The novel “Inherit the Stars” by James P. Hogan was published for the first time in 1977. It’s the first book of the Giants series and is also included in the omnibus “The Two Moons”. It won the Japanese Seiun Award for Best Foreign Language Novel of the Year.

The skeleton of a human being in a space suit is discovered on the Moon. No member of the staff working there is missing and the suit is not of any of the types used. An initial examination also shows that the suit’s instruments are of unknown type and show the use of an unknown alphabet.

The skeleton, nicknamed Charlie, is apparently of a human being but it dates back to about 50,000 years ago. The scientific world receives another surprise after a short time with another sensational discovery. Scientists Victor Hunt and Christian Danchekker direct the research but they’re faced with apparently contradicting data.

James P. Hogan was dissatisfied with the ending of the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” but he was intrigued by some of the story’s ideas. He worked as an engineer and according to what he told later he bet with his colleagues that he’d publish a science fiction novel.

The result is “Inherit the Stars”, strongly based on themes of archaeological science fiction. James P. Hogan builds a distant past where in the solar system there were human beings who were traveling in space and from there the story becomes increasingly complex thanks to analyzes and discoveries.

The novel is set in a future which is now very close to where there’s a permanent outpost on the Moon. The discovery of a skeleton of a human being who is about 50,000 years old marks the beginning of a research that completely changes our understanding of human history.

The story is developed following the scientific research started after the discovery of Charlie, as the ancient human found on the Moon gets nicknamed. It’s a story of archeological mysteries and the attempt of the scientists who study them to find answers based on information that appears increasingly contradicting.

The scientific research covers various branches because there are archeological / paleontological analyzes of Charlie’s skeleton but his spacesuit and his instruments are studied by scientists from various disciplines. Subsequent discoveries further broaden the study’s scope.

The research is based on the existence of an ancient race of humans that get called Lunarians. Charlie proves that there was once an advanced civilization but his discovery leads scientists to ask a series of questions. However, every answer seems to contradict the result of some of the previous analyzes.

The plot is made up mainly by discussions among the scientists trying to solve Charlie’s mystery. Definitely this is not an action novel but of speculation. For this reason, it’s difficult to talk about the narrative pace so the reader’s attention is maintained by the intrigue of a research that seems to constantly turn the scientists’ theories upside down.

James P. Hogan tries to develop the story following a certain scientific rigor. He uses the knowledge of the ’70s and some of the concepts used in the Giants cycle are no longer valid but never mind, it can happen that the scientific elements of a science fiction story from becoming obsolete. We also turn a blind eye to the fact that in the Giants series USSR still exists in the 21st century.

What puzzled me is the fact that Charlie was found only as a skeleton, the result of a normal decomposition of his corpse. Considering the fact that he died on the Moon in a spacesuit it would have seemed more logical that his body didn’t decompose but mummified. If it’s a mistake it’s not that bad within the plot.

The mystery of Charlie and all that comes out of it is the absolute protagonist of “Inherit the Stars”. The characters are functional to the story and only very few of them have a bit of characterization. In a novel in which the intellectual element is so dominating, in my opinion it’s not a big flaw.

Over the years, “Inherit the Stars” has become one of the great classics of archaeological science fiction. I think it’s right because it’s a story that mixes in a very intriguing way scientific data and science fiction speculation. For these reasons, I think that it’s a must-have for anyone interested in this kind of stories.