Discovery: A Rescue Sisters Novel

The Rescue Sisters

by Karina Lumbert Fabian

Sisters Ann, Tommie and Rita are part of a classified mission to explore an alien ship that has crash landed on an asteroid three billion miles from earth. Humanity's first contact with beings from beyond the solar system is bound to unlock the mystery of life in the universe, but the crew have their own secrets; hidden fears, desires, horrible sins - and a mission to kill. Researchers discover something unique about the third arm of the ship: something wonderful, something terrifying. Something holy. This discovery challenges Rita and Ann to confront their own pasts in order to secure the safety of the mission and the very souls of the crew.

"...a suspenseful space adventure with deep roots that extend to questions about life, death, faith, and purpose.”
Tom Doran, fantasy author of Toward the Gleam (Ignatius Press)

Genres: Science Fiction

325 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 18, 2016

About the author

Karina Fabian is a science fiction and fantasy writers, author of 16 novels, three anthologies, a devotional and many stories and articles. Her latest science fiction novel, Discovery, features religious sisters in space, and she’s working on rebooting her DragonEye series, which stars a snarky dragon working under the direction of the Church. She teaches writing and is an active member of the Catholic Writers Guild. http://fabianspace.com

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your mental picture of religious sisters is dour, old women with wimple habits and ankle-length skirts, then scrub that image before opening Discovery. The sisters in the Order of Our Lady of the Rescue are post-modern, brave pioneers with habits suited to work in zero gravity.

The challenges to their present mission on the alien craft Discovery are best summed up by Sister Rita's exclamation of "Codists and Wiccans and evangelists, oh, my." Sister Rita, along with stalwart pilot Sister Thomas and "spacey" but brilliant Sister Ann, have all sorts of conflicting interests to contend with: the brainy researchers, the working-class rockjacks, and, oh yeah, that alien ship.

Interwoven amongst the crew's scientific discoveries are their personal discoveries, brought to light within the desolate alien craft. Karina Fabian does a good job of managing what could be an unwieldy cast of characters, two romances, devious intrigue, and a guilty conscience.

In the end, the most profound discovery isn't an alien life form, but a relationship with God, whose love knows no boundaries, whose mercy overflows, and who calls us each for a unique purpose.

Just enough bread crumbs are dropped to keep the reader intrigued by the various interpersonal relationships and cryptic messages of Sister Ann, mounting to page-turning suspense in the final chapters.

Discovery is a journey worth taking.

(I received a review copy from the author, a fellow Catholic Writers Guild member.)

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it hard to believe that I had an 8-year gap in reading books by Karina Fabian, and now I have read 3 novels, and 2 collections of short stories she edited in under 5 weeks. I just cannot seem to put her books down. I already have a few others in my reading queue. I have read some of her contributions in anthologies and love her short form fiction. And I had to read this book after reading her piece, Antivenin, in Infinite Space, Infinite God II. I loved the short story, and I enjoyed the novel even more. I sincerely hope Fabian has more stories available in this world, or stories planned for it, because it is excellent world building.

This is a story about exploration, friendships, religious vocation, and discovery. It is also about survival. A small team has been put together for a classified mission to explore and if possible, recovery an alien ship discovered by chance in the Kuiper Belt on an asteroid. The team includes a wealthy patron, scientists, rockhounds, and sisters of the Order of Our Lady of the Rescue they are post-modern nuns, brave to the extreme. They are pioneers of safety and rescue in space. With unusual habits suited to the work in zero gravity and rigours of space. Sister Ann seems to be a visionary along the lines of Saint Therese of Lisieux, she has great insights into people, and events, sometimes even before they happen. Sister Rita is the head of the orders presence on the mission. She finds herself balancing between the different groups on the mission. The Codists and Wiccans alike on the religious side and the scientist and miners on the skills side.

The story follows the rag tag group as they prepare and embark on this mission. They are in a partially refitted luxury ship. And The scientific discoveries might be eclipsed by their own personal discoveries and revelations. Oh, and by the way, the archeologist and right-hand man on the mission is a former seminarian with links to our fearless sister Rita.

As science fiction the story is excellent. It is masterfully written. But the characters are what make this story truly exceptional. You will find yourself engrossed with the personalities both central and on the edge of the main story. And likely you will be left wanting more stories with some of these characters.

This story is a great piece of science fiction writing. And the way Fabian handles religious themes and sets it in a space context is amazing. I really enjoyed her newer pure science fiction story, The Old Man and the Void, and the follow up volume, Dex’s Way. But I think she shines best when she incorporates more religious and specifically Catholic elements in her stories like in this incredible read.

This is a great story and I highly recommend it, to fans of religious fiction, or to anyone who just loves a great science fiction story. And this is another excellent read from Full Quiver Publishing a company that focuses on fiction focuses on the Theology of the Body. A most excellent read. I give it top marks.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Karina Fabian. As well as author profile and interview with Karina.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Fred Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovery takes place in the near-future, as humanity is pushing out into the Solar System, has established major habitats in Earth orbit, on the Moon and on Mars, and has begun commercial mining operations in the Asteroid Belt. Zero-gee is a great equalizer for workers in space, where coordination and balance often trump physical strength. So, it’s not so great a stretch to imagine religious communities, including the Catholic Church, would find their niche in the Belt, with both men and women doing the sorts of things those communities have done throughout history. Occupying an important role at the center of this particular story is a society of women religious, the Order of Our Lady of the Rescue, colloquially known as the “Rescue Sisters,” who provide search and rescue services for the miners and transporters working the Belt.

A research scientist poring over space telescope observations of the Kuiper Belt, that nursery of comets at the edge of our planetary neighborhood, makes an astonishing discovery: an alien spacecraft is embedded in one of the icy asteroids and appears to have been so for some time. A private expedition is quickly cobbled together under tight secrecy with the goal of traveling to the asteroid and recovering part or all of the spacecraft and its contents. Three of the Rescue Sisters, Ann, Rita, and Thomas, are contracted to provide technical training and safety oversight for the mission, shepherding the composite crew of scientists, engineers, and “rockjack” Belters. Whipping this diverse collection of people into a cohesive team is challenging, but it all seems straightforward enough until they reach the site and discover that a dangerous secret lurks within the alien craft they thought was cold and dead.

They soon realize they’ve also brought a few secrets of their own along with them on this expedition—secrets that may prove to be lethal.

I have a bit of history with this story. Karina Fabian asked me for feedback on an early draft several years ago, which I provided. I heard nothing further about it, other than she was still working on the story and was searching for a publisher. I loved it then, and it’s even better now. It is both engaging and absorbing. It’s a great adventure tale, and can be enjoyed thoroughly on that level alone, but it’s also permeated with a depth and richness of faith that is organic to the story and doesn’t feel forced or artificial.

I also love that this is classic science fiction adventure with fun, memorable characters set in a plausible and optimistic future. What a concept. I am so over bleak dystopias.

The central characters are Catholic, and unabashedly so. If you prefer novels whose characters affect a veneer of religious faith but don’t actually believe it or live it as truth, I advise you to look elsewhere, though you will be poorer for doing so. This isn’t to say that Ms. Fabian has arrayed an ensemble of plaster space-saints here for us to adore. Quite the contrary. Everybody in this story is broken and imperfect in some way, and that’s the point. Even the enigmatic Sister Ann, who seems to dwell quite comfortably in the twilit land between spiritual and physical worlds, bears a hidden wound whose healing carries its own peril.

There’s an old saying that there are no atheists in foxholes, and I think it’s safe to say that there will also be few who strike out into the void to live and work on the ragged frontiers of interplanetary space. Frontiers have a way of organizing our priorities and revealing our limitations in uncomfortable detail..

Discovery is, at its heart, about what it means for human beings to voyage into a mysterious universe of unimaginable vastness, probe the impenetrable darkness within their own souls, and discover that they are not, and have never been, alone. It’s a journey worth taking.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars because I liked this story. (3 stars here, 4 stars on Amazon) I knew before I started reading that this would be unlike any novel I'd read before, even among science fiction. But come on—nuns in space? Well, technically Catholic sisters because they aren't cloistered in a convent.

Ms. Fabian tells a highly creative story that reflects her Catholic faith but offers new and clever elements. And asks questions. So be ready to think.

My only complaint regarding the plot is that the alien spacecraft was not boarded until after the mid-point in the story. I'm not a patient person, so it was a difficult wait for me. Once that happened, the rest of the story blew me away.

However, I did wish for a more detailed description of the aliens. I like to picture colors and textures when I read. And eyes. The eyes are the windows to the soul. Do aliens have souls? Read and find out.

This was my first read by this author and probably won't be the last. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off there was just so much I enjoyed. I just love the concept of an order of Religious sisters dedicated to rescuing people involved in accidents in space (Our Lady of the Rescue).

An apparently dead alien starship is detected in the Kuiper Belt on an asteroid and a team has been sent out to investigate. The “Rescue Sisters” were sought out to join the mission and to provide training and oversee safety.

An interesting premise, but what I think I loved most was the characters in the story. There is lots of tension involving competing groups and individuals with there own ideas on what first contact might bring. A clash of worldviews. Their is some depth to the characters in the story. Various levels of brokenness among the crew and the sisters.

The faith of the sisters play a large part in the novel and the resolution of it. Villians in the plot are not two-dimensional characters just to provide tension and to move the plot. They have a realism to their motives and for the Rescue Sisters there is more than just physical rescuing.

Sister Rita, a central character, is having to face a situation she in part ran from as someone from her past is part of the crew. There were many ways this plot point could have gone cliche, but didn’t. The character of Sister Ann was quite memorable. She had a way of speaking in non-linear way of expressing the spiritual dimension of things. Perceptive and wise, but also having her own problems to resolve.

Add to this the discovery of something on the alien ship that throws the crew into conflict.

As a SF novel I thought the story was quite good on it’s own merit. How character-driven this novel was enhanced the story. I have read several of Karina Fabian’s books and the majority were comic novels making the most of a fun concept. Discovery is a more serious SF novel, but her wit does poke through from time to time. I would certainly like to read more of the Rescue Sisters.

While the Catholicism of the book is central to the main characters, it is integral with the story and is in no way “hit-you-over-the-head-message-fiction.”

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

It opens with a scene to set the stage: an accident at a space mining operation. Three religious sisters -- of Our Lady of Rescue -- in action. Shortly therefore, they are among the three off on a mission to the very end of the Solar System, where is a shipwreck. Of an alien ship. This was discovered only by telescope, so they are the first people out there.

Miners to try recovery. Scientists to do research. Sisters to instruct in spacesuits and the like. And the ship's crew, including a zerog -- a human genetically adapted to zero-gravity. All of them on a luxury liner that had been sent to salvage and repurposed in a real hurry to get a ship to go out there.

The journey takes them a while, as they get out there, which has interests of its own. And also lets us see the characters and how they will be affected by what they discover there.

[Christine Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nuns in space? Yes, please!

Okay, they're actually sisters. I do know the difference.

I was hooked pretty early on in this book and found it difficult to put down again once I started. The characters are well-developed, and none feel like cardboard cutouts (including the non-Catholic ones). The idea of having a religious order in space makes perfect sense to anyone familiar with Church history, and the author makes sure there's plenty of background and history to go along with a religious order dedicated to assisting in rescues in space.

Though there are Catholics throughout the book, none of the religious discussions were stilted or out-of-place, and none of the non-Catholics were portrayed as the sorts of cardboard cutouts that tend to pop up in some Christian literature or movies. Real people with real feelings and real reasons for believing the things they believe.

And this may or may not be intentional, but the book has a definite Firefly vibe to it.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovery had me delighted from the beginning. For one thing it has nuns in space.

Sit with that for a while. An order of nuns, the Rescue Sisters of St. Joseph de Cupertino, whose focus is in space.

Over the years, I’ve followed quite a few of the adventures of the Sisters in space, and a few of them, like Sister Ann, have become friends I meet again. This, though, is the first full-length novel with the Rescue Sisters in it; my other brushes with them have been short stories in collections Fabian has contributed to.

Discovery also has an alien spaceship and plenty of human drama. In fact, there’s an underlying mystery, at least two missions that I remember, and some great dialogue. Oh, and some romance. (Not much. But…some.)

The alien spaceship is the big pull, as high-dollar researches seek to cash in on the possibilities. The crew involved finds itself divided between the intellectuals, with the ideas and research, and the working class, who have the practical “how to get it done” knowledge. In the midst of this struggle, there’s the line between the ethical and moral boundaries that divide them in other ways.

Fabian crafts worlds and stories with the same care some people take with their holiday dinners or their artisan quilts. Her characters and plot interweave to make an experience that will make you want to revisit it and reread it and share it with others.

Deep space nuns, surreal adventures, and more than one mystery: Discovery will keep you turning the pages and longing for more.

[Theresa Linden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovery by Karina Fabian is a well-crafted science fiction about a group of researchers and scientists on a mission to learn more about a recently-discovered, crashed alien spaceship. This story has amazing depth, using facets of science and technology to illuminate spiritual realities and inner challenges of the human soul. The characters sucked me into the story from the beginning. And there are many characters, but they are all well-developed with driving goals, strong personalities, and realistic strengths, weaknesses and struggles. Sister Ann quickly became my favorite. This rescue sister has visions and sees apparitions of saints and Biblical figures. She also speaks in riddles that make you think. The other characters either love or hate her, though most of the time no one understands her.

I found reading this story a rewarding experience. It satisfied my need for good science fiction, with imaginative concepts that seemed based on scientific theories. The character development and relationships also satisfied, especially concerning Sister Rita and James. I found myself so emotionally invested and so moved that, at one point, tears came to my eyes. But the element I loved most about this story is this: Sisters in space! How fun! God is everywhere, so why not? And to quote the book, “His mercy extends beyond time, space, or life.” I thoroughly enjoyed Discovery and can’t wait to read more science fiction by Karina Fabian.

[Jane Lebak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come soon.

[Amanda Lauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovery is the first science fiction book that I've ever read but I really enjoyed this story. Karina Fabian is a very talented writer and put together a compelling story. Even though I'm not a Star Trek fan (apologies to my brother Gordon Purcell, the artist who's drawn that comic book for decades) and I only saw the first Star Wars movie (liked the movie, just never got any further, though I will say that Baby Yoda is adorable), I was pulled into this tale immediately. As an author, I'm blown away by the amount of work it must take to come up with the details of life centuries from now. I checked out a couple of other reviews before reading this and I had to laugh at one where the reader was disappointed that the aliens didn't show up until the middle of the book. I was hoping that they'd never show up! Another person thought this might be one of those stories where people take religious vows and then change courses after falling in love. I didn't know there was such a thing! I just found this story so intriguing, particularly the dynamics between the crew members. The ending was just right for me, so that's always a bonus. Thanks Karina for opening my eyes to a new genre of books. I'll be reading more of yours for sure!

[Esther Koncyk Mortensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very different & interesting

I read this book because it was recommended on a blog that's never recommended a book I didn't like.
That being said, this was probably the most strange sci-fi I've ever read. The main characters were nuns working salvage out in space. Besides some of the characters obviously being strong Catholics, the faith wasn't overbearing but rather flowed naturally as did the faith of other persuasions.
Surprisingly this wasn't a story that could've taken place on earth or a repeat of a plot we've all heard of read but in a different setting. This was a story of a future as I'd never visualized before with quite a few twists and turns I never saw coming.
Again. A very good, entertaining, enjoyable read.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational, heart warming, funny, and relevant.

Oh, to live in that world. Where at least one person connects with God regularly. Out among the planets, and with a Warp drive coming, soon to be the stars.

This is a must read for science fiction fans and religious scholars alike.

[Blake Circle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovery was an enjoyable jaunt into a future sci-fi world. Karina Fabian was able to build a believable world where aliens enter into the periphery of our solar system. The aliens take a back seat to the characters and their souls. A fun underlying story serves as the backdrop for some great stories of spiritual growth and healing.

[Leon Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably 4 or 5 stars if you are Catholic

I enjoyed the book, but ultimately it became more of a religious tract and less a novel. The writing was good, the characters and dialog were well done, the story line just got too preachy for my taste especially at the end. I’m Christian, but not Catholic.

[Erin Cupp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply imaginative and thought-provoking, Discovery delivers a heart-wrenching thrill that space exploration fans will not want to miss and that the more earthbound will want to discover. A great read!

[Sasha Wolf · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to give up on this one because the romance subplot was too clichéd and annoying.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started out kinda slow and confusing, but eventually I sorted out what was going on and liked the ending much more. Still not sure what those 'pod rooms' did exactly, but maybe it's OK that they were left to the imagination. I'd like to meet Sister Ann.