Ancient Shores

Ancient Shores is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack McDevitt, published in 1996. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1997.[1]

Ancient Shores
First edition cover
AuthorJack McDevitt
Cover artistJim Burns
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience fiction
PublisherHarperPrism
Publication date
April 1996
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages397 (first edition, hardback)
ISBN0-06-105207-8 (first edition, hardback)
OCLC33948882
813/.54 20
LC ClassPS3563.C3556 A8 1996
Followed byThunderbird (2015) 

Plot summary

A vast lake, known as Lake Agassiz, covered much of North Dakota, Manitoba and Minnesota during prehistoric times.

The story begins when farmer Tom Lasker and his son, Will, uncover a seemingly brand new yacht. Found on a landlocked farm, it draws tourists to the area. Max Collingswood, a friend of Tom's, tries to help discover the origins of the boat. Collingswood enlists April Cannon, a worker at a chemical lab who discovers that the yacht is made of an unknown material. In fact, it is a fiberglass-like material with an impossible atomic number (161).

Collingswood and Cannon discover something else on a nearby ridge which is part of a Sioux reservation. The Sioux assist in its excavation and examination. It turns out to be a green glassy roundhouse-like structure, made from the same material.

Eventually, they gain access to it, revealing a dock for the sailboat, but no entrance for it. The discovery that the structure contains the means to access other sites not on Earth sets off a struggle between the Government and the Reservation for control of it.

Characters
  • Tom Lasker – farmer
  • Max Collingswood – Tom's friend
  • April Cannon – chemist
  • Arky Redfern - Sioux tribal member and lawyer for the tribe
  • James Walker - Chairman of the Sioux tribe
  • Elizabeth Silvera – government worker
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gollark: I now actually have the Yet Another Hatchery submit-a-dragon thing working. It should be ready for release within 5 years.
gollark: Check your notifications, it should show what happened.
gollark: On what?
gollark: Oh, that code seems kind of "FLF"y.

References
  1. "1997 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-08-03.


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