Cyclops

Okay, Cussler really jumped the shark (over the moon?) in [b:Cyclops|41697|Cyclops (Dirk Pitt, #8)|Clive Cussler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1314485970l/41697._SY75_.jpg|2755450]. After the mind control plot of [b:Deep Six|41698|Deep Six (Dirk Pitt, #7)|Clive Cussler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1400897211l/41698._SY75_.jpg|1064794], I figured things would stay a bit more grounded this time around.

Nah. Moon colonies. A plot to take over Cuba. El Dorado (or rather La Dorada!). Conversations with Fidel Casto. It's all here. And it's completely ridiculous. I wish there'd been a bit more focus on one or two of the plotlines (particular La Dorada, that's the show more Pitt I prefer), but so it goes.

We do definitely get back to Cussler's issues with women characters in books. One hand hand, Jessie LeBaron is a talented strong, woman character who is far more developed than we've seen in previous books. On the other hand, hours after her husband is killed and she's on the run in Cuba... Pitt seduces her and they have sex in a storm drain. It's old Bond to the core and... kind of a terrible scene. It's the sort of thing that will either turn you off the series entirely or mostly just has to be ignored and hope it gets better. And it is getting ... better? At least?

I half hope the next book is just a touch more grounded. But who knows. After a random moon base shows up, anything is possible! Time Travel? Aliens? Literal Gods? SURE!

Addendum: The background of the Jersey Colony's name is hilarious in a dumb sort of way. I enjoyed that. show less

Off the coast of Cuba is a small isle and a shipwreck unconnected with one another until a wealthy financier off treasure hunting in his blimp disappears, soon they’ll connect everything from the moon to a lost Amazonian treasure. Cyclops is Clive Cussler’s 8th Dirk Pitt book in which his titular character flies the skies in an antique blimp, escapes then returns to a secret Soviet base, and save the city of Havana from a fiery fate.

A U.S. ship named Cyclops is carrying a legendary gold statue from a fabled Amazonian city when a rogue wave sinks the vessel in 1918, roughly 70 years later financier Raymond LeBaron with his two men crew goes searching for the ship in his antique blimp and disappear. Several weeks later, Dirk Pitt’s show more sailing race is ruined when LeBaron’s blimp reappears on a crash course towards a beach front hotel that Pitt stops thanks to help from people on the beach. But instead of LeBaron and crew in the blimp, there are three dead Soviet Cosmonauts that Feds quickly get from the Miami police after they learn from Fidel Castro that he put them in the blimp in a secret communique because he wants to separate from the Soviets. This is just something more on the President’s plate as he has just learned that a group of industrialists, government officials, and military officers had for two decades planned, constructed, and ran a colony on the moon with the colonists about to return after six years. Unfortunately for the secret group, the Soviets have found out about the colony and attempt to capture it only for the colonists to kill the Soviet soldiers who had only five days to prepare. Pitt is recruited by LeBaron’s wife to find her husband, but Mrs. LeBaron plans to fly to Cuba to give Castro the President’s answer but the Cuban military attacks the blimp resulting it in crashing into the sea close to the site of the Cyclops demise but they find the treasure is missing after diving the wreck but find a body of a old time diver. Pitt, Mrs. LeBaron, Al Giordino, and Rudy Gunn then make their way to a nearby isle off Cuba only to stumble upon a secret Soviet base. This base is a top secret listen station as well as the headquarters from a planned Soviet takeover the Cuba to install a puppet Communist government while planning the Americans. Pitt escapes, but the CIA spreads the story that he is dead as disinformation to the Soviets as they plan to attack the base and knock it out. But they move up the timetable after they learn the Soviet government wants to use the base to get a suddenly stuffed Space Shuttle to land in Cuba to take all the information from the moon colony. Pitt and the CIA capture and destroy the base just in time for the Shuttle to land in Keys though Raymond LeBaron dies, but on their return to the CIA transport Mrs. LeBaron puts a gun in Pitt’s gut and forces him to head to Cuba and Castro. The two make their way to Havana and the Swiss Embassy where they’re informed of the Soviet plan to assassinate Castro but they can’t find the supposed low yield nuclear, but after learning what the cargos of the three ships the Soviets sent to Havana were Pitt figures out the plan to firebomb the city. Pitt and roughly two dozen CIA agents hijack two of the Soviet ships and get them out as far as they can out of the harbor before the Soviet’s destroy them hours early that results in roughly 3000 casualties instead of essentially the entire city. Castro survives and kicks the Soviets out while accepting aid from the U.S. under the Red Cross then gives Pitt a ship with a crane after figuring out where Raymond LeBaron, who had found the Amazonian treasure to start his financial empire and killed his partner 30 years before, left it.

Unlike the previous two books, Cussler steered clear of Constitutional issues which was a welcome development however there were major chronological issues in connection with events in the last two books but that didn’t really matter much overall. Although due to the time period when this and other novels in the series were published, the Cold War aspect along with the horrible cliché Soviet characters and Communist world takeover agenda just drags down the enjoyment of the novel especially since real life showed that this was a paranoid American idea. Cussler’s characterization of women improved overall, though there were one scene which was gawd awful, with Mrs. LeBaron especially in relation with Pitt. As to the main character, Dirk came off as incredibly lucky throughout the novel though did have moments of brilliance that didn’t come off as Gary Stu.

Cyclops improves in quality over its predecessor as Clive Cussler works together three different story arcs into a fun, intriguing novel. Though the Cold War aspect and associated stereotypes connected with it got annoying, it didn’t ruin the book. Overall this is a fun action-adventure novel for anyone wanting to spend a few days reading. show less

This was a surprisingly good novel by Cussler. Sure, there is the cheesiness and the Hollywood-style action, but that is part of its inherent charm and what makes it equally entertaining and fun at the same time. I quite liked it and feel this is among one of his better novels.

3.75- enjoy this fine adventure!

This was the 6th novel from the Dirk Pitt series that I have read. I enjoy series. Many claim that they have no literary value since they aren't always capable of standing alone. I don't believe that and very much enjoy revisiting with favorite characters as they embark on new journeys. Dirk Pitt is essentially the James Bond of the sea and Clive Cussler's novels are rather heavily geared towards men. I like adventure and am a large fan of political incorrectness, even when directed towards women. This particular book included cosmonauts, a blimp and Fidel Castro. Random things coming together and working well, as it does here, makes me particularly giddy. I would have rated the book highter but I couldn't help comparing it to other show more books in the series and the female protagonist was unintentionally annoying. show less

[b:Cyclops|41697|Cyclops (Dirk Pitt, #8)|Clive Cussler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1314485970s/41697.jpg|2755450] by [a:Clive Cussler|18411|Clive Cussler|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1225620641p2/18411.jpg]

Genres; Action/Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Suspense

3 Stars

Not one of my favorites, but I read it. I liked it. I did not love it.
By the time I read this one I was 33 years old. That was 25 years ago. Already, the steamier the book the more I liked it. The problem I remember about this one was the 'Steam' factor. The adventure part was good. But, I remember being just 'Okay' with this one for numerous reasons.

I understood Dirk Pitt needed the 'get the female' that all book hero types had. But this one threw me in many show more ways. I really didn't understand why 'The Female' part was written the way it was. It was almost like Mr. Cussler was angry about something in his personal life and it came out in his writing.

This one is not recommended. It was just an 'Okay, I mostly liked it' read. show less

I very much enjoy reading stories with characters I've come to like and plots that are fun and surprising. Just when you thought the book was complete, there's another two hours to go. Even though the book is 30+ years old, the President pretty damn unhappy and almost killed our hero a few times. It could be 2020!

Repeating what I've said before, this isn't the top of the list for Cussler novels for me, but it was one of the better ones.

I very much enjoy reading stories with characters I've come to like and plots that don't go where you think will. This is an enjoyable read, definitely geared for men, as it's populated with superheroes, beautiful women and bad guys so cold you look forward to them getting their comeuppance in the end.

Start with a murder aboard a blimp, a missing millionare and a sea mystery, and you have the start of a new Clive Cussler novel. Quite entertaining.

I've lost count of the Cussler novels I've read, but I do have 3 more waiting for me on my 'too read' pile.

Well worth the read, moved along at a good pace, enough mayhem show more to keep things hopping and guest appearance by the Castro brothers. Would more could you ask for? show less