was originally published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Vol. 23
in 2007 and has been reissued by the author as a standalone digital novella for .99.
Synopsis:
The story is set on beneath the icy surface of Jupiter's moon, Europa, where a small team of scientists have stumbled upon indigenous life forms (that previous expeditions had missed).
At the heart of the story are the struggles of Alexis Vonderach, or Vonnie, against a very hostile planet after her two colleagues have been killed. Her only companion is a computerized ghost she quickly threw together to help her combat her alien alien attackers.
The story is structured to keep the reader on tenterhooks. It starts in media res, but each chapter of current action is separated by a flashback to the events leading up to the discovery of the "amphibians".
Length: novella (about 60 pages)
Publisher: Originally published by Galaxy Press as an anthology in 2007, now being published by the author as of January 2010.
Genre: Science Fiction/Thriller
The Good:
I really enjoyed the pacing and appreciated the non linear setup of the narrative.
While the science and technology in this novella were fascinating, I was struck more with the subtext of the dangers of anthropomorphizing extraterrestrial life and how this may tie into the nature versus nurture debate. In other words, the dangers and problems with faulting a cultural group for how they have evolved to survive in a hostile environment.
The Bad:
I honestly have nothing "bad" really to say about this novella. My only real wish would be for a follow up for this novella because there were some interesting themes present in the story that could be explored further.
If You Like:
...Pitch Black, Plague Year
(also by Carlson), Michael Critchton's Prey
.The Bottom Line:
I really enjoyed this novella and think it is well worth the read for any science fiction fans.
Where I got it: I bought it.
Typographical and Formatting Errors Found: 0 (Yayy)
Cover Grade: D
The cover is overly generic and if I had been browsing ebooks (rather than looking specifically for this one), I probably would have passed it buy. With the marketplace full of throwaway covers, having something that screams "I am not utter dreck!" is very important.
