The Coming

By: Joe Haldeman

Narrated by: Kevin Orton

Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards, Joe Haldeman has penned several best-selling novels, including The Forever War. After receiving a message from deep space, astronomer Aurora “Rory” Bell anticipates extraterrestrial visitors on New Year’s Eve. But with Earth teetering on the edge of another world war, Rory soon begins to wonder if the message was a hoax. And when the message is leaked to the public, a media frenzy ensues.

©2000 Joe Haldeman (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

“A large-scale story [that] provides food for thought as well as fast-paced action.” ( Library Journal)

Unknown intelligence from beyond Earth

Joe Haldeman’s The Coming is a tale of alien contact where the focus is on the anticipation of the event as well as all the attendant machinations from the local to the geopolitical. An astronomer decodes a message from far out in the solar system that simply says, we’re coming. The object tis expected in three months on New Year’s Day. What transpires is quite a bit of panic and disbelief as well as an extortion attempt that arose during an off-the-books investigation of the astronomer. Set in the near future, Europe is on the brink of war with itself, and the US has taken a decidedly right-hand turn. DOD naively believes they can shoot anything down. The ringer at the end was unexcepted.

Haldeman does an excellent job of capturing the mood and reactions of society to such an event. There is disbelief as well as fear of annihilation. He deftly covers appropriate responses. There is also a creative use of media to rapidly disseminate information, in addition to surveillance opportunities with a fully interconnected civilization. At the same time, he accurately predicts the rise of more tight wing fundamental government overreach into social mores. What results is a thoroughly believable scenario.

The narration is exceptional with excellent character distinction with a brisk pace.

Future social engineering

Joe is always a good read interesting take on future social structures overblown a bit

More about us than aliens

A thoughtful examination of how the American political system would react to a first contact situation. Even more relevant today as anti-science and anti-intellectualism grows in the US if all you want are ray, guns, and war mechs, it’s probably not the book for you

Dull; Not Nearly As Good As Joe Haldeman's Others

The story concept is potentially engaging but it's all about dull internal politics leading up to its anticlimactic ending. I've read Joe Haldeman's other books, which I enjoyed much more.

come on Joe, you can do better than this

wtf? I have read a few of Mr Haldemans books, but it seems this one was written as a way to fill pages wwith words to make a buck.

two thumbs down