In the far reaches of the solar system, the human race made its most staggering discovery--a colossal statue of an alien creature. The mystery of its origin was never solved. But now, after two hundred years of speculation, the dying planet Earth must prepare for the truth. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

By the end of the twenty-second century, Earth's ravaged environment has become a time bomb ticking down to global self-destruction. Despite the fortuitous arrival of faster-than-light space travel, the search for a new home has so far located only one candidate--Quraqua, a desolate planet scheduled for terraformation within a few months. For interstellar archaeologist Richard Wald and starship pilot Priscilla Hutchins, the looming renovation threatens critical research on the enigmatic alien ruins on Quraqua and its moon, which include a bizarre false city dubbed Oz. Rousing little interest on Earth and facing an unyielding terraformation committee, Wald and his team undertake a last round of life-threatening expeditions to decipher Oz's secrets before they are swallowed forever by an emerging new world. With plenty of startling plot twists, a heavy dose of intrigue, and an unusual amount of character development for science fiction, McDevitt holds us fast right through to a thrilling finish. The yarn's less pure sf, though, than a rousing archaeological adventure transplanted to another star system. (Reviewed September 15, 1994)0441000770Carl Hays From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.