If you're a fan of science fiction, and I mean someone who is FAN enough to have read the masters of the genre and the magical books spawned during science fiction's Golden Age, then you've probably noticed that much of what's out there in the book stores these days lacks that sense of wonder, of mystery, of awe that some of the older sf authors used to capture so well.

Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Every genre has to grow from its roots and expand into new territory in order to stay fresh and exciting. The same holds true with science fiction. Now there's "military" science fiction, and "hard core" science fiction and "space opera" science fiction...you know, genres within genres. And that's a good thing, too. At least I think so...the so-called "new" science fiction still keeps me traipsing off to the book store on a regular basis, choosing books in all of these semi-genres and reading them at the healthy rate of about one per week. Diversity is good, no doubt about it.

But, every so often, a return to those glory days of science fiction does a body good and there's always one author that I can count on to fill me with that good old sense of wonder, of mystery, of awe among the stars. Of course, I'm talking about Jack McDevitt, an author whose novel THE ENGINES OF GOD was reviewed within these electronic pages about a year ago.

This time, I picked up his newest paperback, CHINDI, another in his series of books featuring Captain Priscilla Hutchins, Academy Pilot extraordinaire, who always seems to be in the thick of things when those things start to go wrong. In CHINDI, we the readers get more of the page-turning, knuckle-biting type of fiction that McDevitt has so consistently provided in the past. But, in CHINDI, we the readers get a little bit more, too.

You see, in most of the other books featuring Priscilla Hutchins, we humans as a species are aware that there have been alien civilizations in the past, some much more technologically advanced than we are, but we haven't really seen any of note for ourselves out there in the far reaches of the cosmos. It is a time when we are just now harnessing our grasp of Faster-Than-Light (or FTL) travel and we have colonized so very few planets. A time when we have discovered ruins of past alien cultures scattered here and there but nothing very recent ...just the stuff to fill the days of star faring archeologists.

Not anymore, boys and girls. The beginning of this book centers on a series of alien satellites that are found out there in the vastness of space. Satellites that, although ancient, are still emitting signals toward a particular destination. Enter Priscilla Hutchins as she decides to accept one last mission before retirement for the Academy, ferrying around members of the ill-reputed Contact Society, a group of people who feel that is nothing less than essential to discover a living alien society and to make contact with them for the betterment of the human race.

What is supposed to be nothing but a simple cruise to take a look at the satellites up close and possibly find out where the signals are being sent to, turns into an encounter that will change the lives of every single person on the ship, not to mention the rest of mankind as well. CHINDI takes us on a whirlwind adventure to several planets, contact with an alien race of savage avians, a historic find called "The Retreat" where alien bodies are found long dead and buried...yet one of those bodies had only recently been buried. And when using the term recent, I don't mean in archeological terms, I mean—recent! As in within just a few days! We, humans, are on the verge of making contact with a true living alien culture...if only we could find them and where they are.

Priscilla 'Hutch' Hutchins and her shipmates are taken one step closer to a possible historic meeting with an intelligent and far superior alien race when they find a small moon-like object that is orbiting a nearby planet. Only, upon closer inspection, this moon seems to have exhaust tubes...massive exhaust tubes. Further inspection reveals a hatch and then...well...all I'll say is, let the adventure begin!

Yep, I found myself turning the pages of CHINDI rapidly, all 500+ of them, wanting to know more, wanting to discover the mysteries they'd uncovered, wanting to know what it was all leading up to. A very good book, my friends, as I had no doubt it would be when purchasing the paperback a few weeks ago. Jack McDevitt possesses that rare quality to inspire wonder in his novels, to harken back to the golden age of science fiction when everything that was out there in space for us to find was still new and mysterious. McDevitt has the ability to capture that sense of wonder and awe and transport it to the reader—which always makes for compelling reading.

Ok, this book may be finished now but, just when I wanted to know all the answers right then and there, I learned that McDevitt's newest novel, OMEGA, the sequel to CHINDI, is now available in hardcover. My advice to all who read this Review and enjoy science fiction the way it was meant to be written—run out to your local book store today and pick up both CHINDI in paperback and OMEGA in hardcover! You'll want to read both of them back to back, I'm sure!

While you're there, do yourself a favor and pick up a few of Jack McDevitt's other amazing novels: ANCIENT SHORES, DEEPSIX, ETERNITY ROAD, INFINITY BEACH, MOONFALL and THE ENGINES OF GOD. Take it from me, you'll be very glad you did.

Synopsis
Radio signals emanating from stealth satellites orbiting a neutron star lead to a search for the source. The effort appears hopeless, but a group of wealthy enthusiasts, with their own ship, hire Priscilla Hutchins to take them out to have a look.

The trail is both strange and lethal. Ultimately they encounter the chindi, a ship roughly the size of Chicago. And what appears to be an alien refuge in perhaps the loveliest spot in the Orion Arm.

But the chindi is dangerous, and ultimately Hutch finds herself in a desperate pursuit to rescue a friend before time runs out.