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First Contact
Dark Beauty
Dark Beauty is a tribute to Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. It has been written in his style, with anecdotes from his life, and like his classic work, it incorporates actual events into a fictional setting.
Billy Crusader and Dakota Monroe have been kidnapped by aliens and are housed in the Arctrixmatrian extraterrestrial zoological gardens in a distant galaxy. The director of the zoo is concerned about their welfare and seeks to communicate with them through a series of visions, but these are actual historical events that unfold on Earth. The Arcs see in four dimensions. Compressing their reasoning down to a linear set of words, such as a sentence, requires considerable effort. Billy and Dakota may be held captive on the other side of the universe, but they find themselves contemplating the pivotal points of human history from the perspective of the Arcs.
Dark Beauty was originally published as Suffer the Children in the Kindle Worlds program. When the program ended in 2018, specific references to Vonnegut's work within the story were removed/replaced, while the style and tone were retained. The novella was republished in the Hello World anthology. This version is the 10th anniversary edition, which has been rewritten and expanded.
FIRST CONTACT is a series of stand-alone novels that explore humanity's first interaction with extraterrestrial life. This series is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact.
Billy Crusader and Dakota Monroe have been kidnapped by aliens and are housed in the Arctrixmatrian extraterrestrial zoological gardens in a distant galaxy. The director of the zoo is concerned about their welfare and seeks to communicate with them through a series of visions, but these are actual historical events that unfold on Earth. The Arcs see in four dimensions. Compressing their reasoning down to a linear set of words, such as a sentence, requires considerable effort. Billy and Dakota may be held captive on the other side of the universe, but they find themselves contemplating the pivotal points of human history from the perspective of the Arcs.
Dark Beauty was originally published as Suffer the Children in the Kindle Worlds program. When the program ended in 2018, specific references to Vonnegut's work within the story were removed/replaced, while the style and tone were retained. The novella was republished in the Hello World anthology. This version is the 10th anniversary edition, which has been rewritten and expanded.
FIRST CONTACT is a series of stand-alone novels that explore humanity's first interaction with extraterrestrial life. This series is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact.
- GenresScience Fiction
108 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2025
218 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 24, 2025
I think this was my favorite of the series so far. I have read Slaughterhouse 5, but I don't think you need to have read it to enjoy this. I really wish I could have read the original, un-redacted version! My only complaint is the repetition of the "life/candle" phrase... I didn't understand that choice to repeat it so much when I read it and I don't understand it now. However, I really enjoyed the story and I recommend it, and if you haven't read Slaughterhouse try it anyway!
July 15, 2025
Excellent
How enjoyable to read a truly intelligent, sometimes humorous, sometimes horrifying book. And be sure to read the afterword. I don't mind saying I'm "woke" and proud of it. Thank you Peter. 🙂
How enjoyable to read a truly intelligent, sometimes humorous, sometimes horrifying book. And be sure to read the afterword. I don't mind saying I'm "woke" and proud of it. Thank you Peter. 🙂
July 8, 2025
thought provoking quick read
As usual Cawdron makes you think. Tying together different times, subjects and characters. He invests you quickly. I love the fact that he feels no need to fluff the word count. The writing is tight. Rich. Highly recommended.
As usual Cawdron makes you think. Tying together different times, subjects and characters. He invests you quickly. I love the fact that he feels no need to fluff the word count. The writing is tight. Rich. Highly recommended.
July 24, 2025
I have said it before yet I’ll repeat myself here; it is hard to believe that Peter Cawdron has now churned out thirty First Contact books with each being excellent hard science Science Fiction. Each book is unique, each approach to First Contact is new, and his writing is always engaging. And I haven’t even gotten to the Afterword, one of my favorite parts.
Dark Beauty is a tribute to that fantastic Science Fiction author, Kurt Vonnegut. In particular, it is an homage to Vonnegut’s most famous book, Slaughterhouse-five. As a big fan of Vonnegut, I can say with some experience that Cawdron has done an excellent job of capturing the writing style, philosophy, and attitudes of the master. Dark Beauty is true to the Vonnegut philosophy; “If you were to bother to read my books, to behave as educated persons would, you would learn that they are not sexy, and do not argue in favor of wildness of any kind. They beg that people be kinder and more responsible than they often are.”
Dark Beauty has three main characters, Smear (an Arc on the planet Arctrixmatria), Billy, and Dakota, two semi-main characters, Nancy and Kurt, and the entire cast of the planet Earth from the beginning till now. Smear has brought Billy and Dakota to his planet to study humans. We quickly learn that, overall, the Arcs find humans less than advanced; “In particular, Earthlings loved to stare at tiny screens, flicking their fingers across slick glass, playing with pretend jewels that were nothing more than images made up of light. They treated this as a form of escape. For a considerable time, the Arcs found it difficult to distinguish between humans, cats, and ravens, as they all had a penchant for being distracted by shiny things. Their distinct body shapes were a giveaway, but at a psychic level, they were almost indistinguishable.”
This is a story of a few individuals along with a psychological study of the best and worst of human behavior. Like Vonnegut before him, Cawdron has written an anti-war book that has much more to say than just killing is bad. In fact, it is much more about what is important in life than a focus on death. Of course, you cannot have one without the other which he reminds us of by often repeating the mantra; “Life is but the flicker of a flame dancing above a candle.”
AFTERWORD - this is the place at the end of his books where Cawdron explains the science mentioned in his hard science novels. As Dark Beauty is not his traditional style, this afterword is dedicated to the historical references in the book along with more about Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five. As always, I found these few pages absolutely fascinating.
Dark Beauty is a tribute to that fantastic Science Fiction author, Kurt Vonnegut. In particular, it is an homage to Vonnegut’s most famous book, Slaughterhouse-five. As a big fan of Vonnegut, I can say with some experience that Cawdron has done an excellent job of capturing the writing style, philosophy, and attitudes of the master. Dark Beauty is true to the Vonnegut philosophy; “If you were to bother to read my books, to behave as educated persons would, you would learn that they are not sexy, and do not argue in favor of wildness of any kind. They beg that people be kinder and more responsible than they often are.”
Dark Beauty has three main characters, Smear (an Arc on the planet Arctrixmatria), Billy, and Dakota, two semi-main characters, Nancy and Kurt, and the entire cast of the planet Earth from the beginning till now. Smear has brought Billy and Dakota to his planet to study humans. We quickly learn that, overall, the Arcs find humans less than advanced; “In particular, Earthlings loved to stare at tiny screens, flicking their fingers across slick glass, playing with pretend jewels that were nothing more than images made up of light. They treated this as a form of escape. For a considerable time, the Arcs found it difficult to distinguish between humans, cats, and ravens, as they all had a penchant for being distracted by shiny things. Their distinct body shapes were a giveaway, but at a psychic level, they were almost indistinguishable.”
This is a story of a few individuals along with a psychological study of the best and worst of human behavior. Like Vonnegut before him, Cawdron has written an anti-war book that has much more to say than just killing is bad. In fact, it is much more about what is important in life than a focus on death. Of course, you cannot have one without the other which he reminds us of by often repeating the mantra; “Life is but the flicker of a flame dancing above a candle.”
AFTERWORD - this is the place at the end of his books where Cawdron explains the science mentioned in his hard science novels. As Dark Beauty is not his traditional style, this afterword is dedicated to the historical references in the book along with more about Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five. As always, I found these few pages absolutely fascinating.
June 26, 2025
Important Truths
Like Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse Five”, this novel presents a compelling statement about the brutality of war and man’s capacity for both empathy and savagery, often displayed nearly simultaneously. Its anti-war, anti-savagery message remains one humanity would do well to heed.
Like Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse Five”, this novel presents a compelling statement about the brutality of war and man’s capacity for both empathy and savagery, often displayed nearly simultaneously. Its anti-war, anti-savagery message remains one humanity would do well to heed.
August 18, 2025
A clever new twist on an old sci-fi trope
Writers have to earn a buck to put food on the table. Once they’re well established as professionals, some grab the opportunity to contract with a deceased author’s estate to continue a best-selling series or use some of its characters in works of their own. And the Australian science fiction author Peter Cawdron followed that course with an authorized short story featuring Kurt Vonnegut and characters he presented in his most famous novel.
Later, disguising the connections to Vonnegut, he expanded that story into a short book called Dark Beauty. “Dark Beauty is a tribute to Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five: The Children’s Crusade,” he writes, “a science fiction novel written to deconstruct the Hollywood myth of the war hero.” Cawdron uses the platform to explore the wider dimensions of that myth in a story that piggybacks on the familiar sci-fi trope of humans trapped in an alien zoo.
By the way, just to be clear, I’m certain Cawdron did not enter into this project in hopes of making money. A 100-page novella, much less the short story that spawned it, is unlikely to sell in huge numbers. No doubt, as he intimates in his author’s note at the conclusion of the book, he greatly admires Kurt Vonnegut (as do I) and sincerely wished to honor his memory.
Cleverness aside, the novel has its flaws
Cawdron’s story works. It’s typically well written, carefully paced, and thoughtful. Unfortunately, his efforts to disguise the Vonnegut connection are clumsy. Vonnegut himself becomes “Kurt Nobody.” The hero of Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy PIlgrim, is Billy Crusader. Billy’s mate in the alien zoo is Dakota Monroe, not Montana Wildhack. I found the obvious distortions to be distracting. Also, to ground the tale on Earth, Cawdron uses not just Billy’s flashbacks to the fire-bombing of Dresden, the central scene in Vonnegut’s novel, but introduces a pair of reporters on a newspaper back home. That doesn’t quite gel for me. Otherwise, as I’ve intimated, the novella is a fun read.
While Vonnegut’s novel centers on the firebombing of Dresden, Cawdron introduces another, later example of the senselessness of war: the My Lai massacre in Vietnam, when a small detachment of US Army soldiers systematically murdered more than 500 Vietnamese villagers. And he showed that they would have killed another 1,000 or more if a courageous group of soldiers from another unit hadn’t intervened to stop them. The references to this heinous act broaden the anti-war argument that is at the heart of both novels. And together that might have made the point perfectly well.
However, Cawdron doesn’t let the story get the point across. Billy’s ruminations on the mindless cruelty of war, and the aliens’s incomprehension about the insanity of a species so easily driven to violence, afford him the opportunity to explore the broader philosophical implications for humanity at large. Cawdron comes across, as he does so often as a philosopher masquerading as a science fiction author. I’m sure many if not most of his fans enjoy that. But I’d often prefer he just told a story.
A summary of the Vonnegut novel on which Dark Beauty is based
Just for the record, I asked Claude-AI Sonnet 4 to summarize Kurt Vonnegut’s novel in about 300 words. The result follows, interrupted only by the subheads I’ve added to break up the text. As you can see below, there are major elements in the two stories that do not match in any meaningful way. This demonstrates that Peter Cawdron has created an almost entirely original story.
A darkly comic anti-war novel
“Slaughterhouse-Five” is Kurt Vonnegut’s darkly comic anti-war novel that follows Billy Pilgrim, an optometrist and World War II veteran who becomes “unstuck in time.” Billy experiences his life non-linearly, jumping between his childhood, war experiences, post-war suburban life, and encounters with aliens called Tralfamadorians.
The novel’s central event is Billy’s experience as a prisoner of war during the Allied bombing of Dresden in 1945, where he witnesses the destruction of the city and its civilian population. Vonnegut, who was himself a POW in Dresden, draws from his own traumatic experiences to create this haunting narrative.
Billy’s time-traveling episodes reveal his entire life simultaneously: his unhappy marriage to Valencia, his successful but unfulfilling career, his survival of a plane crash, and his alleged abduction by Tralfamadorians to their planet Tralfamadore. The aliens teach Billy their philosophy that all moments exist eternally, making free will an illusion and death merely a transition between moments.
A familiar refrain in Vonnegut’s writing
The novel’s famous refrain “So it goes” appears after every mention of death, emphasizing the inevitability and randomness of mortality while highlighting Vonnegut’s fatalistic worldview. This phrase becomes a literary device that both acknowledges tragedy and suggests acceptance of life’s absurdities. [Note: Cawdron uses a similar device in Dark Beauty.]
Through Billy’s fragmented narrative, Vonnegut explores themes of trauma, the meaninglessness of war, the illusion of free will, and the human struggle to find purpose in an indifferent universe. The novel’s science fiction elements serve as metaphors for dealing with psychological damage and the inability to process overwhelming experiences.
“Slaughterhouse-Five” stands as both a powerful condemnation of war’s senseless destruction and a meditation on time, memory, and survival. Vonnegut’s blend of dark humor, philosophical inquiry, and autobiographical elements creates a unique work that captures the absurdity of human existence while offering a compassionate view of those damaged by forces beyond their control.
About the author
Peter Cawdron‘s bio on Amazon reads in part as follows: “Peter is a New Zealand/Australian science fiction writer specializing in making hard science fiction easy to understand and thoroughly enjoyable. His First Contact series is topical rather than character-based, meaning each book stands alone. These novels can be read in any order, but they all focus on the same topic of First Contact with extraterrestrial lifeforms. In this regard, the series is akin to Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone.”
Writers have to earn a buck to put food on the table. Once they’re well established as professionals, some grab the opportunity to contract with a deceased author’s estate to continue a best-selling series or use some of its characters in works of their own. And the Australian science fiction author Peter Cawdron followed that course with an authorized short story featuring Kurt Vonnegut and characters he presented in his most famous novel.
Later, disguising the connections to Vonnegut, he expanded that story into a short book called Dark Beauty. “Dark Beauty is a tribute to Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five: The Children’s Crusade,” he writes, “a science fiction novel written to deconstruct the Hollywood myth of the war hero.” Cawdron uses the platform to explore the wider dimensions of that myth in a story that piggybacks on the familiar sci-fi trope of humans trapped in an alien zoo.
By the way, just to be clear, I’m certain Cawdron did not enter into this project in hopes of making money. A 100-page novella, much less the short story that spawned it, is unlikely to sell in huge numbers. No doubt, as he intimates in his author’s note at the conclusion of the book, he greatly admires Kurt Vonnegut (as do I) and sincerely wished to honor his memory.
Cleverness aside, the novel has its flaws
Cawdron’s story works. It’s typically well written, carefully paced, and thoughtful. Unfortunately, his efforts to disguise the Vonnegut connection are clumsy. Vonnegut himself becomes “Kurt Nobody.” The hero of Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy PIlgrim, is Billy Crusader. Billy’s mate in the alien zoo is Dakota Monroe, not Montana Wildhack. I found the obvious distortions to be distracting. Also, to ground the tale on Earth, Cawdron uses not just Billy’s flashbacks to the fire-bombing of Dresden, the central scene in Vonnegut’s novel, but introduces a pair of reporters on a newspaper back home. That doesn’t quite gel for me. Otherwise, as I’ve intimated, the novella is a fun read.
While Vonnegut’s novel centers on the firebombing of Dresden, Cawdron introduces another, later example of the senselessness of war: the My Lai massacre in Vietnam, when a small detachment of US Army soldiers systematically murdered more than 500 Vietnamese villagers. And he showed that they would have killed another 1,000 or more if a courageous group of soldiers from another unit hadn’t intervened to stop them. The references to this heinous act broaden the anti-war argument that is at the heart of both novels. And together that might have made the point perfectly well.
However, Cawdron doesn’t let the story get the point across. Billy’s ruminations on the mindless cruelty of war, and the aliens’s incomprehension about the insanity of a species so easily driven to violence, afford him the opportunity to explore the broader philosophical implications for humanity at large. Cawdron comes across, as he does so often as a philosopher masquerading as a science fiction author. I’m sure many if not most of his fans enjoy that. But I’d often prefer he just told a story.
A summary of the Vonnegut novel on which Dark Beauty is based
Just for the record, I asked Claude-AI Sonnet 4 to summarize Kurt Vonnegut’s novel in about 300 words. The result follows, interrupted only by the subheads I’ve added to break up the text. As you can see below, there are major elements in the two stories that do not match in any meaningful way. This demonstrates that Peter Cawdron has created an almost entirely original story.
A darkly comic anti-war novel
“Slaughterhouse-Five” is Kurt Vonnegut’s darkly comic anti-war novel that follows Billy Pilgrim, an optometrist and World War II veteran who becomes “unstuck in time.” Billy experiences his life non-linearly, jumping between his childhood, war experiences, post-war suburban life, and encounters with aliens called Tralfamadorians.
The novel’s central event is Billy’s experience as a prisoner of war during the Allied bombing of Dresden in 1945, where he witnesses the destruction of the city and its civilian population. Vonnegut, who was himself a POW in Dresden, draws from his own traumatic experiences to create this haunting narrative.
Billy’s time-traveling episodes reveal his entire life simultaneously: his unhappy marriage to Valencia, his successful but unfulfilling career, his survival of a plane crash, and his alleged abduction by Tralfamadorians to their planet Tralfamadore. The aliens teach Billy their philosophy that all moments exist eternally, making free will an illusion and death merely a transition between moments.
A familiar refrain in Vonnegut’s writing
The novel’s famous refrain “So it goes” appears after every mention of death, emphasizing the inevitability and randomness of mortality while highlighting Vonnegut’s fatalistic worldview. This phrase becomes a literary device that both acknowledges tragedy and suggests acceptance of life’s absurdities. [Note: Cawdron uses a similar device in Dark Beauty.]
Through Billy’s fragmented narrative, Vonnegut explores themes of trauma, the meaninglessness of war, the illusion of free will, and the human struggle to find purpose in an indifferent universe. The novel’s science fiction elements serve as metaphors for dealing with psychological damage and the inability to process overwhelming experiences.
“Slaughterhouse-Five” stands as both a powerful condemnation of war’s senseless destruction and a meditation on time, memory, and survival. Vonnegut’s blend of dark humor, philosophical inquiry, and autobiographical elements creates a unique work that captures the absurdity of human existence while offering a compassionate view of those damaged by forces beyond their control.
About the author
Peter Cawdron‘s bio on Amazon reads in part as follows: “Peter is a New Zealand/Australian science fiction writer specializing in making hard science fiction easy to understand and thoroughly enjoyable. His First Contact series is topical rather than character-based, meaning each book stands alone. These novels can be read in any order, but they all focus on the same topic of First Contact with extraterrestrial lifeforms. In this regard, the series is akin to Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone.”
June 29, 2025
Tries to be profound but merely rehashes things done better before. Very short. Boring.
This book is extremely short. The basic premise is an oldie but goodie. However, Cawdron does nothing new with it, or even make the best of the old. I found the book boring, which I was surprised at because the basic story idea is one I really like and I have also read some much better Cawdron books. This honestly feels like he trotted it one afternoon. The attempts to make 'points' and make the book one that has deeper meaning, are predictable and written like a teenager thinking he is being really original and clever. I am only giving this book 2 stars and not 1, because the basic premise is a classic one......so actually the only thing I think is any good about it is that he has chosen to write about that idea. He has not, however, in my view done anything worthwhile with it.
This book is extremely short. The basic premise is an oldie but goodie. However, Cawdron does nothing new with it, or even make the best of the old. I found the book boring, which I was surprised at because the basic story idea is one I really like and I have also read some much better Cawdron books. This honestly feels like he trotted it one afternoon. The attempts to make 'points' and make the book one that has deeper meaning, are predictable and written like a teenager thinking he is being really original and clever. I am only giving this book 2 stars and not 1, because the basic premise is a classic one......so actually the only thing I think is any good about it is that he has chosen to write about that idea. He has not, however, in my view done anything worthwhile with it.
August 16, 2025
California girl Dakota and mid-Westerner Billy live in an alien zoo. Taken from Earth in 1995 and 1955, respectively, these ~30-year-olds are stripped naked and forced to spend their lives in a glass dome on a strange alien world, Arctrixmatria. Arc's atmosphere is toxic, the day is 66 hours long, and their zookeeper communicates with them telepathically.
The story is a morality tale, from the aliens to humans: "The hope of your species lies not in ridding your world of evil as much as exposing that which is wrong, in refusing to bury and ignore such atrocities, in caring for the weak and vulnerable. This must become the crusade of your people, for there are none so blind as those who willingly close their eyes. You humans must see yourself for who you really are, not who you imagine yourself to be."
The story is a morality tale, from the aliens to humans: "The hope of your species lies not in ridding your world of evil as much as exposing that which is wrong, in refusing to bury and ignore such atrocities, in caring for the weak and vulnerable. This must become the crusade of your people, for there are none so blind as those who willingly close their eyes. You humans must see yourself for who you really are, not who you imagine yourself to be."
October 17, 2025
Sometimes you pick up a book (or Novella) & are quite simply blown away by the words it holds between those pages. Dark Beauty is one of those tomes… & without doubt packs a Powerful Punch within it’s mere 100 pages that some books can’t manage with 3, 5 or even 10 times as many pages.
An homage to Kurt Vonnenut’s SlaughterHouse-Five, Dark Beauty blends historical fact with Science Fiction in this unique look at Humanity as a whole & is quite honestly a fascinating must read! Nothing should be spoiled here however, this is something you need to discover for one’s own self as the journey will be a unique experience for all.
An homage to Kurt Vonnenut’s SlaughterHouse-Five, Dark Beauty blends historical fact with Science Fiction in this unique look at Humanity as a whole & is quite honestly a fascinating must read! Nothing should be spoiled here however, this is something you need to discover for one’s own self as the journey will be a unique experience for all.
November 14, 2025
This is more of a think piece rather than a narrative story, but as always, its has a narrative underlying the ideas that is sharp, without distracting sub-plots or wasted space. Two humans have been taken by an alien race and installed in a "zoo," where they develop a relationship, even a friendship, with one of their keepers. They must come to grips with their situation, which will last their lifetimes, and try to understand why this intellectually advanced race has taken them from their families, homes and the normal life as a human. To do this, they must see themselves and humanity from a different perspective altogether. This short novel packs an intelligent punch.
July 7, 2025
A SIMPLE MAN'S REVIEW:
It wasn't really about aliens or sci-fi or anything interesting. Sure, two people are in an alien "zoo", but the story is really just two moments in history that are supposed to represent humanity. And "think of the children" was the constant theme.
I like this author, but lately it seems that he takes a current issue and writes a story to express his viewpoint. That's totally allowed, but sometimes it just makes for a dull book. I miss his inventive scenarios for first-contact, because this wasn't one.
Skip it!
It wasn't really about aliens or sci-fi or anything interesting. Sure, two people are in an alien "zoo", but the story is really just two moments in history that are supposed to represent humanity. And "think of the children" was the constant theme.
I like this author, but lately it seems that he takes a current issue and writes a story to express his viewpoint. That's totally allowed, but sometimes it just makes for a dull book. I miss his inventive scenarios for first-contact, because this wasn't one.
Skip it!
August 15, 2025
I picked up Dark Beauty, read the introduction, then set it aside, and finally tackled Slaughterhouse Five, which I’d been meaning to read for years.
Two days later, I came back to Dark Beauty and loved it. I’m sure I would have enjoyed it without reading Slaughterhouse Five, but having just finished Vonnegut’s classic gave me a deeper appreciation for both the style and the plot.
This is a worthwhile read! And, many thanks to the author for finally getting me to read Slaughterhouse Five!
Two days later, I came back to Dark Beauty and loved it. I’m sure I would have enjoyed it without reading Slaughterhouse Five, but having just finished Vonnegut’s classic gave me a deeper appreciation for both the style and the plot.
This is a worthwhile read! And, many thanks to the author for finally getting me to read Slaughterhouse Five!
July 30, 2025
Absolutely the best of the “alternative” view of human society I want the first few pages of where the alien culture explains its observations of human strength and weaknesses.
Every human today needs to read this do we can focus on what has worked and doesn’t work in our world today. We are brilliant and yet stupid. Oblivious to repeating our ongoing mistakes. The alien is explaining all this to a human transported to its presence. Wisdom we all need.
Every human today needs to read this do we can focus on what has worked and doesn’t work in our world today. We are brilliant and yet stupid. Oblivious to repeating our ongoing mistakes. The alien is explaining all this to a human transported to its presence. Wisdom we all need.
July 18, 2025
Slauchthous Funf revisited
Slaughter house five was the first movie I saw that was better than the book. Who can forget Valerie Perrine as Montana Wildhack. Thanks Kurt for all the great books and Thanks Peter for showing us once again that we need to be world centric and focusing on humanity’s survival.
Rango,
Colorado Springs, CO
Slaughter house five was the first movie I saw that was better than the book. Who can forget Valerie Perrine as Montana Wildhack. Thanks Kurt for all the great books and Thanks Peter for showing us once again that we need to be world centric and focusing on humanity’s survival.
Rango,
Colorado Springs, CO
July 15, 2025
I enjoyed remembering Kurt Vonnegut, I believe I’ve read everything he wrote
You did a great job of following his style
Hope you keep publishing your works as I’ve really enjoyed them
Your USA fan
Tom Pennell
You did a great job of following his style
Hope you keep publishing your works as I’ve really enjoyed them
Your USA fan
Tom Pennell
October 31, 2025
This is definitely one of my favourite first contact books so far. In just 100 pages, writing such a compelling and powerful book is really hard. The entire arc about humans and war was really beautiful and is definitely worth a read.
June 18, 2025
Very well written. A pleasure to read. Brings back memories of reading Vonnegut. Read it!
June 24, 2025
tight, expansive and revealing
Mr. Cawdron plies his craft with extraordinary care and invention. This novella is a fine tribute to Vonnegut. He is smiling.
Mr. Cawdron plies his craft with extraordinary care and invention. This novella is a fine tribute to Vonnegut. He is smiling.
August 5, 2025
I just genuinely love all of Peter's books!! I always get sucked right in to the characters he introduces and to the philosophical wealth he lays out for his readers. brilliant stuff.
August 26, 2025
Just read Vonnegut
September 9, 2025
Garbage
There are only symbols that I can't read. Very few words. What a rip off! This appears to be a misprint or a mistake.
There are only symbols that I can't read. Very few words. What a rip off! This appears to be a misprint or a mistake.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews