Reviewed by John Pritzlaff
Craig Etka ex-U.S. Navy sub skipper-has written a classic techno-thriller in the image of Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler.
The action is fast paced and technically correct while making use of futuristic developments in today’s real world. The Time/Date message and subsection headings lead the reader through well orchestrated and detailed plot lines.
One of the main plot lines revolves around the trans-fer/purchase/theft(?) of two Russian Kilo submarines into a Columbian drug cartel’s operations. U.S. submarines and specialized covert submersibles are used along with U .S./USSR space station interactions to uncover and combat the evil deed doers.
This book, along with a sequel due this year, should be of particular interest to the submarine, deep submergence and covert operations communities as it draws on the author’s direct experience to portray fictional events in a realistic, believable and exciting fashion.
The only problem that I found in reading The Scorpius Connection was that the sequel The Kilo Affair has not yet been published.
[Editor’s Note: Mr. Pritzlaff ls well known in the development of unmanned undersea vehicles and as an expert in submersible safety. He was associated with the Westinghouse Oceanic Division in Annapolis from 1965 to 1994. He has also authored numerous technical papers on manned and unmanned vehicles, offshore operations, logistics and safety.]