The Engines of God

Product Description [This is the MP3CD audiobook format in vinyl case.] Humans call them Monument-Makers. An unknown race, they left stunning, alien statues encoded with strange inscriptions that defy translation scattered on distant planets throughout the galaxy. Searching for clues about the Monument-Makers, teams of twenty-third-century linguists, historians, engineers, and archaeologists have been excavating the enigmatic alien ruins on a number of planets, uncovering strange, massive false cities made of solid rock. But their time is running out: Earth's ravaged environment is quickly making it unlivable, and colonizers want to begin terraforming these abandoned worlds for human habitation. Only interstellar archaeologist Richard Wald and starship pilot Priscilla Hutchins are convinced that uncovering the secrets of the monuments may be the key to survival for the entire human race. Review ''A terrific book! The Engines of God is science fiction in the grand tradition, an intellectual adventure and scientific mystery, with the fate of worlds at stake.'' --Michael Swanwick, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author ''Splendid. Not since Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama has the discovery of artifacts of alien intelligence been treated so skillfully.'' --Baltimore Sun''A work of beauty and mystery and characters worth knowing,'' --Jeffrey A. Carver, author of the Chaos Chronicles ''An appealing mélange . . . a proper label for the book would come across like Polonious describing the players' repertory in Hamlet: hard science-fictional / planetary-romantical / space-adventurous.'' --Locus ''McDevitt blends straightforward adventure with scientific mystery, peoples the story with diverse . . . characters, and delivers a rewardingly startling solution.'' --Science Fiction Chronicle''With plenty of startling plot twists, a heavy dose of intrigue, and an unusual amount of character development for science fiction, McDevitt holds us fast right through to a thrilling finish.'' --Booklist ''McDevitt is at his best award-winning style in this intelligent and wide-ranging novel.'' --Kirkus Reviews About the Author JACK MCDEVITT is an American science fiction author who won the 2006 Nebula Award for his novel Seeker. He has served as an officer in the US Navy, taught English and literature, and worked for the US Customs Service. He lives with his wife, Maureen, in Georgia.