(2004)SF Pretty good tale of an unknown artifact found in the ocean that draws two aliens to it that can change their appearances to anything to try to get back home.

It kept me interested from beginning to end. A decent book. Just nothing all that special about it to me. ( )

A very easy to read book, I breezed right through this one.

The premise is interesting, even if a bit hard to swallow, with two aliens among us and a mysterious artifact pulled out of the ocean.

Following the aliens through history has some really great moments of history brought to life, I wish he'd done more of it.

In fact, since both aliens are immortal I thought the whole time line was pretty rushed. Even though they keep telling themselves they have all the time in the world, most of the action is in the last couple of months, with a time line covering millions of years.

One alien is much more developed than the other as a character. I think it could have been a little less lopsided, although the emphasis on one is needed. Developing them is the main point of the book, and the best parts of it.

Reading the other reviews, I was surprised to note how much the sex in the book seemed to push people's buttons, and different people took it completely differently. I don't think there complaints are in the book as much as they are part of the reviewers viewpoint. At any rate, it didn't upset any of my preconceived ideas, so I didn't think it was objectionable. :-)

My real problem with this book is the humans. They start out as interesting, independent, big thinkers but then just dwindle away in importance. The love story takes over, and science pretty much gets tossed out the window. Sure, you can wave the Clarke 'indistinguishable from magic' quote around to try and help, but it still feels like cheating. Better hand waving was desperately required to save the ending.

All in all, worth reading, but not Haldeman's best by a fair margin. ( )

Two alien beings emerge from the ocean waves, both taking on new forms and learning new language, melding into this society called humanity. Decades pass, the changeling and the chameleon experience lifetime after lifetime - becoming male, female and even animal. They amass a wealth of knowledge and experiences. It's been so long though, that they've forgotten about whatever they started as. That is, until an announcement comes about the discovery of an alien ship. It kindles a memory and sparks a desire to relearn who they are and where they came from.

I love Joe Haldeman's science fiction. I trust him enough that even though I don't read a great deal of sci-fi, if I see one of his books I'll pick it up. He has a way of conveying what could be a difficult or technical concept in a way that feels so simple and every day. I never feel that he's overtaxing my suspension of disbelief even when he's writing some very out-there stuff. I had no problem at all envisioning these shape-shifters and how they functioned. My difficulty came from keeping them apart. They took on so many identities that I had trouble remembering who was who. Much like the difficulty I had keeping Edmund's alter-egos in The Count of Monte Cristo straight. I did enjoy it and would probably benefit from a second reading at some point, but not right away. ( )

What a great story! This is my favorite kind: aliens and UFOs, taking place in the tropics. Oh, and it has a happy ending, which is something you only get in fiction. Well, sometimes I like to coast.

I love Joe Haldeman; he writes science fiction and always puts in empathy for the stupid humans. Read it for yourself; it's a quick and fun one-day getaway. ( )