THUNDER RIFT -- published by EOS BOOKS (Harper Collins), May 2001

"Thunderously good... Everything you could ask for in a science fiction adventure: a believable, complex protagonist; a brilliantly conceived alien society; and a well-paced story that never drags... It's hard to imagine a sequel that could top the original." -- John C. Snider, SciFiDimensions

"Farrell gives us aliens that are both convincing and intriguing, and more importantly, who are different from human beings in ways that resonate with the deepest parts of ourselves." -- Greg Beatty, Strange Horizons

"Exceptionally well crafted. The story arises, as the best ones usually do, from the unique interplay between people and places... THUNDER RIFT is an excellent novel... " -- Elizabeth Barrette, Spicy Green Iguana

"...a fascinating study of an alien race and an alien viewpoint. Farrell is a much better writer than I am a reader." -- Eric Lindsay, Gegenschein

"Farrell infuses his novel with a powerful message: there is no growth without change... scores a hit..." -- Kristin Chin, The Davis Enterprise (Davis, California)

"...replete with adventure, mystery, and sociological conflict." -- Publishers Weekly

"There's all sorts of wonderful stuff... A lively, engaging novel..." -- M.C.A. Hogarth, Stardance

MATTHEW FARRELL:

While on a trip to Ireland, Matthew strangely vanished out hiking one evening in a fog-wrapped bog. Despite a long, exhaustive search by his brother S.L. Farrell, no trace of Matthew was ever found, and thus THUNDER RIFT was his one and only published novel.

THUNDER RIFT is a first contact story involving not one but two sentient races (and the requisite humans as well). Someone's opened up a wormhole out in near-Jupiter orbit, the fierce electromagnetic emanations of which wreak havoc with human society, and we must send a ship through to find out what, or who's, on the other side. After all, you don't build a bridge without expecting people to use it...

However, when we get there, the race that's on the other side doesn't even use vision as their primary sense, and they have no astronomy at all. They can't be the Builders, can they?

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