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This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.
That said, on to the review!
The aliens nearly wiped out humanity. Only a last ditch effort by American forces over the legendary Area 51 offered hope of success. That success came, and the alien fortresses that had loomed overhead like angels of death sank to earth amid explosions and flaming debris from the destroyed mothership. Now, in the aftermath, American troops are examining the wreckage of the spaceship they destroyed over Area 51. Somewhere in the rubble someone discovered something: a locker filled with various mementoes of Earth. Perhaps the tales of alien abduction were true and these were souvenirs of those times. What was most interesting, however, were the notes of one Dr. Brackish Okun, Director of Research at Area 51.
Before he became director, Okun was a researcher brought in to provide a much-needed influx of energy and imagination to a dated, top-secret facility that housed the only known alien aircraft in existence. Dr. Okun, however, does research into the many stacks of documents sent monthly to Area 51 and discovers something that others have tried to ignore or deny. Many of the reports are hoaxes, sketchy eye-witness accounts, and false leads planted by the United States government. Some, however, are true to life alien encounters, and Okun--putting two and two together--determines that there is at least one other alien aircraft on the planet, and there will be a time--soon--when the aliens will return to recover their aircraft. Okun learns several of the aircraft's secrets and goes to many lengths to circumvent the U.S. government in pursuit of true knowledge.
Independence Day: Silent Zone is a sort of sequel/prequel to Independence Day the novel and Independence Day the movie. The story begins after the downing of the alien aircrafts, but nearly all of it takes place in the past. As many people know, Dr. Okun died while attempting to operate on the alien captured by Captain Steve Hiller. This book chronicles his start as a CalTech student with average grades--despite an impressive high school career--until his ascension to directorship at Area 51. He had his share of experiences with the aliens themselves even before he began his fateful incision into the carapace of the alien's armor.
After seeing the movie--and reading the book--and knowing how it turns out, Independence Day: Silent Zone is somewhat anticlimatic. I already knew Okun's ultimate fate. However, readers will learn the story of Area 51 and its eventual development from a rundown hole in the ground into the high-tech installation that appeared in Independence Day. Science fiction enthusiasts will appreciate all the work that went into incorporating the history of Area 51 into the novel.
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