The Coming (Ace Science Fiction)
Joe Haldeman plays tag inThe 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 inThe Comingof 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. ButThe  Comingdoesn'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