Titan: Sword of Damocles by Geoffrey Thorne
Blurb:
Fate: It is an idea as old as life itself. Do our choices shape the future, or is it the other way around? And if the path we walk is predestined -- if the way we are to meet our end is knowable -- what might that knowledge compel us to do?
Titan 's travels take it to a world at the edge of reason. Orisha is a planet whose people have lived for centuries beneath an unfathomable celestial body in their sky. From the moment it first appeared, the object was thought to be something unnatural, an ill omen that has made them feel watched, exposed, vulnerable -- provoking a primal fear that has steered the course of their civilization. The Orishans call it "the Eye," and because it has consistently defied every scientific attempt to decode its true nature, many are convinced it represents an intelligence that is studying their world...and perhaps waiting to destroy it.
But the secret behind the Eye threatens Titan as well as Orisha...and it holds a special meaning for one member of Captain Riker's crew in particular, whose lifelong quest to balance faith and scientific truth is tested against the harsh, unblinking glare of inevitability.
___________
Excerpt from my 2008 review:
Sword of Damocles is an utter disappointment, especially after the great Orion’s Hounds. I was never overly impressed with Thorne’s short stories I’ve read, but while those were at least in the acceptable category, Sword of Damocles was very tiresome to read. The only things remarkable about Thorne’s extremely bland writing style is his tendency to be repetitive and an overly florid choice of words, especially in the first few chapters.
[...]
Overall Sword of Damocles is one of the weakest novels of the last few years, and a major setback for the Titan series quality-wise. It might be hard to directly follow a book like Orion’s Hounds, and I hadn’t thought that Thorne would be able to reach the same level, but that nothing about the novel is able to stand out positively is very unsatisfying - even the better parts of the novel are only average. I can just hope that whoever is chosen to write the next instalment will be able to bring the series back on track.
Fate: It is an idea as old as life itself. Do our choices shape the future, or is it the other way around? And if the path we walk is predestined -- if the way we are to meet our end is knowable -- what might that knowledge compel us to do?
Titan 's travels take it to a world at the edge of reason. Orisha is a planet whose people have lived for centuries beneath an unfathomable celestial body in their sky. From the moment it first appeared, the object was thought to be something unnatural, an ill omen that has made them feel watched, exposed, vulnerable -- provoking a primal fear that has steered the course of their civilization. The Orishans call it "the Eye," and because it has consistently defied every scientific attempt to decode its true nature, many are convinced it represents an intelligence that is studying their world...and perhaps waiting to destroy it.
But the secret behind the Eye threatens Titan as well as Orisha...and it holds a special meaning for one member of Captain Riker's crew in particular, whose lifelong quest to balance faith and scientific truth is tested against the harsh, unblinking glare of inevitability.
___________
Excerpt from my 2008 review:
Sword of Damocles is an utter disappointment, especially after the great Orion’s Hounds. I was never overly impressed with Thorne’s short stories I’ve read, but while those were at least in the acceptable category, Sword of Damocles was very tiresome to read. The only things remarkable about Thorne’s extremely bland writing style is his tendency to be repetitive and an overly florid choice of words, especially in the first few chapters.
[...]
Overall Sword of Damocles is one of the weakest novels of the last few years, and a major setback for the Titan series quality-wise. It might be hard to directly follow a book like Orion’s Hounds, and I hadn’t thought that Thorne would be able to reach the same level, but that nothing about the novel is able to stand out positively is very unsatisfying - even the better parts of the novel are only average. I can just hope that whoever is chosen to write the next instalment will be able to bring the series back on track.
