What do you think?
Rate this book
The Anomaly Quartet #2
The Echo
Twenty years following the disappearance of the infamous Ishiguro – the first manned spacecraft to travel deeper into space than ever before – humanity are setting their sights on the heavens once more.
Under the direction of two of the most brilliant minds science has ever seen – that of identical twin brothers Tomas and Mirakel Hyvönen – this space craft has a bold mission: to study what is being called ‘the anomaly’ – a vast blackness of space into which the Ishiguro disappeared. Between them Tomas (on the ground, guiding the mission from the command centre) and Mira (on the ship, with the rest of the hand-picked crew) are leaving nothing to chance.
But soon these two scientists are to learn that there are some things in space beyond our understanding. As the anomaly begins to test the limits of Mira’s comprehension – and his sanity – will Tomas be able to save his brother from being lost in space too?
Under the direction of two of the most brilliant minds science has ever seen – that of identical twin brothers Tomas and Mirakel Hyvönen – this space craft has a bold mission: to study what is being called ‘the anomaly’ – a vast blackness of space into which the Ishiguro disappeared. Between them Tomas (on the ground, guiding the mission from the command centre) and Mira (on the ship, with the rest of the hand-picked crew) are leaving nothing to chance.
But soon these two scientists are to learn that there are some things in space beyond our understanding. As the anomaly begins to test the limits of Mira’s comprehension – and his sanity – will Tomas be able to save his brother from being lost in space too?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 16, 2014
26 people are currently reading
928 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
July 30, 2015
My, but this is a challenging book to review. First, though, let me say this: if you liked The Explorer, then you should definitely like The Echo which takes the formula from the first book and refines it in every aspect resulting in a book that is much more polished, emotional, and insightful than its predecessor.
Smythe’s writing style is one that focuses more on thoughts than on actions. His narration jumps around from the immediate plot, to flashbacks played out in character’s heads, to inner character monologues about the meaning of life. The pace of his books is slow, or if you prefer, thoughtful. However, the plot is not the point of the book: the book is a character study that just happens to be set in space - and a very good one at that. It’s too bad that the pace might put off some readers who need super-fast action in every breath. This is not a quick read, despite the book only being 300 pages. You’ll need time to read and chew on every chapter.
Smythe gives Mira, the protagonist, feelings of intense inferiority and intense jealousy that should resonate well with anyone who’s ever found themselves in another’s footprints and shadow. But what makes Smythe’s character so intriguing is how slowly his thoughts and feelings are revealed. In fact Mira spends much of the first half of the novel trying to convince the reader (and himself) that he’s not jealous and in many ways superior to his ever present twin brother.
Mira presents himself as very detached and clinical. From a plot standpoint, this is probably a really good thing because the experiences of the book emotionally shatter other, weaker characters very quickly, and the narration would have become tedious if Mira had done likewise. Instead, his scientific approach to the events of the book allows his inevitable decay to come more slowly, adding weight, depth, and much more sadness. I am impressed that Smythe was able to create a character who, at the start of the novel, is so cold and unlikable, but by the end of the novel is sympathetic and tragic.
In an article written for Entertainment Weekly, Stephen King famously said that “Nightmares exist outside of logic, and there’s little fun to be had in explanations.” This sentiment perfectly encapsulates Smythe's approach to the plot of this novel. There are many questions left unanswered, and I’m not really sure I want any answers to them. There’s fun in mystery, and science has a tendency to ruin the mystery with logic and explanations. (Stupid science.)
Like I said before, this book is a character study. The fact that Mira is on an expedition to explore a space anomaly that ended the last voyage is merely a vehicle to add isolation, suspense, and horror to Mira’s journey of self-discovery. The little bits of plot that do make it into the book are excellent and all kinds of mind-bendy. The images of the last thirty pages or so are particularly good and will stick with me a very long time.
I was worried about this little quartet of books after reading The Explorer. But now, after reading The Echo I am eagerly waiting book number three. Well done, Mr. Smythe.
On a side note, I actually think that this book would make a great companion/discussion book to Hugh Howey’s Sand Omnibus. Both books deal with isolation, family, and self worth. Both books are set in a very, very hostile environment. And while one book starts bleak and ends with hope, the other starts with hope and ends with none. The books are of similar length and I could see some really nerdy book club (one that I would happily join) dissecting the crap out of these two excellent novels.
Smythe’s writing style is one that focuses more on thoughts than on actions. His narration jumps around from the immediate plot, to flashbacks played out in character’s heads, to inner character monologues about the meaning of life. The pace of his books is slow, or if you prefer, thoughtful. However, the plot is not the point of the book: the book is a character study that just happens to be set in space - and a very good one at that. It’s too bad that the pace might put off some readers who need super-fast action in every breath. This is not a quick read, despite the book only being 300 pages. You’ll need time to read and chew on every chapter.
Smythe gives Mira, the protagonist, feelings of intense inferiority and intense jealousy that should resonate well with anyone who’s ever found themselves in another’s footprints and shadow. But what makes Smythe’s character so intriguing is how slowly his thoughts and feelings are revealed. In fact Mira spends much of the first half of the novel trying to convince the reader (and himself) that he’s not jealous and in many ways superior to his ever present twin brother.
Mira presents himself as very detached and clinical. From a plot standpoint, this is probably a really good thing because the experiences of the book emotionally shatter other, weaker characters very quickly, and the narration would have become tedious if Mira had done likewise. Instead, his scientific approach to the events of the book allows his inevitable decay to come more slowly, adding weight, depth, and much more sadness. I am impressed that Smythe was able to create a character who, at the start of the novel, is so cold and unlikable, but by the end of the novel is sympathetic and tragic.
In an article written for Entertainment Weekly, Stephen King famously said that “Nightmares exist outside of logic, and there’s little fun to be had in explanations.” This sentiment perfectly encapsulates Smythe's approach to the plot of this novel. There are many questions left unanswered, and I’m not really sure I want any answers to them. There’s fun in mystery, and science has a tendency to ruin the mystery with logic and explanations. (Stupid science.)
Like I said before, this book is a character study. The fact that Mira is on an expedition to explore a space anomaly that ended the last voyage is merely a vehicle to add isolation, suspense, and horror to Mira’s journey of self-discovery. The little bits of plot that do make it into the book are excellent and all kinds of mind-bendy. The images of the last thirty pages or so are particularly good and will stick with me a very long time.
I was worried about this little quartet of books after reading The Explorer. But now, after reading The Echo I am eagerly waiting book number three. Well done, Mr. Smythe.
On a side note, I actually think that this book would make a great companion/discussion book to Hugh Howey’s Sand Omnibus. Both books deal with isolation, family, and self worth. Both books are set in a very, very hostile environment. And while one book starts bleak and ends with hope, the other starts with hope and ends with none. The books are of similar length and I could see some really nerdy book club (one that I would happily join) dissecting the crap out of these two excellent novels.
April 29, 2023
I liked this way more the second time around!
May 27, 2016
I pretty much finish every book I start reading, but I came very close to tossing this one more than once. I don't know who is more to blame: the author or the editors? The term that I keep coming back to for this book is "stupid". It's a stupid book.
I had no problem with the strange first-person narrative style of the book. That was an interesting experiment that actually works reasonably well. And, the plot and the workings of the artifact were intriguing. Even the ending was interesting. But, I kept tripping over idiocy that any decent editor should have removed.
The first chapter and beginning of the second beat into your head the idea that "Every part of this process has been designed to ensure that nothing can go wrong. I cannot stress that enough: the level of control that we have enacted on this entire operation." He must say it a hundred times. Even entering the ship is a carefully orchestrated process. But, then we find they did no zero-G training, made no plans for the psychological health of the crew, have no sleep schedule at all, don't seem to know about major health issues in two crew members, and don't really have much of a plan on what to do during the journey. It's like the first two chapters were written with that careful control idea, then the author said: "ah, heck with it, this is too much trouble" and forgot it completely. There are tons of these inconsistencies in the book. The protagonist only every dry swallows pills, then later has to find water to take his pill, then later decides he is starting to get used to dry swallowing a pill. Editor? Where were you?
The author does not understand basic physics. He routinely confuses acceleration with velocity. He doesn't understand the concept of momentum at all: "And then we will coast, using that momentum, slowing to maintain that speed only, holding it as long and as far as we can"? "Slowing to maintain that speed"?
He refused to let a crew member talk to his family because it would be using scarce communication resources. Never mind that he keeps a 24 hour channel open to his brother.
Then we get into the plot stupidities. There is never any thought as to reasonable approaches to solving the problems they encounter. You find yourself screaming at the book. I don't want to put in spoilers, but there were some simple things they could have done or at least tried at many points in the book. Instead, it's clear the author has a plot and is following that without justifying any of the action. One major plot point is seriously deus ex machina. The characters go to sleep (at the same time no less) and wake to a situation change that is completely implausible, yet something they likely could have thought to do themselves in a controlled way. There's another situation with a simple resolution that might have saved two crew members, but he didn't know what would happen, so he just decided to leave them dead. The protagonist is really fond of inaction because "we don't know what will happen".
I'm shocked this has good reviews. I felt it was an insult to my intelligence. And, I really blame the editor. Some simple feedback and the author could have fixed most of the problems quite easily. The fact he did not makes this book just about impossible to tolerate.
I had no problem with the strange first-person narrative style of the book. That was an interesting experiment that actually works reasonably well. And, the plot and the workings of the artifact were intriguing. Even the ending was interesting. But, I kept tripping over idiocy that any decent editor should have removed.
The first chapter and beginning of the second beat into your head the idea that "Every part of this process has been designed to ensure that nothing can go wrong. I cannot stress that enough: the level of control that we have enacted on this entire operation." He must say it a hundred times. Even entering the ship is a carefully orchestrated process. But, then we find they did no zero-G training, made no plans for the psychological health of the crew, have no sleep schedule at all, don't seem to know about major health issues in two crew members, and don't really have much of a plan on what to do during the journey. It's like the first two chapters were written with that careful control idea, then the author said: "ah, heck with it, this is too much trouble" and forgot it completely. There are tons of these inconsistencies in the book. The protagonist only every dry swallows pills, then later has to find water to take his pill, then later decides he is starting to get used to dry swallowing a pill. Editor? Where were you?
The author does not understand basic physics. He routinely confuses acceleration with velocity. He doesn't understand the concept of momentum at all: "And then we will coast, using that momentum, slowing to maintain that speed only, holding it as long and as far as we can"? "Slowing to maintain that speed"?
He refused to let a crew member talk to his family because it would be using scarce communication resources. Never mind that he keeps a 24 hour channel open to his brother.
Then we get into the plot stupidities. There is never any thought as to reasonable approaches to solving the problems they encounter. You find yourself screaming at the book. I don't want to put in spoilers, but there were some simple things they could have done or at least tried at many points in the book. Instead, it's clear the author has a plot and is following that without justifying any of the action. One major plot point is seriously deus ex machina. The characters go to sleep (at the same time no less) and wake to a situation change that is completely implausible, yet something they likely could have thought to do themselves in a controlled way. There's another situation with a simple resolution that might have saved two crew members, but he didn't know what would happen, so he just decided to leave them dead. The protagonist is really fond of inaction because "we don't know what will happen".
I'm shocked this has good reviews. I felt it was an insult to my intelligence. And, I really blame the editor. Some simple feedback and the author could have fixed most of the problems quite easily. The fact he did not makes this book just about impossible to tolerate.
February 15, 2022
Come for the promise of disaster SF, stay for the character studies of deeply flawed men betrayed by those they rely on, their illusions and their sanity stripped away out in the black. The Echo delivers on its name, a second movement that takes the themes of The Explorer and pushes them further as a second expedition seeks out the anomaly.
I enjoyed this far more when I wasn’t reading it at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 (but that’s more about me and my limited bandwidth for flawed men right now). I’m still curious to see how this series evolves in The Edge.
Full review
I enjoyed this far more when I wasn’t reading it at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 (but that’s more about me and my limited bandwidth for flawed men right now). I’m still curious to see how this series evolves in The Edge.
Full review
November 12, 2018
This is masterpiece.
People who don't get this must be in the wrong loop. And will stay in a loop until they realize that :)
But this book isn't an action movie. And you have to be interested in your on inner life and not be afraid of what you could find there, in order to appreciate someone else's.
I thought I'd complain a little about pretty obvious analogy between anomaly and that particular dark illness mentioned several times in the book not being explored, but at the end, I realize it's there. At least I think it is. If it is and I'm not imagining, it's refined and subtle. Far more subtle than I would make it, in my lack of skill.
Space, being what it is, and anomaly being even worse in that regard, isn't particularly pittoresque a place, so what's left to describe but first person point of view, its verbosity catalyzed by uniform ambiguity of surroundings.
And if you do it right while writting, with meditative concentration (not sure how else), you'll become the character you write about and convince your reader he's that character too. That's how real it will be. Because, there's that organic randomness in stream of though you can't invent, and you can't record it quite like that if it was your own. So it must have really happened to a real person. Unless YOU were the ECHO of that very same person?
James Smythe did it right.
This is masterpiece.
People who don't get this must be in the wrong loop. And will stay in a loop until they realize that :)
But this book isn't an action movie. And you have to be interested in your on inner life and not be afraid of what you could find there, in order to appreciate someone else's.
I thought I'd complain a little about pretty obvious analogy between anomaly and that particular dark illness mentioned several times in the book not being explored, but at the end, I realize it's there. At least I think it is. If it is and I'm not imagining, it's refined and subtle. Far more subtle than I would make it, in my lack of skill.
Space, being what it is, and anomaly being even worse in that regard, isn't particularly pittoresque a place, so what's left to describe but first person point of view, its verbosity catalyzed by uniform ambiguity of surroundings.
And if you do it right while writting, with meditative concentration (not sure how else), you'll become the character you write about and convince your reader he's that character too. That's how real it will be. Because, there's that organic randomness in stream of though you can't invent, and you can't record it quite like that if it was your own. So it must have really happened to a real person. Unless YOU were the ECHO of that very same person?
James Smythe did it right.
This is masterpiece.
October 12, 2017
This is quite possibly the most depressing book I have ever read. The main character, the narrating voice, is a petty, insecure and hopelessly inadequate person whose accomplishments are completely and incredulously out of sync with the task to which he's been assigned. The writer mercilessly and, sadly, rather eloquently explores in infinite detail the consequences this has for the mission, and then subjects the reader to the incredibly slow-paced exploration of a plot mechanism that had me at times almost writhing with angst. I guess that could be seen as some kind of intellectual achievement, but personally I feel I do not need to examine the futility of life at the pace and with the sensation of fingernails being extracted.
July 28, 2014
I didn't like this book as much as the first in the series, "The Explorer". Reasons:
The main character seemed to be deluding himself about a lot of things from the beginning, from his relationship with his brother, to his feelings of control, to his leadership.
So I didn't like him.
The plot didn't really tell us much that we didn't already know about the anomaly, so I felt like we were just going over the same ground with a different group of characters. The dynamics were slightly different, but pretty much everybody still died horrifically, and there never was a feeling of much hope.
Mira never seemed to come up with any imaginative or original ideas about how to test the anomaly or how to rescue his crew. We're inside his head the whole time, but we never see him reason anything out or try anything, he just seems passive and like he's thrown up his hands from the beginning.
There was no science in this science fiction, and this time we don't have the excuse of the main character being a journalist, not a scientist. Mira claims to be a scientist extraordinaire, who helped with every aspect of designing the ship. How is he not _doing_ anything more with this situation?
I'm hopeful that this book is set-up to a conclusion that will pay off by the end of the quartet, so I'm willing to keep going with the series.
I think this would have made a much better screenplay than book, although as a movie I would have been yelling at the screen a lot.
The main character seemed to be deluding himself about a lot of things from the beginning, from his relationship with his brother, to his feelings of control, to his leadership.
So I didn't like him.
The plot didn't really tell us much that we didn't already know about the anomaly, so I felt like we were just going over the same ground with a different group of characters. The dynamics were slightly different, but pretty much everybody still died horrifically, and there never was a feeling of much hope.
Mira never seemed to come up with any imaginative or original ideas about how to test the anomaly or how to rescue his crew. We're inside his head the whole time, but we never see him reason anything out or try anything, he just seems passive and like he's thrown up his hands from the beginning.
There was no science in this science fiction, and this time we don't have the excuse of the main character being a journalist, not a scientist. Mira claims to be a scientist extraordinaire, who helped with every aspect of designing the ship. How is he not _doing_ anything more with this situation?
I'm hopeful that this book is set-up to a conclusion that will pay off by the end of the quartet, so I'm willing to keep going with the series.
I think this would have made a much better screenplay than book, although as a movie I would have been yelling at the screen a lot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2016
Here’s an excerpt of my review of The Echo at SF Signal:
Following in the footsteps of the phenomenal first book, The Explorer, The Echo rewards fans with answers to the anomaly located deep in outer space, but then adds more danger as the anomaly’s strengths and mystery increase. More than that, though, the story of its main character, Mira, is touching, succinct and a perfect fit for a reader toe-to-toe in the battle between ambition and failure.
…
The Explorer already uncovered a mind-bending characteristic of the anomaly. The Echo successfully doubles the mystery, while still leaving plenty to discover in the remaining planned two books. This is is the kind of science fiction horror that I crave. I don’t get this blend of science fiction, mystery, horror and emotion anywhere else.
Following in the footsteps of the phenomenal first book, The Explorer, The Echo rewards fans with answers to the anomaly located deep in outer space, but then adds more danger as the anomaly’s strengths and mystery increase. More than that, though, the story of its main character, Mira, is touching, succinct and a perfect fit for a reader toe-to-toe in the battle between ambition and failure.
…
The Explorer already uncovered a mind-bending characteristic of the anomaly. The Echo successfully doubles the mystery, while still leaving plenty to discover in the remaining planned two books. This is is the kind of science fiction horror that I crave. I don’t get this blend of science fiction, mystery, horror and emotion anywhere else.
October 19, 2014
What a great sequel to The Explorer. Interesting, dark, well written, mysterious and in the last third absolutely terrifying, The Echo is the first book from James Smythe that I can give 5 stars to. The problem was with me. I had read all his novels, but they were almost to dark and uncomfortable for me. Not anymore. Smythe just needs some time to rearrange your reading brain. After that you'll be his for life. Really great science-fiction.
June 2, 2021
Ridiculous garbage, giving up after 130 pages. This is not science fiction, just crap fiction in a space setting. I love detailed, realistic, "hard" sci fi, but the science side of this book is so weak and frustratingly inaccurate... For example: the author doesn't know the difference between acceleration and velocity - if things like that would annoy you, then this isn't the book for you!
The book follows a space mission, the second to go visit a space anomaly 20 years after the first ship lost contact. Where it starts to get stupid is that two twin brothers have supposedly organised this entire mission by themselves, from designing and speccing out every part of the ship, through to selecting the crew - an impossibly large task. For some reason the mentally stable brother is left back on earth, to actually run the mission communicating via radio with delays of up to a minute, while the mentally unstable one is apparently "leading" the mission on board, although he is a terrible leader and is totally unable to make even the smallest decisions... Oh, he was also too busy during the lead up to the mission to even train in zero-G!
These annoyances just kept building, and at the point where they sent more than half the crew into the anomaly pretty much the minute they arrived I've decided it's time to quit!
The book follows a space mission, the second to go visit a space anomaly 20 years after the first ship lost contact. Where it starts to get stupid is that two twin brothers have supposedly organised this entire mission by themselves, from designing and speccing out every part of the ship, through to selecting the crew - an impossibly large task. For some reason the mentally stable brother is left back on earth, to actually run the mission communicating via radio with delays of up to a minute, while the mentally unstable one is apparently "leading" the mission on board, although he is a terrible leader and is totally unable to make even the smallest decisions... Oh, he was also too busy during the lead up to the mission to even train in zero-G!
These annoyances just kept building, and at the point where they sent more than half the crew into the anomaly pretty much the minute they arrived I've decided it's time to quit!
December 18, 2013
It’s been twenty years since the disappearance of the Ishiguro. A new mission has set out to conduct research on the anomaly, where the Ishiguro was last seen, a vast area of nothingness in space.
There is a sibling rivalry between Mira and Tomas, right from the start of their lives and throughout their careers. Identical twins; Tomas was born with a birthmark and Mira, Mirakel, was unexpected, both looking towards science, both over achieving. Tomas is left at mission control on earth whilst Mira had the chance to see the anomaly in person. This separation and professional reliance on each other is a red flag. Something is bound to go wrong.
It took me a while longer than James’ other books to get into. Mira’s lack of connection to the crew also distances the reader, but I think what Mr Smythe does well are characters in isolation. Whilst Mira might not be physically alone, he does manage to be apart mentally, and without giving too much away, there are still parts that are very much about the loneliness and emptiness of space, even though it is a different sort of novel to The Explorer.
In The Explorer, Cormac became an observer of himself. Here, Mira becomes an external observer of the anomaly’s behaviour, not a participant. Even in this he is distanced, an outsider, again. Before the anomaly was a mystery, completely unexplained. This time, they are setting out to discover what it is.
One thing I enjoyed was the constant references to lack of sleep in the early parts. I read this during the final stages of a 24 hour readathon, so they had a certain relevance at the time. Mira’s determination not to sleep is probably the first thing that pushes him away from the rest of the crew. He doesn’t miss anything but they must sleep. Even Tomas, back on earth sleeps. Staying awake puts Mira in a position of power over everyone else. But what is the price of insomnia? I rather wanted some more consequences to this, but thinking back on the ending, maybe that’s what happens, maybe he’s just crazy?
The Echo is another bleak book, one that gives hope and then snatches it away. Perhaps that is worse than never having hope in the first place… It’s an admirable sequel to the excellent Explorer, which is a very hard book to beat. Like all of James' books, there's plenty to ponder and return to.
Review copy provided by publisher.
There is a sibling rivalry between Mira and Tomas, right from the start of their lives and throughout their careers. Identical twins; Tomas was born with a birthmark and Mira, Mirakel, was unexpected, both looking towards science, both over achieving. Tomas is left at mission control on earth whilst Mira had the chance to see the anomaly in person. This separation and professional reliance on each other is a red flag. Something is bound to go wrong.
It took me a while longer than James’ other books to get into. Mira’s lack of connection to the crew also distances the reader, but I think what Mr Smythe does well are characters in isolation. Whilst Mira might not be physically alone, he does manage to be apart mentally, and without giving too much away, there are still parts that are very much about the loneliness and emptiness of space, even though it is a different sort of novel to The Explorer.
In The Explorer, Cormac became an observer of himself. Here, Mira becomes an external observer of the anomaly’s behaviour, not a participant. Even in this he is distanced, an outsider, again. Before the anomaly was a mystery, completely unexplained. This time, they are setting out to discover what it is.
One thing I enjoyed was the constant references to lack of sleep in the early parts. I read this during the final stages of a 24 hour readathon, so they had a certain relevance at the time. Mira’s determination not to sleep is probably the first thing that pushes him away from the rest of the crew. He doesn’t miss anything but they must sleep. Even Tomas, back on earth sleeps. Staying awake puts Mira in a position of power over everyone else. But what is the price of insomnia? I rather wanted some more consequences to this, but thinking back on the ending, maybe that’s what happens, maybe he’s just crazy?
The Echo is another bleak book, one that gives hope and then snatches it away. Perhaps that is worse than never having hope in the first place… It’s an admirable sequel to the excellent Explorer, which is a very hard book to beat. Like all of James' books, there's plenty to ponder and return to.
Review copy provided by publisher.
March 23, 2015
I absolutely loved The Explorer, and though this book isn't directly a sequel - it follows the events of The Explorer, but can be read stand-alone - I highly recommend checking out the first book if you haven't yet.
The Echo is similar in style to its predecessor: dark, atmospheric, paced, and tense. However, the voice of the main character in The Echo - Mira, a Swedish scientist - is distinct and very different from the first book, whose main character was a journalist. Mira has a twin, Tomas, with whom he has competed and collaborated with his entire life, yet Mira is the one who goes into space while Tomas stays at mission control on Earth, and has remote access to everything on the ship. There is a perceived power-struggle, and we can never be sure when Mira is being paranoid or when Tomas is actually exerting too much control. Since we're only in Mira's head, we are awash with his emotions and self-doubt, and the internal struggles of this character are inexorably linked with the flow of the story.
Though The Echo is sci-fi, it is not a fun, raucous romp through space. It's a deep dive into the psyche of the main character, and even the side characters. Sure, there's escapism: they're flying a spaceship into the depths of the solar system to investigate an unexplained anomaly. But this is not a floor-you-with-action kind of book. It's measured and intense. In a world where the flashiest science fiction is becoming increasingly more mainstream (particularly in the movie industry), this kind of novel is refreshing, even if it is so dark. Smythe clearly values depth of character over plot - though don't get me wrong, because the plot definitely does not come up short. I can only imagine the kinds of diagrams it would take to design such a twisting, overlapping plot such as this (or that of The Explorer as well). So if you love time-jumping plots, then sure, go for it. Or if you're like me and dare to read both genre fiction as well as that one L-word (*cough*literature*cough*), give Smythe a try and you won't be disappointed.
The Echo is similar in style to its predecessor: dark, atmospheric, paced, and tense. However, the voice of the main character in The Echo - Mira, a Swedish scientist - is distinct and very different from the first book, whose main character was a journalist. Mira has a twin, Tomas, with whom he has competed and collaborated with his entire life, yet Mira is the one who goes into space while Tomas stays at mission control on Earth, and has remote access to everything on the ship. There is a perceived power-struggle, and we can never be sure when Mira is being paranoid or when Tomas is actually exerting too much control. Since we're only in Mira's head, we are awash with his emotions and self-doubt, and the internal struggles of this character are inexorably linked with the flow of the story.
Though The Echo is sci-fi, it is not a fun, raucous romp through space. It's a deep dive into the psyche of the main character, and even the side characters. Sure, there's escapism: they're flying a spaceship into the depths of the solar system to investigate an unexplained anomaly. But this is not a floor-you-with-action kind of book. It's measured and intense. In a world where the flashiest science fiction is becoming increasingly more mainstream (particularly in the movie industry), this kind of novel is refreshing, even if it is so dark. Smythe clearly values depth of character over plot - though don't get me wrong, because the plot definitely does not come up short. I can only imagine the kinds of diagrams it would take to design such a twisting, overlapping plot such as this (or that of The Explorer as well). So if you love time-jumping plots, then sure, go for it. Or if you're like me and dare to read both genre fiction as well as that one L-word (*cough*literature*cough*), give Smythe a try and you won't be disappointed.
December 14, 2015
Twenty years after the Ishiguro vanished, two brilliant scientists have been asked to help answer the many questions surrounding this disappearance. Identical twins Tomas and Mirakel Hyvönen have been interested in space travel since children. Not space, just the equipment. Can that find the Ishiguro, will they solve the mystery or will this just lead to more questions.
This is the sequel to The Explorer, so it is going to be hard reviewing this book without giving anything away. Already I might have said too much about the first book but I highly recommend reading The Explorer anyway. This series is off to a fantastic start and I’m already eager for the next book, which unfortunately may not be till next year.
If you have never read James Smythe before, I recommend him highly. His books The Explorer and The Machine book made my top books of 2013; that is a rare and incredible feat since I had so many books to pick from. Smythe writes literary science fiction that not only keeps you on the edge of your seat; they will also get you contemplating humanity.
The Echo has that philosophical and bleak style you come to expect from James Smythe. While this book sounded like there weren’t any thrilling moments, I was wrong; I was addicted to this book as much as The Explorer and it kept me up late at night. I love the way this author looks at life and sanity; there is so much he wants to say and I’m beginning to wonder if the planned four books series is enough.
I really want to say more about this novel but I’m afraid anything I do say will be a spoiler. I hate leaving a review so short but I highly recommend this series and that is all I can really tell you. James Smythe has another book coming out this year, so I have something to look forward to. I’m sure The Testimony will also be read during the course of 2014 as well.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2014/...
This is the sequel to The Explorer, so it is going to be hard reviewing this book without giving anything away. Already I might have said too much about the first book but I highly recommend reading The Explorer anyway. This series is off to a fantastic start and I’m already eager for the next book, which unfortunately may not be till next year.
If you have never read James Smythe before, I recommend him highly. His books The Explorer and The Machine book made my top books of 2013; that is a rare and incredible feat since I had so many books to pick from. Smythe writes literary science fiction that not only keeps you on the edge of your seat; they will also get you contemplating humanity.
The Echo has that philosophical and bleak style you come to expect from James Smythe. While this book sounded like there weren’t any thrilling moments, I was wrong; I was addicted to this book as much as The Explorer and it kept me up late at night. I love the way this author looks at life and sanity; there is so much he wants to say and I’m beginning to wonder if the planned four books series is enough.
I really want to say more about this novel but I’m afraid anything I do say will be a spoiler. I hate leaving a review so short but I highly recommend this series and that is all I can really tell you. James Smythe has another book coming out this year, so I have something to look forward to. I’m sure The Testimony will also be read during the course of 2014 as well.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2014/...
June 22, 2016
*****Might be a spoiler or two*****
.....Well.....there was no indication on the cover of the book that it was a a sequel however it didn't seem to matter, you could read it as a stand alone.
Things I did like - the detailed descriptives of the surroundings, of the ship, the space suits etc and some of the characters. Great concept of the storyline.
Things I didn't like - the main character was supposed to be a science genius however he frustratingly didn't do anything science wise at all, particularly when they came across problems.
The book was written like you were in his head the whole time on some deeper level - and at times rambled - which I imagine being in that situation for real you would ramble and go a bit crazy. However I ended up skimming quite a number of pages as it was just too much randomness.
A few times when something did happen of some significance it was randomly thrown in, no lead up to it. Just a sentence or statement thrown in among the ramblings of his mind. When there were leads ups, the outcome was that nothing happened. Again though I guess that's the state of mind of the main character to show that maybe he was losing his mind in that kind of situation.
There was a lot of reflection on his dead mother and his own childhood with his twin brother and also how he was never viewed as a equal with his twin, however it never lead anywhere, I was hoping for some closure there.
There were also no plans of what tests and samples etc they were going to do once they reached the anomaly. Like they planned how to get there but not what to do when they got there. Would have liked more science related stuff like testing samples in the onboard lab etc.
Ultimately there really wasn't any satisfying outcome for me.
Wouldn't recommend for a first time sci-fi read. However I would read a third in the series if there is one to see if there is an outcome/bit more science or explanation of 'The Anomaly'.
.....Well.....there was no indication on the cover of the book that it was a a sequel however it didn't seem to matter, you could read it as a stand alone.
Things I did like - the detailed descriptives of the surroundings, of the ship, the space suits etc and some of the characters. Great concept of the storyline.
Things I didn't like - the main character was supposed to be a science genius however he frustratingly didn't do anything science wise at all, particularly when they came across problems.
The book was written like you were in his head the whole time on some deeper level - and at times rambled - which I imagine being in that situation for real you would ramble and go a bit crazy. However I ended up skimming quite a number of pages as it was just too much randomness.
A few times when something did happen of some significance it was randomly thrown in, no lead up to it. Just a sentence or statement thrown in among the ramblings of his mind. When there were leads ups, the outcome was that nothing happened. Again though I guess that's the state of mind of the main character to show that maybe he was losing his mind in that kind of situation.
There was a lot of reflection on his dead mother and his own childhood with his twin brother and also how he was never viewed as a equal with his twin, however it never lead anywhere, I was hoping for some closure there.
There were also no plans of what tests and samples etc they were going to do once they reached the anomaly. Like they planned how to get there but not what to do when they got there. Would have liked more science related stuff like testing samples in the onboard lab etc.
Ultimately there really wasn't any satisfying outcome for me.
Wouldn't recommend for a first time sci-fi read. However I would read a third in the series if there is one to see if there is an outcome/bit more science or explanation of 'The Anomaly'.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2018
I just couldn’t connect with this book at all. The main character is very distant and doesn’t seem to get people at all and that translates to the reader - I didn’t care about any of the characters.
I actually almost DNF’d the book a couple of chapters in but felt I’d not given it enough chance, sadly I wish I had.
I also have to say that I found it very hard to follow bits of the plot because of how it was described, I had to keep going back to reread paragraphs. At one point I did this thinking I’d missed something but I actually hadn’t, it just wasn’t explained that the person involved was different to the one the character thought it was originally, and he never reacted to the realisation it wasn’t. The whole book is like that. And Mira is also always like that, everything is with his understanding and he doesn’t seem to react to anything.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend this book.
I actually almost DNF’d the book a couple of chapters in but felt I’d not given it enough chance, sadly I wish I had.
I also have to say that I found it very hard to follow bits of the plot because of how it was described, I had to keep going back to reread paragraphs. At one point I did this thinking I’d missed something but I actually hadn’t, it just wasn’t explained that the person involved was different to the one the character thought it was originally, and he never reacted to the realisation it wasn’t. The whole book is like that. And Mira is also always like that, everything is with his understanding and he doesn’t seem to react to anything.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend this book.
September 20, 2018
None of this makes any damn sense, but I love it.
Steven Moffat would love it.
That's my review.
Steven Moffat would love it.
That's my review.
June 12, 2019
3.5
Holy hell. That was significantly bleaker than I anticipated.
The first half of the story is all set up, and the second half is relentles and depressing. The more i read, the more I liked it.
Mira is super unlikable, but i still sympathized with him. And now that it's over I feel claustrophobic and like i can't breathe.
January 9, 2018
Very similar concept to Harlan Ellison's I have no mouth but I must scream. Existential horror. I actually prefer it this way because although the protagonist is incredibly unlikeable, the events of the book feel much more 'real' than the hyperbolic horror of Ellison's piece.
December 29, 2017
This is an odd book as was the first in the series. I don't mean odd in the bad way, but just as in different. It's always fun to read something that is not spelled out for you, which leaves room for everyone to interpret for themselves. And not neatly tied out at the end so you turn it over in your mind.
It's also big in the sense that 2001: A Space Odyssey was big.
It's also big in the sense that 2001: A Space Odyssey was big.
July 25, 2022
Liked this a lot more on the second time reading it, maybe bacause the unlikeable characters didn't bother me as much this time around. These books might also just benefit from being read multiple times.
---
Original review:
Three stars for a book that had the most misleading synopsis on the back cover I've read in a while. I get that you don't want to give away too much in a book like this, but creating completely false expectations for the reader shouldn't be the end result either.
I do think that Smythe is a good author, but when you are good at creating annoying characters, the book overall reads really whiny. I would have gotten more out of this had I felt more sympathy toward a single character in the story. Now I just kept going in the vague hope that the ending would be better than the ending of The Explorer (spoiler: it isn't.)
Still, I do hope Smythe keeps going with the series, if only just to find out if there's an actual end game to all this
---
Original review:
Three stars for a book that had the most misleading synopsis on the back cover I've read in a while. I get that you don't want to give away too much in a book like this, but creating completely false expectations for the reader shouldn't be the end result either.
I do think that Smythe is a good author, but when you are good at creating annoying characters, the book overall reads really whiny. I would have gotten more out of this had I felt more sympathy toward a single character in the story. Now I just kept going in the vague hope that the ending would be better than the ending of The Explorer (spoiler: it isn't.)
Still, I do hope Smythe keeps going with the series, if only just to find out if there's an actual end game to all this
August 9, 2015
The story reminds me of the plots in "Event Horizon" & "Gravity".
Overall pace of the book is pretty slow. Apart from the protagonist, the character development of the rest of the characters are paper thin.
I wished James had developed the ending fuller. It has potential for a great mind-boggling read, but it got finished almost hastily to prevent it veering wildly out of course.
Overall pace of the book is pretty slow. Apart from the protagonist, the character development of the rest of the characters are paper thin.
I wished James had developed the ending fuller. It has potential for a great mind-boggling read, but it got finished almost hastily to prevent it veering wildly out of course.
November 8, 2016
I devoured this in a day, desperate to see what happens at the end, only to find it was basically nothing. Of course, it's the second book in a series of four, so I suppose not many questions could be answered. As a novel it really drags, but it could have been a killer short story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2014
impressive and intrueging well written deserves the rating
December 17, 2016
Fuuuuuuck, this stuff is depressing as hell! Why do I keep reading??
Because it's so good, that's why.
Because it's so good, that's why.
January 5, 2018
So depressing. I felt like I had died about 30 times before I got to the end. And it wasn't the end. I still got no closer to figuring this out. I forgot this was a quartet. Jesus.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2022
Third time of reading, still brilliant
August 5, 2022
Originally posted on josbookblog.co.uk.
I adored The Explorer – the first novel in James Smythe’s Anomaly quartet – and was eager to read this second instalment. It was so different to anything else I'd read, and the second instalment proved just as good as the first.
It’s set twenty-three years after the events of The Explorer, and sees twin brothers, Tomas and Mirakel (Mira) Hyvönen launching their own mission in order to investigate the anomaly. It quickly becomes apparent that their approach is quite different to that of the Ishiguro's mission. Both Tomas and Mira are scientists and intend to do everything correctly, having seen the Ishiguro's failures and why at least some of those issues occurred. It’s a scientific exploration, rather than a commercial operation, and the crew are handpicked – experts in their respective fields and fully trained for the demands of a space mission. Everything that they can reasonably plan for has been considered, but with the anomaly an unknown entity, will it be enough?
"The sense of pressure on us is immense."
The novel is told from Mira’s perspective and I love the exploration of brotherhood and the relationship between twins shown from the perspective of the one who seems to consider himself to be in second place. I have the impression that they have been in (good-natured) competition throughout their lives, but that it is Tomas who, being perhaps the slightly more charismatic of the two, has become the face of the mission, even though the planning, work, and preparation has been undertaken jointly by the brothers throughout. With a need for one to remain on earth while the other travels to the anomaly, it’s a little surprising that Tomas stays behind, although the choice was made as all of their choices are – by coin toss.
As with The Explorer, I can’t go into the plot in any real detail. The reader does learn a little more about the anomaly in this novel, although not so much – there are another two novels to come in this series, after all – but the team on the Lära at least know that there is something there, and that it may have been responsible for the Ishiguro’s disappearance twenty three years ago. Mira and Tomas also know that it’s spreading, and may at some point reach earth, giving a little more impetus to their mission.
As with the first instalment, The Echo defies easy categorisation. It's science fiction, but there are also elements of a thriller and the eerie atmosphere throughout adds a dash of horror to the series. As someone who doesn't like too much science in their science fiction, I've found the series to be easily accessible, with enough background and context provided but not so much that it takes over the story or becomes overwhelming. I love this series and can't recommend it enough, even for those who may not consider themselves to be science fiction fans.
I adored The Explorer – the first novel in James Smythe’s Anomaly quartet – and was eager to read this second instalment. It was so different to anything else I'd read, and the second instalment proved just as good as the first.
It’s set twenty-three years after the events of The Explorer, and sees twin brothers, Tomas and Mirakel (Mira) Hyvönen launching their own mission in order to investigate the anomaly. It quickly becomes apparent that their approach is quite different to that of the Ishiguro's mission. Both Tomas and Mira are scientists and intend to do everything correctly, having seen the Ishiguro's failures and why at least some of those issues occurred. It’s a scientific exploration, rather than a commercial operation, and the crew are handpicked – experts in their respective fields and fully trained for the demands of a space mission. Everything that they can reasonably plan for has been considered, but with the anomaly an unknown entity, will it be enough?
"The sense of pressure on us is immense."
The novel is told from Mira’s perspective and I love the exploration of brotherhood and the relationship between twins shown from the perspective of the one who seems to consider himself to be in second place. I have the impression that they have been in (good-natured) competition throughout their lives, but that it is Tomas who, being perhaps the slightly more charismatic of the two, has become the face of the mission, even though the planning, work, and preparation has been undertaken jointly by the brothers throughout. With a need for one to remain on earth while the other travels to the anomaly, it’s a little surprising that Tomas stays behind, although the choice was made as all of their choices are – by coin toss.
As with The Explorer, I can’t go into the plot in any real detail. The reader does learn a little more about the anomaly in this novel, although not so much – there are another two novels to come in this series, after all – but the team on the Lära at least know that there is something there, and that it may have been responsible for the Ishiguro’s disappearance twenty three years ago. Mira and Tomas also know that it’s spreading, and may at some point reach earth, giving a little more impetus to their mission.
As with the first instalment, The Echo defies easy categorisation. It's science fiction, but there are also elements of a thriller and the eerie atmosphere throughout adds a dash of horror to the series. As someone who doesn't like too much science in their science fiction, I've found the series to be easily accessible, with enough background and context provided but not so much that it takes over the story or becomes overwhelming. I love this series and can't recommend it enough, even for those who may not consider themselves to be science fiction fans.
September 24, 2018
By chapter 3 I was terrified by means of hypodermic needles being injected into the main character.
No.
However, it is true that I didn't give this author the opportunity to smoothe my way into his series by means of the first in the Anomaly Quartet. Maybe I should read the first one anyway.
But I was frightened out of reading the rest of this book even though I had been initially hooked by Hikaru (which means light in Japanese) and Tomas (I've had Latin allies by that name so it is a pacifier since lingua latina calms me down if I don't overextend myself), i.e. the characters.
ETA: I checked later into it and the promise of atrophy does not satisfy me. Maybe that is another thing that I fear, anyway.
No.
However, it is true that I didn't give this author the opportunity to smoothe my way into his series by means of the first in the Anomaly Quartet. Maybe I should read the first one anyway.
But I was frightened out of reading the rest of this book even though I had been initially hooked by Hikaru (which means light in Japanese) and Tomas (I've had Latin allies by that name so it is a pacifier since lingua latina calms me down if I don't overextend myself), i.e. the characters.
ETA: I checked later into it and the promise of atrophy does not satisfy me. Maybe that is another thing that I fear, anyway.
February 19, 2019
The Echo is a good book, but not a great one. While it’s not a long book it feels like a long read because you spend so much time inside the mind of the main character. It’s more about the exploration of his mind than it really is about space and the anomaly. However, I think the author wants us to feel as alone as Mira does out in space and he does accomplish that. We never get a definitive answer as to what the anomaly is either, but that’s just as well. I have my theory that the anomaly was the depth and darkness of a lonely mind, but there can be so many other explanations and I think that’s part of the appeal of this book. 10 different people can read it and they may all have a different answer. Overall it’s worth a read, and it won’t take most readers too long to get through it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2017
It is fun to read, I have to admit that. But what bothered me are:
- Scientific inaccuracies.
- The fact that mentally unstable people were allowed such a journey.
- The constant emphasis on Mira's insecurity, paranoia and indecisiveness. This doesn't add anything (relevant) to the story and is quite annoying.
- The descriptions of the anomaly, which are far-fetched, I think the author could have come up with something more creative and interesting.
- The ending of the story. It was very anticlimactic.
- Scientific inaccuracies.
- The fact that mentally unstable people were allowed such a journey.
- The constant emphasis on Mira's insecurity, paranoia and indecisiveness. This doesn't add anything (relevant) to the story and is quite annoying.
- The descriptions of the anomaly, which are far-fetched, I think the author could have come up with something more creative and interesting.
- The ending of the story. It was very anticlimactic.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews