Every once in a while you pick up a book, read it through at a breakneck pace and realize that you knew it had been written by a master of the craft within the very first few pages. These are the types of stories that keep us reading, these are the types of novels that keep me going into bookstores with the urge to lay down my hard-earned cash for more. It is writing such as this that makes it so much fun to read, that has the power to allow the reader to visualize the story, to get lost in the plot, to shudder at the realism.

I was especially lucky when I lifted RICHTER 10 from the top shelf of my bookcase not too long ago. Within the first few pages of this grand page-turner, I quickly knew that I was being treated to the talents of two CraftMasters: Mike McQuay and Arthur C. Clarke.

RICHTER 10 starts out with a bang (literally since the opening sequence deals with a major earthquake in California in 1994), keeps banging along and ends quite nicely with, you guessed it, a bang! This book involves a man by the name of Lewis Crane and his undying obsession with putting an end to earthquakes forever. You see, that opening sequence involved young Lewis and his family during an earthquake. This is a scene that sets the tone for the entire novel. The book then goes on to jump ahead to different stages of Lewis Crane's life, his amazing achievements, his political liaisons, the impact of his powerful Crane Foundation on society, and his ultimate hatred of earthquakes. The novel also has several sub-plots that are just as entertaining as the main topic. One of these dealt rather timely (although it was written in the mid-90's) with fanatical Islamic Fundamentalism on a global scale. Certain characters in this sub-plot play a very large role throughout the novel.

So, there you have it, I absolutely loved this book. This review will not go into the details of the plot because any such description would ruin it for the reader. All I can say is this: go out and get your hands on a copy of this well written, not your everyday, sf novel of the near future. It is a thoroughly entertaining read, a very thought provoking story, a book that will take you on a wild ride around the world and a political thriller all wrapped up into one neat little package.

Having read both Mike McQuay's and Arthur C. Clarke's work in the past, I can't say that I was surprised by the quality of this book. But, then again, you never know until you open up the cover to the first page and begin to read whether or not your favorite authors have hit the nail on the head again or produced a dud this time... that's why we read the books.

On a sad note, unfortunately this novel was Mike McQuay's last. He left us for another place shortly after completing RICHTER 10. After I was finished with this masterpiece, I went back and reviewed the dedication at the beginning one more time. Although short, it says it all:

"To the memory of Mike McQuay, who never lived to know what a good job he had done." --Arthur C. Clarke.

Get your hands on this one, folks...you can't go wrong with RICHTER 10.

A scientist on the verge of finding the ultimate method of earthquake prediction.
Businessmen who do not want him to succeed.
A transdimensional method of travel.

Plot
A good and unusual plot. Sometimes straightforward and sometimes very complex in its scientific rhetoric. The story moves along well, fast enough to keep the reader involved whilst managing to convey the science content without being confusing. It is certainly not boring.

Characters
Good characters. The scientists are not too stuffy or preoccupied with their discoveries, neither are they blinkered or narrow-minded.
The businessmen are hard, calculating and very manipulative. The two groups compliment each other very well.

General
This reads as very well researched and the writing style is highly competent. However I was left with a feeling that the book did not have the "magic" a book by Arthur C. Clarke alone has. But this is not too much of a disappointment, the book is an enjoyable read.