Astronomy professor Aurora ‘Rory’ Bell gets a message from space that seems to portend the arrival of extraterrestrial visitors. According to her calculations, whoever is coming will arrive in three months— on New Year’s Day, to be exact. A crowded and poisoned Earth is moving toward the brink of the last world war—and is certainly unprepared to face invasion of any kind. Rory’s continuing investigation leads her to wonder if it could be some kind of hoax, but the impending ‘visit’ takes on a media life of its own. And so the world waits. But the question still remains as to what, exactly, everyone is waiting for… Joe Haldeman plays tag in The Coming , as the narrative is passed from character to character in a seamless, if ultimately disappointing, tale set in 2054. Haldeman, whose honors include the Hugo, Nebula, and John W. Campbell awards, puts Gainesville, Florida, and 20 or so characters under the microscope to study a chain of events in the wake of a local astronomy professor receiving a mysterious message that may be from aliens. Professor Aurora Bell receives a message from space that simply states, "We're coming." The message appears to be alien, and according to Professor Bell's calculations, the vessel that sent it is headed toward Earth and will arrive in three months. As the local population and the rest of the world begin to examine what a visitation from a superior alien force might mean, speculation looms about whether or not the message is a hoax. The arrival approaches, and Professor Bell and those around her become embroiled in the media circus. The politics and intrigue of the situation take on a life of their own. Haldeman paints a vivid picture in The Coming of a world on the brink of another world war, where homosexuality is illegal, technology is advanced, and yet, humans really haven't changed that much. The tension in Florida is a microcosm that reflects the larger picture of Earth in trouble. But The Coming doesn't really get interesting until the final third of the book, and even then the ending is disappointing. Every few pages the story moves on to a different character, so most of the them are a bit flat. Haldeman has focused the story so tightly on one city that all the important events take place off stage and the characters have little to do but react. --Kathie Huddleston The Forever War (1972) and Forever Peace (1997) won Haldeman about as many awards as an sf writer could win, and those books' companion, Forever Free (1999), may bring more. Now the Floridian author takes inspiration from fellow Sunshine Staters in the crime-novel biz--Willeford, Leonard, Hiaasen, among others. The Coming exemplifies a long-established sf type--the story of first-contact with extraterrestrial beings--but unfolds like a crime caper, in which what seems to be and what is are two different things, and the caperers scheme and sleuth. On 1 October 2054, astronomy professor Rory Bell receives a message, "We're coming," from an Earthbound object way out in space that will arrive on New Year's Day. Soon Rory, her composer husband, her chief faculty protege, the university president, a mob shakedown artist, a Gainesville cop, the mayor, the governor of Florida, and, finally, the president and her cabinet are all conniving away in response to the momentous announcement. Several humbler Gainesvilleans, including a shopping-cart lady and a comely student earning her way through med school as a porn actress, constitute something of a Greek chorus, unwittingly commenting on the principals' doings. As noisy as the first-contact movie Independence Day and as cynical, if not as funny, about human dignity as Mars Attacks , Haldeman's fast-paced, cannily constructed yarn is ultimately most like that granddaddy of first-contact flicks, The Day the Earth Stood Still . Maybe better. Ray Olson Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “[A] real triumph…You’re not going to find a smoother, more assured, more convincingly human tale of the near future on the shelves this year.” —Russell Letson, Locus “A large-scale story [that] provides food for thought as well as fast-paced action.” —Library Journal “Stunning…one of the most compelling and provocative of all of Haldeman’s recent novels, and one of his most humanly convincing.” —Gary K. Wolfe, Locus “Highly entertaining…a near-future caper-cum-thriller [that] will definitely draw the reader in by the lapels.” —Science Fiction Weekly Joe Haldeman is a Vietnam veteran whose classic novels The Forever War and Forever Peace both have the rare honor of winning the Hugo and Nebula Awards. He has served twice as president of the Science Fiction Writers of America and is currently an adjunct professor teaching writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. talented writer