From Publishers Weekly
In this somewhat old-fashioned hard SF novel, aliens abruptly wrap the island of Manhattan in a cocoon, move it through space and plop it--lock, stock and populace--in the middle of an extensive plain. In the distance lie similarly transported communities, of alien origin. Civil authorities, led by the city's first black woman mayor, strive to maintain order in the face of panic and the exhortations of a religious fanatic, while techies and scientists try to find out what has occurred. An expedition to some of the other cities, led by masterful army officer Matt Sheehan and young computer genius Bobby Joe Brewster, discovers evidence that the municipalities are transported just before disaster strikes their home planets. In one such city, the expedition learns, the inhabitants have all committed suicide. On finding that the "plain" they occupy is actually part of a giant ship, the expedition attempts to contact its crew. Stith's ( Redshift Rendezvous) initial picture of disaster and some of his speculations on alien societies are intriguing, but the cliched and predictable actions of his main characters make for a dreary read. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Locus
"Considerable ingenuity...Think of it as a visually spectacular movie...and a really outstanding, imaginative, and professional production staff and special effects crew working to bring off the big set-pieces and guarantee the thrills."


Chicago Tribune
"Fascinating, intelligent account of people--some ordinary, some extraordinary--struggling to define and confront events that are beyond anything they have dared to imagine. One of the better surprise endings to come down the cosmos in light-years."


Book Description
MANHATTAN TRANSFER When aliens abduct New York City, carrying it into space inside a huge dome, the citizens trapped inside must find out why, what they can do to save themselves . . . and to save the dozens of other cities which the aliens have stolen from other planets. A stunning tour-de-force of science fiction storytelling, with gripping action, believable characters, and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat! ?Considerable ingenuity . . . Think of it as a visually spectacular movie . . . and a really outstanding, imaginative, and professional production staff and special effects crew working to bring off the big set-pieces and guarantee the thrills.? ?Locus ?Fascinating, intelligent account of people?some ordinary, some extraordinary?struggling to define and confront events that are beyond anything they have dared to imagine. One of the better surprise endings to come down the cosmos in light-years.? ?Chicago Tribune


Download Description
When aliens abduct New York City, carrying it into space inside a huge dome, the citizens trapped inside must find out why, what they can do to save themselves . . . and to save the dozens of other cities which the aliens have stolen from other planets. A stunning tour-de-force of science fiction storytelling, with gripping action, believable characters, and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat! "Considerable ingenuity . . . Think of it as a visually spectacular movie . . . and a really outstanding, imaginative, and professional production staff and special effects crew working to bring off the big set-pieces and guarantee the thrills." --Locus "Fascinating, intelligent account of people--some ordinary, some extraordinary--struggling to define and confront events that are beyond anything they have dared to imagine. One of the better surprise endings to come down the cosmos in light-years." --Chicago Tribune

ANNOTATION

The aliens have landed . . . and Manhattan is the ultimate souvenir. With clever, compelling characters, fast-paced action, and hard science concepts, Stith is at his best here. Manhattan Transfer is about survival, and how humans can rise to their best in the face of adversity.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When Manhattan - and everyone on it - is kidnapped into space by some unknown alien force, the humans trapped on the island are faced with a baffling (and terrifying) enigma. An artificial dawn reveals that the city, encased in a bubble, rests on a vast plain, surrounded by dozens of other bubbles containing a multitude of alien cultures. Is this some sort of cosmic zoo exhibit or part of a scientific experiment gone horribly awry?