunnite warships try to prevent the Comity from bringing back what is on Danann, either because they want it or they believe it is a product of Satan and will usher in Armageddon. Readers who like great space opera will find THE ETERNITY ARTIFACT a fantastic reading experience. The characters are well developed and their motivations are understandable to the audience. It is fascinating to watch the various members of the expedition explore an alien made world and interpolate theories from what they find there (mindful of the cult classic movie Fillard Millmore). Mr. Modesitt has written an exciting work that contends that political and religious differences that exist today will remain as dogmatic as ever in the future regardless of technology. Harriet Klausner