Cauldron

I enjoyed this apparent finale to the Hutch Hutchins series of space operas Jack McDevitt began years ago with Engines of God. As usual, I don’t quite understand the put downs of a good number of the Amazon reviewers. The book may, indeed, have filched a Star Trek plot device. I wouldn’t know. I couldn’t remember all the ST shows if I tried. They’re too boring.

McDevitt repeats his themes, of course, but he is rarely boring and he certainly isn’t here. There was one glaring error which amazed me. In the first paragraph of the epilogue the Preston superluminal returns to Earth space. Two pages previous it was destroyed near the galactic core. Fortunately its lovable AI Phyllis was saved. Pitiful editing that. Nevertheless, it was a fun read and a good place to end the series. Hutch deserves her porch rocker even if she wouldn’t want the rest of the human race to lollygag on its porch without having first gone forth as boldly as she did.