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First Contact
Anomaly
Mankind's first contact with an alien intelligence is far more radical than anyone has ever dared imagine. With a technological gap of millions of years, mankind is barely able to recognise the arrival of an alien space craft outside the gates of the United Nations in New York.
267 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 456 reviews
October 30, 2011
If you read this story before June 2012, you should remove it from your Kindle and download a fresh copy as it has been completely re-edited and given an entirely different ending (which extends the story by 15K)
Well worth having a read, but I might be a little biased in my opinion :)
Well worth having a read, but I might be a little biased in my opinion :)
September 8, 2025
What a nice "f* around and find out" Sci-Fi story. This alternative communication approach wasn't bad at all for a first contact novel.
September 8, 2025
“The United States … has rejected the notion of United Nations peacekeepers operating on American soil.”
From first page to last, the description of the behaviour of people and governments around the world, and most particularly, the rabid, belligerent and bellicose reaction of the American people and their government to the event of first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence rings sadly true and credible.
Peter Cawdron provides a succinct summary of his novel:
“ANOMALY examines the prospect of an alien intelligence discovering life on Earth.”
“Mankind’s first contact with an alien intelligence is far more radical than anyone has ever dared imagine. The technological gulf between mankind and the alien species is measured in terms of millions of years. The only way to communicate is by using science, but not everyone is so patient with the arrival of an alien spacecraft outside the gates of the United Nations in New York.”
That the craft, which turns out to be, in fact, unmanned should land at the front door of the United Nations is clearly a preposterous coincidence that has to be forgiven as literary license. But beyond that, ANOMALY is a first rate page turner that will grip readers with rich possibilities, great science, and the sad reality of the right-wing proclivities (dare I say, stupidities) of much of the world today. As a side comment, I would congratulate Mr Cawdron on the absolutely brilliant idea of inserting a school teacher and a journalist into the thick of events. By that simple addition, the explanation of great gobs of science becomes a plot necessity and what would otherwise be endless info-dumps and sidebar essays simply becomes a natural flow of the events of the story.
And I just LOVE the ending! Someday maybe but, most definitely, not today!
Highly recommended. I’m a new Cawdron fan and I’m definitely heading to the bookstore and the free lending library boxes hunting for more of his work.
Paul Weiss
From first page to last, the description of the behaviour of people and governments around the world, and most particularly, the rabid, belligerent and bellicose reaction of the American people and their government to the event of first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence rings sadly true and credible.
Peter Cawdron provides a succinct summary of his novel:
“ANOMALY examines the prospect of an alien intelligence discovering life on Earth.”
“Mankind’s first contact with an alien intelligence is far more radical than anyone has ever dared imagine. The technological gulf between mankind and the alien species is measured in terms of millions of years. The only way to communicate is by using science, but not everyone is so patient with the arrival of an alien spacecraft outside the gates of the United Nations in New York.”
That the craft, which turns out to be, in fact, unmanned should land at the front door of the United Nations is clearly a preposterous coincidence that has to be forgiven as literary license. But beyond that, ANOMALY is a first rate page turner that will grip readers with rich possibilities, great science, and the sad reality of the right-wing proclivities (dare I say, stupidities) of much of the world today. As a side comment, I would congratulate Mr Cawdron on the absolutely brilliant idea of inserting a school teacher and a journalist into the thick of events. By that simple addition, the explanation of great gobs of science becomes a plot necessity and what would otherwise be endless info-dumps and sidebar essays simply becomes a natural flow of the events of the story.
And I just LOVE the ending! Someday maybe but, most definitely, not today!
Highly recommended. I’m a new Cawdron fan and I’m definitely heading to the bookstore and the free lending library boxes hunting for more of his work.
Paul Weiss
April 29, 2018
A very solid first-contact novel that deservedly belongs on the shelf next to Contact, but I will be the first to admit it does some things better than Sagan and other things much weaker. HOWEVER, none of that changes the fundamentally good exploration of what it means to us to present ourselves before a far-advanced entity only to reflect all crap of what we are upon it.
It's not the same book as Sagan's. It's actually rather streamlined and distilled, having us focus more on lateral thinking, new physics, and communication as only a grade school teacher could swing it.
So, yeah! Having a grade school teacher teach experts how to get it right was pretty awesome. :) Things clarify and the basic story was not only intelligent, it was focused. No big heroics to save the day, but there is heroism. No resorting to violence, but there is violence. No ultrareliance on either science OR religion to break through to the heart of the story, but there is plenty of both in here.
IF what you might be looking for is a clear and focused SF tale to say something very solid about ourselves, then I wouldn't look any farther than this. It could very well be a bestseller turned into an intelligent SF movie and I would love its special effects and its message.
But I wouldn't call it super original.
A comfort read? A joy? Yes, absolutely, but not super original.
Fortunately, few of us necessarily need originality to enjoy a story. :)
It's not the same book as Sagan's. It's actually rather streamlined and distilled, having us focus more on lateral thinking, new physics, and communication as only a grade school teacher could swing it.
So, yeah! Having a grade school teacher teach experts how to get it right was pretty awesome. :) Things clarify and the basic story was not only intelligent, it was focused. No big heroics to save the day, but there is heroism. No resorting to violence, but there is violence. No ultrareliance on either science OR religion to break through to the heart of the story, but there is plenty of both in here.
IF what you might be looking for is a clear and focused SF tale to say something very solid about ourselves, then I wouldn't look any farther than this. It could very well be a bestseller turned into an intelligent SF movie and I would love its special effects and its message.
But I wouldn't call it super original.
A comfort read? A joy? Yes, absolutely, but not super original.
Fortunately, few of us necessarily need originality to enjoy a story. :)
November 2, 2017
Anomaly by Peter Cawdron is the book that made me a big Peter Cawdron fan! This just raps up so much of what I love in sci-fi. This is a must for anyone that loves sci-fi! The earth starts rumbling, and the next thing, a giant sphere, several stories tall is floating. Flag poles, half of them, still standing inside the sphere, but the sphere doesn't stay like that. It changes density, pressures, and then, it starts to grow....something. Nations go crazy because they all want a piece of it. Religions go nuts. This is so good...so many surprises...it is remarkable! Brain food!!!
I read/listened the audible version and the narrator, P. J. Ochlan, was totally on it! The tension, the emotions, the fear, excitement, the multitude of voices, all done to perfection!
I read/listened the audible version and the narrator, P. J. Ochlan, was totally on it! The tension, the emotions, the fear, excitement, the multitude of voices, all done to perfection!
May 19, 2024
A rather scathing review was barely avoided by n heartfelt after word by the author. I note that it was independently published, so the editing makes more sense. And the authors states that he was inspired to make a non violent, brainy Sci-Fi. And he sort of succeeded.
The science was solid. The idea was pretty original. I liked some aspects of it. But I highly doubt I'll ever read a Cawdron again.
Honestly it only deserves 2 stars. The dialogue is CRINGE worthy. OMFG it was torture. I sort of wish I'd read this instead of listened to the audiobook, so that I could copy and paste some examples of the Tell Don't Show TM method of writing and dialogue. He kept telling the reader what the characters feel when something happens. The characters are all cardboard cut-outs.
The dialogue, of which there is a LOT felt very much like it was written by a 17 year old. That being said I understand. Writing is hard, portraying human interaction is hard. But fuck me someone must have pointed out how shallow and silly it all was. SURELY?!
I'm just glad I finished it. Now I never have to try this again.
2024 Accidental reread: After listening to Retrograde by the same author my partner and I wanted to try what like his First Contact series. I did not do my due diligence and reread my own review. That was a mistake. It's still about as terrible. And Teller being called Teller was very apt. He did not show a damn thing.
The science was solid. The idea was pretty original. I liked some aspects of it. But I highly doubt I'll ever read a Cawdron again.
Honestly it only deserves 2 stars. The dialogue is CRINGE worthy. OMFG it was torture. I sort of wish I'd read this instead of listened to the audiobook, so that I could copy and paste some examples of the Tell Don't Show TM method of writing and dialogue. He kept telling the reader what the characters feel when something happens. The characters are all cardboard cut-outs.
The dialogue, of which there is a LOT felt very much like it was written by a 17 year old. That being said I understand. Writing is hard, portraying human interaction is hard. But fuck me someone must have pointed out how shallow and silly it all was. SURELY?!
I'm just glad I finished it. Now I never have to try this again.
2024 Accidental reread: After listening to Retrograde by the same author my partner and I wanted to try what like his First Contact series. I did not do my due diligence and reread my own review. That was a mistake. It's still about as terrible. And Teller being called Teller was very apt. He did not show a damn thing.
June 10, 2017
I wanted to like this book. I really did. But it ended up being a complete rip-off of Contact, which I can't stand, and I had to power through finishing it. Yes I understand he was inspired by it, I read the thing at the end. But the entire book the only thing I was thinking about was how much this story was basically Contact with some changes. Especially the way the book ended - I mean seriously?
Since when are schoolteachers and young children allowed into NASA research on extraterrestrial life? This is the most unbelievable part of the entire book and it's so annoying. This guy is constantly talking about how not-smart he is, and yet he gets the ear of literally everyone on this project? Oh and everyone is magically okay with the fact that he's on the team with people who actually know what they're talking about?
Also, the way it was written is aggravating. Every other chapter there's a moment where everyone sits down and basically talks through a TED Talk on whatever the sciencey thing they're talking about is. It doesn't flow with the conversation, it might as well have been prefaced with "we now interrupt this novel to have a schoolteacher explain really complicated physics to the reader."
The extra star I give is for looking at how this would affect international politics. I think that's something that often is not examined in sci-fi, and somehow the world is a-okay with the U.S. leading the world's effort in these things. So him including that is appreciated and I think interesting.
All-in-all glad I didn't pay for this book.
Since when are schoolteachers and young children allowed into NASA research on extraterrestrial life? This is the most unbelievable part of the entire book and it's so annoying. This guy is constantly talking about how not-smart he is, and yet he gets the ear of literally everyone on this project? Oh and everyone is magically okay with the fact that he's on the team with people who actually know what they're talking about?
Also, the way it was written is aggravating. Every other chapter there's a moment where everyone sits down and basically talks through a TED Talk on whatever the sciencey thing they're talking about is. It doesn't flow with the conversation, it might as well have been prefaced with "we now interrupt this novel to have a schoolteacher explain really complicated physics to the reader."
The extra star I give is for looking at how this would affect international politics. I think that's something that often is not examined in sci-fi, and somehow the world is a-okay with the U.S. leading the world's effort in these things. So him including that is appreciated and I think interesting.
All-in-all glad I didn't pay for this book.
January 16, 2012
Not very good, to be honest.
The author does have some very interesting ideas about what it might be like if we were to be contacted by aliens some day, but unfortunately these ideas are never really explored more than superficially.
It seems to me like the book is trying to encompass way to many stories in parallel, especially for its only 150 pages. Apart from the scientific aspects of an alien artifact on Earth, the author explores the implications to our civilization, world politics, the world's religions.. He even manages to cram in a completely trivial love story and a bit about reality TV.
I got the impression that the author worried that the book might otherwise become boring, which is a shame because as I said he does have some very good ideas.
So my humble advice would be to cut all the non-essential stuff and focus on the hard science. This seems to be where his heart is, and the minor storylines feel more like an attempt to please everybody.
I'm not in a hurry to read another book by this author, but I might if it got significantly better reviews than this one.
The author does have some very interesting ideas about what it might be like if we were to be contacted by aliens some day, but unfortunately these ideas are never really explored more than superficially.
It seems to me like the book is trying to encompass way to many stories in parallel, especially for its only 150 pages. Apart from the scientific aspects of an alien artifact on Earth, the author explores the implications to our civilization, world politics, the world's religions.. He even manages to cram in a completely trivial love story and a bit about reality TV.
I got the impression that the author worried that the book might otherwise become boring, which is a shame because as I said he does have some very good ideas.
So my humble advice would be to cut all the non-essential stuff and focus on the hard science. This seems to be where his heart is, and the minor storylines feel more like an attempt to please everybody.
I'm not in a hurry to read another book by this author, but I might if it got significantly better reviews than this one.
June 1, 2018
I really wanted to like this book, but just couldn't. A first contact story inspired by Carl Sagan's Contact has great potential, but it reads like a mediocre movie script filled with cliches, tropes, ridiculous stereotypes, unnecessary romantic subplot, a main character who as a school teacher is somehow smarter than top NASA scientists, and the dialogue totally over-explains everything. Every point and thought the characters make are hammered in and the repeat obvious things, in the same way as bad science fiction movies do it, to make sure even people at the back row who isn't paying attention can keep up.
October 23, 2023
In diesem 4. Buch seiner Erstkontakt-Reihe (abgeschlossene Romane mit dem Schwerpunkt Erstkontakt) präsentiert der Autor nun eine überarbeitete Version seines Romans von 2012 mit einem neuen Ende. Es handelt sich wohl um sein Debüt als SF-Autor und behandelt sein Thema als Reaktion auf Carl Sagan’s „Contact“, das mit Jodie Foster auch verfilmt wurde.
An einer Kreuzung in New York vom dem UN-Gebäude erscheint eine Anomalie, die die Gravitations-Gesetze zu widersprechen scheint. Die ganze Straßenkreuzung wird angehoben und schwebt mehrere Meter über der Erde, darüber bildet sich eine Kugel mit unbekanntem Inhalt. Es wird sofort klar, dass es sich um ein außerirdisches Objekt handelt.
Die Geschichte bündelt sich um einen Grundschullehrer mit einem Hang zu den Naturwissenschaften und eine Reporterin mit Kameramann eines kleinen TV-Senders, die sich zufällig in der Nähe der Anomalie befinden, alle drei werden daraufhin in das Zentrum eines Wissenschaftsteam gezogen, die das Phänomen aufklären sollen, während außerhalb dieses gesicherten Bereiches die Welt zu explodieren scheint. Alle Regierungen der Welt sind nicht damit einverstanden, dass die USA alleine die Anomalie erforschen und möglicherweise an überlegene Technologie herankommt, religiöse Fanatiker drehen total durch und machen mit Verschwörungstheoretikern gewaltsam Front gegen die Wissenschaftler, die das Phänomen zu erforschen versuchen. Ein Gewaltausbruch droht New York zu vernichten und die Vernunft scheint auf verlorenem Posten…
Faszinierend fand ich die Form der Kommunikationsaufnahme, ähnlich wie bei „Contact“ wird das Wissen der Menschheit abgefragt, nachdem klar war, dass das Artefakt meilenweit der menschlichen Erkenntnis voraus ist.
Das Ende fand ich wieder brillant, da die Außerirdischen nach der Kontaktaufnahme mit Teller und Cathy erkennen, dass die Menschheit noch nicht bereit ist und sich daraufhin empfehlen.
Ich bin immer mehr begeistert von dieser Reihe von Erstkontakt-Romanen; es sind tiefgründige Bücher die ohne viel Action auskommen, aber immer neue Gedanken in das Thema einbringen, gelassen und ohne viel Pathos, viel Sense of Wonder und eine Ehrfurcht vor dem Universum vermitteln, großartig !
Warum findet sich kein "richtiger" Verlag für diese Art Literatur mehr ? Das war (und ist) doch die Grundlage der SF, finden sich wirklich keine Leser dafür mehr ? Oder ist es die Ideologie der Verlage/Lektoren ?
An einer Kreuzung in New York vom dem UN-Gebäude erscheint eine Anomalie, die die Gravitations-Gesetze zu widersprechen scheint. Die ganze Straßenkreuzung wird angehoben und schwebt mehrere Meter über der Erde, darüber bildet sich eine Kugel mit unbekanntem Inhalt. Es wird sofort klar, dass es sich um ein außerirdisches Objekt handelt.
Die Geschichte bündelt sich um einen Grundschullehrer mit einem Hang zu den Naturwissenschaften und eine Reporterin mit Kameramann eines kleinen TV-Senders, die sich zufällig in der Nähe der Anomalie befinden, alle drei werden daraufhin in das Zentrum eines Wissenschaftsteam gezogen, die das Phänomen aufklären sollen, während außerhalb dieses gesicherten Bereiches die Welt zu explodieren scheint. Alle Regierungen der Welt sind nicht damit einverstanden, dass die USA alleine die Anomalie erforschen und möglicherweise an überlegene Technologie herankommt, religiöse Fanatiker drehen total durch und machen mit Verschwörungstheoretikern gewaltsam Front gegen die Wissenschaftler, die das Phänomen zu erforschen versuchen. Ein Gewaltausbruch droht New York zu vernichten und die Vernunft scheint auf verlorenem Posten…
Faszinierend fand ich die Form der Kommunikationsaufnahme, ähnlich wie bei „Contact“ wird das Wissen der Menschheit abgefragt, nachdem klar war, dass das Artefakt meilenweit der menschlichen Erkenntnis voraus ist.
Das Ende fand ich wieder brillant, da die Außerirdischen nach der Kontaktaufnahme mit Teller und Cathy erkennen, dass die Menschheit noch nicht bereit ist und sich daraufhin empfehlen.
Ich bin immer mehr begeistert von dieser Reihe von Erstkontakt-Romanen; es sind tiefgründige Bücher die ohne viel Action auskommen, aber immer neue Gedanken in das Thema einbringen, gelassen und ohne viel Pathos, viel Sense of Wonder und eine Ehrfurcht vor dem Universum vermitteln, großartig !
Warum findet sich kein "richtiger" Verlag für diese Art Literatur mehr ? Das war (und ist) doch die Grundlage der SF, finden sich wirklich keine Leser dafür mehr ? Oder ist es die Ideologie der Verlage/Lektoren ?
August 15, 2021
Sixteen-year-old nerdy me would have eaten this up like so much candy and would have thought it was the hottest thing since lava cakes, despite disagreeing slightly with the final humanistic conclusion. Forty-four-year-old me was cringing the whole time, despite actually making it to the end. This feels so much like Marty Sue fanfiction that I wouldn’t be surprised if the author was actually a primary school science teacher who had trouble getting through college (and through sheer bad luck never solved a cosmic mystery that would get him embroiled with NASA/USDS business). The characters are paper thin, the dialogues are unbelievably stilted and fake, the drama is turned up to eleven, realism is kept heavily at bay, and feminism is given the barest of lip services before descending into nineteen-fifties stereotypes of the female reporter who opens the book worrying about her looks, spends the middle part being the non-nerdy outsider for whom everything needs to be explained, and the latter part as the emotive counterpart to the predominantly male characters’ obsession with science and answers. Still, I got on board because of the mystery, and the mystery, though not earth-shatteringly brilliant, was kinda fun to unravel.
March 28, 2016
With all my respect, I couldn't finish it!
I read 35% of the book. For a Sci-Fi reader the story is so superficial, the idea is so nice, but the way it has been written is not!
It's like a story for kids... A teacher who knows more than scientists, attends U.N. assembly and ...
It's like a low-budget Hollywood movie.
It needs a major polishing.
I read 35% of the book. For a Sci-Fi reader the story is so superficial, the idea is so nice, but the way it has been written is not!
It's like a story for kids... A teacher who knows more than scientists, attends U.N. assembly and ...
It's like a low-budget Hollywood movie.
It needs a major polishing.
September 8, 2012
Before Christmas the prospect of me reading a book by an indie author was slim-to-none. Not that I wouldn’t care to read a book not written by an author not named King, Asimov, Poe or Dickens, but for a person that shops within his comfort zone of large retail book stores and his local library how would I find something so obscure. When I look for a book I hit the new release racks and browse the bindings, familiarity is what would catch my eye, and frankly if I had to choose between a no name and Grisham, I am reading Grisham every time because the likelihood of disliking the book is much like my earlier chances, slim-to-none.
Christmas changed all that when my wife bought me a shiny new Kindle. The world of books immediately expanded. Shopping has never been so much fun. I always though an e-reader would take the book out of my hand and lose the beauty of discovery. While that is true, it also opens doors a library could never open. I click on a few favorites and Amazon is recommending me all worts of things I would never find on my own, people I have never heard of and the reviews tell their own tales. While I will grab a stinker from time-to-time I am sure, the ability to step outside of my comfort zone is proving the grass is really greener on the other side.
The first indie book I have read is Anomaly by Peter Cawdron. If you are looking for a book to occupy you for a weekend or pass a Boston-to-New York bus ride then this is the book for you.
A school teacher under-achieving in the world finds himself dumped in the middle of the biggest discovery for mankind, proof of life outside of our World. Though a bit unbelievable that NASA would step aside and invite a middle school teacher to run the show and take his advice I suppose it make just about as much sense as a everyday man that can fight his way through an enemy base with only a bloody nose to rescue the President when entire trained special forces squads found themselves shot and beaten. The true underdog story is what makes readers happy and keep coming back, the thought that one day they too could be Bilbo Baggins or Bob Lee Swagger.
I have read a few reviews calling this “fan fiction” or High School quality short story, I think these people are missing the main ingredient… Indie. Mr. Cawdron may not have the literary skills of top authors, but he also doesn’t have their proofreader and editors pouring over his every word. If you have the foresight to look past some average writing you will find an amazing story in the clear fashion of Contact by Carl Sagan more about the discovery then the adventure.
Anomoly may end up a million miles from how “first contact” happens, that is if it has not already taken place, but it is right on track with the methodology of a true discovery between species.
I would highly recommend this book to a friend with the expectation we would be having a similar positive opinion discussion following their read.
I found it funny that the author chose to “easter egg” his own 1st book in the closing moments of the story.
************ADDENDUM*************
Nearly a year ago author Peter Cawdron took and dropped a gem on the indie book scene with Anomaly. The story of an under-achieving teacher who goes from field trip spectator in downtown NYC to over-achieving armchair scientist in the blink of an eye and thrusting himself into the biggest moment in human history, first contact.
WARNING! SPOILERS BELOW.
In January of this year I read and reviewed this story and gave it 4 1/2 stars out of 5 or an A- overall. Last week the author shot me an email that he had updated and expanded the ending and asked me to take a look at how it had changed. Mr. Cawdron stated,
"There were two reasons behind the rewrite. Firstly, the [UN] invasion didn't come off as plausible, and understandably so, but the second reason was more important. Like a lot of writers dabbling in science fiction, I made the plot bigger than the characters. In rewriting the ending, I tried to focus on building some depth of character, wanting to ground the story and give the reader someone to relate to.
The chance to revise and improve a story is not something many authors consider, whether it was feedback from comments and reviews on Amazon and Good Reads or just plain not 100% happy with their own work. The ability to identify, recognize and change really says something about a person, and how much they care about their work. Writing is a legacy, and when you are gone and people look for classics to embrace you really want to be remembered as the writer who got it right, not almost. For the most part, until the popularity of ebooks it was not so easy to just change printed works, but in this day and age more authors should take to the ability to fix their work and make use of technology.
There is a caveat, I don't think every author should be just editing work only to appease the public, re-writing stories because 55 people wrote on a Facebook group that Bill should have fallen in love with Jodie and not Betty, but if there is a glowing issue that comes to light writers should take advantage of the ability to release what is the literary equivalent to a Director's Cut. Let's call this Anomaly v1.5.
The Lost and Found Chapter
The first thing you will notice, or at least I noticed, in the revised edition was the addition of a brand new chapter. Expanding upon the theories of further communication with the entities taking up residence in the intersection in front of the UN Building we find Teller and Co at the local mall shopping in a children's' store in search of all sorts of goodies. The chapter would have worked in both stories and regardless of the ending you prefer it adds an element of discovery and directs the reader to think outside of the box on ways to speak to another life form that does not use words or English. The explanations of Cawdron's choices are brilliant and well thought out, his understanding of advanced science is clear and allows us to not only enjoy fiction, but learn a few things about light spectrum and how we can communicate our boundaries of understanding to another being without words. Grade B (Based on the context of change not quality, this is one of the books top moments) While the addition of the chapter was welcoming I find it hard to rate the chapter an A because it does not change the course of the story. As I said, in both stories the chapter would fit and it should be included, the story still works without the chapter. Well written and improves the overall enjoyment of the book, but for these purposes the story flow change it has little effect.
The Invasion of the Human Kind
The major change in the story is how the conflict at the science facility arises and unfolds for the world. I don't know a whole lot about security practices, but the thought of a foreign army landing on U.S. soil and making it into a major city with relative ease seems unreliable. It seems more likely that a battle would have ensued at first contact of invasion, but it was fiction so I just took it that somehow some way it became possible. The change of an army to the now small domestic terrorist organization becomes more focused, bringing the ideology to a sole individual rather than a collective of national ideals across the globe. While not only making the story more believable because a small group could take even trained soldiers by surprise and create an incident with the threat of a bomb vest not only plausible, but a common tool of fanatic terrorists the one weak park of the story is not a reality based theory.
While the UN forces were led by a French commander we do quickly grow to despise, the reasons for him being there are based on superior orders, not a mission of ideals; thus grounding the attacks overall reason for inclusion. With the terrorist we have one upset individual with a genuine reason, while wrong, to be at the facility with the threat of violence. Grade A- Every reason for this change was needed and helped better the story, you will see my only critique for the change shortly.
Death and Loss
Stories need loss to help identify connection to the characters we have come to adore. Whether this change was to help further this change and intentional, it worked. In the original story the SEAL snipers protect the science team from the UN forces results in an assault on virtually unknown characters. As a reader I was miffed by the loss of an American soldier, but the impact on the feeling in the story was fairly unchanged. When Cathy stumbles out to confront the terrorist with an injured Anderson by her side the assassination of her wounded protector is sad and unexpected, more so if you had read the original ending where Anderson survives. A major character who was genuinely supportive to the addition to Teller is seen as an ally to the reader. His death causes a good reader to feel anguish and loss for a good character. The previous death of the sniper was a sterile death, killing off an unknown is like feeling sadness for an obituary in an ancient newspaper. Taking from us a big role explores our inner sensitivity for how we feel about loss for a person we have come to know over 17 chapters. Grade A+ Anytime you force a reader to care you improve a story. In conjunction with the previous chapter in the toy store the death is even more so compounded because of the fun and child-like wonderment side Anderson displays toward communicating with aliens.
Power of the Anomaly
One of the few instances I really relished the old ending was the penetration of the Anomaly by Teller. While the in-your-face ability of communication of the Anomaly is intriguing it is disappointing the progress it takes is unable to stay intact. Clearly it is a consequence of change that follows the new path the original ending found Teller injured and beaten and tossed into the Anomaly only to be later found, healed all the way down to childhood fracture evidence. The power of the Anomaly was just as mysterious with the change of a space portal as a mode of reason. But the transportation to another world where Teller and Cathy experience a 2 year trip and the people back home only lose mere minutes gives a far to familiar tone to Contact. The similarity to Contact is not bad, it just seems twice done and not as original as the trip through the Anomaly to save Teller from fatal injuries. Grade B- While this change is necessary due to the addition of a bomb explosion and the ability to communicate trust, the loss of the connection to the incident is lost. When Teller returns he has been 2 years removed from the bombing so his feeling of anxiety and passing has set in and the shock of the other characters weighted against his passive nature is perceived as a disconnect. Had this been something the writer could have explored mid-book and traveled with the reader to other worlds it would have brought the reader into the feeling of chaos when returning to the site of the attack moments later when it is history to the travelers. As an ending such a journey would disrupt the conclusion and take away from the climax.
Epilogue
This reason alone had me in the moment upset and angry at Peter Cawdron. The original epilogue in my opinion was one for the best resolutions I had ever read. The new epilogue reflects a better story and is an unfortunate, but necessary casualty of war so like a good dog that you sometimes need to let go, the epilogue needed to change. The original ending had Teller arriving at Cathy's home for dinner weeks after the invasion. Feeling a loss Cathy expresses regret for what would have been only for Teller to reveal that the visitors are still within a candle's reach.
Since there are so many similarities to Contact let's keep the subject on par, when the terrorist destroys the other Machine and Dr. Arroway is contacted by S.R. Hadden who confesses to a second secret Machine. The feeling of hope and excitement when you realize the loss was only a bump rather than a canyon and that the journey did not end it was only the beginning.
Aside from a great ending what set this apart from a comparison from the S.R. Hadden reveal is that this was the end of the story. A sudden end with a far and productive future to explore, at least for me is beautiful. Many viewers and readers do not care for open and vague endings, most people like a director and writer to paint a picture clear resolution. The ability to think and chew on the freedom of the unknown not only brings in discussion but makes the reader or viewer as much a part of the process, bringing in thousands and millions of contributions to the ultimate resolution. Grade B+ While given the opportunity to experience both endings I will prefer the original every time, but that does not mean it is the right choice. My initial ire with Mr. Cawdron is similar to an owner trading your favorite player to a rival team. The whole story is bigger than a piece of the conclusion and while the best part is gone the overall product is improved because of previous events. (ie the shopping mall and the terrorist change with Anderson's ultimate demise.)
Conclusion and Findings
Re-rating the book really doesn't change in this instance I still give it a 4 1/2 out of 5. Yes, the story is better with the new ending and has lost a bit in the epilogue but the story is deeper than 2 chapters, the is story built on a frame-work and an idea of a high school teacher becoming a national hero from the brink of obscurity a basis of the American dream, the Australian dream or Egyptian dream. Humans from all countries dream that a commoner can one day walk down the street at stranger and familiar and cheered by all the next. To gain fame and heroism is a trait most aspire to attain.
The new ending benefits the reader as well as the betterment of the quality of the book, but down at the core you still have the same story. The story earns it's reputation as a tale from page one and continues to the end. Is it possible I over-judged the original and over-looked a less than perfect ending? Maybe, but the book is better in the current incarnation and I still think it falls in that 4.5/5 range.
While I am a book reader, avid but casual in the sense I read with a focus on the story, not the vessel through which it is projected. In all honesty I do not have the snobbery high end understanding of an English Major with a strong sense of character development, for structure and as the writer himself identified, "making the plot bigger than the characters." I enjoyed the book in both forms, but readers with a real understanding of quality storytelling will see the difference and enjoy the newly finished product.
The changes made this a better book, but sometimes it is hard to chose to love the more successful child more than the one still living in their parents home. I know this is a poor analogy as this is not my story/child, but a great story I have grown to love is a near and dear part of my love for reading.
Having the ability to read the former ending for new readers is still a possibility on Peter Cawdron's website Thinking SciFi for the ability to judge on their own how the story should end.
Christmas changed all that when my wife bought me a shiny new Kindle. The world of books immediately expanded. Shopping has never been so much fun. I always though an e-reader would take the book out of my hand and lose the beauty of discovery. While that is true, it also opens doors a library could never open. I click on a few favorites and Amazon is recommending me all worts of things I would never find on my own, people I have never heard of and the reviews tell their own tales. While I will grab a stinker from time-to-time I am sure, the ability to step outside of my comfort zone is proving the grass is really greener on the other side.
The first indie book I have read is Anomaly by Peter Cawdron. If you are looking for a book to occupy you for a weekend or pass a Boston-to-New York bus ride then this is the book for you.
A school teacher under-achieving in the world finds himself dumped in the middle of the biggest discovery for mankind, proof of life outside of our World. Though a bit unbelievable that NASA would step aside and invite a middle school teacher to run the show and take his advice I suppose it make just about as much sense as a everyday man that can fight his way through an enemy base with only a bloody nose to rescue the President when entire trained special forces squads found themselves shot and beaten. The true underdog story is what makes readers happy and keep coming back, the thought that one day they too could be Bilbo Baggins or Bob Lee Swagger.
I have read a few reviews calling this “fan fiction” or High School quality short story, I think these people are missing the main ingredient… Indie. Mr. Cawdron may not have the literary skills of top authors, but he also doesn’t have their proofreader and editors pouring over his every word. If you have the foresight to look past some average writing you will find an amazing story in the clear fashion of Contact by Carl Sagan more about the discovery then the adventure.
Anomoly may end up a million miles from how “first contact” happens, that is if it has not already taken place, but it is right on track with the methodology of a true discovery between species.
I would highly recommend this book to a friend with the expectation we would be having a similar positive opinion discussion following their read.
I found it funny that the author chose to “easter egg” his own 1st book in the closing moments of the story.
************ADDENDUM*************
Nearly a year ago author Peter Cawdron took and dropped a gem on the indie book scene with Anomaly. The story of an under-achieving teacher who goes from field trip spectator in downtown NYC to over-achieving armchair scientist in the blink of an eye and thrusting himself into the biggest moment in human history, first contact.
WARNING! SPOILERS BELOW.
In January of this year I read and reviewed this story and gave it 4 1/2 stars out of 5 or an A- overall. Last week the author shot me an email that he had updated and expanded the ending and asked me to take a look at how it had changed. Mr. Cawdron stated,
"There were two reasons behind the rewrite. Firstly, the [UN] invasion didn't come off as plausible, and understandably so, but the second reason was more important. Like a lot of writers dabbling in science fiction, I made the plot bigger than the characters. In rewriting the ending, I tried to focus on building some depth of character, wanting to ground the story and give the reader someone to relate to.
The chance to revise and improve a story is not something many authors consider, whether it was feedback from comments and reviews on Amazon and Good Reads or just plain not 100% happy with their own work. The ability to identify, recognize and change really says something about a person, and how much they care about their work. Writing is a legacy, and when you are gone and people look for classics to embrace you really want to be remembered as the writer who got it right, not almost. For the most part, until the popularity of ebooks it was not so easy to just change printed works, but in this day and age more authors should take to the ability to fix their work and make use of technology.
There is a caveat, I don't think every author should be just editing work only to appease the public, re-writing stories because 55 people wrote on a Facebook group that Bill should have fallen in love with Jodie and not Betty, but if there is a glowing issue that comes to light writers should take advantage of the ability to release what is the literary equivalent to a Director's Cut. Let's call this Anomaly v1.5.
The Lost and Found Chapter
The first thing you will notice, or at least I noticed, in the revised edition was the addition of a brand new chapter. Expanding upon the theories of further communication with the entities taking up residence in the intersection in front of the UN Building we find Teller and Co at the local mall shopping in a children's' store in search of all sorts of goodies. The chapter would have worked in both stories and regardless of the ending you prefer it adds an element of discovery and directs the reader to think outside of the box on ways to speak to another life form that does not use words or English. The explanations of Cawdron's choices are brilliant and well thought out, his understanding of advanced science is clear and allows us to not only enjoy fiction, but learn a few things about light spectrum and how we can communicate our boundaries of understanding to another being without words. Grade B (Based on the context of change not quality, this is one of the books top moments) While the addition of the chapter was welcoming I find it hard to rate the chapter an A because it does not change the course of the story. As I said, in both stories the chapter would fit and it should be included, the story still works without the chapter. Well written and improves the overall enjoyment of the book, but for these purposes the story flow change it has little effect.
The Invasion of the Human Kind
The major change in the story is how the conflict at the science facility arises and unfolds for the world. I don't know a whole lot about security practices, but the thought of a foreign army landing on U.S. soil and making it into a major city with relative ease seems unreliable. It seems more likely that a battle would have ensued at first contact of invasion, but it was fiction so I just took it that somehow some way it became possible. The change of an army to the now small domestic terrorist organization becomes more focused, bringing the ideology to a sole individual rather than a collective of national ideals across the globe. While not only making the story more believable because a small group could take even trained soldiers by surprise and create an incident with the threat of a bomb vest not only plausible, but a common tool of fanatic terrorists the one weak park of the story is not a reality based theory.
While the UN forces were led by a French commander we do quickly grow to despise, the reasons for him being there are based on superior orders, not a mission of ideals; thus grounding the attacks overall reason for inclusion. With the terrorist we have one upset individual with a genuine reason, while wrong, to be at the facility with the threat of violence. Grade A- Every reason for this change was needed and helped better the story, you will see my only critique for the change shortly.
Death and Loss
Stories need loss to help identify connection to the characters we have come to adore. Whether this change was to help further this change and intentional, it worked. In the original story the SEAL snipers protect the science team from the UN forces results in an assault on virtually unknown characters. As a reader I was miffed by the loss of an American soldier, but the impact on the feeling in the story was fairly unchanged. When Cathy stumbles out to confront the terrorist with an injured Anderson by her side the assassination of her wounded protector is sad and unexpected, more so if you had read the original ending where Anderson survives. A major character who was genuinely supportive to the addition to Teller is seen as an ally to the reader. His death causes a good reader to feel anguish and loss for a good character. The previous death of the sniper was a sterile death, killing off an unknown is like feeling sadness for an obituary in an ancient newspaper. Taking from us a big role explores our inner sensitivity for how we feel about loss for a person we have come to know over 17 chapters. Grade A+ Anytime you force a reader to care you improve a story. In conjunction with the previous chapter in the toy store the death is even more so compounded because of the fun and child-like wonderment side Anderson displays toward communicating with aliens.
Power of the Anomaly
One of the few instances I really relished the old ending was the penetration of the Anomaly by Teller. While the in-your-face ability of communication of the Anomaly is intriguing it is disappointing the progress it takes is unable to stay intact. Clearly it is a consequence of change that follows the new path the original ending found Teller injured and beaten and tossed into the Anomaly only to be later found, healed all the way down to childhood fracture evidence. The power of the Anomaly was just as mysterious with the change of a space portal as a mode of reason. But the transportation to another world where Teller and Cathy experience a 2 year trip and the people back home only lose mere minutes gives a far to familiar tone to Contact. The similarity to Contact is not bad, it just seems twice done and not as original as the trip through the Anomaly to save Teller from fatal injuries. Grade B- While this change is necessary due to the addition of a bomb explosion and the ability to communicate trust, the loss of the connection to the incident is lost. When Teller returns he has been 2 years removed from the bombing so his feeling of anxiety and passing has set in and the shock of the other characters weighted against his passive nature is perceived as a disconnect. Had this been something the writer could have explored mid-book and traveled with the reader to other worlds it would have brought the reader into the feeling of chaos when returning to the site of the attack moments later when it is history to the travelers. As an ending such a journey would disrupt the conclusion and take away from the climax.
Epilogue
This reason alone had me in the moment upset and angry at Peter Cawdron. The original epilogue in my opinion was one for the best resolutions I had ever read. The new epilogue reflects a better story and is an unfortunate, but necessary casualty of war so like a good dog that you sometimes need to let go, the epilogue needed to change. The original ending had Teller arriving at Cathy's home for dinner weeks after the invasion. Feeling a loss Cathy expresses regret for what would have been only for Teller to reveal that the visitors are still within a candle's reach.
Since there are so many similarities to Contact let's keep the subject on par, when the terrorist destroys the other Machine and Dr. Arroway is contacted by S.R. Hadden who confesses to a second secret Machine. The feeling of hope and excitement when you realize the loss was only a bump rather than a canyon and that the journey did not end it was only the beginning.
Aside from a great ending what set this apart from a comparison from the S.R. Hadden reveal is that this was the end of the story. A sudden end with a far and productive future to explore, at least for me is beautiful. Many viewers and readers do not care for open and vague endings, most people like a director and writer to paint a picture clear resolution. The ability to think and chew on the freedom of the unknown not only brings in discussion but makes the reader or viewer as much a part of the process, bringing in thousands and millions of contributions to the ultimate resolution. Grade B+ While given the opportunity to experience both endings I will prefer the original every time, but that does not mean it is the right choice. My initial ire with Mr. Cawdron is similar to an owner trading your favorite player to a rival team. The whole story is bigger than a piece of the conclusion and while the best part is gone the overall product is improved because of previous events. (ie the shopping mall and the terrorist change with Anderson's ultimate demise.)
Conclusion and Findings
Re-rating the book really doesn't change in this instance I still give it a 4 1/2 out of 5. Yes, the story is better with the new ending and has lost a bit in the epilogue but the story is deeper than 2 chapters, the is story built on a frame-work and an idea of a high school teacher becoming a national hero from the brink of obscurity a basis of the American dream, the Australian dream or Egyptian dream. Humans from all countries dream that a commoner can one day walk down the street at stranger and familiar and cheered by all the next. To gain fame and heroism is a trait most aspire to attain.
The new ending benefits the reader as well as the betterment of the quality of the book, but down at the core you still have the same story. The story earns it's reputation as a tale from page one and continues to the end. Is it possible I over-judged the original and over-looked a less than perfect ending? Maybe, but the book is better in the current incarnation and I still think it falls in that 4.5/5 range.
While I am a book reader, avid but casual in the sense I read with a focus on the story, not the vessel through which it is projected. In all honesty I do not have the snobbery high end understanding of an English Major with a strong sense of character development, for structure and as the writer himself identified, "making the plot bigger than the characters." I enjoyed the book in both forms, but readers with a real understanding of quality storytelling will see the difference and enjoy the newly finished product.
The changes made this a better book, but sometimes it is hard to chose to love the more successful child more than the one still living in their parents home. I know this is a poor analogy as this is not my story/child, but a great story I have grown to love is a near and dear part of my love for reading.
Having the ability to read the former ending for new readers is still a possibility on Peter Cawdron's website Thinking SciFi for the ability to judge on their own how the story should end.
November 29, 2017
One thing bugged me about this novel, but I'll get to it in a minute. First, this First Contact science fiction story totally succeeds in taking every typical sf FC concept and running with it or flipping it around on the reader. Cawdron understands the tropes very well. Five stars for concepts! I was pretty sure I knew how it had to end, and I was right, but that in no way disappointed me because of how it was revealed. One of the tropes the author used is 'common guy thrown into alien situation.' It's handled really well. In fact, I enjoyed every character.
The story is a little slow. There are some valid reasons. But, some of the slowness was the language around Teller's thoughts, mostly the ones about Cathy. Most of that wasn't necessary when their dialogue and actions revealed nearly everything. It wasn't quite insulting, but it was close, and I'm not sure what it was for. Or who.
Or, maybe I am sensitized now. After two years of reading some really fine romance novels, I appreciate the authors who can reveal a great deal through dialogue and actions, relying only a little on a character's thoughts. But there's a place for more thoughts, particularly in this kind of story, and much of those were necessary. Just, not so much restating what dialogue and actions have just shown us. Overall, not critical. But I'm picky. :)
The story is a little slow. There are some valid reasons. But, some of the slowness was the language around Teller's thoughts, mostly the ones about Cathy. Most of that wasn't necessary when their dialogue and actions revealed nearly everything. It wasn't quite insulting, but it was close, and I'm not sure what it was for. Or who.
Or, maybe I am sensitized now. After two years of reading some really fine romance novels, I appreciate the authors who can reveal a great deal through dialogue and actions, relying only a little on a character's thoughts. But there's a place for more thoughts, particularly in this kind of story, and much of those were necessary. Just, not so much restating what dialogue and actions have just shown us. Overall, not critical. But I'm picky. :)
November 25, 2011
Not the best written characters or most satisfying ending, this retelling (in many ways) of Carl Sagan's 'Contact' is still a great sci-fi indie novel, and better written than most of the indie out there (especially the indie sci-fi, which often verges on overdone and comedic).
Indeed, calling it sci-fi is almost a misnomer. This is a thought experiment of how an advanced civilization's probe may go about finding us and initiating contact, and how we would try to study it and work with it.
It's strongest when considering the scientific and religious impact of such contact, but takes a nosedive when postulating on political and security ramifications. The concept of a French invasion of JFK, using military transports squawking civilian call signs, is somewhere between laughable and ludicrous.
Still, all in all it's a great read, especially for fans of uplifting, modern/near-future sci-fi along the lines of Contact.
Indeed, calling it sci-fi is almost a misnomer. This is a thought experiment of how an advanced civilization's probe may go about finding us and initiating contact, and how we would try to study it and work with it.
It's strongest when considering the scientific and religious impact of such contact, but takes a nosedive when postulating on political and security ramifications. The concept of a French invasion of JFK, using military transports squawking civilian call signs, is somewhere between laughable and ludicrous.
Still, all in all it's a great read, especially for fans of uplifting, modern/near-future sci-fi along the lines of Contact.
December 3, 2017
It started out interestingly enough by asking how we're going to talk to aliens if they present themselves in ways we never really expected?
The answer, of course, is science. And more science. And then even more science. All of it infodumped in long rather unexciting sequences.
Now, I for one, have a pretty high tolerance for hard SF and technobabble. I do enjoy reading it for the most part. But the author seemed to make an attempt to make his story exciting by interspersing the "boring" science with action scenes that seemed pretty far fetched.
And while I'm sure it wasn't intentional, I was just a little bugged by the way all the men in the novel was going by their last names, while all the women (even the scientist with a doctorate) were called by their first name.
So, 2½ stars for a good idea. But poorly executed and with a resolution that reminded me far too much of Contact.
The answer, of course, is science. And more science. And then even more science. All of it infodumped in long rather unexciting sequences.
Now, I for one, have a pretty high tolerance for hard SF and technobabble. I do enjoy reading it for the most part. But the author seemed to make an attempt to make his story exciting by interspersing the "boring" science with action scenes that seemed pretty far fetched.
And while I'm sure it wasn't intentional, I was just a little bugged by the way all the men in the novel was going by their last names, while all the women (even the scientist with a doctorate) were called by their first name.
So, 2½ stars for a good idea. But poorly executed and with a resolution that reminded me far too much of Contact.
January 11, 2012
I enjoyed the take this book took on an alien probe. It was very different from the usual depictions, focusing on our responses, rather than the probe itself. However, it was not the most well written work, with a lot of repetitive language and descriptions that were lacking.
April 28, 2014
Wow. This was a brilliant work, I wolfed it down in a single sitting. It took religious strife to the level of Graham Storrs, had aliens written with an atmosphere of Joe Haldeman but, when taken as a whole sends, I think, a single clear message. The distillation of hard science into an easily digested and understood form, the extraordinarily Human characters, the very real people put on the spot in interesting ways and the aliens themselves shouts to me Hello, Robert J Sawyer, you've got competition.
Some people reviewed it and didn't like the ending, which is most ironic to me as I didn't like the ending of the first work of Cawdron's I read earlier this month. But this one nailed it, I submit, and did it very well indeed.
Some people reviewed it and didn't like the ending, which is most ironic to me as I didn't like the ending of the first work of Cawdron's I read earlier this month. But this one nailed it, I submit, and did it very well indeed.
July 26, 2018
Good idea, but that is it. This self published book could have been a solid short story, but only with major rewrite. We are supposed to believe that an alien anomoly shows up in front of the UN building in NY and the response is to set up a barricade with local cops. No post 9/11 panic, no evacuation of area, no national guard, just the local PD. Then we have the science teacher at a private school who teaches all grades but is apparently is so enamored of his 5th graders that he takes them on a field trip to see the anomoly. Then, one of his students has an uncle who happens to be the Director of National Security. Of course, she ends up hanging out with her uncle and NASA because we all want to expose relatives to unexplained objects up close. As if that isn't enough, the science teacher is the only one who figures out that the object is stationary and just seems to be moving because of earth's motion. You see where this is going...
As I said, this could have been a solid short story, but major rewrite needed...
As I said, this could have been a solid short story, but major rewrite needed...
August 23, 2016
This was essentially a good, well-written book. I enjoyed the fact that it was scientifically solid and that it was discursive. The reason it doesn't get a 5* rating is because it was rather too discursive, without going very deeply into any of the issues, and that the action scenes and the love interest felt as though they'd been tossed in there just to break up the monologue. There was also something just a bit too *nice* about the hero. I'm sure that people like that do exist but maybe they don't also opt-in to wild and dangerous adventures. The bad guys are, similarly, just a little *too* bad and apparently insane. The technical premise was nice, although the role the protagonist has in the study of the anomaly was so unlikely it stretched my credulity a bit (and what exactly was the reporter doing there?)
I believe Anomaly was Cawdron's first novel, so I'd cut it some slack, and I will definitely read more by this author.
I believe Anomaly was Cawdron's first novel, so I'd cut it some slack, and I will definitely read more by this author.
January 3, 2018
Very interesting book. I really enjoyed it and will look at more of the author's work.
Small rant:
I feel like religion being at odds with an event like this are more wishful thinking on the part of the author and Sagan than anything that would happen in real life. Surely our liberal minded portion would cause a greater problem. Aliens would think we were insane because of our lack of ability to count to two. As in the number of genders there are. They would think us cruel for not identifying and treating mental disorders that cause men to want to dress like women and vice versa.
A week later update. I just found this little note on my phone so I wanted to add it: When Kathy was recalling the riot, like she was reciting a poem. That was super annoying.
The narration was excellent.
Small rant:
I feel like religion being at odds with an event like this are more wishful thinking on the part of the author and Sagan than anything that would happen in real life. Surely our liberal minded portion would cause a greater problem. Aliens would think we were insane because of our lack of ability to count to two. As in the number of genders there are. They would think us cruel for not identifying and treating mental disorders that cause men to want to dress like women and vice versa.
A week later update. I just found this little note on my phone so I wanted to add it: When Kathy was recalling the riot, like she was reciting a poem. That was super annoying.
The narration was excellent.
December 18, 2013
A phenomenal Sci-Fi first-contact story. One of the things I love about Cawdron's writing is that he is all about the science. There is violence in his writing, as there is in life, but he doesn't glorify it. It moves the plot along, but the main focus is always intellectualism. Cawdron believes that our brains will be what saves the human race, not our brawn. It's rare to see authors putting the science back in science fiction, and I love it! This guy has some serious skills, and is definitely an author to watch. I am reading the last one of his stories that I haven't read yet, so I hope there's another coming out soon!
May 16, 2018
3.5/5
It is really good in most parts, not so original in others. But I can’t quite specify which ones.
Overall a very nice reading.
Definitely not the classic flat alien American story
It is really good in most parts, not so original in others. But I can’t quite specify which ones.
Overall a very nice reading.
Definitely not the classic flat alien American story
November 15, 2022
Four stars as I finally understand that Cawdron is on a mission to educate as well as to entertain. This is the third of his First Contact series I have read, and all are full of scientific facts and topics and theories that are REAL but are set within a fictional story. With the exception of a rare f-bomb tossed in, these books would be an excellent introduction to young people who may not be coping well with science in classroom settings. Not saying these are a substitute but they may help to teach some basics and generate interest.
I have a very technical education and profession but not in aerospace or astronomy. I have learned a great deal from these books on subjects I would not have otherwise approached. And each book, so far, has had a completely different scientific basis for the story.
The story lines and characters themselves are not remarkable but are vehicles the author uses to soften the impact of hard science. It works for me. See other reviews by those more talented than I in discussing the story lines in detail :-)
I have a very technical education and profession but not in aerospace or astronomy. I have learned a great deal from these books on subjects I would not have otherwise approached. And each book, so far, has had a completely different scientific basis for the story.
The story lines and characters themselves are not remarkable but are vehicles the author uses to soften the impact of hard science. It works for me. See other reviews by those more talented than I in discussing the story lines in detail :-)
September 7, 2022
This book kept me going especially thanks to the great conversations happening along the way. This book is not about suspense but about exchange of ideas, team work, supporting each other and about humanity.
March 11, 2025
3,5 Sterne
Ein bisschen schwächerer Roman in der herausragenden Erstkontakt-Reihe von Cawdron.
Ein bisschen schwächerer Roman in der herausragenden Erstkontakt-Reihe von Cawdron.
July 5, 2025
I read this on the basis I was searching for some new books to read, and this was recommended by someone on Reddit. I also saw it had an average 4.02 rating, so thought this might be worth the read.
...
It is not worth the read. Everything about this story is ridiculous, and also very "male". Like, of course a male teacher would suddenly be with the NASA-ingroup because he had one idea. OF COURSE, a single female new reporter would be enraptured by his constant monologuing on his own self-perceived greatness! OF COURSE, he could survive being shot three times!
This is a great book if you are a mediocre male who wants to feel there is a chance to be a super male.
The *only* thing that kept me reading was that I wanted to know more about the alien... But even that was a fallback to stereotype. Carl Sagan did it far better!
...
It is not worth the read. Everything about this story is ridiculous, and also very "male". Like, of course a male teacher would suddenly be with the NASA-ingroup because he had one idea. OF COURSE, a single female new reporter would be enraptured by his constant monologuing on his own self-perceived greatness! OF COURSE, he could survive being shot three times!
This is a great book if you are a mediocre male who wants to feel there is a chance to be a super male.
The *only* thing that kept me reading was that I wanted to know more about the alien... But even that was a fallback to stereotype. Carl Sagan did it far better!
September 29, 2021
I don’t have much faith in people. I’m as pessimistic about humanity’s future as I’ve ever been in my life. Carl Sagan wrote about this in one my favorite books The Demon Haunted World which I quote from below:
I think that quote made the rounds quite recently on the interwebs, but barely a week goes where I’m not reminded of it. I literally think about almost every time I read a news story about someone doing or saying something stupid. And most news stories I come across are mostly about people being stupid or doing stupid things… or maybe nice people being thwarted by stupid.
Well, it sucks. Feeling this way. I want to bury my head in the sand and wait for my time to die.
Whatever. I’m sure life will go on regardless of how I feel about it. A thousand years after I’m going the world will still be turning and people will (probably) be worried about their own petty things while whatever atoms that were once me make their way around the ecosystem.
Sigh.
Then there is this book. Another in the series of first contact novels that the author has written tons and tons of. Again, it’s a genius idea. I was once an aspiring author myself (I’ve given up on that dream, even though I still spend way too much time writing, it’s all for my own selfish need to tell stories, fuck the world for not beating down my door and forcing money down my throat for more of my precious, precious, words) and I never considered the fact that most of my novels were me simply retelling the same story with a different cast of characters might be good thing.
In fact, my mistake might have been even trying to make the stories different at all. I should have just leaned into it and said, yeah, I’ve written 70,000 words about some philosophical point whose conflict can only be resolved by punching.
My point with all that is this book is almost beat for beat the same book as the previous one I reviewed, despite being something like 10 years older. Yes, the setting is different, as are the names, but it’s still the same. Even down to the scientist type getting caught up in some sort of press conference and giving no-nonsense insights into things that shifts public opinion.
Funny, I think I liked this one more, but enjoyed it less. Just because when I finished the other book this one popped right up in my library as something I’d purchased at some point in the past and I’d forgotten about.
That makes sense, considering it’s a topic I can’t resist.
But, since I’d just finished what was essentially the same book, I ended up slogging through this one because it was just too much of the same thing. So, I think it’s better than the other one, but I enjoyed it less.
”I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time -- when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness...”
I think that quote made the rounds quite recently on the interwebs, but barely a week goes where I’m not reminded of it. I literally think about almost every time I read a news story about someone doing or saying something stupid. And most news stories I come across are mostly about people being stupid or doing stupid things… or maybe nice people being thwarted by stupid.
Well, it sucks. Feeling this way. I want to bury my head in the sand and wait for my time to die.
Whatever. I’m sure life will go on regardless of how I feel about it. A thousand years after I’m going the world will still be turning and people will (probably) be worried about their own petty things while whatever atoms that were once me make their way around the ecosystem.
Sigh.
Then there is this book. Another in the series of first contact novels that the author has written tons and tons of. Again, it’s a genius idea. I was once an aspiring author myself (I’ve given up on that dream, even though I still spend way too much time writing, it’s all for my own selfish need to tell stories, fuck the world for not beating down my door and forcing money down my throat for more of my precious, precious, words) and I never considered the fact that most of my novels were me simply retelling the same story with a different cast of characters might be good thing.
In fact, my mistake might have been even trying to make the stories different at all. I should have just leaned into it and said, yeah, I’ve written 70,000 words about some philosophical point whose conflict can only be resolved by punching.
My point with all that is this book is almost beat for beat the same book as the previous one I reviewed, despite being something like 10 years older. Yes, the setting is different, as are the names, but it’s still the same. Even down to the scientist type getting caught up in some sort of press conference and giving no-nonsense insights into things that shifts public opinion.
Funny, I think I liked this one more, but enjoyed it less. Just because when I finished the other book this one popped right up in my library as something I’d purchased at some point in the past and I’d forgotten about.
That makes sense, considering it’s a topic I can’t resist.
But, since I’d just finished what was essentially the same book, I ended up slogging through this one because it was just too much of the same thing. So, I think it’s better than the other one, but I enjoyed it less.
January 25, 2020
Is this the same author?
It's hard for me to believe that this is the same author that wrote My Sweet Satan or 3zekiel. While both those books were outstanding this one is terrible! The characters are corny and lack development. The author's apparent lack of understanding of how the U.S. Government deals with crisis, how the military works, what media personalities are actually like, violence, terror groups, etc is cringeworthy. Maybe do some research like you did for 3zekiel. And let's stop with the love affair of SEALs. We have much better SOF in the US. White supremacist groups? How numerous do you think they are here? Far less than religious extremists I'm sure. Riots in Paris over a sphere that doesn't even necessarily have to be alien? Come on! The majority of people in the world wouldn't even care. The author lacks understanding of psychology and the human condition in this nonsense. I hope the rest of his books aren't this bad. I got Kindle unlimited because of the previous two novels I read. I gave this book an extra star, it was almost 1 star, because of the creativity of the anomaly. Ughh. Once I got to them buying coloring books for aliens I started skipping paragraphs and then pages. I'm glad I did because the payoff was anticlimactic. Just read the end people. The main character is pretentious, boring, and irritating.
It's hard for me to believe that this is the same author that wrote My Sweet Satan or 3zekiel. While both those books were outstanding this one is terrible! The characters are corny and lack development. The author's apparent lack of understanding of how the U.S. Government deals with crisis, how the military works, what media personalities are actually like, violence, terror groups, etc is cringeworthy. Maybe do some research like you did for 3zekiel. And let's stop with the love affair of SEALs. We have much better SOF in the US. White supremacist groups? How numerous do you think they are here? Far less than religious extremists I'm sure. Riots in Paris over a sphere that doesn't even necessarily have to be alien? Come on! The majority of people in the world wouldn't even care. The author lacks understanding of psychology and the human condition in this nonsense. I hope the rest of his books aren't this bad. I got Kindle unlimited because of the previous two novels I read. I gave this book an extra star, it was almost 1 star, because of the creativity of the anomaly. Ughh. Once I got to them buying coloring books for aliens I started skipping paragraphs and then pages. I'm glad I did because the payoff was anticlimactic. Just read the end people. The main character is pretentious, boring, and irritating.
October 27, 2016
Loved it!! I forgot what the book was about. It was not on my kindle library as I formatted and all that jazz. But that's okay, I love going into books and getting surprised and this book and plot did that!
I love the writing style and the characters! Especially David Teller who gets mixed up in the Alien Discovery and First Contact with them.
He is a teacher and he had me curious and enamored like his students.
And the end was awesome! And the afterword how the book came up and why he wrote, I agree on it! And that was refreshing!
This is the second book by the author I've read. First was a short story which I Loved! And I'm excited to read more, no all of his books!
I got the ebook copy in exchange of an honest review. My opinions are not biased on getting the book.
I love the writing style and the characters! Especially David Teller who gets mixed up in the Alien Discovery and First Contact with them.
He is a teacher and he had me curious and enamored like his students.
And the end was awesome! And the afterword how the book came up and why he wrote, I agree on it! And that was refreshing!
This is the second book by the author I've read. First was a short story which I Loved! And I'm excited to read more, no all of his books!
I got the ebook copy in exchange of an honest review. My opinions are not biased on getting the book.
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