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A review by otherwyrld
Chindi by Jack McDevitt
2.0
A lot of people seem to like this book, but I found it pretty annoying for the most part. In the not-too-distant future, a large part of the galaxy has been explored by humanity but few other intelligent species have been found. A group of rich people who are determined to make first contact commission a new starship and hire Captain Priscilla Hutchins (called Hutch for most of the time) to investigate a mysterious signal found in orbit around a neutron star. From there, they make the discovery of a lifetime, tracking signals from a massive alien relay system from one planet to another, each with its own intelligent life(though some are long dead) until finally they come across a huge starship that they call the Chindi (after a supernatural creature) which proves to be treasure trove they were seeking.
Sounds great in principle, but the reason I disliked the book was that the characters were so awful. Most of the passengers are rich and spoiled, and treat Hutch with a sneering contempt every time she urges caution. Even when her warnings prove true and people die (and lots of people do), they still fail to listen, blundering into one situation after another.
They may be an archeological expedition, but it's strictly amateur hour here. Not one of them even thought about getting any qualifications in the fields they might need on such an expedition, which is hardly surprising when their numbers include a stripper/porn star, an artist and a funeral director!
Hutch is just as bad at times, as she constantly fails to assert her authority on these unruly and badly behaved children. Even when two other starships are destroyed, she still doesn't pull the plug. Even though she was picked for the mission, it feels as if she was chosen because she could be bullied into doing things that she knew was a mistake, and I have a horrible suspicion that the character was made female just to make this point. There is always a faint suspicion of sexism throughout the story - nothing too overt, but it made me uneasy.
The story picks up a bit towards the end, but even then it has failings as Hutch attempts a desperate and foolhardy rescue of someone trapped aboard the Chindi, and all for the sake of "Twue Wuv" as she has decided that it it was a mistake to breakup with this guy as she had done years before. The action and rescue attempt itself almost, almost made me give it 3 stars, but it was too little, too late.
Captain Picard would have thrown this lot in the brig.
Sounds great in principle, but the reason I disliked the book was that the characters were so awful. Most of the passengers are rich and spoiled, and treat Hutch with a sneering contempt every time she urges caution. Even when her warnings prove true and people die (and lots of people do), they still fail to listen, blundering into one situation after another.
They may be an archeological expedition, but it's strictly amateur hour here. Not one of them even thought about getting any qualifications in the fields they might need on such an expedition, which is hardly surprising when their numbers include a stripper/porn star, an artist and a funeral director!
Hutch is just as bad at times, as she constantly fails to assert her authority on these unruly and badly behaved children. Even when two other starships are destroyed, she still doesn't pull the plug. Even though she was picked for the mission, it feels as if she was chosen because she could be bullied into doing things that she knew was a mistake, and I have a horrible suspicion that the character was made female just to make this point. There is always a faint suspicion of sexism throughout the story - nothing too overt, but it made me uneasy.
The story picks up a bit towards the end, but even then it has failings as Hutch attempts a desperate and foolhardy rescue of someone trapped aboard the Chindi, and all for the sake of "Twue Wuv" as she has decided that it it was a mistake to breakup with this guy as she had done years before. The action and rescue attempt itself almost, almost made me give it 3 stars, but it was too little, too late.
Captain Picard would have thrown this lot in the brig.