Ancient Shores
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 First edition cover |
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| Author | Jack McDevitt |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | HarperPrism |
| Released | April 1996 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 397 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-06-105207-8 (first edition, hardback) |
Ancient Shores, published in 1996, is a science fiction novel written by Jack McDevitt. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1997.
Contents |
[edit] Plot introduction
Tom Lasker and his son Will discover an almost pristine boat buried on their North Dakota farm. The mystery deepens when they realize that the boat may have been used to sail on a prehistoric lake that existed in the area 10,000 years ago.
[edit] Plot summary
The vast lake, Lake Agassiz, covered much of North Dakota, Manitoba and Minnesota during prehistorical times.
The story begins when farmer Tom Lasker and his son Will uncover a seemingly brand new yacht. Found on a landlocked farm, it draws tourists to the area. Max Collingswood, a friend of Tom's tries to help discover the origins of the boat. Collingswood enlists April Cannon; a worker at a chemical lab who discovers that the yacht is made of an unknown material. In fact, it is a fiberglass-like material with an impossible atomic number.
Collingswood and Cannon discover something else on a nearby hill which is part of a Sioux reservation. The Sioux assist in its excavation and examination.
[edit] Characters in "Ancient Shores"
- Tom Lasker – farmer
- Will Lasker – his son
- Max Collingswood – Tom's friend
- April Cannon – chemist
- Elizabeth Silvera – government worker
[edit] Major themes
Native American culture and their reaction to and treatment by the modern world.
The nature and responsibilities of government employees who when given orders seem too ready to implement them without dispute.
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] References
- Jack McDevitt: Ancient Shores. Retrieved on 2006-07-28.
