What do you think?
Rate this book
Exodus Trilogy #1
Exodus
When mankind faces extinction, can anyone survive?
In 2072, Earth faces the ultimate extinction event. In an America turned authoritarian, a desperate race against time begins. To send a starship to a distant planet, where the remains of humanity can survive.
However, while the government wants to recreate the society it has engineered, there are those who secretly conspire to let the starfarers choose their own destiny. As mankind on Earth faces its final blow, the selected few set course for Aurora, more than 40 light years away.
Follow Maria Solis, the billionaire daughter, Kenneth Taylor, Harvard professor of psychology, and Tina Hammer, a scramjet pilot and officer, through the selection and preparations for the adventure of a lifetime - and a final chance for a doomed civilization.
In 2072, Earth faces the ultimate extinction event. In an America turned authoritarian, a desperate race against time begins. To send a starship to a distant planet, where the remains of humanity can survive.
However, while the government wants to recreate the society it has engineered, there are those who secretly conspire to let the starfarers choose their own destiny. As mankind on Earth faces its final blow, the selected few set course for Aurora, more than 40 light years away.
Follow Maria Solis, the billionaire daughter, Kenneth Taylor, Harvard professor of psychology, and Tina Hammer, a scramjet pilot and officer, through the selection and preparations for the adventure of a lifetime - and a final chance for a doomed civilization.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2011
1689 people are currently reading
3423 people want to read
About the author
Andreas Christensen
32 books134 followersAndreas Christensen is a Norwegian science fiction and fantasy author. His most recently published work is Frostfall, an epic fantasy.
His popular series the Exodus Trilogy received rave reviews in both the U.S. and the U.K. and has been compared to classics such as Heinlein and Asimov. The Rift Saga is set approximately two centuries after the events of Exodus, and a reviewer described it as "Hunger Games on steroids". In a good way...
He is currently working on new projects, including a "second generation" story set in the Aurora universe, in addition to the Legionnaire Series.
Andreas Christensen has a degree in Psychology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and his professional background is mainly from public service. He has a weakness for cats, coffee and up until recently, books so heavy he'd need a separate suitcase in order to carry them every time he traveled. Luckily, the world has changed, and the suitcase has now been replaced by an e-reader.
You can find Andreas Christensen here:
Website and blog: christensenwriting.com
Twitter: @achr75
Facebook: facebook.com/christensenwriting
Get your FREE copy of ALIVE, the Exodus companion novella. Just go to christensenwriting.com to get started!
His popular series the Exodus Trilogy received rave reviews in both the U.S. and the U.K. and has been compared to classics such as Heinlein and Asimov. The Rift Saga is set approximately two centuries after the events of Exodus, and a reviewer described it as "Hunger Games on steroids". In a good way...
He is currently working on new projects, including a "second generation" story set in the Aurora universe, in addition to the Legionnaire Series.
Andreas Christensen has a degree in Psychology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and his professional background is mainly from public service. He has a weakness for cats, coffee and up until recently, books so heavy he'd need a separate suitcase in order to carry them every time he traveled. Luckily, the world has changed, and the suitcase has now been replaced by an e-reader.
You can find Andreas Christensen here:
Website and blog: christensenwriting.com
Twitter: @achr75
Facebook: facebook.com/christensenwriting
Get your FREE copy of ALIVE, the Exodus companion novella. Just go to christensenwriting.com to get started!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews
April 28, 2015
"If...If this information spreads, there will be panic and riots. Panic and riots, you understand, right? The perfect conditions for terrorists and other destructive elements. We must keep this a secret for as long as possible. That will give us some time to come up with a plan for how to deal with all this."
BOOK #7 in Carmen-Downloads-20-Free-Ebooks-Onto-Her-Kindle-Day. More widely known as March 3rd, 2015.
America has become a dictatorship, with President Andrews at the helm. Citizens are tracked and monitored. Speaking out against the government is no longer an American right. "Interrogation" is brutal and frequent. NASA is a thing of the past.
Lifebringer, a rogue planet, smashes into Mars, destroying it. Now a fragment of Lifebringer, a fragment the humans dub "Devastator" is heading straight towards Earth.
A rush to build a generation ship commences, with Andrews placing his second-in-command on the ship with the idea that a dictatorship will be enforced on the new planet.
...
PROS:
The science. If you like science and you like thinking about generation ships, different star systems, and the effects of cyrosleep - this is for you.
The politics. If you are really into politics and you are afraid that the U.S. of A. is quickly turning into a dictatorship, this is the book for you. If you believe we have traded too many of our personal freedoms in for the sake of safety from terrorism and think it's only going to get worse, this book is for you.
This whole book is basically science and politics.... so if that revs your engine, go for it.
...
CONS:
It's boring.
No character development or personalities. Completely flat characters.
Plot. The premise is interesting, the execution is very poor.
Who the *&^% cares if you are a Democrat or a Republican in space? Priorities, people! Jeez Louise. We've only got about 2,000 survivors from Earth travelling to a new planet. Do you think politics matters at a time like this? What the hell? And do you think, President Andrews, that sending your VP to carry on your legacy as a dictator on the New Earth is going to fly? Yeah, right, moron.
The POTUS in this book, Andrews, is such an idiot you just want to shake him. I mean, besides from being a dictator scumbag - he's dumb.
...
MESSAGES IN THE BOOK:
NASA is amazing and important and should have lots of funding.
The Constitution is amazing and important and shouldn't be fucked with.
Nanny states are bad; personal freedom is sacred.
....
Tl;dr - Welp, this is just another case of interesting premise, poor execution. The writing is flat and boring. The characters are completely one-dimensional. The plot is abysmal.
I got this for free on my Kindle by just browsing through Amazon, they were having a special. This was entry #7 in Carmen-Downloads-20-Free-Ebooks-Onto-Her-Kindle-Day. More widely known as March 3rd, 2015.
BOOK #7 in Carmen-Downloads-20-Free-Ebooks-Onto-Her-Kindle-Day. More widely known as March 3rd, 2015.
America has become a dictatorship, with President Andrews at the helm. Citizens are tracked and monitored. Speaking out against the government is no longer an American right. "Interrogation" is brutal and frequent. NASA is a thing of the past.
Lifebringer, a rogue planet, smashes into Mars, destroying it. Now a fragment of Lifebringer, a fragment the humans dub "Devastator" is heading straight towards Earth.
A rush to build a generation ship commences, with Andrews placing his second-in-command on the ship with the idea that a dictatorship will be enforced on the new planet.
...
PROS:
The science. If you like science and you like thinking about generation ships, different star systems, and the effects of cyrosleep - this is for you.
The politics. If you are really into politics and you are afraid that the U.S. of A. is quickly turning into a dictatorship, this is the book for you. If you believe we have traded too many of our personal freedoms in for the sake of safety from terrorism and think it's only going to get worse, this book is for you.
This whole book is basically science and politics.... so if that revs your engine, go for it.
...
CONS:
It's boring.
No character development or personalities. Completely flat characters.
Plot. The premise is interesting, the execution is very poor.
Who the *&^% cares if you are a Democrat or a Republican in space? Priorities, people! Jeez Louise. We've only got about 2,000 survivors from Earth travelling to a new planet. Do you think politics matters at a time like this? What the hell? And do you think, President Andrews, that sending your VP to carry on your legacy as a dictator on the New Earth is going to fly? Yeah, right, moron.
The POTUS in this book, Andrews, is such an idiot you just want to shake him. I mean, besides from being a dictator scumbag - he's dumb.
...
MESSAGES IN THE BOOK:
NASA is amazing and important and should have lots of funding.
The Constitution is amazing and important and shouldn't be fucked with.
Nanny states are bad; personal freedom is sacred.
....
Tl;dr - Welp, this is just another case of interesting premise, poor execution. The writing is flat and boring. The characters are completely one-dimensional. The plot is abysmal.
I got this for free on my Kindle by just browsing through Amazon, they were having a special. This was entry #7 in Carmen-Downloads-20-Free-Ebooks-Onto-Her-Kindle-Day. More widely known as March 3rd, 2015.
January 28, 2015
This is the first book in the author's Exodus trilogy and overall I enjoyed it, but it suffers from a few issues that hold it back from being a stand out novel.
First off we have the setting. I liked the basic premise of the how the extinction would occur and the need to find somewhere else for humanity to live. The world state is also interesting with a plausible dystopian future. This created a grim backdrop to the story while also adding a ray of hope for the future and with a new colony things could be done better.
It also added a stronger political element to the story than I expected. The characters perform their functions reasonably enough, but there's a lot going on so you don't really get to know them that well. And that leads me to my first main issue with the book - there just isn't enough meat on the bones.
The skeleton is fine, there's a solid story and the writing is clean and brings the events and emotions across, but there's so much going on that nothing feels fully fleshed out. For a story like this I expected a bit more science in the mix, there's some there but it doesn't really dig into the challenges a mission like this would encounter.
Which leads to my second issue - there isn't enough peril going on. The political element adds some conflict, but considering the backdrop of the events and the difficulty of the mission it all feels a bit too easy. Apart from a few exceptions you never really feel that the individuals are in any real danger. And what should have been a momentous journey is skimmed through rather quickly.
I did enjoy reading the story overall, but it could have been so much more epic. Still I've bought the second so worth a read.
First off we have the setting. I liked the basic premise of the how the extinction would occur and the need to find somewhere else for humanity to live. The world state is also interesting with a plausible dystopian future. This created a grim backdrop to the story while also adding a ray of hope for the future and with a new colony things could be done better.
It also added a stronger political element to the story than I expected. The characters perform their functions reasonably enough, but there's a lot going on so you don't really get to know them that well. And that leads me to my first main issue with the book - there just isn't enough meat on the bones.
The skeleton is fine, there's a solid story and the writing is clean and brings the events and emotions across, but there's so much going on that nothing feels fully fleshed out. For a story like this I expected a bit more science in the mix, there's some there but it doesn't really dig into the challenges a mission like this would encounter.
Which leads to my second issue - there isn't enough peril going on. The political element adds some conflict, but considering the backdrop of the events and the difficulty of the mission it all feels a bit too easy. Apart from a few exceptions you never really feel that the individuals are in any real danger. And what should have been a momentous journey is skimmed through rather quickly.
I did enjoy reading the story overall, but it could have been so much more epic. Still I've bought the second so worth a read.
August 6, 2018
Forced myself to read the entire first chapter, but knew in the first two pages that this “hard” science fiction wasn’t (even though we hadn’t gotten to any SF yet). Suspect the author has no idea what a scramjet is. Flares, not chaff, are used against heat-seeking missiles. The President of the United States would not hire a new National Security Adviser without a single face-to-face interview.
Amateur writing: “… to watch the ballgame that would be coming on in a few minutes.” Data dumps. Plays to stereotypes, even when playing against them.
Gave up. Sorry.
Amateur writing: “… to watch the ballgame that would be coming on in a few minutes.” Data dumps. Plays to stereotypes, even when playing against them.
Gave up. Sorry.
November 1, 2013
This was quite good (3.5 stars) as a set up for the series & I must admit that I was far more interested in the actual planning of the Exodus & journey to Aurora from the technical to the societal & political than I was in any one character in particular. I'm usually much more about the characters but I felt the writer handled the other aspects so well that I craved more of that. I can only imagine that the characters are more deeply drawn & important in subsequent books as the Exodus has reached its destination & the journey toward a new society & civilization continues. I will probably read the next in the series but not right away but I am glad that I finally got around to this one on my Kindle.
December 14, 2014
Exodus is set in a near-future earth in which today’s threat of global terrorism has pushed America into virtual dictatorship. Although still nominally democratic, personal freedom has been almost entirely sacrificed to military and economic interests. But this is simply the stage for the book’s real plot – securing an escape route to another solar system for a small group to avoid the consequences of a late-detected asteroid strike. Like so many stories these days, Exodus is part of a trilogy, and the story is left on the verge of the next stage.
The plot is quite diverse, dealing with political machinations in the US as well as the selection process for the passengers, a glimpse of the scientific advances needed for the journey, and a little about the shipboard life on the way. A striking feature of Andreas’ writing is that she is not afraid to skip over spans of time where nothing much happens, in order to focus on the next key event. So for example very little is said of the actual journey through space.
The characters are almost exclusively American, but of quite a limited range – Hispanic names are there, but I don’t recall any native American, Indian or far-east Asian names. Perhaps this was supposed to mirror the generally paranoid thinking of the society, but it felt rather unreal to me. As regards the rest of the world, Europe is largely there to provide scientific know-how for the project and then wave the ship goodbye, and no other countries get a look-in at all. One scientific goal of the journey was to secure genetic diversity on the new world, and I suspect that in this regard, one would have to class the mission a failure. But again, perhaps this is really saying that political agenda always trumps scientific ideals.
I felt there were some odd omissions. Interpersonal relationships are almost entirely platonic – in a bunch of about 1600 people who think they are the last representatives of humanity, about the closest we get to romance is one man musing to himself that one of the women “didn’t look too bad”. More seriously, having had a careful explanation before launch of the compelling need for exponential population growth from the start, nothing is then done about this. I feel sure that, especially in a centrally dominated society but for sound survival reasons as well, some fraction of the women would have been pregnant before landing. But so far as the plot of the book is concerned, only politics, seen as the pursuit of authority and dominance, is important.
Technically the Kindle version has been reasonably well produced. There were a number of typos, only a few of which interrupted reading. The prose style is very plain, and coming from a historical fiction background I prefer something richer. The main obstacle was the paragraph length which through most of the book was huge, often spanning multiple Kindle page turns. I would strongly recommend that another edit trims this down into digestible chunks which fit better with an ereader page.
I thought a lot about a final rating and felt in the end that the interest value of the plot just about pushed this from three to four stars. I was never at serious risk of giving up and I did want to see the travellers through to their destination. But I would have liked Exodus much more if the issues mentioned had been tackled, and I did feel that parts of the story didn’t quite hang together as they should.
The plot is quite diverse, dealing with political machinations in the US as well as the selection process for the passengers, a glimpse of the scientific advances needed for the journey, and a little about the shipboard life on the way. A striking feature of Andreas’ writing is that she is not afraid to skip over spans of time where nothing much happens, in order to focus on the next key event. So for example very little is said of the actual journey through space.
The characters are almost exclusively American, but of quite a limited range – Hispanic names are there, but I don’t recall any native American, Indian or far-east Asian names. Perhaps this was supposed to mirror the generally paranoid thinking of the society, but it felt rather unreal to me. As regards the rest of the world, Europe is largely there to provide scientific know-how for the project and then wave the ship goodbye, and no other countries get a look-in at all. One scientific goal of the journey was to secure genetic diversity on the new world, and I suspect that in this regard, one would have to class the mission a failure. But again, perhaps this is really saying that political agenda always trumps scientific ideals.
I felt there were some odd omissions. Interpersonal relationships are almost entirely platonic – in a bunch of about 1600 people who think they are the last representatives of humanity, about the closest we get to romance is one man musing to himself that one of the women “didn’t look too bad”. More seriously, having had a careful explanation before launch of the compelling need for exponential population growth from the start, nothing is then done about this. I feel sure that, especially in a centrally dominated society but for sound survival reasons as well, some fraction of the women would have been pregnant before landing. But so far as the plot of the book is concerned, only politics, seen as the pursuit of authority and dominance, is important.
Technically the Kindle version has been reasonably well produced. There were a number of typos, only a few of which interrupted reading. The prose style is very plain, and coming from a historical fiction background I prefer something richer. The main obstacle was the paragraph length which through most of the book was huge, often spanning multiple Kindle page turns. I would strongly recommend that another edit trims this down into digestible chunks which fit better with an ereader page.
I thought a lot about a final rating and felt in the end that the interest value of the plot just about pushed this from three to four stars. I was never at serious risk of giving up and I did want to see the travellers through to their destination. But I would have liked Exodus much more if the issues mentioned had been tackled, and I did feel that parts of the story didn’t quite hang together as they should.
April 19, 2015
Here is an example of colonization sci-fi.
It seemed like the author could have gotten through this book without any characters. There was no blood flow. I wanted to shout, "clear" and fire the defibrillator.
And, it wasn't as if there was a whole lot of science. The choice of a destination, and the scientific / technological advances required to reach it was pretty good. I won't say what they are, but it seemed plausible.
But what it was, was a lot of politics. Libertarians vs fascists, it looked like to me. The stars ratings on Goodreads indicate that the series improves gradually, since the 2nd and 3rd books have higher average ratings. I'll try the second one, it's what I do. But this was a story already told many times, without any more unique embellishment than one finds in the current liberal newspapers, or the northern bit of Idaho.
The story is interesting, but the execution appears to be based on a creative approach to the literary devices most often found in successful storytelling.
There are better efforts at colonization sci-fi.
It seemed like the author could have gotten through this book without any characters. There was no blood flow. I wanted to shout, "clear" and fire the defibrillator.
And, it wasn't as if there was a whole lot of science. The choice of a destination, and the scientific / technological advances required to reach it was pretty good. I won't say what they are, but it seemed plausible.
But what it was, was a lot of politics. Libertarians vs fascists, it looked like to me. The stars ratings on Goodreads indicate that the series improves gradually, since the 2nd and 3rd books have higher average ratings. I'll try the second one, it's what I do. But this was a story already told many times, without any more unique embellishment than one finds in the current liberal newspapers, or the northern bit of Idaho.
The story is interesting, but the execution appears to be based on a creative approach to the literary devices most often found in successful storytelling.
There are better efforts at colonization sci-fi.
May 5, 2013
One thing I love about my Kindle is the gems I find through its online library. I stumbled on this book while browsing idly in search of a modern deep space story, and I've enjoyed it a lot.
It's written in contemporary style and has overall good pace, and of course the main premise is compelling, even though the science of it feels a bit weak at parts.
Interestingly, while reading it I had the deep displeasure of watching the movie Melancholia, which is also about a star crashing apocalypse. Maybe it made Exodus shine in comparison? doesn't matter really.
It's written in contemporary style and has overall good pace, and of course the main premise is compelling, even though the science of it feels a bit weak at parts.
Interestingly, while reading it I had the deep displeasure of watching the movie Melancholia, which is also about a star crashing apocalypse. Maybe it made Exodus shine in comparison? doesn't matter really.
October 2, 2013
If you like science fiction, books about space, even dystopia this is a great choice. I wasn't disappointed, there was information and technical "spacey" terms and descriptions but not too much to be unreadable or to read. Something about space travel always interests me and I simply can't get enough. And to know there is a sequel awaiting me is just awesome!
December 9, 2014
Excellent read
Exodus kept me interested through out the entire book. I'm a sucker for a good end of the world story and Exodus did not disappoint. My only real criticism would be that it moves along too fast. The chapters are very short and sometimes with too little detail. However, that will not stop me from reading the sequel, Aroura.
Exodus kept me interested through out the entire book. I'm a sucker for a good end of the world story and Exodus did not disappoint. My only real criticism would be that it moves along too fast. The chapters are very short and sometimes with too little detail. However, that will not stop me from reading the sequel, Aroura.
December 17, 2012
Exodus takes place 60 years in the future. Science and technology have advanced significantly and America has drifted steadily toward corporate interest dominated fascism. The author seems to have taken great care to create a world that is believable and very familiar.
There is a generous cast of characters from many walks of life. Introduction to them was brief and superficial, the character development in this book wasn't particularly deep but as the first book in a series most of the time was dedicated to setting up the events that lead to the Exodus central to the series. I'm really looking forward to the next book. I hope for a lot more character development. The author has set himself up for an excellent world building opportunity, I look forward to seeing what he does with it.
This familiarity of the world in this book makes the story that much more unsettling. It is very easy to look at the world today and imagine it heading in the very direction the author posits. The story revolves around a world-ending event that is entirely believable. I couldn't help but wonder what would we do today in the same circumstances. This book is science fiction in great form. It doesn't just make you think about the future, it really makes you think about the world around you today.
My one qualm with the book is that it can be really heavy handed at times, reiterating time and again how corrupt the government has become. Sure that's central to the story, but I'd have liked the author to give the readers a bit more credit. Trust them to come to this conclusion given the evidence of which there was plenty.
There is a generous cast of characters from many walks of life. Introduction to them was brief and superficial, the character development in this book wasn't particularly deep but as the first book in a series most of the time was dedicated to setting up the events that lead to the Exodus central to the series. I'm really looking forward to the next book. I hope for a lot more character development. The author has set himself up for an excellent world building opportunity, I look forward to seeing what he does with it.
This familiarity of the world in this book makes the story that much more unsettling. It is very easy to look at the world today and imagine it heading in the very direction the author posits. The story revolves around a world-ending event that is entirely believable. I couldn't help but wonder what would we do today in the same circumstances. This book is science fiction in great form. It doesn't just make you think about the future, it really makes you think about the world around you today.
My one qualm with the book is that it can be really heavy handed at times, reiterating time and again how corrupt the government has become. Sure that's central to the story, but I'd have liked the author to give the readers a bit more credit. Trust them to come to this conclusion given the evidence of which there was plenty.
June 20, 2014
Exodus is a dystopian novel about the decisions made when a killer asteroid enters the Solar System and threatens all life on planet Earth. While not as heavy handed as such a topic could have made it, the story does give us a glimpse of the state of mind that might ensnare us all if we were faced with such a pending catastrophe.
The author, Andreas Christensen, didn't need to overwhelm the reader with heaps of technical jargon to tell his story, and the story flows better because of it.
However, the author could have spent a bit more time developing the characters as they are a bit flat. Additionally, there are some rather implausible scenarios: Mars just gets obliterated, but yet no one even thinks twice that it could happen to Earth. Hmm. In another part, it is said that other countries are already working on solutions to the problem, but no one in the US has caught wind that the Earth is in danger? Double Hmm. And to think that a 'space ark', for lack of a better term, would leave Earth without the President of the US is just downright naive.
The bright side is that despite all of the above issues, Exodus is an enjoyable read. It is one of the more highly polished indie novels that I've picked up, so I applaud Christensen for such a job well done.
I recommend Exodus to anyone that likes true SciFi camp/pulp and/or Dystopian SciFi.
The author, Andreas Christensen, didn't need to overwhelm the reader with heaps of technical jargon to tell his story, and the story flows better because of it.
However, the author could have spent a bit more time developing the characters as they are a bit flat. Additionally, there are some rather implausible scenarios: Mars just gets obliterated, but yet no one even thinks twice that it could happen to Earth. Hmm. In another part, it is said that other countries are already working on solutions to the problem, but no one in the US has caught wind that the Earth is in danger? Double Hmm. And to think that a 'space ark', for lack of a better term, would leave Earth without the President of the US is just downright naive.
The bright side is that despite all of the above issues, Exodus is an enjoyable read. It is one of the more highly polished indie novels that I've picked up, so I applaud Christensen for such a job well done.
I recommend Exodus to anyone that likes true SciFi camp/pulp and/or Dystopian SciFi.
January 4, 2014
I liked the story and found it engaging. I found it jumped ahead too fast and could have spent more time covering some of the missed years – this might have added another book to the series and then you couldn’t call it a trilogy, could you.
Although Exodus ends by hooking the reader to the next volume, I found it satisfying enough to that point and I don’t feel the craving to move to the next book, although I probably will. I am more interested in the novella that covers the alternate story – I look forward to getting that one.
Certainly a well-crafted story with lots of converging subplots that prep you for the next books in the series.
I picked up this book because the premise sounded similar to a novel that I have started to write. I wanted to see if it was too close to my idea to pre-empt my story. Although the underlying theme is similar – the world is ending, but for a different reason – we must find an alternate home somewhere in space – I think (I hope) I can make mine unique enough and match the quality of Exodus.
Although Exodus ends by hooking the reader to the next volume, I found it satisfying enough to that point and I don’t feel the craving to move to the next book, although I probably will. I am more interested in the novella that covers the alternate story – I look forward to getting that one.
Certainly a well-crafted story with lots of converging subplots that prep you for the next books in the series.
I picked up this book because the premise sounded similar to a novel that I have started to write. I wanted to see if it was too close to my idea to pre-empt my story. Although the underlying theme is similar – the world is ending, but for a different reason – we must find an alternate home somewhere in space – I think (I hope) I can make mine unique enough and match the quality of Exodus.
March 21, 2015
A rogue planet enters the solar system and obliterates Mars, then takes aim at Earth. Given only a few years to prepare, a star ship is constructed to carry a selected group of people to a distant planet. Taking over a hundred years, the ship ("Exodus") arrives at Aurora. After the ship leaves, a large part of the rogue planet strikes Earth and virtually destroys most life.
A second part of this story is that the United States has become a single-party country where big business and government essentially destroy democracy. Starting with a terrorism threat, this gives justification to the loss of rights. In my opinion this could be an extension to what we're seeing today where similar issues are occurring. Will the new planet become a world where similar conditions occur, or will a new democracy be formed? I guess we'll find out in the next two episodes of this story.
A second part of this story is that the United States has become a single-party country where big business and government essentially destroy democracy. Starting with a terrorism threat, this gives justification to the loss of rights. In my opinion this could be an extension to what we're seeing today where similar issues are occurring. Will the new planet become a world where similar conditions occur, or will a new democracy be formed? I guess we'll find out in the next two episodes of this story.
January 9, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyable - albeit too short - science fiction tale in which a slightly future America has to deal with the knowledge that a rogue planet is about to crash into Earth and destroy not only all life but, more importantly, the authoritarian state that the US has become. Approximately 1600 people are selected to leave Earth on the starship Exodus with the intention of settling on the distant but hopefully habitable Aurora and giving humanity a future. However, not all of the men and women involved with the Exodus Project are as they seem.
November 15, 2013
In many ways, this book reminded me of early and pulp SF. There was a good amount of technical detail, but not too much. The main premise is plausible. Mr. Christensen's writing style is easy to read and moves quickly. But the characters are barely there. I enjoy books where the characters seem real and I become involved in their story. Exodus has a few characters that have promise, but they are not developed. Perhaps later volumes in the trilogy will provide more depth.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it.
December 29, 2013
A very interesting trilogy beginning. Hoping that the next two books will be even better, so am reserving higher ratings for books 2 and 3 respectively.
The story itself reminded me of a write up rendition of one of the Documentary Channel movies - Evacuate Earth. Story has a lot of similarities with the materiel explored in the above mentioned documentary, but with many twists and turns. it was nice to read believable fiction, where it is visible that research had been done by the author.
The story itself reminded me of a write up rendition of one of the Documentary Channel movies - Evacuate Earth. Story has a lot of similarities with the materiel explored in the above mentioned documentary, but with many twists and turns. it was nice to read believable fiction, where it is visible that research had been done by the author.
September 4, 2014
Good read but something is missing
A lot of story left untold. Some of the characters seemed interesting but by the end of the book their story had not been resolved. I understand this is the first book of the series. I will read the next and hope that some of those stories are completed.
A lot of story left untold. Some of the characters seemed interesting but by the end of the book their story had not been resolved. I understand this is the first book of the series. I will read the next and hope that some of those stories are completed.
Read
February 8, 2014Thoughtful fiction with roots in our time AND a possible future
I much appreciated the mixture of humanity - the rich, powerful, and intelligentsia as well "common folk." Impending disaster leads to great accomplishments.
I much appreciated the mixture of humanity - the rich, powerful, and intelligentsia as well "common folk." Impending disaster leads to great accomplishments.
May 26, 2014
A great classic sci-fi adventure that surely is the beginning to a great trilogy. Looking forward to the next one in the series.
July 30, 2021
While this is, I guess, categorized as "hard" scifi, I cannot put this in the same grouping as Andy Weir, Kim Stanley Robinson or Neal Stephenson. The science is pretty light. I did enjoy the writing style - it was easy to read and moved along. Things seemed a bit too easy at times (many people awake for 150 years when all were supposed to be asleep, but no issue with supplies/rations; a ship containing only kids able to fly out and dock with the mother ship; they found the world that has life and atmosphere just like Earth). I doubt I will continue on with the trilogy, but I did like the author's writing style. I would be more likely to check out one of his standalone books.
October 26, 2019
Personally, I can only say good things. The book seems to have been very well thought out, especially all the aspects concerning human nature and the sciences if such an event happened. Is it an original idea, no, but it's a good read for sure.
November 8, 2022
This is your typical "something is going to hit Earth and we need to send people into space to save a remnant of mankind" book. I've read better. The problem is that the concept was fully developed and felt rushed. So many characters were introduced and then left alone for too long. I never felt a connection to any of them. Then there's the science. I never felt like anything was believable because it was just presented and then - off we go. I finished it, but that's about the best I can say.
April 19, 2017
Really good book
This was an interesting book. Very interesting subject. Who hasn't thought about life on a new planet? I definitely want to read the next book in the series.
This was an interesting book. Very interesting subject. Who hasn't thought about life on a new planet? I definitely want to read the next book in the series.
April 13, 2018
This book was great.Set in a near future where a meteor threatens Earth.The government makes a project to save humanty.In overall it was great.The style of writing was good and the sci-fi was fantastic. Some terms were a little difficult to understand.Anyway I liked and I recommend it.
May 15, 2020
Apocalypse & Space Exploration? Sign me up!
I thought this book was fascinating. The idea of a near future Earth that is threatened by a rouge planet is terrifying. Add in elements of authoritarianism and the knowledge that only a small percentage of humanity will be saved, you've got yourself a nail bitter.
I thought this book was fascinating. The idea of a near future Earth that is threatened by a rouge planet is terrifying. Add in elements of authoritarianism and the knowledge that only a small percentage of humanity will be saved, you've got yourself a nail bitter.
May 12, 2018
Disappointingly boring. Great idea. Poor execution. Conflict only hinted at. Seems to be setting up the next book, but I’m not interested enough to continue.
February 28, 2015
Overall a good first book in a planned series about a future in which Earth must find a way to preserve the species. Character development was a bit shallow, leaving me somewhat disconnected with the key participants in the story. I'm hoping the next book will flesh out their personalities and motivations. This is my first read by this author, and I thought he did a good job of staying technically believable. There are many elements of the storyline that were left to the imagination on how they resolved the technical challenges, but not enough to distract from the story itself.
I am looking forward to reading the follow-on books to see where he takes them, particularly the political intrigue that should be developed in the second book. This series is weighted more toward political and social issues than hard science fiction.
I am looking forward to reading the follow-on books to see where he takes them, particularly the political intrigue that should be developed in the second book. This series is weighted more toward political and social issues than hard science fiction.
April 2, 2015
Interesting concept, well written. Can't wait to read the rest of the series by Andreas Christensen
September 6, 2017
Stilted writing, bad formatting, and bland characters... Not a good mix
Science fiction is a long time love of mine. I cut my teeth on Heinlein, Asimov, and McCaffrey. All of them know how to hook the reader, engage them early and never let them go... This book fails in that. From the heavy handed attempt at diversity to the outsider getting into politics to the overly long run on paragraphs this book bored me. I tried to pick it up multiple times and each time I'd read a few pages and give up.
There's potential here, but when the potential reads like stereo instructions it doesn't work.
Science fiction is a long time love of mine. I cut my teeth on Heinlein, Asimov, and McCaffrey. All of them know how to hook the reader, engage them early and never let them go... This book fails in that. From the heavy handed attempt at diversity to the outsider getting into politics to the overly long run on paragraphs this book bored me. I tried to pick it up multiple times and each time I'd read a few pages and give up.
There's potential here, but when the potential reads like stereo instructions it doesn't work.
October 27, 2019
Earth is going to be hit by the remnants of a dead planet, and humans will not survive.
The authoritarian government of the United States establishes a way to send 1,600 people into space, a voyage of 165 years, in order to preserve humans.
Humanity itself might be lacking as the authoritarian government hatches a plan to maintain the authoritarian government once the 1,600 people inhabit a new planet.
This book wasn't much for character development, but my interest was held with the logistics of the science fiction and the political machinations. Devoured the book in one day.
The authoritarian government of the United States establishes a way to send 1,600 people into space, a voyage of 165 years, in order to preserve humans.
Humanity itself might be lacking as the authoritarian government hatches a plan to maintain the authoritarian government once the 1,600 people inhabit a new planet.
This book wasn't much for character development, but my interest was held with the logistics of the science fiction and the political machinations. Devoured the book in one day.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews