Several friends who recommended this cited similarities to good Clarke or Heinlein. My response would paraphrase Dr. Evil: "How about no!" It does have a writing style similar to that era of science fiction, but I wouldn't go beyond saying that this is a serviceable science fiction story that will pass an afternoon.

It starts well. We are presented with what looks like a mysterious first contact story, perhaps even some kind of sinister surveillance of humanity. Unfortunately, by the end of the book, we aren't much farther along than that. The main plot has no resolution and, instead, we simply take a joy ride through the galaxy having minor adventures. I wouldn't have a real problem with this (that's why sequels exist, after all) if these adventures weren't populated with a set of ludicrously stereotypical characters. The only one that seemed vaguely real to me was Priscilla Hutchins, the ship's captain and main character. Otherwise, we have the self-made zillionaire who keeps getting people killed because "nothing can go wrong"; the egotistical scientist who will stop at nothing in the pursuit of his specialty; the incompetent bureaucrats who take all the credit for what goes right and blame others for all failures; the beautiful actress whose intelligence is not recognized because of her physical attributes...well, you get the idea.

By the end, I just wanted to get on with real story that, I assume, will come in some later book and wished that a few more of the crew had met stupid deaths so I didn't have to read about them anymore.

This book is a loose sequel to Deepsix in that it continues with some of the characters. However, it can easily be started without having read the previous stories. I haven't tried any of the books that follow it and, as I note above, it doesn't stand alone so well on that end—it needs a sequel to provide any real satisfaction.

I don't really recommend this. If you're a hard-core science fiction fan, you'll probably read it anyway but, if you're marginal on the genre, I'd suggest you look elsewhere. I'll probably check out the sequel to see if we get any farther in resolving the very interesting original premise of the book. ( )

Superluminal pilot Hutch is on the move again. It is a book with multiple faces. I enjoyed the description of the Chindi very much, and Retreat was put down very colorful, the words elicited all kinds of beautiful skyscapes in my head. But the main characters kept their distance. Hutch is smart, beautiful but also gloomy, which drips through the lines. The other characters, especially George, are put down too one-dimensional, it's getting hard to believe after a while they make the same mistakes over and over again. But still, in the end I just had to read on an on to the end .. that's a good thing! ( )

The book jacket says Chindi is one of the best science fiction novels of the year. I read a lot of other science fiction published in 2002, and this is certainly not one of my picks for that accolade. Slightly above average is the best I would go for this story.

According to the author, Jack McDevitt, not much has really changed in the Twenty-third Century. Bureaucrats are still concerned with following regulations, people in command are still more concerned with placing blame than actually leading, award winning scientists are still looking to steal the glory from others and people are still realizing their last failed relationship really was with the right person. That pretty much covers the non-essentials of this plot.

What is left over is another “we are not alone in the universe” story triggered by the reception of an errant signal from outside our solar system to another point still further away. The rest of the book is devoted to trying to trace the signal to its source.

Read this as an Action / Adventure story and it is not too bad . . . if you are patient. The good action does not take place until the final quarter, maybe even eighth, of the novel. There are no new sci-fi technologies here and the alien encounters are disappointing. McDevitt’s style is very readable and he builds a lot of empathy for the protagonists. That is what keeps you reading. Maybe the girl will end up with the right guy after all.

Worth reading and very entertaining, Chindi was not the breakout novel the blurbs seem to promise. Still, better than average. If some new technology or new wrinkle to the genre had been added, I would have boosted the rating another half point or so. ( )

Hutch returns to pilot a new expedition beyond explored space in search of an alien civilization

A few years after the exploits of Academy pilot Captain Priscilla “Hutch” Hutchins on the doomed planet Deepsix, a satellite beaming an indecipherable signal into space is found orbiting a distant neutron star. Without any clues to its origin or purpose, the Contact Society, a wealthy group of eccentric SETI types, contracts the academy to provide them a Superluminal ship to search for the alien culture that left it behind. Hutch is assigned the duty and new adventure begins in the third installment of this series (preceded by Engines of God and Deepsix) by Jack McDevitt.

The search that starts with the satellite, takes them beyond explored space in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way and to an impossible star system that defies logic. There they discover an enormous alien space craft, which seems to pay them no attention as they try to make contact. So like any good adventurous souls, they break in to look around; there they discover what appears to be an archive of hundreds, possibly thousands, of alien lifeforms and civilizations.

Life other books in this series, adventure leads to trouble and a daring rescue sequences is needed to save the day. This seems to have angered some of McDevitt’s fans, but not me; I continually am engrossed by his combination of intellectual science fiction that examines the universe we live in and high adventure and daring-do. If I had one complaint with Chindi, it would be the lack of character development in this installment. Usually, I like the depth at which McDevitt explores his characters; but, with this book, only Hutch seems to get any further development and growth. The rest of the cast is a bit “typecast”.

And for those wanting to learn more about the fate of the galaxy and the impending doom of the Omega Clouds, you will get a little development on that front as well. ( )

This is a Priscilla Hutchins novel. A weird communication is picked up in deep space. The people that want to go and investigate decide that
they need a qualified pilot when they take their mission out.

So, she takes the job, leaving her mundane commerce activities behind.

We have an amateur research society and professional crew conflict, as well as investigating alien bits and pieces. All quite readable.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/02/chindi-jack-mcdevitt.html ( )