Chindi
Most science fiction seeks to excite and gratify the reader's  sense of wonder. Jack McDevitt's hard SF novelChindiboth  satisfies and examines this sense of wonder, which inspires not only SF  readers and writers, but every explorer and scientist who seeks to  understand the universe.InChindi, humanity has expanded to the stars and found very few  other intelligent races--all but one extinct, with the survivor none  too impressive. Humanity has resigned itself to being alone. Then an  alien satellite is found, orbitting a distant star and beaming an  unreadable signal across the galaxy. Academy starship Captain Priscilla  "Hutch" Hutchins finds herself piloting a motley crew of eccentrics  (one an ex-lover) from the idealistic, ridiculed Contact Society,  seeking the signal's destination. Their quest turns deadly as it takes  them far beyond the borders of explored space to an impossible  planetary system--and a vast and terrifying alien artifact.Chindiis an ambitious, exciting, big-idea hard-SF novel that  ventures successfully intoRendezvous with Ramaterritory, and beyond. The sequel toThe Engines of GodandDeepsix,Chindileaves some unanswered questions for McDevitt's  forthcoming fourth novel.--Cynthia Ward