Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
Format: Bargain Price
Label: Baen
Manufacturer: Baen
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 288
Printing Date: May 03, 2005
Publishing house: Baen
Sale Popularity Level: 722304
Studio: Baen
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Product Description:
When a 60-kiloton explosion destroyed the University of Central Florida, and much of the surrounding countryside, the authorities very first thought that terrorists had somehow obtained a nuclear weapon. But there was no radiation detected, and, when physicist Dr. William Weaver and Navy SEAL Command Master Chief Robert Miller were sent to investigate, they found that in the center of the destruction, where the University's physics department used to be, was an interdimensional gateway to... somewhere. An experiment in subatomic physics had produced a very unexpected effect. Furthermore, other gateways were appearing all over the world-and one of them immediately began disgorging demonic visitors intent on annihilating all life on Earth and replacing it with their own. Other, apparently less hostile, aliens emerged from other gateways, and informed Weaver and Miller that the demonic invaders-the name for them that humans could most easily pronounce was the 'Dreen'-were a deadly blight across the galaxy, occupying planet after planet after wiping out all native life. Now it would be Earth's turn, unless Weaver and Miller could find a way to close the gateways. If they failed, the less belligerent aliens would face the regrettable necessity of annihilating the entire Earth to save their own worlds. . . .
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Rated by buyers 
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Basically take Doom and parts of Starcraft, specificall the Zerg, add in some military hardware jargon and you've got this book. Some rogue physicist creates some kind of gate that throws out bosun particles, which allow gates to be opened to other planets. The dreen come through one and we go through another and meet some friendly aliens. The dreen take over planets and suck them dry of resources. The dreen are zerglike, growing creatures for specific needs. Besides some profanity and some seriously over the top weapon specifications[it IS military scifi though], this was enjoyable. I plan on reading some more in this series.
4 stars instead of 5 because of the profanity. It wasn't constant, just at random intervals it seemed, so it was especially noticable.
Rated by buyers 
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One Saturday morning, a university explodes and opens doorways to various other worlds and dimensions, forever changing the course of human history, for we are not alone, and some of those aliens want us for bio-material.
This is a standard alien-invasion story mixed with technobabble and juvenile characters. Our hero, a strapping, brilliant Dr. William Weaver, is a thirteen-year-old's wet dream: he's handsome, brilliant, an alpha male, sleeps with any woman available, kills aliens in a moment's notice, and only needs to go mountain biking to discover the secrets of the universe. Yes, the author has mixed in some concepts of quantum mechanics and particle physics, but it is in no way even close to reality. He uses technology and science the way Star Trek does: everyone has the technobabble down, but it is unimportant.
This book is way beyond science fiction; it is science fantasy. Every other page, Weaver is making extraordinary leaps of insight to save the day. Though the war sequences are littered with military speech, the fight scenes are little more than "shot and charge".
The unrealistic advances in science, the unimaginative war sequences, and the laughable characterization destroy any tension the plot may have produced. You simply never wonder what will happen, because after the 30th page, you know that some new deus ex machina will save the day.
This book also reeks of "introduction to a series". It is far too brief, and the deus ex machina, sorry, the aliens at the end give humanity the key to interstellar travel.
Finally, John Ringo desperately needs to punctuate. The text is coarse and choppy, because it lacks commas, semicolons, and appropriate conjunctions.
This was an entirely unenjoyable book. Weak plot, horrible characters, dumb aliens, and pathetic technobabble ruin an interesting beginning. I would avoid this book.
Rated by buyers 
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I only give this book 5 stars because they don't allow for more. This is one of the best books I've ever read and I've been reading Science Fiction books for over 45 years! I read this book, Vorpal Blade (the second book in this series)and Manxome Foe (the third installment) in three DAYS! I'm impatiently awaiting the subsequent book called Claws That Catch and look forward to reading it as well.
Rated by buyers -
I will state up-front that you will have to suspend your disbelief to read this book. I decided to go ahead and read this book even after I was very disappointed in another Ringo book, Von Neumann's War. While I had thought that book unbelievable, it was also a bad read (boring) and didn't have as much of Ringo's trademark military sci-fi battle scenes, so it was hard to not notice. I started reading Into the Looking Glass a bit uncertain what I'd find (but unlike the other book, Ringo wrote this book entirely on his own, consulting Taylour for the science), and I found this book very entertaining and kept me riveted to the page. Definitely an entertaining alien invasion read!
The main character of the story is a physicist named William Weaver who is called in by the U.S. government to look into the gates, how they formed, what are they, and how to control them. I got the feeling Ringo based this character off the real scientist that Ringo consulted, Travis Taylour (if you read the author blurb on the back of Von Neumann's War you'll understand why I think this.heh).
From the very beginning, this book is loaded with action and fighting from the military against the aliens that have come through the gate from another planet in the universe (or another universe entirely!). I was able to put away thoughts of "This couldn't happen", despite the fact there were some pretty unbelievable scenes in this book. For example, the way the military and scientists just get in Hazmat-type suits to go exploring the planets on the far side of the gates (hello?! Hazmat suits? Like that is adequate protection from a foreign planet?)
Anyways, the initial gate formed on the campus of a university in Florida and at very first the U.S. government believes it is a nuclear attack, but when people are sent on the ground to test radiation levels, they realize it was no nuclear weapon that was detonated. It is learned that the center of the explosion was a experimental physics lab and that this was the cause of the explosion. Eventually, gates start popping up everywhere in the U.S., connecting to different planets and universes, and then spreads to the rest of the world as well. Soon, there are hordes of aliens coming through the gates.
Oh, about the aliens, Ringo has a few scenes that show the perspective of the hostile aliens bent on colonizing Earth. They are a collective mind and "grow" their foot soldiers and army. Not much background info on these aliens, where they come from (although you do get an explanation about why they attack other worlds). I thought the descriptions of the aliens in battle brought to mind the bug aliens in Starship Troopers, (there was one flying alien described as shooting lightning from its rear end and a few other aliens that had the same type of "weapon" shooting from other areas of their anatomy).
What I really liked about this book was the action. Wow, it kept me reading and turning the pages. One of my favorite scenes is when Weaver and the SEAL team he's with are trapped in a house near another gate that opened up. They need back-up badly, so they send out a distress call on the radio asking for help from anyone. A few locals at the bait, tackle, and ammunition shop hear the call and the owner of the shop goes to the "back room" and starts loading all the weapons he has stored back there (many that aren't supposed to be for sale to people) into pick-up trucks. Soon they have a little army heading over to where Weaver and the SEALs are holed up and come to save the day. It left me rolling with laughter, it struck me as hilarious.
Of course, the small annoyance I did have was (like in Von Neumann's War) everything comes together too easily. All the smooth coordination of the various arms of the government to face this disaster, without questions or panic or fear. You also don't get a detailed picture of what occurs outside the main cast of characters (Weaver, a NAVY Seal named Miller, and the head honchos like the secretary of defense, President, etc).
Although, there are a few scenes of the media reporting on the events happening elsewhere and so you get a little of the larger picture. Plus, Ringo did mention what happened in the MIddle East (in particular Iran) when gates started popping into existence over there and I couldn't help but roll my eyes about what some of the characters say about that. Just to warn those not of a conservative bent, it is quite clear where the author lies politically speaking.LOL.
One really interesting event that occurred (that I wish Ringo had wrote more about) was what happened in Boca Raton when a gate showed up there. People died or became insane from an alien presence there (different from the hostile aliens everyone is fighting) and he kept it mysterious, hinting at what could have happened, but since no one could approach the area ... Read More
Rated by buyers -
While John Ringo has this annoying habit of hitting everyone who reads his books over the head his world view his books (with some minor exceptions) are never boring.
What have got here is some more of the good stuff an unstoppable alien hordes (gee haven't I read this somewhere before) and the earth in danger a telepathic creature and a race of cats called the "Merr" (and their general the 2 and 1/2 page conversation with him in the best part of the book.)
The most important character in this book is probably doctor Billy Weaver who functions as kind of a reverse stereotype for everything you would expect a scientist to be. If he ever makes you crazy remember its the science that is crazy not him.
Overall-Its not going to win the noble prize for literature or anything but it is a fun fast read.
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