Clouds of Magellan: A Science-Fiction Novel

The sequel to Nighbert's Timelapse shares the earlier novel's fast pace and light humor. Dr. Albert Samuels has learned that the gigantic Wheel, a mysterious alien artifact, provides an instantaneous gateway to a world in the distant Magellanic Clouds. Hoping to contact the Wheel's alien Builders and establish friendly relations, Samuels invites Anton Stryker and friends to join him on a trip through the device. Meanwhile, the evil Isaac DeKoven wants to use the Wheel to escape the jaws of intergalactic justice--and the race is on. Stryker and company marvel at the Builders' massive space structures and meet other exotic aliens. As they try to thwart DeKoven's attempts to sway the aliens to his side, they also wonder if the Builders' friendliness is too good to be true. Although the plot and characters, both human and alien, are relentlessly conventional (his tree-spider people are as irritatingly cute as George Lucas's teddy-bear Ewoks), Nighbert's adventure delivers plenty of action on a grand scale. (June)