“Shadows of Eternity” is a 2021 novel by science fiction author and astrophysicist Gregory Benford. He’s a legendary writer, probably best known for his Galactic Center Series. This recent novel is set two hundred years in the future. Humanity has expanded into the solar system. But more importantly, we have learned we are not alone. Many alien civilizations have sent out signals that we received and began deciphering. This is where the novel begins, on the SETI Library on the Moon. Our protagonist is Rachel, who has worked hard to make it to this venerable institution. She makes a case to attempt to decode one of the Library’s more complex messages. Her audacious plan is accepted, and to everyone’s surprise she succeeds. This is only the beginning of the wild ride the author has in store. We then move on to first contact with live aliens, the first of these are a creation of the late great Poul Anderson that he shared with the author. So in a way, this is a posthumous collaboration. Then we meet the ancient intelligent colonial organism beneath the surface of Mars. But that’s not all as they say! The final part of the book is involved in humans and the aliens trying to locate and use a wormhole mouth which the aliens came into our system using, but which moved away when they exited it. This wormhole chasing section takes the reader far into time and space. I enjoyed the book, and liked that the protagonist was a strong and intellectual woman. However, some have criticized the novel as it does show that she is a sexual being. Nothing pornographic, but she isn’t ashamed to have desires and to exercise them upon occasion. I didn’t find this problematic, but some have, so the reader should be aware of this aspect.

Really like this book, but it does lag in the last two hundred pages. Too much tech talk, not enough story. Still, a worthwhile read.