‘The Doomsday Conspiracy’ by Sydney Sheldon is a story with science fiction shades. The concept of UFO (Undefined Flying Object) is one of most popular science fiction elements. Sheldon uses this concept as the base for this thriller.
The result is disappointing.
It makes one say that when a writer tries a different genre, he cannot always be successful.
‘The Doomsday Conspiracy’ certainly doesn’t qualify as a science fiction. Let me put it this way – “It is a thriller with extraterrestrial organisms in the background. “
Unlike Sheldon’s many other novels, this one has a male lead. Commander Robert Bellamy is a brilliant and good-hearted man who has handled many challenging missions. His personal life though, is in a mess as his wife dumps him for another man. The head of the NSA picks Robert Bellamy for a secret mission. The mission involves tracking down 10 witnesses to a mysterious event (involving a UFO). But, at one stage, the story takes a turn, a conspiracy unfolds, and Robert’s own life is in danger.
This seemingly interesting plot loses its thrill during the second half of the book. Events become predictable and stereotype characters make it even more boring.
The first half of the book is much better than the second half. I really enjoyed the ‘chase’. I liked the part where Robert starts with a few clues and tracks down the persons one by one. This part of the story has the typical ‘Sheldon Touch’. His mastery over mystery and his detailed description of each of Robert’s destinations makes this part worth reading. But, the second half that covers Robert’s life threat and the UFO angle is a letdown.
Science fiction stories have a certain level of seriousness. Though they are imaginary, they are generally written with accurate details. Read Arthur Clarke’s novels if you want to read fact based science fiction.
In ’The Doomsday Conspiracy’, the science fiction plot just isn’t convincing. As Sheldon spices up the plot, seriousness is lost. Also, the women are portrayed as either dumb persons or objects or both.
’The Doomsday Conspiracy’ is an attempt to ‘mix’ science fiction with suspense thriller, but this mission hasn’t been really successful.
Of course, the thriller part in the first half(i.e. the ‘chase’) is quite good. Also, the ‘message’ given in the end about ecological issues is meaningful. The rest of the content isn’t interesting.
Try it if you can get past the sci-fi element and unnecessary sub-plots or watch an episode of the X-files instead!