Seeker (Alex Benedict Series #3)
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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780441013753 |
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| Publisher: | Penguin Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 10/31/2006 |
| Series: | Alex Benedict Series , #3 |
| Pages: | 384 |
| Sales rank: | 191,454 |
| Product dimensions: | 4.27(w) x 6.70(h) x 0.95(d) |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
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Seeker (Alex Benedict Series #3)
4 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
46 reviews.
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Amy Kohler shows antiques dealer Alex Benedict a decorated cup with an eagle and strange language etched onto it. Alex looks up the language and says it is Mid-American English last used in the third millennium. Amy is stunned that she possesses an artifact that is nine thousand years old, but Alex says it is probably recent with just an ancient inscription though he has no idea outside of academia who would use a dead language like English especially on a cup. As he looks closer at the relic, Alex becomes convinced that the cup is from the mythical space vessel the Seeker that legend says along with the Bremerhaven transported 5,000 expatriates from the religious intolerance of the twenty-seventh century United States. They supposedly founded a colony on the planet, Margolia, but no one ever heard from the colonists again so they are part of the mythos. Alex and his assistant pilot Chase Kolpath begin to follow clues while a rival follows them, pirates await their return to steal their booty, aliens control information, and a Survey team wants them stopped. --- This science fiction adventure is quite exciting in spite of the over kill of opponents that seem to run the gamut of outer space adventures (besides the above there are killing robots and weird aliens), Jack McDevitt spins a fun futuristic thriller. Readers will appreciate how the future looks back and interprets twenty-seventh century America the same way archeologists do to ancient and prehistorical societies. Alex and Chase come across as the good guys against a horde of nasty dudes though the heroes are artifact mercenaries (somewhat like Han Solo) in a fine tale that fans of Mr. McDevitt will appreciate. --- Harriet Klausner
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An excellent piece of speculative fiction that takes place thousands of years into the future. The story follows future archeologist/treasure hunters who are searching for the fate of an ancient earth colony who were lost and never heard from again. The ideas are thought provoking and novel, the characters are likable and the story is well-paced and engrossing. The story mades me wonder about the decal covered plastic cups that come with your child's happy meal. If it was found ten thousand years from now by an archeologist, how much would it be worth?
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Seeker is a book of speculative fiction that will appeal to you if you're not into hard-core science fiction, and if you are a reader of mysteries. McDevitt has combined both into a story that begins with the discovery of a cup bearing some "English" letters, which antiquities dealer Alex Benedict and his partner Chase Kolpath trace back to a long-lost ship called Seeker. To be very blunt, Benedict and Kolpath plunder what we would consider archaeological sites and sell what relics they come across. Today that's illegal, but somehow in the future, there's no problem with this practice and there's a huge market, although a movement is afoot to stop the plundering.What's special about this particular cup is that the ship Seeker, thousands of years earlier, took a group of about a thousand people away from earth, destined for a new world, Margolia. Since the ship left, no one ever heard from these people again, and legends began to flourish about the hidden colony -- rising to the level of our own fascination with say, Atlantis. But with the cup found, Alex and Chase now have evidence that someone out there knows something about the Seeker and quite possibly Margolia, and they begin a long journey to discover all they can, with the hope of picking up more relics and making a fortune. Along the way Alex thinks they can also solve the mystery of what happened to the Seeker and its passengers. But there are others out there who don't want Alex and Chase to succeed. While parts of the plot and some of the characters are often just so-so, there are some good scenes. McDevitt's best writing shows itself when Chase ventures off into the home world of the physically repugnant Mutes (The Ashyyur -- a telepathic race with whom humans have a tentative peace), following a lead. McDevitt poses some moral questions in this novel while telling a good story. The combination of sci-fi and mystery appeals to me when I'm in the "I need to relax my brain" mode. I would recommend it to readers of speculative fiction, and for mystery readers who don't mind leaving Earth for the duration of the read.
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Third in a series, following Polaris, this book is another "artifact leads to amazing discovery" with an odd rhythm to its pacing. There's a bit more action in this book than in previous books, as well as more plot. I read most of it standing in line to vote (three hours, le sigh), and it was entertaining enough, but it drags in the middle.The better part of these books, I hasten to add, is that they're part of a series, but not a discrete trilogy, so none of them suffer the middle book syndrome, and all have self contained stories that at most barely reference previous books.Still, I think I'm over my McDevitt phase, at least for a couple of months.
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The third installment in Jack McDevitt's "Alex Benedict" series of books, "Seeker" is best defined as an archeo-mystery novel - in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the fate of a centuries-old legendary starship, the novel travels to several exotic locations in search of (nearly) equally old clues. However, "Seeker" is a far cry from the standard of mystery novels; it is far superior.The Seeker was one of humanity's first true interstellar "seed ships," a massive star-going ship designed to ferry people to a colony. Launched from a dystopian Earth more than a century before the beginning of the novel's narrative, the Seeker carried colonists to a fledgling community free from the global government's fascist policies. However, when the Seeker was lost without a trace, a legend was born. A legend which lay untouched for more than a century.Alex Benedict, an antiquities dealer specializing in artifacts from alien civilizations and the ancient human space program, is shown a cup that, by all appearances, came from the vanished Seeker. This touches off a race to locate the Seeker, a quest which takes us across the stars to put together a centuries-old jigsaw puzzle of clues. The prize, however, could be much more than the Seeker itself - the colony to which the Seeker was headed has also never been found.Filled with the a hard science fiction narrative that Jack McDevitt is so famous for crafting, "Seeker" is a story that is difficult to leave. Each step along the path opens a new question, and although the book suffers from a slow introduction, once the true plot begins, it is difficult to put down for any length of time. Despite the fact that "Seeker" is actually the third in the series, new readers can easily pick up the storyline without any knowledge of prior events - although one should be warned that the conclusions of prior books are hinted. "Seeker" is a prime example of the science fiction that only Jack McDevitt can write. Well worth the time of any true science fiction fan, "Seeker" is an excellent example of how science fiction - and mystery - should be done.
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I have to say I too am surprised this won the Nebula. I thought the pacing sagged a little in the middle. Also, I found the resolution of the action-adventure part of the plot pretty contrived. However, it kept me reading to the end, and the end was beautiful -- real sensawonder stuff. Definitely worth reading to find out what happened to the lost colony.
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Nov11:Characters: Really only the main couple. The rest are very transient this time. They're still hanging strong however.Plot: The search for the missing colony. Really, it was done quite well. Kept me riveted.Style: Still as good if not better. The writing style melded very well with the plot this time. (More a change of plot than a change of style)
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came highly recommended, wanted to like it but couldn't get into it. Never finished. :(
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After being nominated for the Nebula many times, it's easy to see why McDevitt finally got his award with this book. This isn't a book about profound, earth-shattering issues. But Seeker offers all of the strengths of a typical McDevitt novel (i.e., an unpretentious, nicely paced, and intruguing mystery set in a well defined future). To this formula it adds a brilliantly moving conclusion.
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They seek a world lost a thousand years ago. And even though the villian is an asshole, it's a good book.
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This is a solid space adventure that kept me turning the pages. But the Nebula for Best Novel of 2006? Really? We're a long way down from The Dispossessed and Timescape. The framework is routine. What happened to the lost colony? The characters are equally rote. Chase is your basic gumshoe, but in space, and Alex is just a guy who signs checks. The villain's motivation is ridiculous. When the mystery of Margolia is solved, I could only summon up a mild "hmm."
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Fast paced, well fleshed out characters. Operates as a mystery in space. I preffer more complex themes and much more hard science - so, for me, it gets 3 stars.
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Like the Alex Benedict series for the mystery and the twist, and you can always expect a double cross that puts Alex and Chase in danger, typically at least twice.
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Here?
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which I tore through quickly. Yes, some duplicate plot devices (not another "slider out of control"...or "outwit the aliens by sneaking back on the lander" ploy) but still great fun and good mysteries. I'm a new fan of this fun summertime kind of series.
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I really enjoy this book! Even though you kind of know how it is going to end, it is a great story. I've read it multiple times just for the last few chapters, which always get me.
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Great book and excellent series, very entertaining
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Jack McDevitt seems to get better and better as he goes along. Taking place in a far distant future when our current era is thought of as ancient history, Seeker is a great combination of a mystery and science fiction. Plastic cups and clothing from our era and the next hundred years or so are sought after collectibles.
This is the third installment in the series. It is not necessary to read the first two to understand what is going on. Lots of fun.
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Unexceptionably competent and clear English, nonboring nonovertly obvious plotline with few holes (a never-followed-up mention of living beings on a newly discovered planet is one, the unexplained reappearance of a lost box in the hands of the hero is another), unembarrassing characterizations with discretely described copulation--these are some of the reasons i'll come back to this writer for recreational reads. (For brilliance, check out Iain Banks.)
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This is a really good book and series.
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