Earthcore

by Scott Sigler
577pgs

Earthcore is the first of Scott Sigler's books to be written, but it's the last one for me to read. Primarily because when it was originally published back in 2001, it had such a limited press run that it is hard to get a hold of a physical copy of the book. I had also heard Sigler had plans to re-release it eventually, s I figured I'd just wait. in 2017 Sigler decided to not just re-release it, but to give the book a major rewrite at the same time.

The book takes place primarily in the Wah Wah Mountains of Southwest Utah, where an old prospector discovers what will turn out to be the largest platinum deposit ever found. The company who secures the mining rights to the deposit will inevitably become one of the most profitable in the world for many years to come. EarthCore plans to be that company.

Connell Kirkland, a young and ruthless executive for EarthCore assembles a team to go after the platinum, which lies three miles below the surface, farther than anyone has ever successfully drilled and mined before. At that depth, the temperature is hot enough to cook a human being in only a few minute's time, so the team relies on state-of-the-art gear and equipment to keep them alive and safe as they make their way to the mother lode.

But this wouldn't be a Scott Sigler book if that's all there was to it. And sure enough, the drilling awakens a danger that has lain dormant for thousands of years.

Not having read the original edition, I don't have anything to compare it to. But I can definitively say the new version doesn't read like a book by a first-time novelist. That's not to say it's an excellent book. It's not. But it's a fun and entertaining story that makes you look forward to the sequel Sigler sets the stage for at the end.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆