John Ringo Into the Looking Glass

Into the Looking Glass

John Ringo

Baen, Jun 2005, $24.00

ISBN: 0743498801

Thirty seconds after the president learns the news, the country is stunned as the media reports an explosion devastated the University of Central Florida. However, no radiation or electromagnetic pulse is detected; the NSA eliminates terrorists using an unheard of WMD, a non viable option. Everyone soon agrees that something happened in the lab of Dr. Ray Chen. They dispatch the only available physicist with a top secret clearance, the poster boy for absent minded Professor Dr. William Weaver accompanied by Navy SEAL Command Master Chief Robert Miller to investigate.

William and Robert reach ground zero where Chen's former lab was; they find an interdimensional doorway that works from both sides. This enables invading aliens to enter planning to conquer the earth. Only Weaver and Miller with rednecks and some real army stand in the way of the deadly Dreen who annihilate life on planets. Non-Dreen ETs follow who are not malevolent towards earth, but plan to blow the place up if William fails to close the door.

INTO THE LOOKING GLASS is a humorous action-packed science fiction that will remind readers of the opening of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as the not so bad ET's want to blow up the planet though no malice is intended. William is terrific as he cannot remember to pay his cell phone bill or call his irate girlfriend, but the President knows this Huntsville resident must save the world. Weaver's partner Robert is real military struggling to accept that he needs the nerd to succeed. John Ringo is at his most amusing best with these doorways to and from other dimensions leading to a wonderful save the earth sci fi.

Harriet Klausner