eBook
English language
Published Oct. 15, 2015 by Orbit Books.
Somewhere in the vast expanse of space, a group of prisoners lives in permanent captivity.
The only company they have is each other and the Belters who guard them. The only stories they know are the triumphs and crimes that brought them there. The only future they see is an empty life in an enormous room.
And then the man from Mars came along . . .
(Creep as in 'creepy', not creep as in 'sex pest')
Probably one of the stranger shorts I've read in the series so far. The POV is extremely unique, and it answers a lot of questions I've had until now. Hopefully I'm not spoiling too much by reading everything in order, but this one is absolutely fantastic.
Yet another character gets a little more filled in. This time it is the story of Dr Cortazar, one of the Protogen scientists who participated in the Eros "study".
This novella provides interesting insight into some of the background relevant to the protomolecule. The story line is informative but not really all that interesting.
A Novella that is as good at the main series.
Dives deep into what kind of mind it would take to be a Protogen scientist.
Ehhh, it was OK. I'm somewhat disappointed to find out that the evil protomolecule scientists are not plain old amoral, they have been chemically "enhanced" to specifically be amoral. For me this is a much less interesting twist than trying to explain the amorality of actual humans.
Nice backstory of one of the scientists who worked on the protomolecule. Actually one of the novellas I enjoyed most so far, in spite of the topic. It has a very nice style of storytelling which sets it apart from everything else in the series, I think.
Nice insight into the people who spread/studied the protomolecule on Eros. Not really the best of stories, but OK.
Purchasable
https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781405538626-the-vital-abyss.