paperback, 384 pages
Published Aug. 10, 2021 by St. Martin's Griffin.
It’s fall 2007. A well-timed leak has revealed that the US government might have engaged in first contact. Cora Sabino is doing everything she can to avoid the whole mess, since the force driving the controversy is her whistleblower father. Even though Cora hasn’t spoken to him in years, his celebrity has caught the attention of the press, the Internet, the paparazzi, and the government—and with him in hiding, that attention is on her. She neither knows nor cares whether her father’s leaks are a hoax, and wants nothing to do with him—until she learns just how deeply entrenched her family is in the cover-up, and that an extraterrestrial presence has been on Earth for decades.
Realizing the extent to which both she and the public have been lied to, she sets out to gather as much information as she can, and finds that the best way for her to …
It’s fall 2007. A well-timed leak has revealed that the US government might have engaged in first contact. Cora Sabino is doing everything she can to avoid the whole mess, since the force driving the controversy is her whistleblower father. Even though Cora hasn’t spoken to him in years, his celebrity has caught the attention of the press, the Internet, the paparazzi, and the government—and with him in hiding, that attention is on her. She neither knows nor cares whether her father’s leaks are a hoax, and wants nothing to do with him—until she learns just how deeply entrenched her family is in the cover-up, and that an extraterrestrial presence has been on Earth for decades.
Realizing the extent to which both she and the public have been lied to, she sets out to gather as much information as she can, and finds that the best way for her to uncover the truth is not as a whistleblower, but as an intermediary. The alien presence has been completely uncommunicative until she convinces one of them that she can act as their interpreter, becoming the first and only human vessel of communication. Their otherworldly connection will change everything she thought she knew about being human—and could unleash a force more sinister than she ever imagined.
I enjoyed the relationship building throughout the narrative, but that was really all that carried this for me. The characters felt flat and the plot felt forced.
As far as first contact stories go, Ted Chiang, Cixin Liu, and [redacted] (the one with Rocky in it) just brought so much more depth and nuance to the table.
First contact stories are plenty in sci-fi, but this one stands out as particularly well-written, with characters that have depth.
Content warning Plot discussion
I picked this one up on a whim, and was a little shocked to see something that doesn't seem to conform to the norms. It's almost like it's heading towards a romance, but I'm not quite sure it'll go that way. The 2nd book will probably make or break the series. Some novel ideas on communication and partnership. All in all quite enjoyable.
So overall I really enjoyed the plot of this. Was Cora slightly juvenile? Yes. Were there some repetitive strange terms (lizard brain anyone?) Also yes. Does it seem like there's about to be a very incompatible (in all meanings of that word) alien/human romance in book two? Definitely. Do I care? Not one bit. It was creative and fun and I didn't want to put it down.
I really wanted to like the book but, while entertaining, it didn’t connect. Not the main character and not the plot. Key parts of the plot seem abrupt, like if a good chapter was missing in between, and other parts were dragged too long. The connection between alien and protagonist increased as my connection to the book decreased.
spoilers There are definitely page-turning moments, but they’re interspersed with making us spend time with a petulant protagonist who has an internal white saviour narrative inflating into space. Plot points vary from untidy to curiously convenient like an indulgently talky, cuddly, thousand-year-old oligarch of an alien. The aliens are altogether too fathomable, kindness is told not shown and that mote is absurdly the impetus for interspecies bonding (is trying to murder your other symphyle endearing?), and there are no innovations in the intergalactic arc nor surprise in the final secret.
I did like: the diplomatic translations.
Lindsay Ellis’s debut novel, Axiom’s End, is my first encounter with a science fiction novel that is all about first contact with extraterrestrial beings. I must confess that, while most of the typical first contact tropes are present—Area 51’s presence being a huge one—I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobooks narration. Stephanie Willis does a solid job of conveying Cora’s emotions in dealing with Ampersand, government officials, and even her own family who are knee-deep in concealing Ampersand’s existence alongside the other extraterrestrials (Similars). Oliver Thorn does the same for conspiracy theorist, Nils Ortega, by reading off excerpts from the Broken Seal between chapters.
Between the both of them, they made Ellis science fiction novel feel more like a thriller from the word “go” to its conclusion. I would sometimes listen to it for a couple of hours—almost non-stop, because I did not want to be left in the lurch as …
Lindsay Ellis’s debut novel, Axiom’s End, is my first encounter with a science fiction novel that is all about first contact with extraterrestrial beings. I must confess that, while most of the typical first contact tropes are present—Area 51’s presence being a huge one—I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobooks narration. Stephanie Willis does a solid job of conveying Cora’s emotions in dealing with Ampersand, government officials, and even her own family who are knee-deep in concealing Ampersand’s existence alongside the other extraterrestrials (Similars). Oliver Thorn does the same for conspiracy theorist, Nils Ortega, by reading off excerpts from the Broken Seal between chapters.
Between the both of them, they made Ellis science fiction novel feel more like a thriller from the word “go” to its conclusion. I would sometimes listen to it for a couple of hours—almost non-stop, because I did not want to be left in the lurch as to what happened next.
I’ve watched Ellis’s video essays on YouTube in the past, and there are some minor references—at least one of them anyway. While Willis does emphasize said reference, they do very little to dampen the narrative.
In sum: Axiom’s End is an interesting take on alien encounters and government conspiracy with an audiobook duo who hit the right notes.
My notes: anaulin.org/blog/book-notes-axiom-s-end/
I liked this book. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it's a fun read that at times says some interesting things. I will definitely be picking up the next book when it comes out!
This is hardly a surprise considering the author, but my first thought after finishing the book was it'd make for a pretty alright movie. A sci-fi thriller that may be light on deep, profound statements, but is nonetheless entertaining, full of interesting characters and world building, and fast-moving enough that I couldn't put it down. It hits enough touchstones of the first contact genre (I was reminded at times of Childhood's End's first section, for example) while bringing its own ideas to the party.
Enjoyed this book for the most part although I didn't find the main characters extremely likeable. Nonetheless there are interesting ideas about the ways in which alien species communicate (or fail to) and how different species (or even cultures) will always have areas where they don't understand each other, and in these areas are where the problems arise. The aliens were very alien, and very interesting. The protagonist, Cora, has her new position as translator somewhat inexplicably thrust upon her, and ends up the sole translator between human and alien, trying to understand both sides and, of course, finding both sides are withholding certain information (or outright lying at times).
I found it odd that the fact Cora's father is a conspiracy whistleblower type trying to force the government to admit they know about the presence of aliens is presented as the key framing of the entire story, when in …
Enjoyed this book for the most part although I didn't find the main characters extremely likeable. Nonetheless there are interesting ideas about the ways in which alien species communicate (or fail to) and how different species (or even cultures) will always have areas where they don't understand each other, and in these areas are where the problems arise. The aliens were very alien, and very interesting. The protagonist, Cora, has her new position as translator somewhat inexplicably thrust upon her, and ends up the sole translator between human and alien, trying to understand both sides and, of course, finding both sides are withholding certain information (or outright lying at times).
I found it odd that the fact Cora's father is a conspiracy whistleblower type trying to force the government to admit they know about the presence of aliens is presented as the key framing of the entire story, when in fact it seems entirely irrelevant to almost the entire book. I also found it a bit unbelievable how many cultural similarities the aliens seem to have with humans despite the author trying to emphasize their difference (like the value on kindness, for example). The behaviour of the government and military was also a bit hard to believe. But, it was still a fast and interesting read and a very well envisioned alien species. I suspect fans of the Mass Effect series of games would probably enjoy this book too.
A deeply involving read that explores an account of first contact and interplanetary conflict in such personal terms that it barely even feels like a science fiction novel. Ellis deftly unfolds the story in new directions, keeping it fresh without feeling “twisty,” and her hero’s compassion and humanity made me want to savor the pages that her firecracker plot was begging me to turn faster.
I really liked it, it was different smh, I couldn't foresee where it was going and it felt realistic. I don't know, if it was a standalone I think I could have gone without the last chapter, but I like the open end of it.
Highly recommend it, love the way it was written.
This first contact story is such a refreshing break away from what I have come to expect from first contact stories. I loved the reimagined modern setting, which I felt lent itself very well to the themes of the book. I have to say, I loved just about every character in the book, and the appropriate characters had well thought out development, but some of the relationships between characters I found to be hit or miss.
While engaging, the pacing of the story was all over the place. It started at breakneck speed, but quickly came to a screeching halt to establish a lot of worldbuilding, only to pick back up again in the final ~70 pages. Speaking of, I greatly enjoyed the worldbuilding, but I wish it were dispersed a bit more homogenously throughout.
I found that my favorite parts of Ellis's storytelling were highlighted the least. The humans' …
This first contact story is such a refreshing break away from what I have come to expect from first contact stories. I loved the reimagined modern setting, which I felt lent itself very well to the themes of the book. I have to say, I loved just about every character in the book, and the appropriate characters had well thought out development, but some of the relationships between characters I found to be hit or miss.
While engaging, the pacing of the story was all over the place. It started at breakneck speed, but quickly came to a screeching halt to establish a lot of worldbuilding, only to pick back up again in the final ~70 pages. Speaking of, I greatly enjoyed the worldbuilding, but I wish it were dispersed a bit more homogenously throughout.
I found that my favorite parts of Ellis's storytelling were highlighted the least. The humans' limited understanding of the aliens, the sociopolitical impact of sensitive information wreaking havoc in the United States, the complex hierarchies among the alien species... all of these were fascinating to me, but often took a backseat to character relationships and variable plot movement.
Overall, really liked the story and I'm excited to see what more comes from Ellis.
I liked the story but I really disliked the way it was written.
