The Far Shore of Time is a science fiction novel by Frederik Pohl

Frederik Pohl

Frederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years — from his first published work, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna" , to his most recent novel, All the Lives He Led .He won the National Book Award in 1980 for his novel Jem...

 which concludes The Eschaton Sequence and the adventures of Dan Dannerman, an American government agent of the near future who becomes involved with the discovery of advanced and warring aliens.

Plot introduction

Dan Dannerman has been imprisoned, tortured, and repeatedly duplicated by his jailers the "Beloved Leaders". The Beloved Leaders are a species which enslaves or destroys the other species that they meet. The Far Shore of Time opens with the "Horch", rivals of the Beloved Leaders, occupying the zoo planet where Dannerman is being held captive. Dannerman is rescued, although initially the Horch treat him in much the same way the Beloved Leaders did by keeping him isolated and under interrogation. Eventually he is treated as a guest, given medical attention and begins to make friends among the other freed prisoners.

Plot summary

Dannerman recovers from his ordeal he learns more about the Horch, the Beloved Leaders, and other species involved in their war. He collects information and technology, while looking for an opportunity to return to Earth and warn humanity about the coming of the Beloved Leaders. When Dannerman is asked to assist in preparing one of the former prisoners to infiltrate the Beloved Leaders he sees an opportunity to return home. He presents the plan to the Horch, and although they do not agree to it he is able to bluff his way through. He ends up back on Earth aboard one of the stealth submarines that the Beloved Leaders have placed on Earth.

Dannerman is able to make contact with his government, and discovers that they are already aware of the Beloved Leaders and are taking precautions against them. However, they are not aware of the stealthed submarines. Dannerman and his alien friends are again interrogated by the American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 government and representatives of the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

, although more gently than his previous interrogators. Dannerman must serve as a translator between the humans and the aliens, because he is in possession of a translation implant from the Beloved Leaders.

With information from Dannerman and help from Horch technology, the Beloved Leader's submarines are cut off from their masters and captured before they are able to unleash pockets of undersea methane gas

Clathrate gun hypothesis

The clathrate gun hypothesis is the popular name given to the hypothesis that rises in sea temperatures can trigger the sudden release of methane from methane clathrate compounds buried in seabeds and permafrost which, because the methane itself is a powerful greenhouse gas, leads to further...

. This strategy is the Beloved Leaders standard practice for dealing with planets that will not submit to them. Having survived the initial contact, the President of the United States prepares to release all information about the aliens and the confrontation to the world, so that humanity can prepare to defend themselves in the future.

Release details

• 1999, USA, Tor Books ISBN 0312866186, July 1999, Hardcover
• 2000, USA, Tor Science Fiction ISBN 0812577833, March 2000, Paperback
• 2000, USA, Tandem Library ISBN 0613278216, September 2000, Library Binding