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The Gentle Giants of Ganymede

by James P Hogan

Reviewed by Coral


Having finally solved the mystery of both Charlie and humankind's origin, the scientists on Earth now turn to solving the mysteries that surround the Giants. Where did they come from? Why did they really import Earth animals to their planet? What really happened to drive them from their world? And, most importantly, where did they go? Then, suddenly a Giant ship just shows up in the Solar System, carrying living Giants!

Now, as the world tries to make these aliens welcome and finally discover long sought after answers, the Giants are mourning the death of their world and trying to keep certain things from their people's past a secret because they fear what the residents of what they called the Nightmare planet would do to them if they were to learn exactly what it was that was done to the Earth life on Minerva!

Okay, so with the last book, I had a problem with the idea that alien life forms could settle on Earth from the moon and not leave any trace of their space ships and space suits behind. And now in this book we're asked to believe that the Giants had, at one time, set up bases on Earth to study it, again without leaving any trace behind. And, what, it's just pure luck and coincidence that no one's ever found anything?

And if that wasn't a lot to ask, we're also asked to believe that the Giants could travel from their planet, complete an experiment in a distant solar system, cause a star to go supernova damaging their ship, and limp back to our solar system in 20 years, only to find that millions and millions have passed! You know, I could accept it if there had been some attempt made at an explanation; you know, stuck in a black hole, some kind of cryogenics accident, but nothing. It's a little too much to ask.

But, with everything that I didn't like about this book, it still managed to keep me interested in learning the Giants' secret. But, again, I felt like when we learned what it was, it just wasn't worth the wait.

Grade: C