Saucer

Don't read this as serious sci-fi with scientific explanation and deeply developed characters...it's not that. Light satire makes it a book that's just plain fun. Yes, the characters are a bit flat and credulity gets stretched here and there. The reaction of government to the finding of a flyable flying saucer was spot on--stupid and clumsy--just like always. Couple that with a greedy global zillionaire and a budding romance...you just can't stop listening. Coonts wrote more of Rip Cantrell--I may just have to check them out!

Rip Cantrell is working in the Sahara Desert for a mining company when he notices a strange glint of metal, a strange find in the middle of a desolate, inhospitable place such as that. After he and his co-workers do some digging they discover that it is a strange, alien space craft. Even stranger, the only way it could have been buried in the sandstone they found it in is if it had been there for thousands of years.

It's a magnificent discovery that could change the world, and everyone knows it. Before Rip can think he finds himself in an epic power struggle between multiple governments and government agencies, as well as a well-known billionaire who will stop at nothing to posses the saucer and sell it on the world market for it's show more hyper-advanced technology.

It all results in a very action-packed novel that, really, isn't as firmly rooted in science fiction as the title and theme would suggest. It's more of a thriller than a hard science fiction novel, which makes sense considering who wrote it. This for me was probably the biggest pitfall, as all the cool and interesting questions raised by the mysterious saucers take a back seat to all the explosions and gun fights.

With all that said, I'm hooked on the mystery of the saucer and will unquestionably be continuing with the series. show less

Saucer By Stephen Coonts

Over all rating: A surprising fun thrill Ride

Being a fan of sci-fi thrillers, I gave it a try. Not to mention it was given to me. It’s a simple novel called Saucer written by Stephen Coonts. The write up doesn’t explain much. The cover just has a picture of saucer on it, giving the reader no real clue of what their about to read,

So what is it about? It starts off with a archeological team and oil drillers that stumble across something shiny in the sand. They disregard it. Except for a kid named Rip, who decides to did it up. He does and finds that it is a flying saucer. Questions are then asked. Who made it? Where did it come from? How can it still work after thousands of years in the earth? Where are the show more drivers?”

But that is quickly thrown away as trouble follows. A American UFO Team shows up to take the saucer. In the team is a girl name Charley Pine. Then a African group of nationalist and Australian group of commandos arrive trying to take the saucer as their own. It becomes a mess with everyone fighting over this priceless piece of technology. While fighting, Charley and Rip steal the saucer and flies away.

But this is not the end. There are number of trigger happy and money hungry people who will travel the world to steal the saucer back from Charley and Rip.

So if your looking for real a technical sci-fi tale, forget it. There is nothing here to explain why it’s there, or answer any other questions asked at the beginning of the novel. There’s no real science to this fiction, but that’s not all that bad. Also Rip’s character to me felt cartoony. A but unrealistic, especially with his family members but despite the flaws you still become attached to him.

The good is there is a lot of action and this book is just flat out fun. This should have been called, “Indiana Jones and the Raiders Of The Lost Saucer.” Because that was the feel I got. It was very up beat. A great roller coaster rise. And fun. It never did die down once it got started. It solely focused on the people fighting over the saucer from around the world and Charley and Rip’s race to save it from falling into the wrong hands.

So it’s a fun adventure with a goofy lead , level headed test pilot who reluctantly fell into a adventure revolving around a flying saucer and people who will do anything to get their hands on it.

3 ½ smoothies out of four

P.S. check out my book website Lelue’s Realm. Google it or go directly to http://www.freewebs.com/lelue/ show less

Protagonist: Rip Cantrell, a 22-year-old with a prodigious appetite and a remarkably level head
Setting: present-day Sahara Desert, Australia and Missouri
Series: #1

First Line: Rip Cantrell was holding the stadia rod, trying to blink away the sweat trickling into his eyes, when a bright flash of light caught his eye.

Some researchers find an ancient flying saucer in the Sahara desert, the U.S. air force becomes involved, then an Australian multibillionaire takes the craft. The original finder of the saucer, 22-year-old Rip Cantrell,
takes offense at this and vows to get the saucer back. It's his. A ½ cup of excitement, a ¼ teaspoon of romance, a ¼ cup of technical lingo and a cup of satire make a fine recipe for a book that's just plain show more fun. Yes, the characters are a bit flat and credulity gets stretched a mite here and there, but like I said, this book is fun to read. Coonts wrote the further adventures of Rip Cantrell, and I may just have to check them out! show less

What would you do if you were lucky enough to find a flying saucer in flying condition and had several armed forces chasing you all over the world for possession of it? Why, buzz a baseball game for the fun of it of course! I found this book to be one absorbing story. Reality would just slip away as I was reading it. The story was written in a serious tone highlighted with humor throughout and a smattering of romance. There was not a whole lot of character development in a deep inner sight sense. The book was like a excellent action flick. Once event leading to the next in a loud beautiful bang... I enjoyed the book so much, that I have put all of Coont's books on my TBR list, he's that good.

A find at the Outdoor Castle Bookshop in Hay-on-Wye. Had not been rained on (easy, since there hadn't been any rain for months, basically).
A quick read, with an interesting premise (geologists find a UFO buried in sandstone in the Sahara, excavate it and are suddenly surrounded by Air Force, Australians and Lybians. What happens next?)
Some weak points in the characterisations and the dialogue is sometimes a bit uneven. But still, an easy and interesting read.

When Rip Cantrell, an engineering student working the summer as a seismic
survey worker in the Sahara, spots a glint of reflected light in the
distance, he investigates -- and finds a piece of metal apparently entombed
in the sandstone. Before long, Rip and his colleagues uncover a flying
saucer that has been resting there for 140,000 years. Their discovery
doesn't remain a secret for long. The U.S. Air Force sends a UFO
investigation team, which arrives just minutes before a team of mercenaries
sent by an Australian billionaire to steal the saucer's secrets. Before
either side can outwit the other, the Libyan military appears. Meanwhile,
Rip has been checking out the saucer. With the help of a beautiful ex-Air
Force test pilot, Charley Pine, Rip show more flies the saucer away, embarking on a
fantastic journey into space and around the world, keeping just ahead of
those who want the saucer for themselves, and touching off a world-wide UFO
sighting frenzy.

This isn't my usual type of book, but it was a very quick little read and
quite entertaining. Mostly dialogue and short paragraphs, the book didn't
last long or go too deeply into character development, but it was
thought-provoking and I enjoyed it. A nice way to spend a summer afternoon
and evening. 3.5 show less