Notes
Road to the Stars, a standalone novel for young adults by Robert E. Vardeman.

Publisher’s Blurb – Jacket Flaps
Cliff Macklin could hardly believe what he was hearing! Could the planet Epsilon Eridani 4 possibly be inhabited? What is the source of the radio transmission that the Magellan's scouting party is picking up? The planet is the first stop on the explorership Magellan's search for uninhabited worlds suitable for colonization. Earth in the year A.D. 2088 has become unbearably polluted and overcrowded with almost ten billion people. Each new planet the Magellan finds will give thousands on Earth a chance at a new life. However, no one aboard the exploratory starship ever expected to encounter inhabited planets on their journey.

But there are no living creatures on Epsilon Eridani 4 after all. The only traces of life that the scouting party finds are radio noise and the ruins of an alien building. Cliff is overjoyed at the discovery! This is his chance to examine an unknown civilization and to prove that his skills as an archaeologist are valuable to the Magellan's mission. Cliff's exploration of the ruins reveals some startling information, information that could affect the lives of all aboard the Magellan. The Captain feels that there is nothing of value in Cliff’s discovery and gives him one week to prove otherwise. Now Cliff must race against time to decipher the aliens' language before the Magellan sets off for its next destination – and possible disaster!

ROBERT E. VARDEMAN was born in Mineral Wells, Texas. He received his B.S. in Physics and his M.S. in Materials Engineering from the University of New Mexico. He has written many books, including the Masters of Space volumes and two Star Trek novels.

Mr. Vardeman discovered science fiction when he was nine years old. He writes: "The imagination and grandeur of the field have appealed to me ever since."

He now lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.