| Diving into the Wreck by Kristine Kathryn Rusch is | | | | rehearsed precautions but still two of divers die while |
| classic science fiction; a well-told tale of space | | | | exploring. Squishy reports the deaths to the authorities |
| adventure and dangerous exploration that will keep | | | | and they declare the wreck off limits. Boss retires but |
| fans of the genre turning the pages. The time is 5,000 | | | | the past still haunts her and she knows that stealth |
| years in the future and the main character, a woman | | | | technology in the hands of the military may lead to |
| known only as Boss, explores abandoned and drifting | | | | intergalactic war. |
| space ships and ends up tackling some complex | | | | Rusch is the author of the "Retrieval Artist series" and |
| issues. | | | | a former editor of "The Magazine of Fantasy and |
| Boss is a loner, an ethical woman who takes tourists | | | | Science Fiction." She's also written romance and |
| to visit safe wrecks and specializes in salvaging | | | | mystery novels under different names. This book is |
| abandoned spacecraft, but her real love is the historical | | | | actually three tales woven together to form an intense |
| value of the ships. When a blip on her sensors leads | | | | story with depth and history. The characters are not |
| her to a derelict ship, she's astounded to discover it's a | | | | as well developed, except for Boss, whose first |
| Dignity Vessel, a five thousand year old Earth-made | | | | person narration makes the reader an eyewitness to |
| ship that could not possibly have survived. The ancient | | | | the vast, silent realms of deep space where even the |
| ship contains unperfected stealth technology, the same | | | | smallest error in judgment or equipment will bring |
| technology that killed her mother when she was a | | | | disaster. It's an eminently readable book with just |
| child. It's an enormous find and she's determined to | | | | enough science to make it real and Rusch raises |
| investigate further. Boss recruits a top-notch team of | | | | some moral and ethical dilemmas in a thought |
| space divers but she doesn't reveal her suspicions | | | | provoking manner. The story is compellingly human and |
| about the ship, preferring to hear their unprejudiced | | | | technically absorbing with suspense that builds to |
| opinions. When the team members recognize the | | | | fevered intensity and culminates in a plausible and |
| vessel, one member is panic-stricken. Squishy spent | | | | explosive conclusion. |
| years in the military trying to recreate the tech on old | | | | Publisher: PYR (November 24, 2009) |
| ships, with disastrous results. She urges Boss to abort | | | | ISBN: 978-1-59102-786-7 |
| and blow up the vessel, but Boss is determined to | | | | Paperback: 267 Pages |
| recover the secrets of the past. The team takes well | | | | Price: $16. |