The Darkest Side of Saturn: Odyssey of a Reluctant Prophet of Doom

Taylor (Counters) starts this near-future novel strongly with well-rendered protagonists, but the story soon falters and collapses. Dreamer spacecraft engineer Harris Mitchel and driven astronomer Diana Muse-Jones discover an asteroid that, unbeknownst to them, is on a possible collision course with Earth. Soon the intrigue of astronomical discovery gives way to a hackneyed critique of religion, personified by Rev. Ernest Farnsworth, an evangelical leader who vilifies Harris in a last-ditch attempt to keep his congregation going. The inciting plot point, the asteroid’s path, isn’t revealed until halfway through the overlong slog and is buried in a mess of romantic affairs both real and speculated. Layered characterizations become flat archetypes, and the women—including, most disappointingly, Diana—become either leering seductresses or angelic stay-at-home wives and mothers. The book’s unfocused attempts at humor sometimes succeed but mostly fail. (BookLife)