Dark Nights

Gray's (We Have Seen the Enemy and They Are Odd) new novel is a strongly plot-driven exploration of the question "what if humans suddenly found that a new planet had joined their orbit of the sun?" The story follows astrophysicist Doug Lockwood as the head of a team of scientists who discover the new addition to the solar system and Agent Bishop, a U.S. secret service agent, and the assorted experts they work with to investigate this new planet and then deal with the parallel civilization they encounter. Their journey takes them from their comfortable lives on a journey to a new world and a threat beyond their imagining. Part scientific exploration, part action, part political intrigue, the combined result is a page-turner. Gray's characters provide just enough scientific explanation for the reader to follow the story without bogging the action down in dense jargon. Though not as fully developed as they might be, the characters are still engaging, and through them, readers are able to ponder what they would do in a similar situation, especially as desperation leads governments and individuals to extraordinary schemes. Innovative and well-paced, the novel is well worth a read. (Feb.)