Inherit the Stars

Although we usually avoid some hard science fiction, Hogan's Inherit the Stars throws a number of intriguing scientific mysteries at the reader that are bound to pique everyone's interest. Humans in the late 2020s, beginning to expand beyond the Moon, uncover the remains of a man who died 50,000 years ago. A team of various scientists, linguists, and other specialists, operating under a department of UNSA, begin to investigate what turns out to be the origins of Charlie (the deceased man whose belongings and body is subjected to various tests, revealing him to be essentially human). Anyone familiar with the well-worn tropes of science fiction may guess where this is heading, but Hogan's story handles it well through the likable protagonist, Hunt, an English specialist who is able to collate information from various specialist departments. His willingness to think outside the box make him invaluable, although the novel nicely preserves one of its largest revelations to Danchekker, a biologist who was once an "enemy" of sorts to Hunt. The main flaw appears in the plot, which is advanced through Hunt or others encountering and rethinking conceptualizing evidence after getting stumped. But at one point, the plot inexplicably jumps forward after Hunt accepts Caldwell's secretary's idea of a calendar found in the papers of Charlie. This is somehow followed by sudden leap forward to the cracking of much of the "Lunarian" language and their origins on a planet called Minerva. This sudden advance in the plot is a bit rushed, although the overall novel is a "fun" exploration of a scientific mystery. Even the conclusion in which northern Sudan appears to have played an important role in human history was done well and humorously (Hogan's sense of humor is delightful here).