Conference noted::sf

1241.0. "Paul Preuss' Core" by MTWAIN::KLAES (No Guts, No Galaxy) Fri Aug 19 1994 15:47

Article: 654
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.reviews,rec.arts.books
From: [email protected] (Mark R. Leeper)
Subject: CORE by Paul Preuss
Sender: [email protected] (Michael C. Berch)
Organization: AT&T
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 1994 11:36:24 GMT
 
                          CORE by Paul Preuss
       AvoNova, ISBN 0-380-71182-6, August 1994, 394pp, US$5.99.
                    A book review by Mark R. Leeper
 
     It seems like along time since I hard seen a hard science book
that is about--predominantly about--geology.  Paul Preuss's CORE
looks from the blurbs to be an updating of JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE
EARTH with an expedition to the fiery bowels of the Earth.  In fact the
exact words are "a reborn dream of an incredible expedition to the
center of the Earth.  In fact, that is misleading.  It is really about
digging a core hole deep into the Earth.  (Preuss obviously runs the
risk of having his book reviewed with the phrase "one long bore."  This
project can only be completed with the author inventing a substance
strong enough to withstand the pressures of the dig, Hudderite, named
for Cyrus Hudder, the father of Leiden Hudder, the main character.  The
use of geology rather than physics or biology as a science to build the
story around and the introduction of new super-materials like
"Hudderite" give the novel a marvelous pulpish feel that somewhat
compensates for not being taken on a journey into the core.
 
     What is not as well handled is the basic mystery of the father and
son relationship.  It seems that Cyrus Hudder committed suicide under
mysterious circumstances and Leiden is as interested in finding out what
happened to Pop as he is in digging into the Earth.  The story keeps
jumping around in time, telling the history of both Leiden and Cyrus.
The story is also artificially tied into current event to add excitement
that the author apparently assumes would be missing from the scientific
part of the story.  There is mystery here, but nothing greatly
unpredictable.  One suspects that Preuss thinks that modern audiences
are less interested in scientific discovery than in pyrotechnics.
 
     Another problem I had with the book was its setting of events in
1985 that clearly did not happen then.  In specific there is a lethal
solar flare.  The copyright date is 1993 with a first printing in this
edition in August, 1994.  (Odd, as of this writing it is still only
July.)  I suppose it is fashonable these days to write alternate
histories, but you would think the author would have more alternation
than that.  In spite of that one small problem CORE is a lot more like
novels written in the 1960s than the 1990s, which as far as I am concerned
is not a bad thing.
 
     Preuss seems to have done his homework and along with the basic
story the reader does get a small education in geology.  He also has
given some thought as to the corollary application of a big whole in the
ground.  The cover quotes "New York Newsday" as saying that the book has
believable characters.  Personally I found them to be just a bit
pulpish, but recognize that I probably am willing to sacrifice my
demands for characters if I am entertained, learn something, and havean
imaginative science plot.  To that end I would say that CORE, with its
faults (no pun intended) is still one of the more enjoyable books I have
read in a while.
 
%A      Preuss, Paul 
%T      Core
%I      AvoNova
%C      New York
%D      August 1994
%G      ISBN 0-380-71182-6
%P      394pp
%O      paperback, US$5.99
 
 
Copyright 1994 Mark R. Leeper
 
-- 
Mark R. Leeper <[email protected]>, (908) 957-5619  Fax: (908) 957-5627
AT&T Bell Laboratories -  MT 3D-441, 200 Laurel Ave, Middletown, NJ 07748