A startling alien discovery at the bottom of the ocean throws a marine biologist into a top-secret CIA operation during the Watergate scandal in this thrilling alternate history tale from New York Times bestselling author Harry Turtledove.
It's 1974, and Jerry Stieglitz, a UCLA grad student in marine biology, is just weeks away from marrying his longtime fiancée when grim-faced men from three-letter agencies recruit him for the top-secret "Project Azorian." They're offering enough money to solve all his problems, but he'll have to keep it strictly confidential.
Sworn to secrecy, Jerry learns that Project Azorian is secretly trying to raise a sunken Russian submarine. But the dead Russian sub turns out to be a cover story for the real discovery: an alien spacecraft lying next to it on the ocean floor.
On the Glomar Explorer, a ship full of CIA operatives, RAND Corporation eggheads, and roustabout divers, Jerry stands out like a sore thumb. But as a scientist and storyteller, he may be the only one who's truly considered the potential ramifications of this monumental first contact.
Back on the mainland, it's still 1974. Richard Nixon drinks heavily, talking to White House paintings as the nation rapidly changes. When this story gets out, there's no telling what might happen. Both an original take on first contact and a wildly entertaining dive into the conspiracies, political tumult, and pop culture of 1974, Three Miles Down is a fresh twist on the alternate history and alien contact genres.
