Encounter with Tiber
A 1996 novel about ancient aliens and a historian's journey.
Encounter With Tiber (ISBN 0-340-62451-5) is a 1996 science fiction novel by Buzz Aldrin, a former astronaut, and John Barnes, a science fiction writer. Some advance covers for the British edition used the working title *The Tides of Tiber*.
In the story, evidence emerges that an intelligent alien species visited Earth long ago, leaving behind an encyclopedia containing their culture's collected knowledge. The narrative is framed through a human historian aboard a starship traveling to Alpha Centauri, the aliens' home star. During the decades-long voyage, she translates two alien books and writes a history of how humanity acquired the aliens' knowledge.
Nine thousand years before the novel's present, the alien society in the Alpha Centauri system faced a threat from cosmic bombardment. Their only chance for survival was to explore and colonize nearby space. On twenty-first-century Earth, astronauts discover artifacts left by this civilization and wonder about their origins. The historian, as part of the mission to Alpha Centauri, works on biographies of several family members who were deeply involved in obtaining the repository of alien knowledge, and also translates two autobiographies written by the aliens who had visited the Solar System over nine thousand years earlier.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Buzz Aldrin / John Barnes
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Genre
- Science fiction
- Publisher
- Warner Books
- Pub Date
- 1996
- Media Type
- Paperback
- Pages
- 560
- Isbn
- 0-340-62451-5
- Oclc
- 420152165
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The plot centers on evidence of an intelligent alien species that visited Earth long ago and left an encyclopedia of their culture. The story is told from the perspective of a human historian aboard a starship traveling to Alpha Centauri, the aliens' home star, who translates two alien books and writes a history of how humans accessed the aliens' knowledge. Nine thousand years ago, the alien society in the Alpha Centauri system faced cosmic bombardment, prompting them to explore and colonize nearby space. On 21st century Earth, astronauts find artifacts left by this civilization.
Reader's Guide
The narrator, a historian on a decades-long mission to Alpha Centauri, writes biographies of family members involved in acquiring the alien knowledge repository and translates two autobiographies by aliens who visited the Solar System over 9000 years earlier. The novel combines hard science fiction with historical narrative, reflecting Aldrin's background as an astronaut. Its significance lies in its depiction of interstellar travel and first contact, though it remains a work of fiction. The book's working title for some British advance covers was The Tides of Tiber.
Did You Know?
- The novel was co-authored by former astronaut Buzz Aldrin and science fiction writer John Barnes.
- A working title for the British edition was The Tides of Tiber.
- The story is told from the point of view of a human historian on a starship to Alpha Centauri.
- The alien encyclopedia was left on Earth over 9000 years ago.
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