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The First Exoplanet
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'This book is one of the most enjoyable sci-fi books I've read in many years, and I've been reading sci-fi for over 50 years.' (Amazon UK)
'Engaging story rooted in plausible science. Believable characters and situations' (Amazon US)
'Both a spy story, a sci-fi masterpiece as well as a thriller full of suspense and intrigue, the story rockets on ever forward with twists and turns.' (Amazon UK)
'This read like the golden age stuff I treasured as a youth, Arthur C. Clarke and co. have a worthy heir in Sedgwick. As much a spy adventure as a space caper, this story has plot and intrigue, and gripped me like nothing else in ages. I tore through it in very short time, and plan to re-read before long.' (Amazon UK)
This is the first of a two book series
Six years after its launch in 2050, Dr Aidan Lemaie makes a stunning discovery with the Helios space telescope array. The Helios array has, for the first time, made the surface features of exoplanets visible to human eyes. Green forests, mountain ranges and blue oceans all seem to be visible on Avendano-185f, ‘only’ fifteen light-years away. The find is hailed as the saviour of a languishing Earth, locked in the same old cycle of war, poverty and overpopulation that it always has been. But the potential second-Earth would take at least 150 years to reach using the best conventional propulsion methods. Then another 15 years for any message of what is found to reach Earth.
Only recently has the Western Global Alliance unveiled the experimental technology that might bridge the fifteen light-year distance across interstellar space. The Faster-Than-Light drive is a revolutionary technology with origins steeped in mystery - it seems at least half a century ahead of its time. Although experimental and imperfect, the technology is of unparalleled strategic value and Russian spymaster, Sergei Bekov, will stop at nothing to acquire it. His beautiful, deep cover agent, Dasha Morozova, has infiltrated the lives of the people heading the project. Will her attempts to mercilessly betray them succeed and further her repressive regime’s cause?
Meanwhile Yau Min, an eccentric former-SETI scientist, struggles for recognition. He wonders why the transmissions, that he thinks came from the Avendano system, went on for many years then mysteriously fell silent. What caused the signals and what made them stop?
Should humanity set off for the promise of a new world, to provide a fresh start for the people of a crowded, ravished Earth? Is it a pristine second-Earth or a post-apocalyptic nightmare? Is there an intelligent civilization or will humankind become the apex species unopposed? The new space race is on and the rewards in land and resources could be huge - but so could be the risks. Astrobiologist, Professor Ken Hawkins, senses a trap that could doom humankind - but the human desire to explore is irresistible.
How will the actions of Captain Chris Buick and his Special Space Service squad change the course of history forever? With their motto Fortitude in Stellis - ‘Bravery Among the Stars’ have they got what it takes to protect all they have ever known and loved on Earth?
Immerse yourself in a future world of discovery, espionage and struggle in this stimulating epic tale. As the intelligent, interwoven plot unfolds to reveal the shocking truth about humanity’s future, you will find yourself hooked until its thrilling conclusion.
Who will like this novel?
- Readers who enjoy the fusion of hard sci-fi with political, military and espionage elements.
- Readers who enjoy long books, with a great deal of detail and a complex story.
Notes
- This is the Third Edition which follows professional editing
- This book is written in UK English
- This is the first of a two-book series
'This book is one of the most enjoyable sci-fi books I've read in many years, and I've been reading sci-fi for over 50 years.' (Amazon UK)
'Engaging story rooted in plausible science. Believable characters and situations' (Amazon US)
'Both a spy story, a sci-fi masterpiece as well as a thriller full of suspense and intrigue, the story rockets on ever forward with twists and turns.' (Amazon UK)
'This read like the golden age stuff I treasured as a youth, Arthur C. Clarke and co. have a worthy heir in Sedgwick. As much a spy adventure as a space caper, this story has plot and intrigue, and gripped me like nothing else in ages. I tore through it in very short time, and plan to re-read before long.' (Amazon UK)
This is the first of a two book series
Six years after its launch in 2050, Dr Aidan Lemaie makes a stunning discovery with the Helios space telescope array. The Helios array has, for the first time, made the surface features of exoplanets visible to human eyes. Green forests, mountain ranges and blue oceans all seem to be visible on Avendano-185f, ‘only’ fifteen light-years away. The find is hailed as the saviour of a languishing Earth, locked in the same old cycle of war, poverty and overpopulation that it always has been. But the potential second-Earth would take at least 150 years to reach using the best conventional propulsion methods. Then another 15 years for any message of what is found to reach Earth.
Only recently has the Western Global Alliance unveiled the experimental technology that might bridge the fifteen light-year distance across interstellar space. The Faster-Than-Light drive is a revolutionary technology with origins steeped in mystery - it seems at least half a century ahead of its time. Although experimental and imperfect, the technology is of unparalleled strategic value and Russian spymaster, Sergei Bekov, will stop at nothing to acquire it. His beautiful, deep cover agent, Dasha Morozova, has infiltrated the lives of the people heading the project. Will her attempts to mercilessly betray them succeed and further her repressive regime’s cause?
Meanwhile Yau Min, an eccentric former-SETI scientist, struggles for recognition. He wonders why the transmissions, that he thinks came from the Avendano system, went on for many years then mysteriously fell silent. What caused the signals and what made them stop?
Should humanity set off for the promise of a new world, to provide a fresh start for the people of a crowded, ravished Earth? Is it a pristine second-Earth or a post-apocalyptic nightmare? Is there an intelligent civilization or will humankind become the apex species unopposed? The new space race is on and the rewards in land and resources could be huge - but so could be the risks. Astrobiologist, Professor Ken Hawkins, senses a trap that could doom humankind - but the human desire to explore is irresistible.
How will the actions of Captain Chris Buick and his Special Space Service squad change the course of history forever? With their motto Fortitude in Stellis - ‘Bravery Among the Stars’ have they got what it takes to protect all they have ever known and loved on Earth?
Immerse yourself in a future world of discovery, espionage and struggle in this stimulating epic tale. As the intelligent, interwoven plot unfolds to reveal the shocking truth about humanity’s future, you will find yourself hooked until its thrilling conclusion.
Who will like this novel?
- Readers who enjoy the fusion of hard sci-fi with political, military and espionage elements.
- Readers who enjoy long books, with a great deal of detail and a complex story.
Notes
- This is the Third Edition which follows professional editing
- This book is written in UK English
- This is the first of a two-book series
- GenresScience Fiction
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2014
32 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
T.J. Sedgwick
8 books7 followersT.J. Sedgwick is a British science fiction novelist based in New Zealand.
His books include the novels, 'Overlord,' (2015), 'The Second Coming' (2015) and the 'Home Planet' series (2016). His new dystopian novel, 'The Free Citizen', set in a late-21st Century American dictatorship, is planned for release in mid-2019.
All of T.J.'s books feature at least some hard sci-fi and include elements of espionage, action and some political context. His fascination with the future, technology, extra-terrestrial life and human society helps feed his ideas. His influences in fiction include Adrian Tchaikovsky, Michael Crichton, Nick Kernick, Christopher Nuttall and Robert Harris.
His books include the novels, 'Overlord,' (2015), 'The Second Coming' (2015) and the 'Home Planet' series (2016). His new dystopian novel, 'The Free Citizen', set in a late-21st Century American dictatorship, is planned for release in mid-2019.
All of T.J.'s books feature at least some hard sci-fi and include elements of espionage, action and some political context. His fascination with the future, technology, extra-terrestrial life and human society helps feed his ideas. His influences in fiction include Adrian Tchaikovsky, Michael Crichton, Nick Kernick, Christopher Nuttall and Robert Harris.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 28, 2018
Wow! The first of T.J. Sedgwick's books that I read and I'm hooked. Genius storytelling and nail biting stuff all the way through.
October 19, 2021
Was a mind blowing read. Been few years but still lingering. Fantastic
November 11, 2017
Review also available here: https://www.starfleetcomms.com/review...
It’s been a while since I’ve read a science fiction book that has successfully woven genres together as this book has. With elements of a spy thriller and plausible science fiction, we peek into a somewhat bleak near future against a backdrop of nationalistic superpower rivalry. This wonderful book will keep you entertained right until the last page has turned.
Imagine we discover an Earth-like world and have the capability to go there within a few moments. Who would go there? What would we do? What would we say? How would our actions be interpreted?
The book explores these questions and the author has skillfully crafted the story with plenty to keep you entertained as it pans quite nicely with peaks and troughs as more characters and plot lines are introduced and blended with the overall arc. From the spy activities and a Russian enemy you’ll love to hate to the heroic members of the Armed Forces and Space Service, you’ll get to know all of them well. One of my favourite scenes was written from the perspective of a battle droid fulfilling its mission objective and a comparison drawn between the rewards of humans versus machines. It was a well-written scene and I suspect it may have been up for the chop during editing given its length, I’m glad it was left in as it added a little something to that whole sequence.
In a few reviews I’ve noted that the character portrayal has been criticised, maybe it’s just me but I do not feel those criticisms are justified. All too often too many characters are introduced at once so they end up being a confusing, amorphous blob or they are introduced by rote with an overly expansive backstory given at every juncture. These characters were introduced as they were needed and fleshed out as appropriate by actions and dialogue. Character management is a tricky thing to do but in this book it worked for me and I think many others will enjoy it too. I especially like that the characters are sufficiently diverse without trying to over-engineer the point. T.J. Sedgwick has simply done what any author wants to do, he’s told a story and he’s told it well. It’s a cracking read.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a science fiction book that has successfully woven genres together as this book has. With elements of a spy thriller and plausible science fiction, we peek into a somewhat bleak near future against a backdrop of nationalistic superpower rivalry. This wonderful book will keep you entertained right until the last page has turned.
Imagine we discover an Earth-like world and have the capability to go there within a few moments. Who would go there? What would we do? What would we say? How would our actions be interpreted?
The book explores these questions and the author has skillfully crafted the story with plenty to keep you entertained as it pans quite nicely with peaks and troughs as more characters and plot lines are introduced and blended with the overall arc. From the spy activities and a Russian enemy you’ll love to hate to the heroic members of the Armed Forces and Space Service, you’ll get to know all of them well. One of my favourite scenes was written from the perspective of a battle droid fulfilling its mission objective and a comparison drawn between the rewards of humans versus machines. It was a well-written scene and I suspect it may have been up for the chop during editing given its length, I’m glad it was left in as it added a little something to that whole sequence.
In a few reviews I’ve noted that the character portrayal has been criticised, maybe it’s just me but I do not feel those criticisms are justified. All too often too many characters are introduced at once so they end up being a confusing, amorphous blob or they are introduced by rote with an overly expansive backstory given at every juncture. These characters were introduced as they were needed and fleshed out as appropriate by actions and dialogue. Character management is a tricky thing to do but in this book it worked for me and I think many others will enjoy it too. I especially like that the characters are sufficiently diverse without trying to over-engineer the point. T.J. Sedgwick has simply done what any author wants to do, he’s told a story and he’s told it well. It’s a cracking read.
December 2, 2016
It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything spectacular, either.
A lot of it seemed very forced. Particulalrly how hard the author tried to make you care about many of the characters. Instead of discovering details over the course of the novel, he'd introduce a group (usually a team), and then immediately give you a page or two on each of them giving you their history, background, past and current motivations. It was very jarring and really failed to make me become attached to any of them. In fact, all it did was convince me that these people were about to die and it was very important to the author that I feel bad about it. In most cases that's exactly what happened (the dying, not the feeling bad).
The one character I was the most upset about "dying" was actually a battle droid who succesfully carried out its mission and was destroyed right at the end before making it to safety. No background, no history, motivation was its programming, and the poor bugger just didn't make it out in time.
I'm general, the plot - while very believable - wasn't anything to really get worked up over. I don't mean to say it was bad, I don't regret having read it. But I also won t say it inspired me to continue on in the series.
In the Afterward, the author did mention this was his first novel. Its very likely that he'll work out some of the issues I had with it and later installments or series will have more punch to them.
As for this book, I give it a solid 3; it was alright, but that's about it.
A lot of it seemed very forced. Particulalrly how hard the author tried to make you care about many of the characters. Instead of discovering details over the course of the novel, he'd introduce a group (usually a team), and then immediately give you a page or two on each of them giving you their history, background, past and current motivations. It was very jarring and really failed to make me become attached to any of them. In fact, all it did was convince me that these people were about to die and it was very important to the author that I feel bad about it. In most cases that's exactly what happened (the dying, not the feeling bad).
The one character I was the most upset about "dying" was actually a battle droid who succesfully carried out its mission and was destroyed right at the end before making it to safety. No background, no history, motivation was its programming, and the poor bugger just didn't make it out in time.
I'm general, the plot - while very believable - wasn't anything to really get worked up over. I don't mean to say it was bad, I don't regret having read it. But I also won t say it inspired me to continue on in the series.
In the Afterward, the author did mention this was his first novel. Its very likely that he'll work out some of the issues I had with it and later installments or series will have more punch to them.
As for this book, I give it a solid 3; it was alright, but that's about it.
September 6, 2015
A very good read.
I only gave 4 stars because of the repeating of parts I'd already read. It's fast paced and moves quickly. One of the best rentals I've found but I might not read the next book in this series.
I only gave 4 stars because of the repeating of parts I'd already read. It's fast paced and moves quickly. One of the best rentals I've found but I might not read the next book in this series.
May 5, 2015
Absolutely Incredible
Great plot
Very entertaining
If you like sci-fi about extraterrestrial life you will love this book. One of my favorites from a new author.
Great plot
Very entertaining
If you like sci-fi about extraterrestrial life you will love this book. One of my favorites from a new author.
June 9, 2015
Interesting, but really, really needs a copy editor. It also ends rather abruptly and does not really finish until the end of the second book.
date is approximate
date is approximate
November 20, 2015
Riveting
I had trouble sleeping at night because I couldn't put it down. Characters were very well developed and the storyline exciting.
I had trouble sleeping at night because I couldn't put it down. Characters were very well developed and the storyline exciting.
December 31, 2016
Fun, fast Michael Bay style science fiction. Good and fast if predictable read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews