What do you think?
Rate this book
Carpathians
An epic First Contact story on a galactic scale.
Humans have reached the stars, but there is no evidence any other species survived its own sentience long enough to do the same.
Until now, when the Magellanix deep-space scout Accipiter discovers the Artifact, a million-year-old alien construct resting in a dormant volcano on a faraway world.
Now TransGalactic has sent the Carpathia to steal it.
Two ships; two rival corporations; and a race only one of them can win.
But the stakes are greater than they seem. The Artifact is more than just a technological marvel. It holds the key to humanity’s survival, and - perhaps - an understanding of our place in the universe at last.
Humans have reached the stars, but there is no evidence any other species survived its own sentience long enough to do the same.
Until now, when the Magellanix deep-space scout Accipiter discovers the Artifact, a million-year-old alien construct resting in a dormant volcano on a faraway world.
Now TransGalactic has sent the Carpathia to steal it.
Two ships; two rival corporations; and a race only one of them can win.
But the stakes are greater than they seem. The Artifact is more than just a technological marvel. It holds the key to humanity’s survival, and - perhaps - an understanding of our place in the universe at last.
560 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2023
1652 people are currently reading
1248 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 220 reviews
August 8, 2024
That was a terrible book. The author took a beautiful first contact concept and mangled it with his annoying writing and impossibly poor progress.
Every one of our many protagonists always accurately identifies the correct solution when faced with a puzzle, doubt or choice. The author wasted so much time on the mundane and nothing at all on the exciting artifact.
Even the cover art is wrong - the book clearly states that the sphere is actually faceted. This is not reflected in the artwork.
I struggled to finish this crap novel.
Every one of our many protagonists always accurately identifies the correct solution when faced with a puzzle, doubt or choice. The author wasted so much time on the mundane and nothing at all on the exciting artifact.
Even the cover art is wrong - the book clearly states that the sphere is actually faceted. This is not reflected in the artwork.
I struggled to finish this crap novel.
August 19, 2024
In Carpathians, Paul Dixon presents a fascinating first contact story with a few interesting twists. In Dixon’s future of mankind, humanity is no longer organized mainly into nation states. The overarching governing structures are giant mega corps that have successfully taken humans to the stars: True space travel has become a reality thanks mainly to the discovery of wormhole-like jump points in space. While these are not always in the immediate neighbourhood, they are common enough to allow human ships to explore our galaxy and to settle on new worlds, although the time scales involved in space travel are still vast and many people aim to climb the corporate ladder not mainly for luxury but for access to better pharmaceuticals that allow them to live longer and to better adapt to the multiple downsides of space travel.
So far, however, humanity is still alone: While other planets frequently harbour life (and seem to be a great source of pharmaceutical innovation), no sentient civilization has yet been found. On their paths through the universe, however, exploration ships have come across a number of dead worlds that seem to have had sentient (and technologically advance) life in the past, only to have perished in nuclear war, most likely of their own doing.
Humanity has so far avoided that fate, but unless humans are a massive outlier, it appears like sentient beings are unable to maintain a technologically advanced civilization for too long before offing themselves (or be wiped out by somebody else, but that thought – core to, for example, The Last Gifts of the Universe or Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space series is never really entertained in Carpathians).
This all changes, when exploration ship Accipiter enters orbit around a recently discovered world. Enhanced and close to immortal, the ships Chief Information Officer Priotr’s brain has been conditioned in a way that would never allow him to betray his employer. But when he discovers a mysterious sphere hidden in a volcanic crater on an otherwise ice-covered planed and realizes that this sphere must have been placed there after the demise of the planet’s civilization, his brain is so overwhelmed that his conditioning breaks and he decides to go independent, trying to monetize his discovery, setting off a multi-system race for first contact between Piotr’s old and new employer.
True to the genre, there are no little green men but many elements are familiar: A ship out in deep space, remnants of a civilization long gone, a mysterious object. And this could easily have become yet another ship-chases-ship space opera. Paul Dixon, however, has been able to weave in many refreshing elements into the story: From the bizarre inner working of galactic-scale megacorps to pharmaceutical innocation, from inhumane drug-trials to evolutionary science Carphathians at times feels almost like a collection of shorts. Ever wondered what happens when a slow generation ship is being picked up by a new generation of faster than light travel? Thought about what might be the outcome if you let loose habitat building robots into a world full of unknown microbial life? These sound like disparate stories. And yet, Paul Dixon has managed to produce one largely coherent and never boring storyline bringing together people from all walks of live.
What this book brings in creativity, it lacks in character building: There are some interesting plot twists related to Piotr’s conditioning and the mental side effects of jumping into faster than light travel, but that aside, the (large) cast of the book remains flat. Dialogue in Carpathians serves to drive action - it is not a vehicle to connect the reader with any of the characters. And yet, this is a gripping read - I very much enjoyed this book.
For more sci-fi reviews (and to get them before they make their way here), check out my Futureboy Substack where you will find the original version of this review.
So far, however, humanity is still alone: While other planets frequently harbour life (and seem to be a great source of pharmaceutical innovation), no sentient civilization has yet been found. On their paths through the universe, however, exploration ships have come across a number of dead worlds that seem to have had sentient (and technologically advance) life in the past, only to have perished in nuclear war, most likely of their own doing.
Humanity has so far avoided that fate, but unless humans are a massive outlier, it appears like sentient beings are unable to maintain a technologically advanced civilization for too long before offing themselves (or be wiped out by somebody else, but that thought – core to, for example, The Last Gifts of the Universe or Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space series is never really entertained in Carpathians).
This all changes, when exploration ship Accipiter enters orbit around a recently discovered world. Enhanced and close to immortal, the ships Chief Information Officer Priotr’s brain has been conditioned in a way that would never allow him to betray his employer. But when he discovers a mysterious sphere hidden in a volcanic crater on an otherwise ice-covered planed and realizes that this sphere must have been placed there after the demise of the planet’s civilization, his brain is so overwhelmed that his conditioning breaks and he decides to go independent, trying to monetize his discovery, setting off a multi-system race for first contact between Piotr’s old and new employer.
True to the genre, there are no little green men but many elements are familiar: A ship out in deep space, remnants of a civilization long gone, a mysterious object. And this could easily have become yet another ship-chases-ship space opera. Paul Dixon, however, has been able to weave in many refreshing elements into the story: From the bizarre inner working of galactic-scale megacorps to pharmaceutical innocation, from inhumane drug-trials to evolutionary science Carphathians at times feels almost like a collection of shorts. Ever wondered what happens when a slow generation ship is being picked up by a new generation of faster than light travel? Thought about what might be the outcome if you let loose habitat building robots into a world full of unknown microbial life? These sound like disparate stories. And yet, Paul Dixon has managed to produce one largely coherent and never boring storyline bringing together people from all walks of live.
What this book brings in creativity, it lacks in character building: There are some interesting plot twists related to Piotr’s conditioning and the mental side effects of jumping into faster than light travel, but that aside, the (large) cast of the book remains flat. Dialogue in Carpathians serves to drive action - it is not a vehicle to connect the reader with any of the characters. And yet, this is a gripping read - I very much enjoyed this book.
For more sci-fi reviews (and to get them before they make their way here), check out my Futureboy Substack where you will find the original version of this review.
June 13, 2024
Definitely needs a sequel.
July 19, 2024
What have I read here, please?
Every single plot of the characters is totally irrelevant, but described in every detail.
When the author throws in background information about the characters is totally ridiculous and always follows the same pattern: something exciting finally happens in the story, and then some flashback of a character that has nothing to do with anything, is boring and unnecessary and immediately takes the pace out again.
I had to stop the book (from boredom) when I had to read several more pages about the mountaineer (Forgot his name) who does absolutely nothing, has nothing to do and doesn't follow any plot or move the story forward. Why does this character even exist? Why do 50% of the characters exist at all? Why does 95% of this book have nothing to do with the artifact? After all, that's the reason you buy the book.
I stopped the book at 78% because I realized that there was simply nothing more to come. Too bad
I still give it two stars because there are two exciting characters (Kester, for example, and the CIO) and because I was very taken with it at the beginning (about 30% of the book).
Every single plot of the characters is totally irrelevant, but described in every detail.
When the author throws in background information about the characters is totally ridiculous and always follows the same pattern: something exciting finally happens in the story, and then some flashback of a character that has nothing to do with anything, is boring and unnecessary and immediately takes the pace out again.
I had to stop the book (from boredom) when I had to read several more pages about the mountaineer (Forgot his name) who does absolutely nothing, has nothing to do and doesn't follow any plot or move the story forward. Why does this character even exist? Why do 50% of the characters exist at all? Why does 95% of this book have nothing to do with the artifact? After all, that's the reason you buy the book.
I stopped the book at 78% because I realized that there was simply nothing more to come. Too bad
I still give it two stars because there are two exciting characters (Kester, for example, and the CIO) and because I was very taken with it at the beginning (about 30% of the book).
December 12, 2025
LE DOY 3 ESTRELLAS PORQUE ES UNA PROPUESTA INTERESANTE EN CIENCIA FICCIÓN. Y PORQUE TIENE MUCHO POTENCIAL COMO EL INICIO DE UNA SAGA DE TIPO "SPACE OPERA"... YA DICHO ESO, AL AUTOR LE HACE FALTA MEJORAR SUS DIALOGOS Y SUS ESCENAS DE IMPACTO.
Me topé con el titulo de este libro de casualidad en la lista de estrenos de Goodreads, y tengo que decir que de inmediato su premisa me llamó la atención. En un futuro donde la humanidad ha alcanzado las estrellas, "Carpathians" explora la tensión entre el impulso explorador y el poder de las mega corporaciones. Cuando el científico "Piotre Raskovich" descubre en un planeta helado una misteriosa esfera alienígena que lleva millones de años oculta, lo que podría ser el primer contacto con otra especie inteligente desencadena una carrera letal de intereses y ambiciones entre las organizaciones que gobiernan a la humanidad. Piotre, condicionado durante años por una corporación llamada "Magellanix", ve cómo su programación forzada se rompe tras este hallazgo, dándole la oportunidad de escapar y ofrecer sus conocimientos a una empresa rival, "TransGalactic". Junto a un equipo diverso; incluyendo un especialista en xenobiología, un navegante con habilidades aumentadas y un “handler” empático, suben a la nave "Carpathia" en una misión para asegurar el artefacto y desentrañar sus secretos. Pero Magellanix y otras facciones no están dispuestas a dejar que nadie más se beneficie de ese descubrimiento.
La ambientación futurista y la estructura de una sociedad regida por corporaciones gigantescas que controlan casi todos los aspectos de la vida humana dan al relato una sensación gris y realista, muy en la línea de la ciencia ficción especulativa clásica e incluso con el ciberpunk. El libro no solo trata sobre una carrera por una reliquia alienígena, sino también sobre ética corporativa, libre albedrío, condicionamiento humano y la naturaleza del contacto con otras formas de vida. Muchos lectores apreciaran el enfoque en conceptos científicos y cómo estos influyen en las decisiones humanas.
Este punto en particular es bastante interesante, ya que a lo largo de la novela nos enteramos de que aunque la humanidad ha alcanzado un alto grado de desarrollo tecnológico y científico, no ha cambiado a fondo sus costumbres, su modo de vida, ni sus estructuras sociales. Los ricos siguen saliéndose con la suya, los poderosos abusan de los desvalidos, el dinero sigue definiendo la calidad de vida de las personas, etc. etc. etc. Muchos de los problemas que se muestran en el libro están en consonancia con los problemas del mundo moderno. Así que por mucho que se desarrolle en el futuro, cualquiera podría sentirse familiarizado con las situaciones que se muestran.
Algo bastante llamativo (y debatible) que se nos muestra, es el hecho de que en este futuro, la humanidad ha logrado avances médicos y genéticos a base de grandes adelantos en "Farmacología". Básicamente, en este mundo hay una droga para todo. Desde enfermedades, a mejoramientos físicos o cognitivos, o déficits fisiológicos de algún tipo, o incluso para compensar algún desequilibrio químico. Aquí encontraran un droga para todo. Y la manera en las que se usan estos fármacos es de lo más extrema. En especial si vives largas temporadas en el espacio, o si estas sujeto a alguna actividad o situación que requiera que tu cuerpo opere más allá de sus capacidades.
Es una lectura interesante para los amantes de la ciencia ficción que disfrutan de novelas con desarrollos conceptuales, múltiples personajes y tramas complejas. Sin embargo, no es la típica historia de contacto alienígena con una revelación épica, sino más bien una exploración de cómo la humanidad maneja ese posible primer contacto en un marco social y corporativo complejo y desigual. De hecho, a pesar de estar comercializado como una historia de "primer contacto", la narración pasa gran parte del tiempo lejos de ese momento clave (y para algunos, eso puede resultar decepcionante). Es solo al final que entramos plenamente al tema de la "Esfera Alienígena" que desencadena todos lo hechos. Y para llegar a este punto debemos pasar por una larga exposición de los hechos a través de los puntos de vista de varios personajes.
De los caracteres de dichos personajes, solo puedo decir que son de todo tipo. Pero todos los individuos que se presentan están encadenados de una u otra forma a las mega corporaciones que gobiernan a la humanidad. Pero (y aquí esta lo interesante), sus "ataduras" son de diferentes tipos. Están aquellos que han sido "acondicionados" por las corporaciones para servir a sus propósitos sin hacer preguntas. Están aquellos que están atados por contratos o intereses profesionales (y aclaro que el termino "acondicionados" puede ser bastante abstracto y terrorífico al mismo tiempo). Están los que sienten que su sentido del deber hacia las corporaciones es lo primero. Y están aquellos que son básicamente esclavos de los intereses corporativos. En otras palabras, hay un poco de todo. Pero una critica que le daría al libro es que los diálogos a veces parecen más una "exposición" que una conversación natural, lo que puede hacer la lectura sea algo pesada en ciertos pasajes.
El cierre deja muchas preguntas en el aire y no resuelve por completo algunas líneas narrativas, lo que sugiere claramente una secuela. Y espero que esto suceda, porque no puedo negar que ha cumplido con abrirme el apetito. Pero acepto que tal vez no todos puedan disfrutar de esta lectura, ya que puede resultar pesada y algo inconsecuente por momentos. Al final, nos enteramos poco sobre quienes son los misteriosos constructores de la misteriosa esfera alienígena. Pero las implicaciones de su existencia son muy llamativas y dan que pensar.
Solo queda esperar ha ver si el autor nos regala una segunda entrega.
Lectura recomendada para aquellos que les gusta la ciencia ficción de tipo especulativo más que nada.
Me topé con el titulo de este libro de casualidad en la lista de estrenos de Goodreads, y tengo que decir que de inmediato su premisa me llamó la atención. En un futuro donde la humanidad ha alcanzado las estrellas, "Carpathians" explora la tensión entre el impulso explorador y el poder de las mega corporaciones. Cuando el científico "Piotre Raskovich" descubre en un planeta helado una misteriosa esfera alienígena que lleva millones de años oculta, lo que podría ser el primer contacto con otra especie inteligente desencadena una carrera letal de intereses y ambiciones entre las organizaciones que gobiernan a la humanidad. Piotre, condicionado durante años por una corporación llamada "Magellanix", ve cómo su programación forzada se rompe tras este hallazgo, dándole la oportunidad de escapar y ofrecer sus conocimientos a una empresa rival, "TransGalactic". Junto a un equipo diverso; incluyendo un especialista en xenobiología, un navegante con habilidades aumentadas y un “handler” empático, suben a la nave "Carpathia" en una misión para asegurar el artefacto y desentrañar sus secretos. Pero Magellanix y otras facciones no están dispuestas a dejar que nadie más se beneficie de ese descubrimiento.
La ambientación futurista y la estructura de una sociedad regida por corporaciones gigantescas que controlan casi todos los aspectos de la vida humana dan al relato una sensación gris y realista, muy en la línea de la ciencia ficción especulativa clásica e incluso con el ciberpunk. El libro no solo trata sobre una carrera por una reliquia alienígena, sino también sobre ética corporativa, libre albedrío, condicionamiento humano y la naturaleza del contacto con otras formas de vida. Muchos lectores apreciaran el enfoque en conceptos científicos y cómo estos influyen en las decisiones humanas.
Este punto en particular es bastante interesante, ya que a lo largo de la novela nos enteramos de que aunque la humanidad ha alcanzado un alto grado de desarrollo tecnológico y científico, no ha cambiado a fondo sus costumbres, su modo de vida, ni sus estructuras sociales. Los ricos siguen saliéndose con la suya, los poderosos abusan de los desvalidos, el dinero sigue definiendo la calidad de vida de las personas, etc. etc. etc. Muchos de los problemas que se muestran en el libro están en consonancia con los problemas del mundo moderno. Así que por mucho que se desarrolle en el futuro, cualquiera podría sentirse familiarizado con las situaciones que se muestran.
Algo bastante llamativo (y debatible) que se nos muestra, es el hecho de que en este futuro, la humanidad ha logrado avances médicos y genéticos a base de grandes adelantos en "Farmacología". Básicamente, en este mundo hay una droga para todo. Desde enfermedades, a mejoramientos físicos o cognitivos, o déficits fisiológicos de algún tipo, o incluso para compensar algún desequilibrio químico. Aquí encontraran un droga para todo. Y la manera en las que se usan estos fármacos es de lo más extrema. En especial si vives largas temporadas en el espacio, o si estas sujeto a alguna actividad o situación que requiera que tu cuerpo opere más allá de sus capacidades.
Es una lectura interesante para los amantes de la ciencia ficción que disfrutan de novelas con desarrollos conceptuales, múltiples personajes y tramas complejas. Sin embargo, no es la típica historia de contacto alienígena con una revelación épica, sino más bien una exploración de cómo la humanidad maneja ese posible primer contacto en un marco social y corporativo complejo y desigual. De hecho, a pesar de estar comercializado como una historia de "primer contacto", la narración pasa gran parte del tiempo lejos de ese momento clave (y para algunos, eso puede resultar decepcionante). Es solo al final que entramos plenamente al tema de la "Esfera Alienígena" que desencadena todos lo hechos. Y para llegar a este punto debemos pasar por una larga exposición de los hechos a través de los puntos de vista de varios personajes.
De los caracteres de dichos personajes, solo puedo decir que son de todo tipo. Pero todos los individuos que se presentan están encadenados de una u otra forma a las mega corporaciones que gobiernan a la humanidad. Pero (y aquí esta lo interesante), sus "ataduras" son de diferentes tipos. Están aquellos que han sido "acondicionados" por las corporaciones para servir a sus propósitos sin hacer preguntas. Están aquellos que están atados por contratos o intereses profesionales (y aclaro que el termino "acondicionados" puede ser bastante abstracto y terrorífico al mismo tiempo). Están los que sienten que su sentido del deber hacia las corporaciones es lo primero. Y están aquellos que son básicamente esclavos de los intereses corporativos. En otras palabras, hay un poco de todo. Pero una critica que le daría al libro es que los diálogos a veces parecen más una "exposición" que una conversación natural, lo que puede hacer la lectura sea algo pesada en ciertos pasajes.
El cierre deja muchas preguntas en el aire y no resuelve por completo algunas líneas narrativas, lo que sugiere claramente una secuela. Y espero que esto suceda, porque no puedo negar que ha cumplido con abrirme el apetito. Pero acepto que tal vez no todos puedan disfrutar de esta lectura, ya que puede resultar pesada y algo inconsecuente por momentos. Al final, nos enteramos poco sobre quienes son los misteriosos constructores de la misteriosa esfera alienígena. Pero las implicaciones de su existencia son muy llamativas y dan que pensar.
Solo queda esperar ha ver si el autor nos regala una segunda entrega.
Lectura recomendada para aquellos que les gusta la ciencia ficción de tipo especulativo más que nada.
February 9, 2024
This is an incredibly good science fiction novel. There are all the elements I enjoy: future technology, space travel, scientific research involving new worlds (geology, biology) and a thoughtful inquiry into the psychology of humans that engage in exploration and how several cultural approaches are developed to manage people to perform effectively in a lifetime existence in space rather than on-planet. There is the mystery of finding evidence of a surviving sentient race and how communication is established in the face of no common experience. The characters are beautifully and thoroughly imagined and defined. The story unfolds without lags in pace or missteps in plotting. The writing is solid and evocative. The story supports the characters, rather than the characters being moved about to demonstrate a plot. This is a really good book: the science fiction aspects are secondary to a story about humanity. So good!
February 10, 2024
In enjoyed this book for about 35%. It was really interesting and a bit mysterious. The discussions were focused on the large silver ball. I found that interesting. The characters were pretty well defined, and then the story just seemed to go off on a tangent at about the 40% point with superfluous discussions that deviated from the silver ball goal. After thinking, "Enough, enough, enough" and trying to skip past the what I would call "jibber jabber", I hoisted the white flag at 44%.
May 3, 2024
Really awful
I don't even know where to begin, but the way this story was written was truly bad. Multiple character perspectives constantly switching back and forth, bogged down by massive batches of dialogue that info dumped in such a way that it became tedious, and finally the total and complete lack of a satisfying ending.
No character was relatable, the story was interesting but felt very much like a rehashed retelling of "Sphere", and while the world building has strong points it was ultimately focused on too heavily which slowed the pace to a crawl. Finally, the ending was atrocious due to it being so open ended.
On the bright side, the prose was consistent, and the basic editing was competent. This is written like old school sci fi with very little thought given towards development.
Would not read again nor recommend.
I don't even know where to begin, but the way this story was written was truly bad. Multiple character perspectives constantly switching back and forth, bogged down by massive batches of dialogue that info dumped in such a way that it became tedious, and finally the total and complete lack of a satisfying ending.
No character was relatable, the story was interesting but felt very much like a rehashed retelling of "Sphere", and while the world building has strong points it was ultimately focused on too heavily which slowed the pace to a crawl. Finally, the ending was atrocious due to it being so open ended.
On the bright side, the prose was consistent, and the basic editing was competent. This is written like old school sci fi with very little thought given towards development.
Would not read again nor recommend.
December 29, 2024
Well this was a slog. Read as part of bookclub, sci-fi week. Took ages to get going with it as I kept falling asleep when trying to read. Hated the start. The middle was ok.. The ending was pointless. I think 3 stars is probably generous. I'm just glad to have finally finished it
December 19, 2025
Great story all around, a few niggles but generally thought provoking and entertaining.
The premise, that self destruction may be the standard pattern for intelligent life, didn't at first grab me. Over the course of the story it grew on me and became an interesting thought bubble...
Imagine yourself in a zeitgeist where centuries of interstellar discoveries have turned up not only no evidence of other living intelligent beings, but also a growing stack of evidence from civilisations post self-imposed holocaust event. Imagine the undeniable sense of fatalism always lingering in the mind.
Set in a believable future, where people and worlds are governed by self-interested corporations, significantly more honest about their motivations and a little more brutal about their methods but otherwise fairly recognisable in the present.
And the notion of a religion formed around the idea of an AI singularity which may or may not have been created by us or even have created us itself, before abandoning us to our own fate. Was fun. I liked how it permeated into the ideas and metaphors used by even non believers, a touch of realism.
Righto enough of that. Check the blurb but basically: big shiny ball believed to be the first sign of either post-holocaust or non-holocaust civilisation is discovered, mad rush between rival corporations to claim all information regarding said shiny ball ensues, and we follow one small ragtag but particularly relevant crew on their dash.
Sometimes an attempt at character study, but not super successful. These folks were alright after a while, in fact I think I cared about many of them by the end. I read another review which called for a sequel and I concur, not only to follow the fate of the big dumb object, but also to check up on this bunch of lovely weirdos. And anyway I liked the coherent future setting so I'd happily read more stories in this universe.
Things never were exactly slow, but I definitely wouldn't write this up as a slow burn. The events might sometimes take a while to get through and this story can make little claim at action or thriller status, so be expecting a more thoughtful build up of a story.
Finally, I probably should just mention that this narrative was very explainey. Reviewers often complain when the writing does more telling than showing, and much as I personally enjoyed the story - this one is guilty af of telling too much of the time. Chapters and chapters of characters discussing history and beliefs and so on. I was ok with it but heads up anyway.
Overall though, ripper read.
The premise, that self destruction may be the standard pattern for intelligent life, didn't at first grab me. Over the course of the story it grew on me and became an interesting thought bubble...
Imagine yourself in a zeitgeist where centuries of interstellar discoveries have turned up not only no evidence of other living intelligent beings, but also a growing stack of evidence from civilisations post self-imposed holocaust event. Imagine the undeniable sense of fatalism always lingering in the mind.
Set in a believable future, where people and worlds are governed by self-interested corporations, significantly more honest about their motivations and a little more brutal about their methods but otherwise fairly recognisable in the present.
And the notion of a religion formed around the idea of an AI singularity which may or may not have been created by us or even have created us itself, before abandoning us to our own fate. Was fun. I liked how it permeated into the ideas and metaphors used by even non believers, a touch of realism.
Righto enough of that. Check the blurb but basically: big shiny ball believed to be the first sign of either post-holocaust or non-holocaust civilisation is discovered, mad rush between rival corporations to claim all information regarding said shiny ball ensues, and we follow one small ragtag but particularly relevant crew on their dash.
Sometimes an attempt at character study, but not super successful. These folks were alright after a while, in fact I think I cared about many of them by the end. I read another review which called for a sequel and I concur, not only to follow the fate of the big dumb object, but also to check up on this bunch of lovely weirdos. And anyway I liked the coherent future setting so I'd happily read more stories in this universe.
Things never were exactly slow, but I definitely wouldn't write this up as a slow burn. The events might sometimes take a while to get through and this story can make little claim at action or thriller status, so be expecting a more thoughtful build up of a story.
Finally, I probably should just mention that this narrative was very explainey. Reviewers often complain when the writing does more telling than showing, and much as I personally enjoyed the story - this one is guilty af of telling too much of the time. Chapters and chapters of characters discussing history and beliefs and so on. I was ok with it but heads up anyway.
Overall though, ripper read.
January 27, 2024
Presaged a Sequel
Carpathians" is a remarkably good early novel. The world building is excellent, the characters much more well are eloped than the ordinary sci-fy novel, and the plot is both intricate and multi-facited . it takes us all over the universe from Earth to various corporate-run area of space to a snowball planet to dead moons. The six or so characters get about equal time, as the story line shifts from one to the other, Dixon has a way with dramatic tension and he is not afraid to kill off major characters. The ending of this novel seems a bit rushed, bittersweet, and ambiguous. Will Dr. Nya and Johanna be reunited? Will Lester and Per be reunited? Will the Carpathian get out of hostile space? Will Lester turn to the dark side? What will happen to the artifact? Insuring minds are left up in the air. Expect a sequel.
Carpathians" is a remarkably good early novel. The world building is excellent, the characters much more well are eloped than the ordinary sci-fy novel, and the plot is both intricate and multi-facited . it takes us all over the universe from Earth to various corporate-run area of space to a snowball planet to dead moons. The six or so characters get about equal time, as the story line shifts from one to the other, Dixon has a way with dramatic tension and he is not afraid to kill off major characters. The ending of this novel seems a bit rushed, bittersweet, and ambiguous. Will Dr. Nya and Johanna be reunited? Will Lester and Per be reunited? Will the Carpathian get out of hostile space? Will Lester turn to the dark side? What will happen to the artifact? Insuring minds are left up in the air. Expect a sequel.
September 2, 2024
Proper sci-fi adventure
Good sci-fi requires mind-stretching ideas. Dixon provides it in spades. The narrative and characters are somewhat ephemeral. They serve plot development and then fade out. Even in the last few pages, when one might prefer a neater denouement, we find only a metaphor. I grinned.
Good sci-fi requires mind-stretching ideas. Dixon provides it in spades. The narrative and characters are somewhat ephemeral. They serve plot development and then fade out. Even in the last few pages, when one might prefer a neater denouement, we find only a metaphor. I grinned.
March 9, 2025
Fun read. Had some world building without me feeling like I needed to take notes to follow along and keep track of who was who. The ending felt balanced and enjoyed that it was not part of a series.
Suggest watching the How the Earth Was Made History Channel docuseries while reading this book they enhance each other.
Suggest watching the How the Earth Was Made History Channel docuseries while reading this book they enhance each other.
December 28, 2024
It's really good
After I bought this book, I looked at the reviews and was struck by the criticisms which seemed quite harsh. I figured I had made a mistake. I was surprised to find that this book was really quite good. The pacing was quite good. There were many diversions from the central story, but I believe these diversions were important to the story. Ian is battle tested, but finds himself suddenly thrown into a leadership role ahead of his time. Kester is young with already a long experience involving the dark side of mankind. Both have seen examples of various aspects of a new religion that asserts that man is the creator of his own God through creation of a self aware electronic sentience that has escaped, and now controls mankind's activities as a jealous God. Now this religion is not universally accepted, and it has many splinter groups, but when things happen that are unexpected, there is a tendency to question whether it were happenstance or God's will. We are also introduced to a social structure where corporations tend to rule like fiefdoms. They have the lifers who are under life long contacts, and are controlled by conditioning to strictly adhere to protocol, and maintain corporate secrets. There is constant corporate espionage, and the corporations maintain an internal punishment system that includes death sentences for violating the corporate policies. The corporations commit piracy upon each other. Each maintains its own research facilities which have the power to make life and death decisions based upon the economic value end product. Every decision is based upon its profit or loss value. Each corporation is sending out exploration teams to investigate and lay claim to planets that may have economic value. So far, any evidence of other life is shadowed by the fact that they haven't survived having killed themselves off through internal conflict. Central to this book is the Carpathian which is a ship significantly named after an historic steamship. It is coming home from a mission when it is given emergency orders to divert because the corporation had learned that a competing corporation had discovered an artifact that appeared to be evidence of a living sentience besides humanity. We are suddenly in a form of gold rush with the artifact and it's secrets being the gold. There's going to be armed conflict between the two corporations with each prepared to destroy the artifact or each other to obtain the secrets of the artifact, and withhold the secrets from the other. The book ends with some secrets revealed, but clearly, not all of them. If one remembers a recent movie where Gary Senise takes off from Mars in an alien space ship, that's pretty much how this book ends. This seems to be a major problem for many of the critics of this book. They feel let down by this kind of failure to wrap up all of the loose ends, and there are plenty of loose ends. I feel satisfied with the ending, and I expect there will be part two to this story.
After I bought this book, I looked at the reviews and was struck by the criticisms which seemed quite harsh. I figured I had made a mistake. I was surprised to find that this book was really quite good. The pacing was quite good. There were many diversions from the central story, but I believe these diversions were important to the story. Ian is battle tested, but finds himself suddenly thrown into a leadership role ahead of his time. Kester is young with already a long experience involving the dark side of mankind. Both have seen examples of various aspects of a new religion that asserts that man is the creator of his own God through creation of a self aware electronic sentience that has escaped, and now controls mankind's activities as a jealous God. Now this religion is not universally accepted, and it has many splinter groups, but when things happen that are unexpected, there is a tendency to question whether it were happenstance or God's will. We are also introduced to a social structure where corporations tend to rule like fiefdoms. They have the lifers who are under life long contacts, and are controlled by conditioning to strictly adhere to protocol, and maintain corporate secrets. There is constant corporate espionage, and the corporations maintain an internal punishment system that includes death sentences for violating the corporate policies. The corporations commit piracy upon each other. Each maintains its own research facilities which have the power to make life and death decisions based upon the economic value end product. Every decision is based upon its profit or loss value. Each corporation is sending out exploration teams to investigate and lay claim to planets that may have economic value. So far, any evidence of other life is shadowed by the fact that they haven't survived having killed themselves off through internal conflict. Central to this book is the Carpathian which is a ship significantly named after an historic steamship. It is coming home from a mission when it is given emergency orders to divert because the corporation had learned that a competing corporation had discovered an artifact that appeared to be evidence of a living sentience besides humanity. We are suddenly in a form of gold rush with the artifact and it's secrets being the gold. There's going to be armed conflict between the two corporations with each prepared to destroy the artifact or each other to obtain the secrets of the artifact, and withhold the secrets from the other. The book ends with some secrets revealed, but clearly, not all of them. If one remembers a recent movie where Gary Senise takes off from Mars in an alien space ship, that's pretty much how this book ends. This seems to be a major problem for many of the critics of this book. They feel let down by this kind of failure to wrap up all of the loose ends, and there are plenty of loose ends. I feel satisfied with the ending, and I expect there will be part two to this story.
February 26, 2024
Struggle to know and the battle to profit
Mr Dixon did a great job with his effort to create a travel guide to find proof of others greater than us.
The story has great moments and an incredible cast of characters. Well done and creates a sense of needing to know what happens next. Then ending only leaves you hoping his next effort is as good or possibly better.
Thank you for the adventure Paul.
I have read so many books and the authors are a list of pride in myself for having taken the journey.
At 72 years of reading and learning this fits me like a warm jacket on very cold day. Thank you again
Mr Dixon did a great job with his effort to create a travel guide to find proof of others greater than us.
The story has great moments and an incredible cast of characters. Well done and creates a sense of needing to know what happens next. Then ending only leaves you hoping his next effort is as good or possibly better.
Thank you for the adventure Paul.
I have read so many books and the authors are a list of pride in myself for having taken the journey.
At 72 years of reading and learning this fits me like a warm jacket on very cold day. Thank you again
February 12, 2025
Eye rolling amount of writing. Too many details on things that don’t add to the story. Very little character development. Dialogue was unnecessarily wordy.
January 15, 2024
Giving this four stars. Still a very entertaining read for those of you who love first contact stories.
September 18, 2024
Thank you Clark for recommending this little-known book. While I generally don't enjoy far-future science fiction, I loved this book from beginning to end. Adventure, good characters, drama, inventive scenarios of our lives as a star-travelling, corporate-controlled race that might, or might not be about to finally have first contact with another sentient race that's managed to survive nuclear capabilities.
December 5, 2025
3.5⭐️
The synopsis was more exciting than the book itself. It was what originally inspired me to borrow this as a “bonus borrow” in the Hoopla app. I’ve read other alien first contact books, and this is the first time I've wondered when we’d meet the said aliens. It shouldn’t take over 90% of the book to finally see something happen with the artifact. This was very disappointing; however, there are a few characters I thoroughly enjoyed, and that’s Kester and Naya. Their storylines had me interested in reading more. I gave an additional half star for them making the book exciting. Overall, the book was a bit too confusing to start and somewhat boring, except for these two. Don’t read unless you like dense prose with too much detail.
The synopsis was more exciting than the book itself. It was what originally inspired me to borrow this as a “bonus borrow” in the Hoopla app. I’ve read other alien first contact books, and this is the first time I've wondered when we’d meet the said aliens. It shouldn’t take over 90% of the book to finally see something happen with the artifact. This was very disappointing; however, there are a few characters I thoroughly enjoyed, and that’s Kester and Naya. Their storylines had me interested in reading more. I gave an additional half star for them making the book exciting. Overall, the book was a bit too confusing to start and somewhat boring, except for these two. Don’t read unless you like dense prose with too much detail.
February 21, 2025
Excellent big-picture sci-fi at its best. I'm reminded slightly of A Fire Upon the Deep and also some of Alistair Reynolds work, specifically House of Suns. I hope this author has written more!
April 7, 2024
A very solid read with only a few weaknesses. .The.character and world building were good, maybe a bit extra wordy at some points but not annoyingly so. The number of main characters was about right. Not too many to keep straight, but enough to keep it interesting. It sometimes felt like I was reading several shorts that were combined together into one larger book. Transitions were somewhat abrupt but readable.
I like first contact stories, but I prefer to have more interaction with the aliens and learn about the alien civilization. This could have done to.some.degree with the either the extinct aliens or the advanced race that left the sphere. A lost opportunity in both cases in my view. In that respect the title is a bit misleading. The Carpathians are not a race of aliens you learn about and get to know. The Carpathians are the members of the crew of the ship Carpathia, unless you want to assume they will name the advanced aliens after their discoverers.
The ending was a bit limited. It seemed rushed or tacked onto the the combination of stories. It didnt resolve or even address a lot of issues raised in story development. There was some suspense with the arrival of the Magellan is ship just as the Ragnarock team figure out how enter the ship. Another lost opportunity. Do editors read stories and make suggestions anymore? Definitely left an opening for a follow-up story. Would make a good movie as well. Definitely time well spent.
I like first contact stories, but I prefer to have more interaction with the aliens and learn about the alien civilization. This could have done to.some.degree with the either the extinct aliens or the advanced race that left the sphere. A lost opportunity in both cases in my view. In that respect the title is a bit misleading. The Carpathians are not a race of aliens you learn about and get to know. The Carpathians are the members of the crew of the ship Carpathia, unless you want to assume they will name the advanced aliens after their discoverers.
The ending was a bit limited. It seemed rushed or tacked onto the the combination of stories. It didnt resolve or even address a lot of issues raised in story development. There was some suspense with the arrival of the Magellan is ship just as the Ragnarock team figure out how enter the ship. Another lost opportunity. Do editors read stories and make suggestions anymore? Definitely left an opening for a follow-up story. Would make a good movie as well. Definitely time well spent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2024
Massive Corporations that own all workers; rushing to find holocaust planets; changing allegiances usually means death. Has humanity, though established in several star systems, been able to avoid its own self-destruction? This is the world that Paul Dixon very capably develops in "Carpathians."
For me this was a worth-while read. The main characters were saddled with their own limitations, and self-doubt, and we see how they rise or fail in the crisis. The issue of the physics of space travel is handled in a very logical way. Trips of dozens of light years still take months.
He does address the philosophical issue of our own existential extinction. It is in with the ship Carpathia itself. A ship built for rescue that has lost so many lives. It shows up at this holocaust world destroyed by its own nuclear weapons, with slightly more advance nuclear weapons to destroy the artifact of unknown origin. With the help of a savant mathematician, the space jumps are improved, but the humans have to face their monsters and fears while in the transit. Showing that fear and suspicion are still the motivating force for human action.
For me this was a worth-while read. The main characters were saddled with their own limitations, and self-doubt, and we see how they rise or fail in the crisis. The issue of the physics of space travel is handled in a very logical way. Trips of dozens of light years still take months.
He does address the philosophical issue of our own existential extinction. It is in with the ship Carpathia itself. A ship built for rescue that has lost so many lives. It shows up at this holocaust world destroyed by its own nuclear weapons, with slightly more advance nuclear weapons to destroy the artifact of unknown origin. With the help of a savant mathematician, the space jumps are improved, but the humans have to face their monsters and fears while in the transit. Showing that fear and suspicion are still the motivating force for human action.
September 20, 2024
A trivial collection of convenient subplot and associated boring cliched characters that could have been contrived by a woke 5th grader. A huge fake meat burger of a story with all the character motivation of a 1960's sitcom without the humor. The people who read and then rated this book high must have ended their academic pursuits with high school, or they should have. Our literary standards have fallen way too far. This book does provide a great motivation for me to write one of my own if for no other reason, than to provide a better example of imagination, character development, and story plot! What a utter waste of time reading this schlock was!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2025
It’s not good. I had a hard time finishing it and almost quit. If you’re looking for a first contact sci-fi it’s not for you.
There was so much work put into the characters development (I loved it) and scientific research to build them all (also loved it) but…. for no actual story. There is A plot that starts developing after about 60% of the book and yet it’s poorly executed. There is no first contact with any aliens just an alien object with nothing exciting about it. I was very disappointed.
I can see it’s being a build for a second book but I turn away from authors who creates a sequel because they couldn’t finish the first book.
There was so much work put into the characters development (I loved it) and scientific research to build them all (also loved it) but…. for no actual story. There is A plot that starts developing after about 60% of the book and yet it’s poorly executed. There is no first contact with any aliens just an alien object with nothing exciting about it. I was very disappointed.
I can see it’s being a build for a second book but I turn away from authors who creates a sequel because they couldn’t finish the first book.
January 24, 2024
fantastic story! Truly great science fiction
This story was very well done. Nothing like the trend of “one-hero” series novels so prevalent in modern sci-fi. Multiple characters with interweaving story lines, bringing multiple dimensions to the plot. A good blend of science and human emotional psyche keeping the story interesting. This book belongs on the shelf next to Asimov, Clarke, and Bradbury. Don’t miss it.
This story was very well done. Nothing like the trend of “one-hero” series novels so prevalent in modern sci-fi. Multiple characters with interweaving story lines, bringing multiple dimensions to the plot. A good blend of science and human emotional psyche keeping the story interesting. This book belongs on the shelf next to Asimov, Clarke, and Bradbury. Don’t miss it.
November 30, 2023
Thoughtful, refreshing, quality hard sci-fi
Absolutely loved this book. Close to Asimov quality and profoundly thought provoking. It's well written and there is a truly refreshing depth to the story. I'm being exceedingly brief, suffice to that I rarely recommend books, but I certainly recommend this one.
Absolutely loved this book. Close to Asimov quality and profoundly thought provoking. It's well written and there is a truly refreshing depth to the story. I'm being exceedingly brief, suffice to that I rarely recommend books, but I certainly recommend this one.
March 9, 2025
Space opera is hit or miss for me as a genre, but I liked Carpathians, which reminded me somewhat of Adrian Tchaikovsky, somewhat of Peter Hamilton, and somewhat of Ian M. Banks. This novel takes place centuries in the future, at a time in which the known galaxy is divided between several powerful corporations, each of which is its own defacto political state. Humanity has yet to come across any signs of an intelligent alien species that isn't long-extinct, raising questions about how escapable such a fate is. However, this changes when a high-level intelligence officer in the Magellan Corporation, a rather shady fellow named Piotr, discovers an alien artifact on an inhospitable world that's being charted for the first time. Unexpectedly, something about the discovery breaks the mental conditioning that would normally prevent him from betraying his corporate masters. Thus freed, Piotr sets off to sell news of his find to a rival company, TransGalactic, in exchange for the privileges of a higher rank, something Magellan never would have given him.
Soon, TransGalactic dispatches a ship, called the Carpathia, back to the icy world of Ragnarock. Aboard are Piotr and several other POV characters introduced over the course of the narrative, including a xenobiologist, a chief fact-finder for TransGalactic, and a junior starfleet officer given temporary command of the ship, due to the captain being away on business elsewhere. However, no one really knows what to expect from the artifact, when they reach it again, and Magellan, which surely suspects by now that something is afoot, poses its own threat.
Carpathians is one of those books whose strengths and weaknesses are hard to separate. On the plus side, it has some good world-building ideas, fleshed out (a la Dan Simmons's Hyperion) through the vantage points of a cast of characters from different walks of life. I usually enjoy fiction that rests on well-defined characters, and Paul Dixon does a better-than-average job, at least relative to the standards of space opera. The overall "flavor" made me think of old school 1960s-to-80s science fiction, this being a universe in which AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) never lived up to its early promises, making "boosted" human minds important.
On the downside, though, it feels like Carpathians has the makings of several different novels crammed into it, somewhat awkwardly grafted together (for example, so much turns on the character Kester, who shows up basically by accident), and Dixon never seems to settle on how to connect his disparate threads. The result is a novel that's a soup of ideas, but not quite a full meal. The plot concludes on an ambiguous note, resolving few of the character stories. It all reads as setup for another couple of books, which I have to assume that Dixon intends to write.
Consider my recommendation a cautious one. If a follow-on book is sufficiently good, it'll justify reading this one. If not, Carpathians doesn't quite work well enough as a standalone that I could wholeheartedly suggest it. That said, I wouldn't tell anyone NOT to read it.
Soon, TransGalactic dispatches a ship, called the Carpathia, back to the icy world of Ragnarock. Aboard are Piotr and several other POV characters introduced over the course of the narrative, including a xenobiologist, a chief fact-finder for TransGalactic, and a junior starfleet officer given temporary command of the ship, due to the captain being away on business elsewhere. However, no one really knows what to expect from the artifact, when they reach it again, and Magellan, which surely suspects by now that something is afoot, poses its own threat.
Carpathians is one of those books whose strengths and weaknesses are hard to separate. On the plus side, it has some good world-building ideas, fleshed out (a la Dan Simmons's Hyperion) through the vantage points of a cast of characters from different walks of life. I usually enjoy fiction that rests on well-defined characters, and Paul Dixon does a better-than-average job, at least relative to the standards of space opera. The overall "flavor" made me think of old school 1960s-to-80s science fiction, this being a universe in which AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) never lived up to its early promises, making "boosted" human minds important.
On the downside, though, it feels like Carpathians has the makings of several different novels crammed into it, somewhat awkwardly grafted together (for example, so much turns on the character Kester, who shows up basically by accident), and Dixon never seems to settle on how to connect his disparate threads. The result is a novel that's a soup of ideas, but not quite a full meal. The plot concludes on an ambiguous note, resolving few of the character stories. It all reads as setup for another couple of books, which I have to assume that Dixon intends to write.
Consider my recommendation a cautious one. If a follow-on book is sufficiently good, it'll justify reading this one. If not, Carpathians doesn't quite work well enough as a standalone that I could wholeheartedly suggest it. That said, I wouldn't tell anyone NOT to read it.
January 22, 2025
I was hooked on this book from the very first chapter. Not only was the story itself captivating, its worldbuilding and culture creation was quite well done, and made me want to keep reading to see what else I would find in its pages. Not all the technological advances in this version of a human future were beneficial, or even benign. Some were quite dark, and a little horrific to contemplate, but made for fascinating reading.
The characters aren't perfect. All have their flaws, which makes for a more interesting and believable read. In the beginning, they are scattered, revealing bits and pieces of their story in their own time. But when they came together, their idiosyncrasies weave together to make an even more interesting dynamic. Not all their actions were predictable, and I loved being proven wrong just when I thought I had them figured out.
The plot, focused around a first-contact situation, is multifaceted. Humans have come across numerous worlds, true, but the majority are holocaust worlds--so many that these "dead" worlds are old news, except for the remaining resources humans can exploit. It's only when they find something completely unexpected and outside the boundaries of anything they've ever before seen that the first-contact potential becomes truly exciting for the few characters who know of it. Human nature being what it is, I could totally believe this layer of the story.
I don't think I've read anything else quite like this book. The author doesn't explain anything point-blank on the page; instead, he lays out all the clues for what is happening and gives credit to the reader's intelligence to make out the pattern, like the character Kester does with her augmented brain. It kept my interest alive throughout the story, though I admit to confusion on one or two occasions.
The author also doesn't hand anything to the reader at the end. There is no clear revelation that is unmistakable in its meaning. Instead, he puts all the puzzle pieces on the page and leaves it to the reader to assemble the picture. I'm still chewing it over and have not yet decided what I think really happened...and why.
If you enjoy a deep dive into your books, and especially hard science fiction that leaves something to the imagination, you'll want to read this book. Definitely recommended.
The characters aren't perfect. All have their flaws, which makes for a more interesting and believable read. In the beginning, they are scattered, revealing bits and pieces of their story in their own time. But when they came together, their idiosyncrasies weave together to make an even more interesting dynamic. Not all their actions were predictable, and I loved being proven wrong just when I thought I had them figured out.
The plot, focused around a first-contact situation, is multifaceted. Humans have come across numerous worlds, true, but the majority are holocaust worlds--so many that these "dead" worlds are old news, except for the remaining resources humans can exploit. It's only when they find something completely unexpected and outside the boundaries of anything they've ever before seen that the first-contact potential becomes truly exciting for the few characters who know of it. Human nature being what it is, I could totally believe this layer of the story.
I don't think I've read anything else quite like this book. The author doesn't explain anything point-blank on the page; instead, he lays out all the clues for what is happening and gives credit to the reader's intelligence to make out the pattern, like the character Kester does with her augmented brain. It kept my interest alive throughout the story, though I admit to confusion on one or two occasions.
The author also doesn't hand anything to the reader at the end. There is no clear revelation that is unmistakable in its meaning. Instead, he puts all the puzzle pieces on the page and leaves it to the reader to assemble the picture. I'm still chewing it over and have not yet decided what I think really happened...and why.
If you enjoy a deep dive into your books, and especially hard science fiction that leaves something to the imagination, you'll want to read this book. Definitely recommended.
January 28, 2025
Excellent novel. The central mystery is compelling. The characters are complex enough to be both believable and unpredictable. The descriptions of Ragnarok make you feel the cold and desolation. The writing is professional, allowing the reader to become immersed in the story. The science is speculative but solid.
There are a few loose threads (e.g., what happened with the Carpathia's real captain), rushed passages (e.g., the speed with which the field contractors figured out what had happened), and editing errors/typos (only three that I found), but none are serious enough to detract from the story.
The story came to an ending but not a resolution. Three key characters are left in a sort of "now what?" stage, while three others are left standing at the edge of (or hanging onto) a cliff with potentially civilization-changing implications. In other words, this novel seems to end with the clear intention of a sequel, although none is mentioned, and we could be waiting a while given that the author has a day job.
In short, this novel is well worth your time and money as a reader. Long-time sci-fi fans will appreciate the quality of the work (sorely lacking in much of the genre these days). I seriously hope that enough people buy the novel to encourage the author to produce the sequel. I'm ready to pre order #2!
There are a few loose threads (e.g., what happened with the Carpathia's real captain), rushed passages (e.g., the speed with which the field contractors figured out what had happened), and editing errors/typos (only three that I found), but none are serious enough to detract from the story.
The story came to an ending but not a resolution. Three key characters are left in a sort of "now what?" stage, while three others are left standing at the edge of (or hanging onto) a cliff with potentially civilization-changing implications. In other words, this novel seems to end with the clear intention of a sequel, although none is mentioned, and we could be waiting a while given that the author has a day job.
In short, this novel is well worth your time and money as a reader. Long-time sci-fi fans will appreciate the quality of the work (sorely lacking in much of the genre these days). I seriously hope that enough people buy the novel to encourage the author to produce the sequel. I'm ready to pre order #2!
May 15, 2024
Big glistening round objects on a cover signals first contact sci-fi, a favorite genre of mine, so I downloaded Carpathians by Paul Dixon. And I was not disappointed.
In the far-future, corporate overlords send a haphazard group of adventurers (the captain, the scientist, the mystic, the traitor, and the specially-enabled youngster) into deep space, to investigate a presumed alien artifact. Absolutely terrific and well presented classic sci-fi with terrific characters, lots of science, excellent world-building, and a touch of archeology/deep time exploring the big question: can intelligent life avoid self-destruction."
I withheld a star because the story dragged a bit in the middle, but I'll add a plug for indie authors... To my admittedly not very good eye, Carpathians lacked typos or other errors, in stark contrast to the other novel I read this month (the latest by a very famous traditionally published sci-fi author which cost twice the price and read like a second draft). If you know any sci-fi fans still dismissing indie authors, steer them toward Carpathians.
In the far-future, corporate overlords send a haphazard group of adventurers (the captain, the scientist, the mystic, the traitor, and the specially-enabled youngster) into deep space, to investigate a presumed alien artifact. Absolutely terrific and well presented classic sci-fi with terrific characters, lots of science, excellent world-building, and a touch of archeology/deep time exploring the big question: can intelligent life avoid self-destruction."
I withheld a star because the story dragged a bit in the middle, but I'll add a plug for indie authors... To my admittedly not very good eye, Carpathians lacked typos or other errors, in stark contrast to the other novel I read this month (the latest by a very famous traditionally published sci-fi author which cost twice the price and read like a second draft). If you know any sci-fi fans still dismissing indie authors, steer them toward Carpathians.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews