Eater    by Gregory Benford Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2000 (2000) Hardcover, Paperback Read an Excerpt    Reviewed by Wesley Williamson A most peculiar Thing from Outer Space, with a black hole as a core and fluctuating fields of magnetic energy to provide intelligence of a sort, demands 100,000 people of Earth to be absorbed, to join countless others who have become part of it, over many millennia of travel. Otherwise Earth Will Be Destroyed! Most surprisingly, the US Government objects to this. The principal (human) characters are the Astronomer Royal of the UK, a US Astrophysicist Benjamin Knowlton, and his wife, Channing. To provide some soapbox interest Channing is not only the Astronomer Royal's former lover, but is dying of cancer. Of course she volunteers for a one to one confrontation with the Eater. I have no doubt that the science is impeccable, but who cares! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more SF books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews