Summertide

Charles Sheffield
The Heritage Universe 1
1990 a.

It was just before Summertide, the time when the twin planets, Opal and Quake, would orbit closest to their sun, subjecting both - but Quake in particular - to vast tidal forces. And it was to be the most violent Summertide ever, due to the Grand Conjunction of the system's stars and planets, something that happened only every 350,000 years.
Access to the unstable Quake was supposed to be prohibited, but some very insistent travelers were determined to make the trip. Professor Darya Lang, who had made a career studying artifacts left by the long-vanished aliens called the Builders, had a hunch that during this unusal Summertide she might find the Builders themselves. Louis Nenda and the Cecropian Atvar H'sial had their own interests in Quake, and would do anything to get there. And Councilor Julius Graves was hunting murderers - if they were hiding on Quake, he needed no one's permission to search for them.
Planetary Administrators Hans Rebka and Max Perry had no choice but to go to Quake themselves - risking their lives to protect the others - and to learn, just maybe, the secret of Summertide and the Builders . . .
"A well-made puzzle story in the manner of Arthur C. Clarke's Rama books." - The New York Times

Arvamus:

Raamatul oli minu jaoks kaks poolt. Kõik see, mis oli otseselt seotud Ehitajate ja nende artefaktidega, oli minu jaoks huvitav, sellest oleks rohkem lugeda tahtnud. Seda oli liiga vähe.
Kõik see, mis oli seotud Opalile saabunud tegelastega, nende omavaheliste suhetega, Quake’le „ilmaimet” uurima minekuga ning seal loodusjõududega võitlemisega oli kohati üsna tüütu ja veniv. Ja seda oli raamatus liiga palju.
Need kaks poolt ei olnud minu jaoks päris õiges tasakaalus.

Minu algul kõrgele kerkinud ootused raamatu suhtes kahanesid lugemise jooksul. Eks ma ootasin rohkem ulmet ja vähem igasuguseid inimsuhteid. Seekord kahjuks nii ei läinud. Aga just enne seda, kui mu hinnang teosele oleks suisa kolmele kukkunud, sai lugu õnneks otsa.

Muidugi on olemas ka võimalus, et raamatut tuleks vaadata kui lihtsalt (pikka) sissejuhatust kogu Heritage sarjale ja enne tuleks kõik viis osa läbi lugeda, kui mingi osa kohta midagi eraldi arvama hakata. Aga äkki ei tekigi tahtmist kogu sarja lugeda? Seepärast panin oma esialgse mulje ikkagi kirja.
Minu hinne 4.