Three Miles Down
A Novel
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3.8 • 40 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A startling alien discovery at the bottom of the ocean throws a marine biologist into a top-secret CIA operation during the Watergate scandal in this thrilling alternate history tale from New York Times bestselling author Harry Turtledove.
It's 1974, and Jerry Stieglitz, a UCLA grad student in marine biology, is just weeks away from marrying his longtime fiancée when grim-faced men from three-letter agencies recruit him for the top-secret "Project Azorian." They're offering enough money to solve all his problems, but he'll have to keep it strictly confidential.
Sworn to secrecy, Jerry learns that Project Azorian is secretly trying to raise a sunken Russian submarine. But the dead Russian sub turns out to be a cover story for the real discovery: an alien spacecraft lying next to it on the ocean floor.
On the Glomar Explorer, a ship full of CIA operatives, RAND Corporation eggheads, and roustabout divers, Jerry stands out like a sore thumb. But as a scientist and storyteller, he may be the only one who's truly considered the potential ramifications of this monumental first contact.
Back on the mainland, it's still 1974. Richard Nixon drinks heavily, talking to White House paintings as the nation rapidly changes. When this story gets out, there's no telling what might happen. Both an original take on first contact and a wildly entertaining dive into the conspiracies, political tumult, and pop culture of 1974, Three Miles Down is a fresh twist on the alternate history and alien contact genres.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hugo Award winner Turtledove (Or Even Eagle Flew) delivers a 1970s-set first-contact tale, told by a rational skeptic who believes in humanity ahead of ideology. Jerry Stieglitz, a budding sci-fi writer and marine biology graduate student, is recruited by the U.S. government for a trip on the notorious "research" vessel the Glomar Explorer, allegedly to help recover a sunken Soviet submarine. But Jerry soon learns that the Explorer is actually working to recover the object that sank the sub: a crashed UFO. Jerry adds value to the expedition with his sci-fi imagination ("I'm the designated weirdo," he muses), never more so than when he figures out how to enter the saucer by taking a cue from The Lord of the Rings. But loose lips make spies nervous, and Jerry is forced to go on the run after rumors of the saucer hit the news, sparking threats from both the U.S. and the Russian governments. Readers longing for a deep dive into the 1970s will enjoy this agreeable piece of Cold War nostalgia. There's clearly more to come, but this makes for a satisfying start.
Customer Reviews
Dangling Story, Too Much Watergate Hypocrisy
It was interesting, but I had to make star deductions for two major points.
1. Frankly, this book is worthless without more installments in a series. Given the time frame since it came out… almost three full years… and the author’s history, I strongly suspect that the series has already been abandoned. I feel as if I have been ripped off.
2. It is full of gratuitous shots at Richard Nixon, portrays Republicans as thieves and liars by default and even condemned Republicans that didn’t go after a President of their own party on suspicion alone. Surely Turtledove would condemn Democrats who went after a President of their own on suspicion alone. He is also ignoring that LBJ was considerably more corrupt than Nixon.
Not great.
Definitely not his best effort. Most of the middle was pointless and irrelevant. The ending is an unabashed sequel setup. Not worth reading or setting up a sequel. Didn’t know finding alien life could be this hum-drum.