A bold satire mixed with a good bit of irony, this wise, gritty and wonderfully entertaining debut marks a savvy new voice in science fiction literature. When it comes to Terror Within, by Roger Marshall, a case of accidental terrorism has the American government on high alert, not to mention the lives of a group of affable and unsuspecting strangers on the brink of being compromised-forever.

Nate, Sandra, Harland, Rita, and Gabe barely know each other. With strange links to an article Gabe is researching on retirement planning, the fractious group becomes enmeshed in an act of...