Manhattan Transfer

By John E. Stith

When aliens abduct New York City, carrying it into space inside a huge dome, the citizens trapped inside must find out why, what they can do to save themselves . . . and to save the dozens of other cities which the aliens have stolen from other planets. A stunning tour-de-force of science fiction storytelling, with gripping action, believable characters, and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

?Considerable ingenuity . . . Think of it as a visually spectacular movie . . . and a really outstanding, imaginative, and professional production staff and special effects crew working to bring off the big set-pieces and guarantee the thrills.?--Locus

?Fascinating, intelligent account of people -- some ordinary, some extraordinary -- struggling to define and confront events that are beyond anything they have dared to imagine. One of the better surprise endings to come down the cosmos in light-years.? --Chicago Tribune

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wildside Press
• Release date: May 4, 2012
• ISBN: 9781434448682

Reviews for Manhattan Transfer

[wosret · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I won this book through Member Giveaways.I'm slowly working my way through this book but am having trouble staying interested long enough to keep reading it. I'm currently about halfway through, and will do my best to finish it. There are so many characters and the point of view keeps switching between them that it's a bit dizzying at times. Some of the threads that are becoming clear are either not interesting to me at all (a romance! but no, they can't be together under these circumstances!) or are completely unappealing (a religious zealot who will mess things up at the 11th hour but the day will be saved by the aforementioned romantic couple who will get together after saving the day!).I'm really, really interested in the exploration and alien life aspects. I would find this book much more interesting if it spent more time on those areas. I've also found myself thinking about how I'd react if my city were taken, and what we could do to make life easier for ourselves, like turning all of the available green spaces into food gardens. I don't think our mayor would do very well at all though, so I hope if we do get taken that it's after the next election. ;)I'm also a fan of how we're kept in the dark, and know as much as the characters do. We don't have any clues or insights in regards to why the city was taken, and that means that the reader is taken along, too, as the people of Manhattan respond to this crisis.

[smaire-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

John Stith's "Manhattan Transfer" was first published in 1993 and has been reissued this year by ReAnimus Press. My copy was a free copy for review. The basic plot is fairly straightforward: Manhattan is abducted by aliens and those living in Manhattan decide to do something about it. Or, as the jacket says, "Aliens just kidnapped Manhattan. They messed with the wrong city".Stith's take on this is pretty straight up if not downright overly technical. Consequently, the book seems to plod along until about the two thirds way point when it picks up speed and begins to move along with some excitement. The twists and turns are coming fast and furious providing some pace, but often with such speed that development of plot or character that would explain the events is lost.Probably not on my top 10 list of what I would like to see brought back into print, but ReAnimus Press should be applauded for bringing back into print older sci fi

[wickenden-285487 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is a typical swash buckling, humanity above all, hegelian eventuality, despite our flaws (religiousness) we have that thing that will make us succeed hard core science fiction. Too much hard core for me, though I found it interesting and somewhat enjoyable, despite it's cliched story line.

[charles_ray_60 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Manhattan has been stolen! Not a person named Manhattan, nor the drink, nor some objet d’art with that unlikely name. No, the island – the whole freaking island of Manhattan – has been sealed in a transparent dome, dug up, and lifted off the earth.When it reaches its destination (?), the people inside the dome can see other domes containing other cities. Then begins a frenetic effort to survive, determine their circumstances, and hopefully, escape. John E. Stith’s Manhattan Transfer is science fiction in the epic style. With aliens aplenty, mind-boggling technology, and puny humans who must somehow prevail against impossible odds. Told from multiple points of view, Manhattan is a story shown primarily from the point of view of Matt Sheehan, a former soldier, who was riding the subway to his new job when the train was sliced up. He finds himself taking the lead in efforts to get out of the predicament the city’s residents find themselves in. After some searching, they find the abducting aliens, an arachnid-like race they call Archies. The question then becomes, are the Archies the dangerous predators they appear to be, or is there something else at work.You’ll have to read the book to find out, and, I assure you that you’ll be shocked. This is sci-fi as sci-fi was meant to be. A story told on a grand scale through the efforts of individuals to make sense of their environment. Heroic deeds; and some acts that are less than heroic. The characters, even the aliens, are believable; the technology is described in a way that makes you want to believe; and, the action is consistent with the environment Stith has created.If you like science fiction, don’t miss this book. If you’ve never read science fiction before, make this your introduction to this genre. You won’t be disappointed.