''Operation Thunder Child'' is a 1999 novel by British civil servant
Nick Pope. Since Pope had worked for the British
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
on the subject of
unidentified flying objects
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
, the book had to be cleared by the Ministry prior to publication.
A sequel, ''
Operation Lightning Strike'', was published in 2000.
Plot summary
The novel deals with UFOs and alien abductions, illustrating how the government and military cope with an increasingly intrusive and hostile alien presence. It draws on government work on UFOs and is a "what if" novel that reflects some of the author's concerns about the defence and national security issues raised by the UFO phenomenon. The book is a
techno-thriller
A techno-thriller or technothriller is a hybrid genre drawing from science fiction, Thriller (genre), thrillers, spy fiction, action (fiction), action, and War novel, war novels. They include a disproportionate amount (relative to other genres) o ...
that draws on real crisis-management procedures.
Critical reception
The book received mixed reviews, with reviewers both describing it as an "excellent read"
and describing the political content of the books as confusing and close to ranting,
while other reviewers question the scientific plausibility of aspects of the novel.
Sequel
In ''Operation Lightning Strike'', the limited battles in the previous book give way to all-out war, with the fate of Earth hanging in the balance. As with ''Operation Thunder Child'', the book needed official clearance. This is unusual in fiction.
Nick Pope FAQ on the publishing of his books
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References
{{Reflist
External links
Nick Pope's Homepage
1999 British novels
British science fiction novels
1999 science fiction novels