Mercury Rapids Trilogy by Steve Johnson

Three Books compiled into one volume

In the tradition of The X-Files and Dark Skies, Steven Johnson's debut novel is a masterful tale of government cover-ups, sinister conspiracies and intergalactic conflict. Told through the eyes of protagonist Bill Lewis, Mercury Rapids draws heavily on the influences of such science fiction giants as Asimov and Heinlein, and Steven Johnson's ambitious storyline is executed to near perfection. He throws enough clever twists and subplots into the story to keep the reader fully engaged, and never lets up on the breakneck pace. From the protagonist himself to the aristocratic Sir Donald Quentin-Smythe, conspirator-in-chief, Johnson's characterizations are believeable and proficiently crafted. And the English setting makes for a pleasant change from the usual Midwestern backdrop for alien encounter stories. Mercury Rapids is a story that has been told by many a science fiction writer, but rarely with such skill and intelligence. There are enough original concepts to widen the eyes of even the most hardened UFO buff, and the story is easily accessible even to readers who wouldn't ordinarily bother with this kind of book. Overall, what in lesser hands could have easily been a trite, cliched tale, is a thrilling, hi-octane sci-fi adventure story replete with clever plot twists, great characters and a terrific ending that will leave you begging for more. Most of all, Mercury Rapids is fun. And what more could one ask for than that?