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Aliens / Predator / Prometheus Universe
Alien: Covenant Origins
The Covenant mission is the most ambitious endeavor in the history of Weyland-Yutani. A ship bound for Origae-6, carrying two thousand colonists beyond the limits of known space, this is make-or-break investment for the corporation—and for the future of all mankind.
Yet there are those who would die to stop the mission. As the colony ship hovers in Earth orbit, several violent events reveal a deadly conspiracy to sabotage the launch. While Captain Jacob Branson and his wife Daniels complete their preparations, security chief Daniel Lopé recruits the final key member of his team. Together they seek to stop the perpetrators before the ship and its passengers can be destroyed.
An original novel by the acclaimed ALAN DEAN FOSTER, author of the groundbreaking Alien novelization, Origins is the official chronicle of the events that led up to Alien: Covenant. It also reveals the world the colonists left behind.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2017
163 people are currently reading
1311 people want to read
About the author
Alan Dean Foster
498 books2,034 followersBestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews
September 29, 2017
Ok don't get me wrong this was well written and gave a tiny insight into life on earth and the beginnings of Weyland Yutani which was nice but other than that it just seemed a bit pointless.
The whole prophet O-T-B-D stuff which we as readers obviously we knew was correct but it was never tied down to anything in particular so bore no direct relation to the Xenomorphs or future events outside of 'bad things will kill humans if we go out there'. If they'd tried to tie it into the whole Xenomorph queen/queen mother psychic abilities that wouldn't have fit the timeline as aside from David's small few true Xenomorph eggs (which we have no idea when they would be present due to time and long sleep etc) there should be no Xenomorphs in existence.
If it was meant to point towards the 'Engineers' then surely someone must've known even a smidgen about Weylands trip on the Prometheus and what he was looking for even if not where they'd gone.
So all we were left with was some criminal activity, kidnapping, hostage situations and people shooting at others to try and delay/stop a mission because some crazy dreamer is scared we'll meet aliens who will come to earth and kill us all.
If you're an Alien fan then read it for the small morsels of world building in the universe but otherwise its a kind off out of place story set in the Alien universe.
The whole prophet O-T-B-D stuff which we as readers obviously we knew was correct but it was never tied down to anything in particular so bore no direct relation to the Xenomorphs or future events outside of 'bad things will kill humans if we go out there'. If they'd tried to tie it into the whole Xenomorph queen/queen mother psychic abilities that wouldn't have fit the timeline as aside from David's small few true Xenomorph eggs (which we have no idea when they would be present due to time and long sleep etc) there should be no Xenomorphs in existence.
If it was meant to point towards the 'Engineers' then surely someone must've known even a smidgen about Weylands trip on the Prometheus and what he was looking for even if not where they'd gone.
So all we were left with was some criminal activity, kidnapping, hostage situations and people shooting at others to try and delay/stop a mission because some crazy dreamer is scared we'll meet aliens who will come to earth and kill us all.
If you're an Alien fan then read it for the small morsels of world building in the universe but otherwise its a kind off out of place story set in the Alien universe.
July 12, 2025
this book takes place on earth and the Colony-ship "The Covenant" before the mighty ship leaves on its faithfull journey.
It seems that some people are hellbent on stopping the plans to colonize a planet outside earths influence. One is a direct attack on the ship itself and ends in suïcide. Innitially the competition of Weyland-Yuketani is considered as candidate. But the level of fanatism displayed points somewhere else.
The story is an original and somewhat irrelevant as we know that the Covenant went to space. It does however highlight some of the characters that will participate in the next chapter of the Ridley Scott vision of the Alien franchise.
There are NO version of Aliens involved in this story, perhaps only in Nightmares.
It is an easy to read novel written by the master of the Novelization and his skills makes the book undoubtely readable.
It seems that some people are hellbent on stopping the plans to colonize a planet outside earths influence. One is a direct attack on the ship itself and ends in suïcide. Innitially the competition of Weyland-Yuketani is considered as candidate. But the level of fanatism displayed points somewhere else.
The story is an original and somewhat irrelevant as we know that the Covenant went to space. It does however highlight some of the characters that will participate in the next chapter of the Ridley Scott vision of the Alien franchise.
There are NO version of Aliens involved in this story, perhaps only in Nightmares.
It is an easy to read novel written by the master of the Novelization and his skills makes the book undoubtely readable.
December 6, 2023
This felt like such a waste of what it could have been. There was an interesting idea about people trying to sabotage a program for colonization. But in the end the whole thing fell flat.
Outside of a few fine how much they’re really wasn’t much going on here. Well things and stressed out or longer but I need to be in order to fill a page count. I found a lot of the written to be on the lazy side, which was really surprising, considering who the author. I didn’t at all read like a book with someone such a great reputation.
I plan to continue on with these books in the hopes that this was a bad in the otherwise a good series, and not the status quo.
Outside of a few fine how much they’re really wasn’t much going on here. Well things and stressed out or longer but I need to be in order to fill a page count. I found a lot of the written to be on the lazy side, which was really surprising, considering who the author. I didn’t at all read like a book with someone such a great reputation.
I plan to continue on with these books in the hopes that this was a bad in the otherwise a good series, and not the status quo.
November 29, 2022
This was a good story, I really enjoyed it. My only complaint: no aliens! Although I’m not as disappointed as you might think for there was still plenty of action to be had in this thrilling adventure tale. I found it to be rather gripping in fact.
The author is new to me, despite having read/listened to other Alien books in the franchise. I was impressed, he told the story really well and I often struggle to picture action scenes in my head from descriptions but he did an excellent job. I wouldn’t hesitate to read more from this author.
I also like the way the books lead in and out of the films in the franchise, it is very well woven together. It is in part for this reason that I should not be disappointed by the lack of actual aliens in this book. Having watched all the Alien films and thinking about where this book fits in (just before the Aliens Covenant film), it would be odd if they had already come across Aliens and wouldn’t make sense of the film. So fair enough I say.
I have just one complaint about the performance (I listened to this on Audible) why oh why does the English security guy have to sound like Vinnie Jones and say “old boy'' and “old chap” every other sentence.
All in all a pretty decent read, just don’t expect to come across any of the shiny headed, acid blooded, space creatures in this.
The author is new to me, despite having read/listened to other Alien books in the franchise. I was impressed, he told the story really well and I often struggle to picture action scenes in my head from descriptions but he did an excellent job. I wouldn’t hesitate to read more from this author.
I also like the way the books lead in and out of the films in the franchise, it is very well woven together. It is in part for this reason that I should not be disappointed by the lack of actual aliens in this book. Having watched all the Alien films and thinking about where this book fits in (just before the Aliens Covenant film), it would be odd if they had already come across Aliens and wouldn’t make sense of the film. So fair enough I say.
I have just one complaint about the performance (I listened to this on Audible) why oh why does the English security guy have to sound like Vinnie Jones and say “old boy'' and “old chap” every other sentence.
All in all a pretty decent read, just don’t expect to come across any of the shiny headed, acid blooded, space creatures in this.
March 9, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book with my wife (we are big fans of the Alien storyline). It was interesting to discover some of the background and controversy behind the Covenant colonization mission. The book is well-written and fast-paced (for the most part). My biggest complaints are the following:
1. There appears to be a huge plot hole regarding the Earthsavers' plan to kidnap/assassinate Yutani. They decided to kidnap him but the next scene shows the mafia boss explaining the plot to assassinate him instead. In addition, the Earthsavers' later scoffed at the idea of killing Yutani as if they had not already tried to do that exact thing.
2. Characters have a weird habit of explaining things to people when 1) the person already got an explanation earlier in the book or 2) the person should definitely already know about the thing being explained.
3. The characters in this book did not really match the characters in the movie. For example, several characters including Lope and Rosenthal are portrayed as super-competent geniuses when, in the movie, they are bumbling idiots (like everybody else in the film).
Otherwise, it was an enjoyable read and a decent book. I recommend for fans of the Alien movies/novelizations. Non-fans will likely not find much of interest here.
1. There appears to be a huge plot hole regarding the Earthsavers' plan to kidnap/assassinate Yutani. They decided to kidnap him but the next scene shows the mafia boss explaining the plot to assassinate him instead. In addition, the Earthsavers' later scoffed at the idea of killing Yutani as if they had not already tried to do that exact thing.
2. Characters have a weird habit of explaining things to people when 1) the person already got an explanation earlier in the book or 2) the person should definitely already know about the thing being explained.
3. The characters in this book did not really match the characters in the movie. For example, several characters including Lope and Rosenthal are portrayed as super-competent geniuses when, in the movie, they are bumbling idiots (like everybody else in the film).
Otherwise, it was an enjoyable read and a decent book. I recommend for fans of the Alien movies/novelizations. Non-fans will likely not find much of interest here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2021
Listened to on audio. Unfortunately until the last 3 hours the book was very dull with mainly internal thoughts and company dialogue and not much substance. Dry is an understatement.
March 11, 2025
To be clear upfront: no xenomorphs, black goo and/or black goo mutants in this book. I don't mind that, but I can easily see others might.
It all takes place on Earth (and Earth's orbit), in the year before the Covenant launches for Origae-6, and focuses more on the cyberpunk part of the Alien universe. So some Yutani shenanigans, a man who has dreams about xenomorphs and the cultists that align with him and try to scuttle the Covenant mission. I always think writers miss a beat by not using Alien's wider world, as it's interesting enough of its own.
Sadly, this book is a lot of plot elements that don't really go anywhere, at least not to a surprising place. There's a chapter about the engineer scientists who are finishing work on Walter (the revised David), which is interesting, because they're trying to find the problem that made David a sociopath, but then that doesn't go anywhere. There's a bit where the Covenant might be destroyed, but of course it isn't, because there's a film called Alien: Covenant. Maybe it would've been a better idea to keep the story several layers away from the Covenant mission - several layers further away than the book is.
A book for people who are interested in Alien's broader world, perhaps. Not essential.
It all takes place on Earth (and Earth's orbit), in the year before the Covenant launches for Origae-6, and focuses more on the cyberpunk part of the Alien universe. So some Yutani shenanigans, a man who has dreams about xenomorphs and the cultists that align with him and try to scuttle the Covenant mission. I always think writers miss a beat by not using Alien's wider world, as it's interesting enough of its own.
Sadly, this book is a lot of plot elements that don't really go anywhere, at least not to a surprising place. There's a chapter about the engineer scientists who are finishing work on Walter (the revised David), which is interesting, because they're trying to find the problem that made David a sociopath, but then that doesn't go anywhere. There's a bit where the Covenant might be destroyed, but of course it isn't, because there's a film called Alien: Covenant. Maybe it would've been a better idea to keep the story several layers away from the Covenant mission - several layers further away than the book is.
A book for people who are interested in Alien's broader world, perhaps. Not essential.
January 23, 2018
Confused by the Aliens franchise these days? Me too. Apparently your supposed to read Prometheus prior. This Earth bound book is about Weyland-Yutani Corp, I assume to get David8 or some other Andy introduced since it has a large influence on the later timeline.
Recommended for those who enjoy Kevin Siembieda: Rifts, type world's. On that level, it's great stuff from the ever competent Foster. Corp intrigue, assassin's guilds, Neo-Tokyo, combatbots, implants,what's not to like?
As an Alien book, it's, meh. The characters aren't forgettable so much as plug and play. The opposition rebels aren't convincing or likeable compared to Philip K. Dick versions of the same. This is the first Alien book I've read and thought I could do better. Maybe too many cooks in this franchise stew.
Out there be demons? Um, okay, thanks for chiming in: Team Tryhards.
Recommended for those who enjoy Kevin Siembieda: Rifts, type world's. On that level, it's great stuff from the ever competent Foster. Corp intrigue, assassin's guilds, Neo-Tokyo, combatbots, implants,what's not to like?
As an Alien book, it's, meh. The characters aren't forgettable so much as plug and play. The opposition rebels aren't convincing or likeable compared to Philip K. Dick versions of the same. This is the first Alien book I've read and thought I could do better. Maybe too many cooks in this franchise stew.
Out there be demons? Um, okay, thanks for chiming in: Team Tryhards.
May 23, 2024
This is the most boring book I have ever read.
June 20, 2021
3 AND 1/2 STARS
Legendary science fiction writer, Alan Dean Foster, pens this original prequel to the Alien: Covenant movie. I was not bothered as many were who wanted their beloved aliens in the book, but I knew going in what this book was; a corporate espionage story set in the world of Alien. I just wish there was not so many cliches. However, there was a lot of interesting background regarding the Weyland-Yutani company, their history, and the people running it. Many sequences had flashes of real excellence and the pace, for the most part, was fast and lean. While you don't need to read this to understand the movie, it will surely enrich your understanding of the movies and history of the Alien cannon. Events wrapped up a little too neatly for my taste, but I was glad I picked this book up. Light recommendation, but know this is background for Covenant, dealing with Weyland-Yutani, not actual Aliens.
Legendary science fiction writer, Alan Dean Foster, pens this original prequel to the Alien: Covenant movie. I was not bothered as many were who wanted their beloved aliens in the book, but I knew going in what this book was; a corporate espionage story set in the world of Alien. I just wish there was not so many cliches. However, there was a lot of interesting background regarding the Weyland-Yutani company, their history, and the people running it. Many sequences had flashes of real excellence and the pace, for the most part, was fast and lean. While you don't need to read this to understand the movie, it will surely enrich your understanding of the movies and history of the Alien cannon. Events wrapped up a little too neatly for my taste, but I was glad I picked this book up. Light recommendation, but know this is background for Covenant, dealing with Weyland-Yutani, not actual Aliens.
July 9, 2022
Given its subtitle on Audible: "Alien: Covenant Origins: The Official Prequel to the Blockbuster Film" I didn't expect any Alien appearances so I wasn't disappointed.
On the contrary, this prequel was more about background information for the Weyland-Yutani dealings and the investments (both from the corporate POV as well as conserving / colonizing humanity) while the Earthsavers cult makes desperate attempts at aborting the mission before it gets going, empowered in their devotional duty-bound ambition by their prophet who experiences horror-filled visions so dire that he cannot even look at the nights' sky.
This book is more in the realm of cyberpunk/espionage/thriller, but nonetheless, provides worthy background information on key characters and on the preceding reasons for the mission filled with the flesh-tearing gore and wet, bloody drool splatterings we all enjoyed so much. ;-)
On the contrary, this prequel was more about background information for the Weyland-Yutani dealings and the investments (both from the corporate POV as well as conserving / colonizing humanity) while the Earthsavers cult makes desperate attempts at aborting the mission before it gets going, empowered in their devotional duty-bound ambition by their prophet who experiences horror-filled visions so dire that he cannot even look at the nights' sky.
This book is more in the realm of cyberpunk/espionage/thriller, but nonetheless, provides worthy background information on key characters and on the preceding reasons for the mission filled with the flesh-tearing gore and wet, bloody drool splatterings we all enjoyed so much. ;-)
February 5, 2020
Not at all what I expected going in, but a nice surprise.
Nothing at all like the movies Alien Covenant Origins is much more of a cyberpunk/sci-fi thriller complete with a crazy heist, failed assassinations, and even unexpected goats that almost all takes place on a run down Earth (think Bladerunner) where Wayland-Yutani propose a mission to start life on a new planet. But for reasons not started here a shadow group wants to prevent this from happening, all leading up shortly to before the beginning of the Covenant film. I believe the timeline is something like Prometheus, Covenant Origins, Covenant, Alien, etc?
Don't expect any Xenomorphs or even much of space itself, but this book offers a good view of Earth that you don't really get in the movies.
Nothing at all like the movies Alien Covenant Origins is much more of a cyberpunk/sci-fi thriller complete with a crazy heist, failed assassinations, and even unexpected goats that almost all takes place on a run down Earth (think Bladerunner) where Wayland-Yutani propose a mission to start life on a new planet. But for reasons not started here a shadow group wants to prevent this from happening, all leading up shortly to before the beginning of the Covenant film. I believe the timeline is something like Prometheus, Covenant Origins, Covenant, Alien, etc?
Don't expect any Xenomorphs or even much of space itself, but this book offers a good view of Earth that you don't really get in the movies.
January 6, 2018
I like to review books based on their own context and whether they reach their own goals. So, that said, this prequel story to a sequel film to a prequel film for the original Alien film is not one that I began reading with expectations for classic level literature. But I liked it for what it was.
Alan Dean Foster wrote the best screenplay novelization that I have ever read with his novelization of the original Aliens screenplay. Since he wrote that book before the film was complete, he had not seen any of H.R. Giger's creature and set design, which ended up dramatically influencing the finished product of the film. So, in that first book, we get to see Foster giving us his own vision of the screenplay. It puts on display just how good the story writing was on that first film, even before the impressive visuals.
However, Foster's treatment for Alien: Covenant was not so agreeable to me. Since I know this writer can make something of a good script, I tend to blame the failure of that novelization on the script, not on Foster. The only value that book has is to see how much an improvement Ridley Scott was able to make from the script he had, if Foster's book reflects the original script more closely.
But here, it seems that Alan Dean Foster was probably given greater range to write his own book. I expect he was given some kind of plot to follow. But this is not a novelization of a screenplay. This is a new story that takes place between the prequel films Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. It takes place on earth, and no Xenomorphs make an appearance. But there aren't technically any Xenomorphs in Foster's original Alien novel, either. So that should be fine. Still, many readers may find themselves disappointed to read a novel with the name "Alien", claiming to be part of the franchise, and with an image of a Xenomorph on the cover, without the creatures being included. I'd understand the complaint.
My complaint is less with the lack of aliens, and more with some of the choices in the plot and premise. Most of the story surrounds the launching of the Covenant colony ship, and a group of religious terrorists that wish to stop it. Though I enjoyed the book enough as it is, I was disappointed by the emphasis placed on the terrorist's willingness to lose their own lives for their cause, without adequately providing them with a justification for such actions. True extremists aren't just willing to die for a cause for reasons of extremism alone. Without some belief that their sacrifice will be rewarded, either with something left behind for their family, some sort of measurable glory, or a spiritual consequence in a life to come, they don't just willingly commit suicide. In not providing this, the book's premise is weakened considerably, and these villains become paper thin caricatures instead of a real threat.
Secondly, the perspective of the book places these terrorists in the role of villains for wanting to stop the colony ship from launching, because of a prophet's visions of demonic creatures from beyond. This puts Weyland-Yutani Corporation in the role of victim. But any reader familiar with the Alien franchise will know that these kooky religious folks are actually right. For this colony ship to leave, the earth and everyone on the ship will be put in grave danger by demonic looking creatures. In fact, if they were to succeed, they would actually save the lives of everyone on board. Furthermore, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation has consistently been villainous toward the protagonists of nearly every story ever written in the Alien canon (and outside the canon). It seems to be a lost opportunity that this book was not instead written with the terrorists as the protagonists, and the corporation as the villain. That could have made for some very interesting reading.
Instead we have a somewhat bland, but competently entertaining thriller. Though some of the big pieces don't entirely fit, Foster is still adept at character description and science fiction action, enough to keep this die-hard fan happy through to the last page.
The very best part of my copy of this book is the inscription on the inside cover. It is written by my seven-year-old, who gave it to me for Christmas. He also drew a picture in black pen of he and I watching an Alien movie together, something we have yet to do. But, one day...
Recommended only to very dedicated fans of the Alien franchise, who enjoy supermarket paperback thrillers.
☠
Mass Market Paperback
Titan Books, 2017
Three Stars
December 25, 2017 - January 1, 2018
☠
Alan Dean Foster wrote the best screenplay novelization that I have ever read with his novelization of the original Aliens screenplay. Since he wrote that book before the film was complete, he had not seen any of H.R. Giger's creature and set design, which ended up dramatically influencing the finished product of the film. So, in that first book, we get to see Foster giving us his own vision of the screenplay. It puts on display just how good the story writing was on that first film, even before the impressive visuals.
However, Foster's treatment for Alien: Covenant was not so agreeable to me. Since I know this writer can make something of a good script, I tend to blame the failure of that novelization on the script, not on Foster. The only value that book has is to see how much an improvement Ridley Scott was able to make from the script he had, if Foster's book reflects the original script more closely.
But here, it seems that Alan Dean Foster was probably given greater range to write his own book. I expect he was given some kind of plot to follow. But this is not a novelization of a screenplay. This is a new story that takes place between the prequel films Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. It takes place on earth, and no Xenomorphs make an appearance. But there aren't technically any Xenomorphs in Foster's original Alien novel, either. So that should be fine. Still, many readers may find themselves disappointed to read a novel with the name "Alien", claiming to be part of the franchise, and with an image of a Xenomorph on the cover, without the creatures being included. I'd understand the complaint.
My complaint is less with the lack of aliens, and more with some of the choices in the plot and premise. Most of the story surrounds the launching of the Covenant colony ship, and a group of religious terrorists that wish to stop it. Though I enjoyed the book enough as it is, I was disappointed by the emphasis placed on the terrorist's willingness to lose their own lives for their cause, without adequately providing them with a justification for such actions. True extremists aren't just willing to die for a cause for reasons of extremism alone. Without some belief that their sacrifice will be rewarded, either with something left behind for their family, some sort of measurable glory, or a spiritual consequence in a life to come, they don't just willingly commit suicide. In not providing this, the book's premise is weakened considerably, and these villains become paper thin caricatures instead of a real threat.
Secondly, the perspective of the book places these terrorists in the role of villains for wanting to stop the colony ship from launching, because of a prophet's visions of demonic creatures from beyond. This puts Weyland-Yutani Corporation in the role of victim. But any reader familiar with the Alien franchise will know that these kooky religious folks are actually right. For this colony ship to leave, the earth and everyone on the ship will be put in grave danger by demonic looking creatures. In fact, if they were to succeed, they would actually save the lives of everyone on board. Furthermore, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation has consistently been villainous toward the protagonists of nearly every story ever written in the Alien canon (and outside the canon). It seems to be a lost opportunity that this book was not instead written with the terrorists as the protagonists, and the corporation as the villain. That could have made for some very interesting reading.
Instead we have a somewhat bland, but competently entertaining thriller. Though some of the big pieces don't entirely fit, Foster is still adept at character description and science fiction action, enough to keep this die-hard fan happy through to the last page.
The very best part of my copy of this book is the inscription on the inside cover. It is written by my seven-year-old, who gave it to me for Christmas. He also drew a picture in black pen of he and I watching an Alien movie together, something we have yet to do. But, one day...
Recommended only to very dedicated fans of the Alien franchise, who enjoy supermarket paperback thrillers.
☠
Mass Market Paperback
Titan Books, 2017
Three Stars
December 25, 2017 - January 1, 2018
☠
March 12, 2025
Corporate Espionage
I've been a fan of the Alien films for a long time. I didn't have the opportunity to see Alien Covenant in theaters, but have the film on Blu Ray, though I haven't seen it yet. I decided to wait until the prequel Book was published and read it and the film novelization before watching the movie. It is unusual that the prequel book, which should've been published first, was actually last.
There are no monsters in this book, as it is a tale of corporate espionage regarding the mission of the colony ship Covenant. The intrigue is well written and interesting, though not all questions are answered. Weyland -Yutani is not quite the corporate powerhouse in this book, though they are a conglomerate. The head Hideo Yutani is interesting. The organization that opposes him, the Earth Savers has a "prophet" who seemingly knows what monsters like in the dark. His nightmares have given the Earth Savers fuel for their fire. This plot point is similar to one in an earlier book, Alien Sea of Shadows. Please note: Spoilers.
Duncan Fields, the prophet, seems to have an empathetic link to the Alien warriors, similar to Ripley's descendant in Sea of Shadows. He had the ability to see through the Alien warriors eyes. Duncan Fields seems to have this ability as well, though the background is not explained fully. Still a great read. I read this book using Immersion Reading. Narrator Tom Taylorson, is excellent, with a beautiful, clear voice and is gifted with accents. It was definitely a highlight to hear this book as well as read it. Worth your time.
I've been a fan of the Alien films for a long time. I didn't have the opportunity to see Alien Covenant in theaters, but have the film on Blu Ray, though I haven't seen it yet. I decided to wait until the prequel Book was published and read it and the film novelization before watching the movie. It is unusual that the prequel book, which should've been published first, was actually last.
There are no monsters in this book, as it is a tale of corporate espionage regarding the mission of the colony ship Covenant. The intrigue is well written and interesting, though not all questions are answered. Weyland -Yutani is not quite the corporate powerhouse in this book, though they are a conglomerate. The head Hideo Yutani is interesting. The organization that opposes him, the Earth Savers has a "prophet" who seemingly knows what monsters like in the dark. His nightmares have given the Earth Savers fuel for their fire. This plot point is similar to one in an earlier book, Alien Sea of Shadows. Please note: Spoilers.
Duncan Fields, the prophet, seems to have an empathetic link to the Alien warriors, similar to Ripley's descendant in Sea of Shadows. He had the ability to see through the Alien warriors eyes. Duncan Fields seems to have this ability as well, though the background is not explained fully. Still a great read. I read this book using Immersion Reading. Narrator Tom Taylorson, is excellent, with a beautiful, clear voice and is gifted with accents. It was definitely a highlight to hear this book as well as read it. Worth your time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2018
I have read the reviews for this book and I slightly understand the negative reviews. I love the mythos and various stories surrounding the Alien series. I have been a huge fan of the movies (first 2 mostly) since I was a kid. This book is different than the others, sure. It is not an "Alien" in the aspect that there are no xenomorphs, neomorphs... etc. What this book contains is a very good story about the trials and tribulations of the planet prior to the launch of the Covenant, why they needed to colonize, the fact that there was resistance to that motion and why. It is odd and it is slow in parts, but every story has a start and an end. Not all parts of a story move at 100 MPH. Tom Taylorson did a great job of narration and was spot on with the voice characterization. Knowing what comes next makes this book that much better in my opinion. The way Alan Dean Foster wrote drew me into the world and allowed me to get lost in the competing sides of the struggle.
November 23, 2017
A very interesting story set in the Alien universe where there is no encounter with actual aliens themselves. It makes for OK sci-fi, even though it doesn't do the best job of explaining the context for the conditions on Earth. The small cast and the extreme focus on the preparation for Covenant mission, make for a claustrophobic setting. At times I wondered if there is enough material there to fill a novel, but the plot thickened and it kept me interested to the very end.
In many ways, it would've been better to not have Alien in the title, even if it is a prequel to the Alien: Covenant movie. Because of its Earth-bound setting, perhaps titling it Weyland-Yutani Chronicles: Covenant Origins would have been more apt.
In many ways, it would've been better to not have Alien in the title, even if it is a prequel to the Alien: Covenant movie. Because of its Earth-bound setting, perhaps titling it Weyland-Yutani Chronicles: Covenant Origins would have been more apt.
June 18, 2019
I listened to the audiobook of this over the course of a few days, a rather short selection, and it was AWESOME. It doesn't have the...typical flavor of the Alien franchise, being that there aren't any of the titular aliens in the story. It is a prequel of everything (post Prometheus), and as such makes sense that the xenomorphs take a backseat in this story. Something that does stick around is the pervasive feeling of mystery and potential dread, created by the characters and atmosphere leading up to the launch of the Covenant. If you love the human side of the Alien series, you'll probably enjoy this. The audiobook available on Audible was excellently read and I definitely enjoyed it.
September 29, 2017
Background Story of Alien:Covenant
I loved the background story of Earth and the why the Covenant space craft left Earth for colonization in another planet. I literally hated interrupting reading it to do other thing. The group and it's people who tried to sabotage and prevent the Covenant mission was well done, too. Loved this book.
I loved the background story of Earth and the why the Covenant space craft left Earth for colonization in another planet. I literally hated interrupting reading it to do other thing. The group and it's people who tried to sabotage and prevent the Covenant mission was well done, too. Loved this book.
September 9, 2021
Foster gives an imaginative preface to the Covenant mission. I really enjoyed the set up and the struggles that the grew goes through before ever even lifting off. This book adds color to the movie and movie novelization.
September 18, 2020
Not a fan of where the Franchise has gone with my favorite ALIEN genre, can’t say this was badly written. Why couldnt they make this the first movie instead of doing things ass over end and prequaling everything?
October 16, 2021
An entertaining enough story, well narrated (once you get over some of the 'voices' he does). But, fundamentally there are zero aliens in this story - and the OTBD prophet premise is just so weak I was finding it harder to take seriously than the CEO of Weyland-Yutani did...
September 17, 2025
Don't look for aliens in this book, you won't find any, logically, since the action takes place before the Covenant begins its journey.
Otherwise, apart from the "Alien" alibi, it's a decent sci-fi techno-thriller. It's not brilliant, but it's an easy read and you don't even need to have seen the film to appreciate it for what it is.
Otherwise, apart from the "Alien" alibi, it's a decent sci-fi techno-thriller. It's not brilliant, but it's an easy read and you don't even need to have seen the film to appreciate it for what it is.
February 5, 2021
I enjoyed this novel, finding it to be a well-written and engaging piece of sci-fi fiction. Perhaps, without the slapping-on of the Alien name, it could have been even better.
This book describes the events leading up to the launch of the USCSS Covenant, and a plot to sabotage this mission owing to visions of space-faring monsters. We follow some of the characters from the film, as well as others who exist almost entirely for the purposes of this book.
Most of these characters proved interesting and entertaining to read about.
This book also gives us an idea of what Earth is like, which is something that hasn't really been shown to us in the movies. Perhaps in remaining true to Ridley Scott's vision, the world somewhat resembles what we see in Blade Runner, with overcrowding, pollution and rampant corporate corruption. It is a prominent plot point that people want to leave Earth behind due to its continuing degradation, hence the Covenant mission.
I found this story to have decent levels of intrigue, though many of the twists and turns proved either predictable or somewhat redundant, as they led nowhere; the motivations of the "villains" were interesting, though the reason for the visions was never really explained. Perhaps this was to further paint a picture of them as being delusional fanatics, though in the context of the wider universe we know their fears are, indeed, justified.
I think the main flaw of this novel comes from it being a prequel to a prequel. It could not set up much of anything that has not been mentioned in the later (in terms of in-universe chronology) installments in this franchise, and therefore when reading it was clear throughout that little if nothing that happened would be particularly shocking. None of the characters from the Covenant movie could be killed off, and anything particularly significant would surely come up in conversation.
I would be interested to know what this story could have been had it not been shackled by continuity.
All told, this novel had great potential to be a sci-fi noir thriller, but the requirement to remain true to the franchise's timeline dulled its effectiveness. A good story, just not one with any particular consequence.
I must repeat myself though when I say that I truly enjoyed the glimpse at life on Earth; it added some further depth to the Alien Universe for me, and that alone made it worth the read.
(And a very quick read it was for me, too.)
This book describes the events leading up to the launch of the USCSS Covenant, and a plot to sabotage this mission owing to visions of space-faring monsters. We follow some of the characters from the film, as well as others who exist almost entirely for the purposes of this book.
Most of these characters proved interesting and entertaining to read about.
This book also gives us an idea of what Earth is like, which is something that hasn't really been shown to us in the movies. Perhaps in remaining true to Ridley Scott's vision, the world somewhat resembles what we see in Blade Runner, with overcrowding, pollution and rampant corporate corruption. It is a prominent plot point that people want to leave Earth behind due to its continuing degradation, hence the Covenant mission.
I found this story to have decent levels of intrigue, though many of the twists and turns proved either predictable or somewhat redundant, as they led nowhere; the motivations of the "villains" were interesting, though the reason for the visions was never really explained. Perhaps this was to further paint a picture of them as being delusional fanatics, though in the context of the wider universe we know their fears are, indeed, justified.
I think the main flaw of this novel comes from it being a prequel to a prequel. It could not set up much of anything that has not been mentioned in the later (in terms of in-universe chronology) installments in this franchise, and therefore when reading it was clear throughout that little if nothing that happened would be particularly shocking. None of the characters from the Covenant movie could be killed off, and anything particularly significant would surely come up in conversation.
I would be interested to know what this story could have been had it not been shackled by continuity.
All told, this novel had great potential to be a sci-fi noir thriller, but the requirement to remain true to the franchise's timeline dulled its effectiveness. A good story, just not one with any particular consequence.
I must repeat myself though when I say that I truly enjoyed the glimpse at life on Earth; it added some further depth to the Alien Universe for me, and that alone made it worth the read.
(And a very quick read it was for me, too.)
February 26, 2018
This is the prequel to Alien: Covenant, and happens after the events in Prometheus. This is not filled with edge-of-the-seat suspense or the horror of the aliens themselves. Rather, this tells a tale of the Companies, and their absolute control over the Earth. And the Earth has 30 billion people living on it! So, yes, the world is dying. Covenant is the star ship that will send people to a new world to colonize, perhaps to save the human race, and at the very least, help with a population issue. It seems no one is interested in actually solving that one...So there is a Prophet, and he sees visions of horrible creatures that tear humans apart. He has these nightmares every night, and he knows that mankind must never leave the Earth, lest he bring those creatures back here to destroy us. He has a following. This entire book is mainly about the Covenant's crew preparing to leave, and the Prophet's followers trying to stop them. In the background, one gets the understanding of the Companies, and the synthetic life-forms that travel on each ship. Prometheus had a 'David'. Covenant will have a 'Walter'. I believe the original Alien movie had an 'Ashe'. There are some hints about these beings, as well. I think the book is good, in that it explains a lot and is well-written.. I still wonder if it's really necessary...I will have to read Alien: Covenant to discover that, I think.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2021
Alien Covenant: Origins is an original story in the Aliens story line. It is a quick-paced thriller that wastes no time or words presenting an Earth-based, non-alien threat posed to the eponymous colonist ship before it leaves Earth orbit. The novel mentions all of the crew of Covenant, but focuses on the adventures of, and is seen through the eyes of one crew member. This economy of characters works well to create a smart, short, and fast moving story.
I think it was smart and interesting to spin an original tale among the other storied elements of the Alien franchise with Alien Covenant: Origins. The reader becomes familiar with the Weyland-Yutani corporation and its mammoth size, riches and influence. We also see why and how the Covenant mission came to be. We are introduced to the Earthsavers who have an interesting place in the story and certainly provide for serious questions and discussions. Most important, some of the crew are given depth and character beyond what the motion picture accommodates.
I give Alien Covenant: Origins three-and-a-half stars. It is like a light weight Dan Brown novel with its twists, turns, feints and reveals. It is a solid book with good writing by an author that knows his stuff. I recommend Alien Covenant: Origins if, like me, you've never read a novel from the storied franchise before and need a place to begin. This is a very good start.
"Out there be demons."
I think it was smart and interesting to spin an original tale among the other storied elements of the Alien franchise with Alien Covenant: Origins. The reader becomes familiar with the Weyland-Yutani corporation and its mammoth size, riches and influence. We also see why and how the Covenant mission came to be. We are introduced to the Earthsavers who have an interesting place in the story and certainly provide for serious questions and discussions. Most important, some of the crew are given depth and character beyond what the motion picture accommodates.
I give Alien Covenant: Origins three-and-a-half stars. It is like a light weight Dan Brown novel with its twists, turns, feints and reveals. It is a solid book with good writing by an author that knows his stuff. I recommend Alien Covenant: Origins if, like me, you've never read a novel from the storied franchise before and need a place to begin. This is a very good start.
"Out there be demons."
October 3, 2021
Note: I've got some of the other Alien novels and have seen just one or two movies. I didn't have a clue which movies or novels came when in the franchise. I saw Origin so started with this, but it's not chronologically the first story. After this I listened to the Covenant novel.
I rated this 4 stars on Audible because the narration is great, but honestly the story itself is 3 stars so I'm giving it 3 on Goodreads.
This book is a warning about the Covenant mission. There is a cult which follows a prophet who says the mission to people another planet is unwise. He and his disciples are willing to die for the cause.
The private company sending the mission off is doing everything they can to get the spacecraft off into space. We meet an array of characters that will be on the spaceship. Some of them are quite likeable, which is probably good if you're going off to start a new colony.
This book is good, but not great. The narration is fantastic. Still it feels like the prequel that it is, probably written after the fact, or cobbled together from the backstory the author concocted in order to write the movie. It's not super long at least.
I rated this 4 stars on Audible because the narration is great, but honestly the story itself is 3 stars so I'm giving it 3 on Goodreads.
This book is a warning about the Covenant mission. There is a cult which follows a prophet who says the mission to people another planet is unwise. He and his disciples are willing to die for the cause.
The private company sending the mission off is doing everything they can to get the spacecraft off into space. We meet an array of characters that will be on the spaceship. Some of them are quite likeable, which is probably good if you're going off to start a new colony.
This book is good, but not great. The narration is fantastic. Still it feels like the prequel that it is, probably written after the fact, or cobbled together from the backstory the author concocted in order to write the movie. It's not super long at least.
April 13, 2018
Alien Covenant Origins comes after Prometheus the film and before Alien Covenant the film/novelisation. It's entirely earth bound with no alien encounters but instead is focused on how Weyland Corp came to Weyland-Yutani Corp after the disappearance of Mr Weyland in Prometheus.
Interestingly the company seems far more caring and socially responsible here than in the latter novels/films where people and employees are seemingly an expendable resource.
As a book it flowed well and was quite interesting, as part of the franchise I felt like it didn't add a whole lot and the whole 'There Be Demons Out There' storyline seemed a bit wasted when it doesn't amount to much overall in the scheme of things.
Overall, interesting but I wouldn't say it's required reading, however that being said I haven't read Covenant yet so perhaps it does add to the depth of story in the following novel.
Interestingly the company seems far more caring and socially responsible here than in the latter novels/films where people and employees are seemingly an expendable resource.
As a book it flowed well and was quite interesting, as part of the franchise I felt like it didn't add a whole lot and the whole 'There Be Demons Out There' storyline seemed a bit wasted when it doesn't amount to much overall in the scheme of things.
Overall, interesting but I wouldn't say it's required reading, however that being said I haven't read Covenant yet so perhaps it does add to the depth of story in the following novel.
January 18, 2022
I didn't know what to expect with this novel. The narration was good and the world building was interesting. Seeing the state of the Earth before the departure of a colony mission and the different opinions about said mission raises the question of how will we react when the time comes for humanity to leave the Earth to settle on other worlds.
The story did not grip me as much as I would have liked it to. It was all over the place in my opinion as the point of view jumps around too often. Characters introduced as pivotal to the story are just dropped and I would have like some semblance of closure with them. The prophet foreshadowing the xenomorphs seemed a bit too on the nose and too forced to be plausible. My opinion might change as I listen to the next novel, but this book left me wanting more.
The story did not grip me as much as I would have liked it to. It was all over the place in my opinion as the point of view jumps around too often. Characters introduced as pivotal to the story are just dropped and I would have like some semblance of closure with them. The prophet foreshadowing the xenomorphs seemed a bit too on the nose and too forced to be plausible. My opinion might change as I listen to the next novel, but this book left me wanting more.
January 27, 2018
It's unfortunate that this has to carry the word "Alien" in its title. It's set on Earth, detailing events leading up to the launch of the interstellar colony ship Covenant, as depicted in the movie ALIEN COVENANT. However, this tale has only the slightest link to the titular creatures, which is sure to leave some unaware readers feeling disappointed, or worse. That's more a problem of marketing requirements than of the author, though. Alan Dean Foster presents a story that kept me turning the pages, and added depth to characters that didn't get much in the movie, particularly Sergeant Lope. If approached with the appropriate expectations, I think any fan of the Alien series will appreciate ORIGINS, even if it doesn't really involve the Aliens themselves.
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