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The Orphans Trilogy #1
Echoes of Earth
In the early 22nd century, humans' electronic reproductions, known as engrams, have been sent on fact-finding missions throughout the known universe--searching for signs of alien life.
But what they find exceeds their wildest dreams--in nightmarish proportions.
"Includes one of the most heart-stopping moments I've encountered in a novel in years." (Jack McDevitt)
But what they find exceeds their wildest dreams--in nightmarish proportions.
"Includes one of the most heart-stopping moments I've encountered in a novel in years." (Jack McDevitt)
413 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 31, 2001
30 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
About the author
Sean Williams
277 books468 followers#1 New York Times bestselling Sean Williams lives with his family in Adelaide, South Australia. He’s written some books--forty-two at last count--including the Philip K. Dick-nominated Saturn Returns, several Star Wars novels and the Troubletwister series with Garth Nix. Twinmaker is a YA SF series that takes his love affair with the matter transmitter to a whole new level. You can find some related short stories over at Lightspeed Magazine and elsewhere. Thanks for reading.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 12, 2022
“Aliens on one side, spies on the other. That’s not much of a choice. I’m glad it’s you and not me who has to make it.”
A different sort of first contact fiction. Well done. Everyone seems broken and at odds, then things get worse.
“You are aware of the need for caution in the face of new technology. If you follow our guidance, you will be safe.” As the psychologist said to the laboratory rat, he thought.
Hard science fiction of a most speculative sort. Gratuitous profanity. Religion-based profanity doesn’t ring true so far in the future. Talk about your apocalypse.
‘If, as the [redacted] had suggested, there were hostile races out there, looking for victims, it would be dangerous to announce one’s presence quite so readily as Earth had once done.’
Begins a series but manages a satisfying conclusion to this book.
‘Not even the promise of immortality could take the sting out of getting older.’
A different sort of first contact fiction. Well done. Everyone seems broken and at odds, then things get worse.
“You are aware of the need for caution in the face of new technology. If you follow our guidance, you will be safe.” As the psychologist said to the laboratory rat, he thought.
Hard science fiction of a most speculative sort. Gratuitous profanity. Religion-based profanity doesn’t ring true so far in the future. Talk about your apocalypse.
‘If, as the [redacted] had suggested, there were hostile races out there, looking for victims, it would be dangerous to announce one’s presence quite so readily as Earth had once done.’
Begins a series but manages a satisfying conclusion to this book.
‘Not even the promise of immortality could take the sting out of getting older.’
October 6, 2018
Post-human
All characters in this book are something other than human; the engrams are incomplete simulations, and the post-Spike inhabitants of Sol system are beyond human. After a bright promise there is destruction on a preposterous scale. The neighborhood is quite dangerous, but is there hope? As this is the first book in a trilogy, the story is obviously not over.
Five stars may be too much, but this is such a high concept hard SF book and I haven't read one of those in a while. There is the whole issue of the Fermi paradox and the dangers of announcing our presence to the galaxy at large. There is the threat of rampant AI and the fate of humanity in the presence of superior artificial minds. These themes are not exactly new, but this book does lay them out rather brutally.
All characters in this book are something other than human; the engrams are incomplete simulations, and the post-Spike inhabitants of Sol system are beyond human. After a bright promise there is destruction on a preposterous scale. The neighborhood is quite dangerous, but is there hope? As this is the first book in a trilogy, the story is obviously not over.
Five stars may be too much, but this is such a high concept hard SF book and I haven't read one of those in a while. There is the whole issue of the Fermi paradox and the dangers of announcing our presence to the galaxy at large. There is the threat of rampant AI and the fate of humanity in the presence of superior artificial minds. These themes are not exactly new, but this book does lay them out rather brutally.
March 29, 2018
This was a fun book, though nothing ended up going the way I wanted. My biggest problem were how quickly The Gifts ended up not being relevant. The concept is great: a super-advanced alien race (nick-named The Spinners) sends Gifts to more primitive civilizations to help them evolve. Humanity is set in their sights, and we are given 11 "Gifts" - advancements in science, medicine, arts & cultures, starships - to help jump-start our development as a star-faring species. But are The Spinners benevolent, or do they have ulterior motives? What will happen once the Gifts are shared with real humans on earth, as opposed to the AI humans that are the book's main characters?
I would recommend this book to any scifi fan.
I would recommend this book to any scifi fan.
July 10, 2024
A really interesting idea executed really badly.
The sections just before the destruction of the solar system by the Starfish made no sense and felt rushed beyond belief. I had no idea who the various AIs and factions were and why they were important. I also really hate Caryl’s character. Her motives make no sense to me.
Everything up to that point was sort of intriguing but I have been left with no reason to continue with the series.
The sections just before the destruction of the solar system by the Starfish made no sense and felt rushed beyond belief. I had no idea who the various AIs and factions were and why they were important. I also really hate Caryl’s character. Her motives make no sense to me.
Everything up to that point was sort of intriguing but I have been left with no reason to continue with the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2024
Okay world, with this review, I have met my target for books read in 2023. Even though half of them were read in 2022, and another 20 or so I’ve read but not yet reviewed, but whatever, future me will forget about all that, except when I stop and read some of these review and remember how in almost every one I’m complaining about how lame I am for not writing these in appropriate time.
And my last review of the year is a pretty good one to end on. Because this is exactly the type of book that I actually read for. This is what I should be spending more of my time getting in to.
At some point in the future, humans venture into nearby interstellar space. Populated with silacrums of people, of course, as code on exploration vessels. No word from earth since they left and they went off into the cosmos in every direction. Each world they arrive at, they copy themselves and build duplicate hardware and send off from there in multiple directions, the obvious point is that they will explore the entire galaxy in no time.
Of course, some of the problem is that the computer people think they’re people trapped in machines, and sort of tend to go insane, and all that.
Anyhoo, our hero discovers aliens, godlike, mysterious, and then shit starts hitting the fan. It ends up being a big ‘ol mess and the fate of humanity might be at stake.
Loved it. What a great premise. It absolutely must have influenced the Bobiverse books, or at least it may have. I’ll be honest, none of this is new to me, but my first exposure to these sorts of things were from reading Carl Sagan and Carl Zubrin and countless hours on the internet looking this sort of thing up way back in the day. And also reading Linda Nagata on the fiction side.
Either way, it was no where near as lighthearted as the Bobiverse books, and felt serious all the time. But it worked for me. Very good.
The sequels, well, I have thoughts about those that aren’t as great, but this is jam-packed with big ideas and cool concepts.
And my last review of the year is a pretty good one to end on. Because this is exactly the type of book that I actually read for. This is what I should be spending more of my time getting in to.
At some point in the future, humans venture into nearby interstellar space. Populated with silacrums of people, of course, as code on exploration vessels. No word from earth since they left and they went off into the cosmos in every direction. Each world they arrive at, they copy themselves and build duplicate hardware and send off from there in multiple directions, the obvious point is that they will explore the entire galaxy in no time.
Of course, some of the problem is that the computer people think they’re people trapped in machines, and sort of tend to go insane, and all that.
Anyhoo, our hero discovers aliens, godlike, mysterious, and then shit starts hitting the fan. It ends up being a big ‘ol mess and the fate of humanity might be at stake.
Loved it. What a great premise. It absolutely must have influenced the Bobiverse books, or at least it may have. I’ll be honest, none of this is new to me, but my first exposure to these sorts of things were from reading Carl Sagan and Carl Zubrin and countless hours on the internet looking this sort of thing up way back in the day. And also reading Linda Nagata on the fiction side.
Either way, it was no where near as lighthearted as the Bobiverse books, and felt serious all the time. But it worked for me. Very good.
The sequels, well, I have thoughts about those that aren’t as great, but this is jam-packed with big ideas and cool concepts.
May 7, 2020
To start, "Echoes of Earth" is "hard" science fiction, that is, the science within is technically correct as an extrapolation of present-day knowledge. This places it within the long tradition of Anderson, Asimov, and Clarke, to name a few. The protagonist, a software personality or "engram" based on Peter Alander, a human light-years away back on Earth, sent out to explore the universe, is interesting in concept, but not compelling in execution. When the Alander "copy" and its fellow crew-members discover a treasure-trove of alien knowledge, they are faced with the question, should this knowledge be shared with their prototypes and the rest of the inhabitants of Earth. Williams and Dix are known for their examination of complex issues, and in this first volume of their "Orphans" trilogy, they take a long look at what it means to be human. It takes the reader some effort (and a feeling for present-day science) to enter into Peter Alander's world, but a thoughtful reader who perseveres is presented with ideas worth contemplating. The characters, however, are wooden and lack credibility, which can prove off-putting, thus, the 3-star rating.
April 16, 2022
Not Bad…Worth Heading to Book 2
I’m intrigued by the main concept with this book. However, the writing style of this author makes this book a more difficult read. First, the descriptions are hard to visualize. I’m always “guessing” at what something is to be like…because the author doesn’t describe it in terms that makes sense. Another is the dialog between humans and alien/or other part-human entities…it seems rather simple with a lot of “of courses.” I don’t think an alien race would have a dialog with answers to questions with “of course”…I mean, if a human asks an advanced entity something would they really answer, over and over again, with an “of course we can.” Finally, there’s a lot of existential stuff going on…within each societal group. Questions you want answers to…but never getting there because (spoiler)…the whole group gets wiped out. This happens 3 times…and you’re left wondering why the author went into such detail only to end that concept. The story could have been a lot less complex and left you feeling less “lost for answers.” Again, I think it comes from a lack properly describing the society…or the individuals or constructs within the society. I’m sure the author has a clear description in his/her head…but the reader doesn’t really get to understand them. Overall, it makes for a difficult read. Despite this, the story progresses to a point that the cliffhanger is enough of a carrot to entice a try at the second book. My hope is that things pull together and make more sense.
I’m intrigued by the main concept with this book. However, the writing style of this author makes this book a more difficult read. First, the descriptions are hard to visualize. I’m always “guessing” at what something is to be like…because the author doesn’t describe it in terms that makes sense. Another is the dialog between humans and alien/or other part-human entities…it seems rather simple with a lot of “of courses.” I don’t think an alien race would have a dialog with answers to questions with “of course”…I mean, if a human asks an advanced entity something would they really answer, over and over again, with an “of course we can.” Finally, there’s a lot of existential stuff going on…within each societal group. Questions you want answers to…but never getting there because (spoiler)…the whole group gets wiped out. This happens 3 times…and you’re left wondering why the author went into such detail only to end that concept. The story could have been a lot less complex and left you feeling less “lost for answers.” Again, I think it comes from a lack properly describing the society…or the individuals or constructs within the society. I’m sure the author has a clear description in his/her head…but the reader doesn’t really get to understand them. Overall, it makes for a difficult read. Despite this, the story progresses to a point that the cliffhanger is enough of a carrot to entice a try at the second book. My hope is that things pull together and make more sense.
April 14, 2022
The story is built upon real science as a good science fiction book should be but is then not afraid to leap ahead into a wildly imagined future. The main character as a damaged engram is original and works well, although it can be a bit frustrating the way he has little understanding and no control over the events unfolding. He can hardly be blamed though for as the book starts to accelerate in the second half, the grand scale of the events transpiring are mind boggling. That may be why it has won the Australian Ditmar Award for Best Novel of 2002.
Although the ideas in the book could easily have filled a trilogy it is only the first part.
Although the ideas in the book could easily have filled a trilogy it is only the first part.
August 7, 2017
Engrams and holograms?
This book is an interesting combination of science fiction and science. The engrams that are described are interesting to contemplate but in terms of actual reality maybe not so real. Having a group of benevolent aliens come to your rescue is an interesting idea, it certainly makes the book an interesting read. Definitely worth some time on a rainy or lazy weekend.
This book is an interesting combination of science fiction and science. The engrams that are described are interesting to contemplate but in terms of actual reality maybe not so real. Having a group of benevolent aliens come to your rescue is an interesting idea, it certainly makes the book an interesting read. Definitely worth some time on a rainy or lazy weekend.
May 8, 2018
pas de temps mort, des évolutions de l'humanité surprenantes, des personnages intéressants, des rencontres mystérieuses et dangereuses, bien écrit, j'ai lu ce vol 1 d'une traite. Et j'ai la chance d'avoir la suite.
May 7, 2019
An interesting set of ideas. Like the best Sci Fi, the interest is in the effect on the human condition
December 31, 2019
A part 2-3 passages incompréhensibles, un livre passionnant sans temps mort, des surprises, du sense of wonder
-> un très bon moment.. qui fait réfléchir...
-> un très bon moment.. qui fait réfléchir...
January 19, 2017
I love this series and this concept. I am now reading the third book. :)
September 17, 2016
Its a real pleasure to re-read the Orphans Trilogy from Sean Williams and Shane Dix. Book One is packed full of big ideas and cataclysmic events.
In 2050 the UN launches a thousand missions to explore interstellar space, the ship's staffed not with humans but engrams: software recordings of human personalities. A century later the engram of explorer Peter Allander is facing an existential crisis when aliens bestow unimaginable gifts on his mission - a library of knowledge and technological advances that promises to change humanity's destiny for ever. But when he returns to Earth in one of these gifts - the FTL 'hole' ship, he doesn't find the welcome he's expecting.
Allander struggles with the nature of who he is - apart from the human who recorded him - while facing a series of life-threatening dangers and witnessing events that would blow anyone's mind, let alone a software rendition of a person. Highly recommended.
In 2050 the UN launches a thousand missions to explore interstellar space, the ship's staffed not with humans but engrams: software recordings of human personalities. A century later the engram of explorer Peter Allander is facing an existential crisis when aliens bestow unimaginable gifts on his mission - a library of knowledge and technological advances that promises to change humanity's destiny for ever. But when he returns to Earth in one of these gifts - the FTL 'hole' ship, he doesn't find the welcome he's expecting.
Allander struggles with the nature of who he is - apart from the human who recorded him - while facing a series of life-threatening dangers and witnessing events that would blow anyone's mind, let alone a software rendition of a person. Highly recommended.
August 7, 2010
An interesting plot and well-written, although there were some niggles, mainly the very quick development of AI, and from an Australian reader's point of view, annoying use of US spellings (considering the writers are Australians!) and the devising of fake units in line with US/Imperial units when there are perfectly good SI units available.
I look forward to the rest of the series, although how "humanity" can be saved when the apparent survivors are largely computer programs, plus one enhanced ancient female and a male android, will be interesting to see!
I look forward to the rest of the series, although how "humanity" can be saved when the apparent survivors are largely computer programs, plus one enhanced ancient female and a male android, will be interesting to see!
November 12, 2014
As with their other series "Evergence" there's a bit of a learning curve to get used to what they are talking about; in this case engrams and not people being sent out to explore space. Once past that it revs up the ante with the Spinners and their gifts. Intriguing and very detailed. I'm on to book 2 - "Orphans of Space" for more!
January 7, 2012
Thanks for the book, Dad! Interesting high-tech ideas. Characters are so-so. I'm curious to see what happens.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews