In the Ocean of Night/Across the Sea of Suns (Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature)
At a glance:
- Author: Gregory Benford
- First Published: 1972
- Type of Work: Novels
- Type of Plot: Science fiction—artificial intelligence
- Time of Work: 1999-2019 and 2056-2064
- Setting: Earth, near-Earth space, aboard the Terran spacecraft in deep space, and nearby planetary systems
- Genres: Long fiction, Science fiction
- Subjects: Extraterrestrial life, Space ships, stations, or vehicles, Twenty-first century, Earth, Artificial intelligence
- Locales: Space, Earth, Fictional planets, Solar system
The Plot
In the Ocean of Night and Across the Sea of Suns present the story of Earth’s contact with several extraterrestrial civilizations. The story is told primarily through the character of astronaut Nigel Walmsley. In the Ocean of Night begins in 1999, with Walmsley heading a mission to the comet Icarus. The purpose is to plant and then set off a nuclear device, thus preventing the comets predicted collision with Earth. Walmsley discovers upon reaching the comet that it is in fact the remains of a ship and refuses to set off the device until further...
[The entire page is 1303 words long]
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