Le Message

Joe Haldeman plays tag in _The Coming_ , as the narrative is passed from

character to character in a seamless tale set in 2054. Haldeman, whose honors

include the Hugo, Nebula, and John W. Campbell awards, puts Gainesville,

Florida, and 20 or so characters under the microscope to study a chain of

events in the wake of a local astronomy professor receiving a mysterious

message that may be from aliens.

Professor Aurora Bell receives a message from space that simply states, "We're

coming." The message appears to be alien, and according to Professor Bell's

calculations, the vessel that sent it is headed toward Earth and will arrive

in three months. As the local population and the rest of the world begin to

examine what a visitation from a superior alien force might mean, speculation

looms about whether or not the message is a hoax. The arrival approaches, and

Professor Bell and those around her become embroiled in the media circus. The

politics and intrigue of the situation take on a life of their own.

Haldeman paints a vivid picture in _The Coming_ of a world on the brink of

another world war, where homosexuality is illegal, technology is advanced, and

yet, humans really haven't changed that much. The tension in Florida is a

microcosm that reflects the larger picture of Earth in trouble.