Seeker by Douglas E. Richards

Seeker Reviews

• 
  Scott

  I've read a LOT of science fiction and tend to enjoy most of it. Seeker has a good premise, but I'm honestly surprised by the number of high reviews and praise the book has received. The dialog is horrible, the characters pretty one-dimensional and stereotypical, and too many aspects of the story are predictable.
  
  The worst is that the author feels the need to take an encyclopedic approach when discussing things that aren't even important to the story. As an example, he spends some time explaining what a capybara is even though it plays no role in the story. That sort of thing doesn't usually bother me, but in this case it really affected the flow. So overall I found it mildly entertaining but also annoying, since it could have been so much better.
• 
  Hugh Vincent

  Bottom line: it's crap. Some spoilers below.
  
  From an intriguing prologue, the story quickly reveals a shallow plot with two-dimensional characters who are given to reciting long compilations of facts clearly drawn from an overactive use of Google Search. Not exactly the techno-thriller or hard sci-fi I was hoping for. In fact, Seeker reads more like a graphic novel (aka comic book, complete with graphic violence), rather than a serious sci-fi story.
  
  After an over-the-top bloodbath right out of the gate (delivered for shock value), the story descends into a thinly veiled Captain America theme. The cast of supporting characters consists mainly of throw-aways -- ISIS bad guys and a few other stick figures -- who are introduced Google-style in one paragraph, and then either ignored or killed off a couple of pages later. Many of these competitors in the race to gain control of Seeker are supposedly high-tech commandoes from other countries, but their supposed enhancements came off as as either boringly predictable or highly implausible (invisible Israelis, for example), as opposed to exciting and thought provoking.
  
  As the two dubiously AI-enhanced protagonists fight their highly implausible battle in the Amazon jungle against a not-so-smart (but supposedly superintelligent) AI from another galaxy, the highly debatable theme of the 'technological singularity' is uncritically and unconvincingly hammered home ad nauseum. Very weak arguments on the science behind any technological singularity, whether human and alien. These arguments are mostly delivered via dialogues with Seeker and they run for pages, while the main characters sit around in the jungle, unbelievably pontificating on "Life, The Universe, and Everything" in the midst of their life and death struggle. While enduring these endless dialogues with Seeker, I was reminded of Lucius in the Incredibles talking about Baron Von Ruthless:, "He starts monologuing! He starts like this prepared speech about how feeble I am compared to him. How inevitable my defeat is, how the world will soon be his! Yada, yada, yada." In short, the whole AI pitch was not very imaginative, not very plausible, and ultimately came off like an adolescent fantasy.
  
  I hung on to the end of the book, hoping Seeker would deliver a twist or something finally original to salvage my slog through the sophomoric plot, but it was not to be. Instead the obligatory love match between the protagonists is tacked on at the end -- and with zero chemistry having developed between the two during the story, I didn't even bother to read it; skimming it was all I needed.
  
  I'd classify this book somewhat at the same level as Ready Player One, but without the originality, suspense, cleverness, or sense of fun delivered in that story. Frankly I was glad for it to end. If this is a best seller, it does not bode well for the future of humanity in our galaxy.
• 
  Haje

  I'm suffering the grief of reading a book by an author that I usually really enjoy, only to realize that his portrayal of women is... problematic.
  
  In Seeker, Doug's writing falls short of my expectations. It's hard to explain exactly how without spoiling the book, but suffice to say that whenever the female protagonist does something awesome, it's described with surprise. Whenever a man fails to solve a challenge, it's described with equal surprise. At first, I thought it was a literary device (there are a couple of twists in the book) - but even after certain twists happen, the general undercurrent continues.
  
  It doesn't help that the book talks down to its audience. I prefer literature that is smart but relies on its readers to drop hints and to do research into bits they don't understand, rather than spelling everything out.
  
  It's a special kind of grief - a betrayal of sorts, in fact. I finished the book, and I did ever so enjoy some of the creative twists and turns in the story, but overall I couldn't shake the feeling that the author was writing without due care and attention to how he describes his own characters (bad), or did so on purpose (worse).
  
  A cursed shame, because I've enjoyed a lot of his other writing. Doubly so, as a thorough edit would have saved the author from putting the book out as-is, and would have made it a much more enjoyable read.
• 
  Dawn Perry

  This is the first work I’ve read by this author, and I’m not impressed. As an avid Sci-Fi reader I had hoped for more from a modern reader. The twist on the alien invasion/alien AI super intelligence was interesting, but it was really hard to get past the awful dialogue, one-dimensional characters and slightly misogynistic casting. The first chapter sets the tone: the main male protagonist is described in terms of his abilities and intelligence, while the “love of his life” (Cynthia) is described in terms of physical attractiveness. Oh wait, we are told she is smart and talented too, but never is this demonstrated. She’s a cookie-cutter character. Sure the second love interest female (Ella) ends up being smart, but at first she is judged by her physical attractiveness vs her intelligence and personality. I’m tired of these canned love stories where the females are objectified. This seriously detracted from any other merits the story may have had.
  
  NEWSFLASH to all male SciFi writers: women read SciFi too and we like multi-faceted characters who demonstrate growth and change and female characters that are more than just part of the scenery. And yes, we like StarTrek too.
• 
  Patiscynical

  Disappointing
  
  This started out well, but the ending? Well, not so much. Once the main characters started communicating with Seeker I quickly lost interest. Actually, I started losing interest as soon as Ella entered the picture. And Seeker, who repeatedly reminds one of how brilliant he, (it?) is, keeps using ridiculous cliches when speaking. I mean seriously, 'a tough nut to crack'? That's not what I expect from a super, highly evolved extraterrestrial.
  It could have been so much more, but in the end it was like watching the Star Trek episode where Captain Kirk outwits Nomad.
  Results: good idea for a story, ruined by an unbelievable cast of characters and a somewhat psychotic Alien AI.
• 
  Jonathan Maas

  Douglas E. Richards delivers yet again
  
  I fell in love with Richards style during
  Split Second - and I see his style being composed of three parts -
  
  * Can't miss action
  * Pauses in the action to have the antagonist enter an insight-filled dialogue with a hero for five pages or so, something worthy of the best non-fiction you can imagine
  * A plot that shows something really big is at stake - big on a universal level even
  
  Call him the
  Dan Brown of Science Fiction
  
  Admittedly - that is a big name to follow. Dan Browns erudition pushes through every page, making sure Robert Langdon stays with you until its end. But just as Dan Brown delivers things that even his oft-considered-better contemporary Umberto Eco could not - Richards does things that even Dan Brown can not.
  
  Outside of Dan Brown's Origin, which was exceptional and deals with universal themes - Richards takes on bigger themes than Brown.
  
  In Split Second he took on time travel - I mean really took it on, in a way that no author really has. He factored in physics, the movement of the universe and everything else.
  
  Here - he factors in ASI - an Artificial SuperIntelligence from another planet visiting ours - and what that means.
  
  I'll leave the details for you to find out for yourself, but in the meantime stick around for the dialogues between hero and antagonist - if you can call their nemesis an antagonist - Richards delivers in these dialogues, and he definitely delivers here!
• 
  Daniel Kincaid

  Kagan’s eyes narrowed. “So you’re suggesting that we’re really at our best?”
  “I am.”
  “That’s hard for me to believe,” said Kagan. “I’m more in Ella’s camp. And if we really are at our best, why do so many of us think otherwise?”  
  “Because war, terrorism, violence, mass shootings, and so on are all around you,” replied Seeker. “They seem worse than ever now because you have twenty-four-hour news channels, which bring you constant examples of violence and barbarism from the most remote corners of the globe. These outlets, with the aid of social media, spread and amplify the bad news much more effectively than the good..."
  “So why do so many of us feel such despair about the direction we’re heading?” asked Ella.
  “Because hope and optimism doesn’t sell nearly as well as pessimism and despair. Your news outlets earn clicks and viewership by sowing alarmism and division. Your social media plays to addictions and creates unprecedented social pressures. You’re wired by evolution to find bad news more motivational than good. To seek it out.
  “If your ancestors heard the rustle of a friendly breeze far away in the tall grass, and ran away, mistaking the breeze for a lion, this cost them very little. But if they heard the rustle of a lion in the tall grass, and mistook it for a friendly breeze, this would cost them their lives. Seeing potential bad news behind every harmless breeze is a survival instinct.
  “There are many other psychological and evolutionary reasons to account for the state of your discontent in the face of prosperity, but I’ll stop there.”
  
  When an alien probe lands in the midst of the Amazon jungle, it starts a deadly race, initiated by the probe, to reach the probe and uncover its secrets. All the nations of the world are throwing their hat into the ring. As the probe hides in the densest area of the jungle, the US government sends EHO (Enhanced Human Operations) agent Ben Kagan to the jungle to retrieve the probe before anyone else does, and as he's outnumbered and surrounded by rivals, he knows no one, even the closest of allies, can be trusted.
  But nothing is what it seems, as the probe has its own deadly and brutal agenda that can bring upon the end of the human race. It's up to Ben and his companion, genius scientist Ella Burke, to not only overcome obstacles and escape certain death, but also convince the probe to change course, as the fate of mankind, and possibly the entire galaxy, is on the line.
  
  Douglas E. Richards is an amazing author. I've started reading his novels about 2 years ago, and he never disappointed. He has an uncanny ability to come up with some of the most unique, fascinating concepts, infuses them with amazing characters, humor, action, adventure, superb prose, moral dilemmas, and everything that makes us human, for bad and for worst. And he mixes all those up and always comes up with gripping, fascinating, hard-to-put down novels.
  
  "Seeker" is a bit different compared to his other novels, though. Not bad different though. The action takes in one place exclusively (the Amazon jungle), and there are more dialogues and discussions than in his other novels, which made the pace of the novel a bit uneven. There were no bad guys, at least not one distinct bad guy, but a few of them, which was appropriate, considering the plot and theme of the novel. And while those discussions tended to be a bit longer than usual, they were still fascinating, and raised a lot of questions regarding the current human condition, technology and its use, etc.
  One thing that I also loved about this novel is the optimism. Richards (according to his notes at the end of the novel) is a very optimistic guy, and it shows. He's very realistic, though, and he sees things just the way they are. But he is right, that we, as a society, have a tendency to focus more on the bad than on the good, and despite everything that happens around that, there are so many good things we need to focus on more. True, they may not attract views or ratings or clicks as much as the worst of things, but they're worth more of our focus. It's all balance, in the end. Yin and Yang. Good and bad. They exist together, and they need to be acknowledged as such. But not one more than the other.
  
  4 stars. A bit different from his other works, but nonetheless, an amazing, thought-provoking, fun sci-fi adventure.
  Highly recommended!
• 
  Mike

  You’re too stupid to read this book
  
  The author admires Elon Musk and believes in The Singularity.
  I don’t.
  This started out as a good thriller, but broke down into a series of mind numbingly long dialogues between the main characters about What It All Means.
  If you didn’t feel like you got lectured enough while reading the book, the author has an extensive explanation of the angst he experienced writing the book and a detailed list of books that cover in further depth the points he was telling, because you might be too stupid to grasp the concepts he’s sharing.
  In other words, he makes it clear that he is quite intelligent and that you really need to know that.
  I won’t be following this author, I’d rather read a college textbook on economics than read anymore of this drivel,
• 
  Tom Allred

  Douglas E. Richards finally stumbles
  
  I’m a big fan of Mr. Richards and have highly rated his previous books. In this one there are way too many pages of dialogue between the two major characters that might be factually interesting but do nothing to advance the story. He alternates between the main character being super smart and clever and experienced, to the character being completely clueless that the other main character is totally playing him. Conveniently dumb or smart as Mr. Richards plays out the story. It all seemed a little clumsy which is unusual for this author.
• 
  Sean Randall

  Wow. I really enjoyed this. obviously I saw that everything was not quite what it seemed with Ella early on, but I didn't quite pin down the exactitude. Also I got chasing after a few red herrings, which was fun. Richards has expanded even more - The Israelis have featured in previous works, whereas those before have been largely American and W.O.T. Islamist extremist, so it was nice to see this widening in scope here. Full of his typical style, twists and technologies, I was hooked after the first 5% of the work and by the halfway point, literally would have stayed awake come what may to finish. Bravo.
• 
  Aaron

  Another good techno-thriller from Mr. Richards. It was a quick read but still fascinating and exciting. I could see a really good sequel coming out of this story. I have always liked his work and this one is no exception.
• 
  Adrian Durlester

  [Note: if you want to read more specifically about this book, skip past these opening comments. Also, this is a critical review, but I'm still giving this book four stars.]
  
  I'll say one thing for Douglas E. Richards - he is a science fiction author most enthusiastic about his craft. He takes the science part seriously - doing a lot of research - which he proudly then displays in often fascinating (and sometimes useful) endnotes. Therein, however, lies the rub. Why, Douglas, why, I restate for emphasis, is it so important to you to demonstrate that so many of the ideas in your books are based in reality or near term reality, supported by the latest research? I begin to wonder if you over-value the element of plausibility necessary for good science fiction. Sometimes, part of the joy and wonder of science fiction is its implausibility. Not every alien civilization or new technology has to be fully plausible. Some of the best science fiction I've read has technology, culture, alien civilizations, and more that require the reader to abandon an anthropocentric viewpoint. Sure, if an author creates something that violates the laws of the universe in which it is created, that can be problematic. That is not to say that I haven't found some implausible elements in your books, but for the most part you seem to go to extremes to, or tie yourself in pretzel knots in the body of the story (or the endnotes) to ground most implausibles firmly in some current research or speculative science. I find it odd that I should be complaining about this. I prefer my science fiction hard, and I'm not much of a fantasy fan. But sometimes an unexplained, even implausible element is necessary to keep even the most skeptical of readers engaged.
  
  Don't get me wrong. Douglas E. Richards is one of my favorite contemporary authors. Wired was such an amazing book, and its sequel Amped was right up there with it. That gave me the desire to want to continue reading Richards' output, which I have enthusiastically done since. There have been minor ups and downs, but I have pretty much enjoyed all of his books. His previous book to Seeker, Time Frame (itself a sequel to Split Second) was, for me, evidence of a bit of a "sophomore slump," as another reviewer put it.
  
  I paused for quite a few seconds before pushing four stars (instead of 3 as I had given Time Frame just over a month ago.) I had to really convince myself that Seeker was more than improved enough over Time Frame to earn that fourth star back. In the end, it wasn't improvement that swayed me, but the story and its few less plausible speculative moments. It's the philosophical, moral, political element of Richards' writing that always draws me in (even if I don't always agree - an example is that I found Time Frame a bit too libertarian in viewpoint, even if that's not Richards' default politics - I don't really know what they are.) To describe the less plausible speculative moments requires spoilers. I don't like to do that. I'll just say that the titular object, the Seeker, and how its entire story plays out is itself one of those elements.) The ethics and philosophies being explored in this book are timeless and ultimately fascinating, though I might not always agree with some of the conclusions of the characters or the author.
  
  The sappy romantic stuff between gruff enhanced hero and female protagonist (to say more would be a spoiler) I could do without. This has been a bit of a pattern in Richards' work, and, even as a male, I find it mildly misogynistic and unrealistic in expectations that relationships formed under duress have any real hope of success. This book did not need a boy gets girl/girl gets boy ending to be successful.
  
  Infodumps. I've ragged on Richards (and other science fiction authors) about this often. Infodumps are lazy writing. I know authors hate hearing that, and have even started to actively fight back on this issue. But infodumps are what they are. At about the midpoint of Seeker, and for quite a bit of pages, there is one long infodump. Considering how Richards alreadys includes these amazingly informational endnotes in his books, you'd think long infodumps within the body of the story wouldn't really be necessary. To me, infodumps remain anathema. Douglas, please, please read this:
  https://www.tor.com/2018/06/13/avoidi...
  
  I'll remind the reader of this review I'm still giving Seeker four stars. It's an entertaining and fascinating read (even if the dorky romantic cliffhanger ending is maddeningly maudlin and cliche.) I will continue to read Richards' books, and I expect I will continue to enjoy them. I just hope he eventually gives us another Wired/Amped at some point. It's funny how sometimes the freshman work of authors is their best. Maybe it's because they don't impose the constraints upon themselves that a taste of success seems to eventually force upon all authors who try too hard to please the purchaser, game the best seller lists, and become less true to their own original vision?
  
  So yes, buy this book. Read this book. Enjoy this book. I did, warts and all.
• 
  Matthew

  I couldn't get through this book.
  
  It was schizophrenic, an intriguing opening introducing us to a mild-mannered scientist at a party. Within the span of a few pages, he is transformed into some sort of alpha male military genius. We're never shown how this happens; we're merely told, and accepted to swallow it.
  
  This new protagonist, completely different than the one we were introduced to, is a complete asshole. He thinks he knows more than everything (he probably does now, but still), he acts holier-than-though, and he constantly belittles his traveling companion. This was a VERY unlikable hero. I wanted to smack him. I did not want to continue reading.
  
  Also, the author fills pages by basically spouting off Wikipedia entries at us. Need to fill space? Tell us everything you know about the jungle! Or snakes! Or technology! Some authors give needed information very deftly; Douglas Richards does not. It's an information dump for no purpose other than to show us how smart the hero is. We get it.
  
  I abandoned this book in the first quarter of the novel. Maybe it got better later on, but I doubt it. I will not read Douglas Richards again.
• 
  Ben

  **Warning: this text may contain spoilers** This book starts off with an ISIS attack and I had to roll my eyes. Not this old trope again. But blessedly, that is over fairly quickly and does not return as a major part of the story. It's just a setup for the main character's future motivations. What follows for the next 100-ish pages is a pretty standard black ops storyline that Mr. Richards falls into so often. It's fine, but nothing I haven't read before.
  
  Then, we get the big data dump (which is always my favorite part of hard sci-fi books). It's glorious and I'm dialed in now! I won't get too spoilery, but we get the full backstory of the Seeker probe and its intentions here on Earth all in one long exposition. I really liked how the probe justifies the brutality of humanity as what could make us successful against the Andromeda ASI. Since we are constantly fighting with one another, we have honed in our survival skills much faster than Seeker's creators did. I don't relish the reality of the violence humans wreak upon one another, but I've never seen a story justify it. It's a different approach and I dig the creativity there.
  
  From there, I expected the action to ramp up and we'd race towards the climax... but we don't. Instead, we get hours of more exposition (I listened to the audiobook... but this part was mostly dialogue, so it was basically real-time in the story as well) on Ella's backstory. WHY? I understand that a little bit of explanation is needed to justify her inclusion in the plot, but why does it need to take that much time? Plus, Seeker has just outlined that he will be wiping out approximately 99% of all humans on Earth once a victor is declared. Shouldn't the main characters get on that, rather than going over how badass each of them are and flirting? Talk about a buzz-kill!
  
  After that, we get a few quick action scenes then... more exposition. Really?! Ella gets the bright idea to ask Seeker questions and try to convince it to not kill 99% of the remaining humans after the contest. They talk about that for another couple of hours (again audiobook but mostly dialogue). There is a lot of interesting science in there, but the characters should be dead by now. There are literally surrounded by hundreds of the most skilled killers on the planet; who are all converging on the same spot in the jungle. It's like a live-action version of a Fortnite game. You should not have that much time to sit in one place and shoot the breeze. It doesn't make any sense.
  
  I really thought this one was going to turn the tide for my waning enthusiasm for Mr. Richards' recent books. A lot of his earlier books made it on my "favorites" list, but the last three or four fell flat for me. I'm starting to wonder if those earlier books would remain on my "favorites" if I re-read them. This one had lots of potential to be a really solid sci-fi book. But being beat over the head with exposition turned my brain off. Plus, the character development amounted to the author telling me what to think about everybody. I don't expect deep character arcs in these kinds of books, but this one did stand out as especially bland.
  
  Despite my criticisms, this is a decent book overall. The scientific and philosophical theories presented here are fascinating; it's just the 250 pages story wrapped around them that is kind of dippy. Try to catch it on sale, if possible. I got the Kindle version for $2.99 and Audible version for an additional $1.99. I don't feel like I wasted my money.
• 
  Norm Davis

  
  Draft Review
  Narrator:
  Kevin Pariseau
  My Rating:
  
  Five Stars, Recommended Science Fiction Adventure. If you like Isaac Asimov, you'll probably like [Douglas E. Richards](
  https://www.douglaserichards.com).
  
  We start with a probe the size of a baseball traveling at impossible speed through space, discovering radio signals from Earth and diverting to this planet. That's the prologue hook.
  
  Then we start with an ISIS terror attack on a party of the rich and famous. Attending is a man who has discovered the love of his life and who is now planning to reduce his obsession with his work on automated vehicles to spend more time with this new delight in his life.
  
  ==Spoiler Paragraph==
  As ISIS terrorists are slaughtering hundreds and carrying the bodies to industrial wood chippers, the man-in-love, separated now from his love, having escaped the initial wave of gunfire makes it to the kitchen where he sees a young child of the host of the party. One of the terrorists bursts in, sees the girl and aims at her. Our lover dives in front of the bullet, landing on top of her and with his dying breath tells her to find a small cabinet to hide in if she can, then he expires. When authorities arrive, this one single young girl is the only survivor. The rest are entirely unrecognizable wood chipped gore. Authorities can only guess who they are as the terrorist had been kind enough to film every soul in the place, collect their phones and ID's, leaving them behind as a stroke of bad luck or as some ruse, investigators have no clue except there is a lot of gore/
  ==End Spoiler==
  
  This is pretty typical of Mr. Richard's writing. You're almost always jumping onto a high energy adrenaline laden ride with his books. Right when you think you have a clue, something impossible happens, yet it makes perfect sense.
  
  **My Noteable Notes**: Way too many spoilers among my few but detailed notes, so here's the one that isn't a total spoiler. This is just a suspicion I had while reading...
  
  I suspected Ben's side kick, the idiot chick isn't as moronic as she lets on. Hope for something good about her later today.
  
  Read on Dec 18, 19, 20, 2020
• 
  Rob

  Some fun to be had by the end, but it started so cheesy I never really got in to it.
  It started with such a distasteful event too, putting a bad taste in my mouth. Once I started seeing it for the old cheesy scifi that it wants to be I enjoyed it a lot more. But even then it is too talky for its own good.
  
  Reading Notes:
  he was like musk even muskier, or jobs only jobsier
  so silly so far, almost like a parody of itself
  that attack in the beginning feels so distasteful.
  opening with the president is just so talky
  Ella is so obvious that I am at the same time waiting for the reveal that she is an agent or something, but also its been so cheesy that her being legit wouldn't be surprising
  hopefully she will just reveal herself now so that the suspense doesn't last so long
  yeah so she is clearly an eho or w/e
  maybe its just the style of writing, but her dead body just make me more sure she will be back lol.
  
  a little interesting but just another talky infodump
  sounds like a lot of great filter talk
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_F...
  
  why does he keep harping on how stupid she was
  
  I want a 10,000 years in the future sequel
  
  GASP ella how could she possibly be alive /s
  
  and now just another infodump
  
  she doesn't have ir eyesight but just a week or two ago I read an article about nanotech injections that let rats see ir
  
• 
  Larry

  While a Science Fiction novel, there’s a lot of science fact included in the Prologue. It sets up the reader for the feasibility of this near-future event. I must admit that, right from the beginning, it didn’t appear to be all that well written. Nevertheless, I was hoping for a provocative scenario to overshadow the subpar dialogue. The book was an inexpensive purchase – and I got pretty much what I paid for and expected. Still, the book is interesting (and there’s a major plot twist that really caught me by surprise).
  
  In short, an alien object – the size of a softball – lands/falls in the Amazon jungle. A US Enhanced Human Operator, EHO, (think of the old TV show, “The Six Million Dollar Man”) is sent to fetch it and its technology … along with every other country, culture, religion, etc. on earth. (BTW, with inflation, that $6 million is probably billions by now.) But Seeker turns out to be the leader of a contest with very high stakes. There will only be one ‘winner’ and it’s winner-take-all – all the losers’ populations will be exterminated! It’s a test to prepare earthlings for an eventual invasion by Seeker’s AI enemy (a la “The Terminator” movie series).
  
  The author’s vision of the future is interesting – nano technology, health, longevity, etc. – and thought provoking. It’s just that the writing didn’t work for me and detracted from the story.
  
• 
  John Rice

  SEEKER PROVES ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS AGING LIKE FINE WINE
  
  I would really like to give this guy a four star rating already- if for no other reason than my being forced to give his last one- INFINITY BORN a five star rating as well. But that just wouldn’t be fair to the author’s work.
  There is a specific and new TYPE of creative ability at work in Mr. Richard’s writing style that allows him to combine some truly unique twenty first century situations involving Tom Clancy-esq national security level motivations with cutting edge science that he manages to break down for you mid-sprint through the Amazon jungle with the weigh of the world on the protagonist’s shoulders. I have never encountered this kind of ability in another writer to date- and I’m on track to read upwards of eighty books this year. This guy is gifted. I actually sent him a short email to thank him after enjoying his previous effort- INFINITY BORN, because as with all truly exceptional writing he has you learning, caring, anticipating, burning with curiosity and hoping the end never comes all at the same time. ‘Ok, but seriously just one more chapter and I have to go to bed’ doesn’t even begin to describe his abilities. Forget it. He’s going to own you. Hunker down and strap in.
• 
  Prasanna

  This is a good first contact book that delves into the nature of superintelligence but with a twist.
  What I first hated but eventually came to like was the simple way to expose the reader to the world and what the characters are doing. It seemed like far too much exposition. But it worked out well, and I think the author managed to convey a lot of information usually reserved forone. hard sci-fi into a very readable book.
  I have to admit, I'd not thought of biological singularity until this book. Although the idea of combining biological progress with technological isn't new, at least having a major character trying to do a fully biological change is interesting.
  The character of seeker is interesting and allows for a relatively omnipotent being but a benevolent one that's testing humans. The way the author navigates that impasse is very interesting.
  I really appreciated the end word from author on how he came to write the book, how many of the technologies are actually real and where he took liberties. It's surprising how much of fictional items are actually being investigated on.
  This would be a good companion to Life 3.0 and After On.
• 
  John

  This was an okay novel with an intriguing premise. The novel focuses on human enhancement, both technological and biological. It then brings up the biological singularity. The focus on these two points is interesting. The reason I wouldn't give it a full 4 or 5 (I'm thinking around 3.8, so I rounded up). First, the relationship between the two main characters and their respective enhancements is not handled quite like I would have liked. I appreciate the connection that these two develop, and even the arguments about how human sexuality impacted evolution. I see how their connection is attempting to reflect these arguments, which Seeker the probe brings up. I think I would have appreciated a more adversarial relationship between the two. Forcing them to work together, when they are as opposite as the biological and technological advancements they each represent. My other concern was the abruptness of the resolution. I know it built up over time, but the way the arguments with Seeker resolved left me expecting a twist at the end. I've seen other reviewers that feel the same way. It was just a little too clean of a shift for my tastes.
• 
  Michele

  I have read many of Douglas E Richards books before and they never fail to keep me intrigued and thinking!! I was so happy to be able to get this through my Prime subscription. I think it is only the second time I have ever done that--but it really works!!
  
  Richards writes near future thrillers--what does that mean exactly? Well he takes what is already happening and what might already be being worked on and incorporates these items in his novels. He does let you know at the very end what is real and what is not!
  
  Seeker is from an alien race and was sent here for one purpose--but was subverted by a different alien race. What goes on and how the heroine manages to get through to him and save the human race from almost total annihilation will keep you reading and spellbound. That it takes place in the Amazon Rainforest gives it an extra creepy feel.
  
  If you have never read one of this authors novels I highly suggest you get one whichever way you can--you will get hooked like I have!!
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  Darlene

  SEEKER
  
  This was an enjoyable read. A well thought out and researched book. I would expect nothing less from Mr Richards. His notes at the end of the book show how well he researches each book. Even without all that research I'd probably still read his books. With that said, this book fell a little flat for me. I loved the characters., the concept of an alien probe landing on Earth, even how it grew itself, and the super soldier enhancements. However, the alien AI seemed almost condescending. Telling them it was way above their understanding. I didn't think a computer, even an AI would be capable of this. And, it almost seemed, too lucky, that the American team always came out on top. Ok. I'm American. I want America to be on top. But to win every single time? And, it seemed the AI favored them. Then, of course, we had the fairy tale ending. Sure, there was a lot of good parts but I've seen better writing from Richards and this is not what I come to expect.