A “stargate” type portal is found in North Dakota, opening to various worlds and… other places.
How far will we reach, who gets to explore, and how to handle the expected / anticipated / feared Contact With Others — those are a few of the questions explored in Jack McDermitt’s novel “Thunderbird.”
There were a few places where I found the story to be a bit disjointed, as we jump between different characters and situations pretty frequently. It also it felt as though I’d stepped into a story already in progress, as there was very little of the backstory of just how the portal was found (more on that later). Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
It was especially good to see non-“traditional” treatment of Sioux and EuroAnglo characters working together without it being a big deal; the differences and conflicts that existed felt natural, organic and not overplayed. The federal government stayed out if things a bit more than believable, but hey that’s why they call it fiction :)
After reading this novel, as I was entering it into Goodreads (a site which I recommend for anyone who’s “serious” about tracking and/or sharing the books they read), I realized that this was actually the second in a series of books. “Thunderbird” is a sequel to “Ancient Shores,” wherein I suppose I’ll get the backstory I was looking for. You should probably start there.