Eos Science Fiction (Paperback), ISBN 0-380-79294-X
Imagine yourself standing on the moon's surface, one of the few humans left alive, and look up at the glowing cinder that used to be Earth and think, "Hey, I caused that."

Well, we all suffer from bad days. Except for Jack Potter -- his bad days just got worse. Safely tucked away with a scant few surviving companions on an almost secret moon base, Jack and his companions discover evidence that suggests that the moon base harbors a saboteur. This conclusion certainly explains why the power core explodes and why the remaining oxygen blasts into outer space.

With only a couple of hours of oxygen left, Jack reluctantly attempts to deal with his former double-crossing partners, Zero and Isabel. Zero's DNA experiments make the former gene witch Isabel psychotic, and Isabel's heartless business acumen rates second only to that of Wheeler.

Who is Wheeler? Nobody special -- just the alien who destroyed the Earth because Jack wouldn't continue to trade with him.

Did I say trade? Inter-galactic trade for Wheeler involves obtaining a civilization's home world location, stealing their technology, and then wiping them out. I call this an intergalactic corporate take-over taken to extremes.

Jack, in the midst of dealing with Isabel and Zero, also tries to dodge the plainly evil Wheeler whilst reuniting with a few old enemies. Enemies like DeMitri (formerly an American secret agent) and Reno (formerly a mercenary secret agent), both of whom tried to kill Jack at least once. With such people as your allies who needs friends?

A Signal Shattered, sequel to Signal to Noise, starts out running hard and continues right until the last page. Nylund keeps the pace and the plot development fast and lurid. The sub-plots interface so well with the main story that the resulting intensity fires the imagination and keeps the reader held until the final crisis ends. Or maybe it doesn't…

Definitely a better novel than the first in the series -- and one of the better science fiction books to cross this reviewer's desk in recent months. If you like your action thick, fast and realistic, then don't pass up Nylund and A Signal Shattered.

Stephen Smith

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