Uneven, sometimes brilliant, always a rare elegance

Jack Mc Devitt is a science fiction author apart. His books are like the old SF to Arthur C. Clarke or Isaac Asimov.
This book does not break the rule: it is as always at Mc Devitt a mixture of archaeological investigation and atypical space opera.

As often with Mc Devitt, presents serious defects book:
The passages that take place in the federation sorely lacking solidity, the universe is not very detailed, it gives a feeling of quite disarming superficiality. As if 9000 years in our lifestyle has not changed significantly. It's full of little disturbing enough anachronisms, such as when the protagonist takes us in the final chapters a "hasta la vista, baby" fully offset from the universe (The languages ​​like English or Spanish are supposed be dead languages ​​at that time ...). These passages in the world of the future are really very ordinary (AI avatars, Quantum engines, nothing very surprising ^^) even if the pseudo police investigation is not unpleasant to take. In short, the background is very light.
The characters are not very successful. The fact that the narrative is conducted in the first person by Chase, a female character to the mentality very "21st Century", the book serves more than it serves. Car Jack Mc Devitt is a man, and the reflections of the character sometimes sound artificially. We may note in passing the evolution of mentalities: in the 70s, Julia Verlanger published under a male name and was sticking to his characters about macho; Today the male writers slip into the skin of female avatars to hold high the banner of the emancipation of women ... Because the other main character in the story, Alex Benedict, is not described so very favorable (it behaves like a jerk constantly, even if it is shiny) and it hardly arouses empathy, but I think it's perfectly wanted.
In addition, Chase and Alex sometimes tend to do stupid things, just to allow the author to develop his frame: it's very annoying!

Yet this book is great in many ways:
Thanks to a very rare form of literary elegance in the world of science fiction, Mc Devitt author remains a pleasant reading in all circumstances, his prose is of a rare lightness. His stories are sometimes superficial, certainly, but this kind of classy superficiality that can be easily confused with elegance and good taste.
Mostly, all exploration passages are absolutely sensational. Mc Devitt mastered very well everything about celestial mechanics and from this point of view it is a popularizer of quenching Asimov.
But the jewel of the story is the solitary immersion of the main character, Chase, in an alien culture for a few chapters. It is the most successful passage of the book is rich, exciting, exhilarating. One can justify reading this book with these some great chapters.
Finally, Mc Devitt is an outstanding champion. The story is impossible to let go at times, as we discover after following. And that is not given to all books. Mc Devitt plays wonderfully with the "Sense of Wonder" in many of his previous works he had made a specialty of the shower (huge) expectations of his readers at the end of the book, with fine fishtail slightly frustrating. Here, the only disappointment procured by the end, it is its relative dryness, I would have liked a few more chapters.
This book is full of charm, enough charm to make her in my eyes totally insignificant defects. When a very pretty girl (or a pretty boy) has a wooden leg, you inevitably end up realizing it, but if she (or he) really likes you you will be taken to a sudden vocation for the profession of carpenter . Seeker is the same! Besides, I just ordered it.

Seeker is probably one of the best books of Jack Mc Devitt. Those who have succumbed to the charm of the previous works of the author can jump into this one without fear. For others, this is an author who is worth trying at least once if you are not too demanding in terms of solidity universe and if you enjoy classical SF.
Note: the composition and printing of this paperback show no significant defects, it is even fun to read (which for me is a first in this collection Folio SF).