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The Humanarium #2
Orbital
What if your ancestors were aliens?
Harl leaves the Aylen world, bound for the harsh frontier of space. Discovering an ancient human ship drifting in orbit they dock in a storm of explosions.
Their arrival throws a delicate ecosytem into chaos and they will risk everything and everyone just trying to survive.
All they must do is cooperate but humanity has never been very good at that.
Once more join Harl’s adventure in the second Humanarium series book, Orbital.
Taking this exciting and dangerous world to a new level, Harl and those he has gathered to him must face new perils, forcing them to come face to face with an Aylen for the first time.
Harl leaves the Aylen world, bound for the harsh frontier of space. Discovering an ancient human ship drifting in orbit they dock in a storm of explosions.
Their arrival throws a delicate ecosytem into chaos and they will risk everything and everyone just trying to survive.
All they must do is cooperate but humanity has never been very good at that.
Once more join Harl’s adventure in the second Humanarium series book, Orbital.
Taking this exciting and dangerous world to a new level, Harl and those he has gathered to him must face new perils, forcing them to come face to face with an Aylen for the first time.
449 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 14, 2018
49 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 1, 2019
To start this review, two questions and answers.
One: is this hard science fiction? Absolutely not. There is unexplained gravity in a spaceship that is orientated like a conventional ship without centrifugal spinning. There are visible lasers in space. There is thermodynamically-questionable harvesting of organic matter as depicted in The Matrix, with humans being the most potent energy source. And of course the gargantuan natives of the planet below defy the square cube law with every step and breath.
Two: does that matter? Probably not for most readers. This is an action/adventure story on an alien planet, and it's hard to comment on the scenery when the plot of this novel is a relentless sequence of running, flying, fighting, crashing and escaping. Undeniably this was a work of great passion on Tickner's part – it shows in the novel's creativity, its banter between main characters, and just slightly in the feel of 'rushing along to the next important thing'. He is excitedly showing us this thing and that thing and another thing in a relentless rush.
Having no down time means the story never lulls, but it also means that the novel can't turn up the tension because the stakes are always maximal. The effectiveness of the action scenes is above average in attention to detail and change of scenery, with few scenes being unnecessary or repetitive, though once the main cast is established the feel of true danger is a bit undermined. The real question is how many of the people stuck on the Orbital will be delivered to safety.
The setting introduces an abrupt change from the first novel's rural setting to include a dilapidated spaceship, the titular Orbital. A human-made container even more claustrophobic than the Aylen terrariums, the Orbital's atmosphere of unmapped labyrinths and secretive bottom-dwellers at times has the feel of a haunted house. This new challenge comes complete with some of the first novel's problems: obstructionist and traitorous assholes. Tuckner's characters generally avoid moral complication: there are scumbags like Turpin who wear their scumbag status on their sleeves, and there are wholesome good people like Sonora who have the presence of mind to care for others even while she's about to give birth. Between good and evil, very little grey. Uncomplicated evil and thoughtless obstructionism applies furthermore to the Aylens, who are generally either compassionate or determined to rape their own planet into a barren rock.
But overall, Tickner has taken his foundational idea of humans stuck in terrariums by alien giants into a reasonable direction, building more of the world and expanding the conflict … still with a blacksmith doing most of the heavy lifting. There are a few generic placeholder elements in the science fiction setting (like the engineer who is Scottish in all but name) but overall this is a fresh and well-constructed story, part of an unfolding universe that I am pleased to see growing in publications and popularity.
One: is this hard science fiction? Absolutely not. There is unexplained gravity in a spaceship that is orientated like a conventional ship without centrifugal spinning. There are visible lasers in space. There is thermodynamically-questionable harvesting of organic matter as depicted in The Matrix, with humans being the most potent energy source. And of course the gargantuan natives of the planet below defy the square cube law with every step and breath.
Two: does that matter? Probably not for most readers. This is an action/adventure story on an alien planet, and it's hard to comment on the scenery when the plot of this novel is a relentless sequence of running, flying, fighting, crashing and escaping. Undeniably this was a work of great passion on Tickner's part – it shows in the novel's creativity, its banter between main characters, and just slightly in the feel of 'rushing along to the next important thing'. He is excitedly showing us this thing and that thing and another thing in a relentless rush.
Having no down time means the story never lulls, but it also means that the novel can't turn up the tension because the stakes are always maximal. The effectiveness of the action scenes is above average in attention to detail and change of scenery, with few scenes being unnecessary or repetitive, though once the main cast is established the feel of true danger is a bit undermined. The real question is how many of the people stuck on the Orbital will be delivered to safety.
The setting introduces an abrupt change from the first novel's rural setting to include a dilapidated spaceship, the titular Orbital. A human-made container even more claustrophobic than the Aylen terrariums, the Orbital's atmosphere of unmapped labyrinths and secretive bottom-dwellers at times has the feel of a haunted house. This new challenge comes complete with some of the first novel's problems: obstructionist and traitorous assholes. Tuckner's characters generally avoid moral complication: there are scumbags like Turpin who wear their scumbag status on their sleeves, and there are wholesome good people like Sonora who have the presence of mind to care for others even while she's about to give birth. Between good and evil, very little grey. Uncomplicated evil and thoughtless obstructionism applies furthermore to the Aylens, who are generally either compassionate or determined to rape their own planet into a barren rock.
But overall, Tickner has taken his foundational idea of humans stuck in terrariums by alien giants into a reasonable direction, building more of the world and expanding the conflict … still with a blacksmith doing most of the heavy lifting. There are a few generic placeholder elements in the science fiction setting (like the engineer who is Scottish in all but name) but overall this is a fresh and well-constructed story, part of an unfolding universe that I am pleased to see growing in publications and popularity.
July 12, 2018
This book picks up where the first left off. Harl and his people arrive on the orbital station, where they get a less than enthusiastic welcome. While a group of humans have been living in the orbital station for generations, supplies are running out and the water is almost gone.
This situation forces Harl to once again be a leader. He takes a few close friends and some new friends and heads back to the planet to get water. Once he reaches the planet, things do not go as planned! Harl and company are then off on another adventure!
There are many thrills, strange alien devices and some interesting new friends! I don't normally like series but this is definitely the exception to the rule! The world that Mr. Tickner has created is both frightening and amazing. The Aylen are so big, and humans so small in comparison.
The author really delivered on this book and once again write the perfect ending that didn't leave me annoyed and angry and feeling that I HAVE to read the next book, but instead I'm looking forward to it! Many thanks once again Mr. Tickner!
This situation forces Harl to once again be a leader. He takes a few close friends and some new friends and heads back to the planet to get water. Once he reaches the planet, things do not go as planned! Harl and company are then off on another adventure!
There are many thrills, strange alien devices and some interesting new friends! I don't normally like series but this is definitely the exception to the rule! The world that Mr. Tickner has created is both frightening and amazing. The Aylen are so big, and humans so small in comparison.
The author really delivered on this book and once again write the perfect ending that didn't leave me annoyed and angry and feeling that I HAVE to read the next book, but instead I'm looking forward to it! Many thanks once again Mr. Tickner!
August 28, 2018
Fast paced excitement in an unimaginable world
Fantastic storytelling in this series of The Humanarium, we learned so much more of humanities past and what will be their future on this strange new world. I was never much of a science fiction fan but this has changed my views and I'm loving it. Just jump straight into book 3 after this well deserved 5 star rating from a new fan.
Fantastic storytelling in this series of The Humanarium, we learned so much more of humanities past and what will be their future on this strange new world. I was never much of a science fiction fan but this has changed my views and I'm loving it. Just jump straight into book 3 after this well deserved 5 star rating from a new fan.
June 9, 2019
These books are a whole lot of fun. So many insane twists and turns, and a bit of jaw dropping *can't they catch a break?* moments. There's a whole lot of story going on. I found myself having to stop occasionally just to absorb everything that was happening. It is an interesting premise though. I'll definitely be reading the next one.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews