Gradient

by Anders Cahill

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781973326656

Would you leave behind everything you know to start a new world? Would you destroy that world to save everything you believe in?

Born on the moon of Verygone, on the distant edge of the galaxy, Oren Siris is a loner and a dreamer, yearning for a life beyond his humble home. When an interstellar ship arrives, it will take him on a journey across the stars to the shores of an undiscovered planet. Oren and his team strive to build peace with the indigenous peoples of this beautiful new world, but some unseen force works against their every effort, driving them to the very brink of war.

Gradient is an epic space folktale set against the backdrop of a galaxy with advanced human beings who have populated thousands of planets. If you like authors like Ursula K. le Guin and Frank Herbert and films like Star Trek and the Matrix, with compelling characters, rich storytelling, and big ideas about the nature of human existence, then you’ll love this epic debut novel from Anders Cahill.

Genres: Science Fiction

490 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2017

Reviews

[May · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I want to cry...What is this ending!!
“I would carry you to the ends of the galaxy if need be, Reach. I was lost without you.”

So Gradient starts off with seven people on a Spaceship *Reacher*, heading for a new planet called Eaiph, which potentially harbours organic life. I thought it was an extremely cool idea that this planet was actually ours, Earth, orbiting around Soth Ra (i.e. the sun), and that our seven characters, lead by Oren Siris, would be exploring it and trying to hide from the natives (good luck with that, my friends xD).

Then the present-time narration stops and we get to travel centuries back to see Oren as a child and then as an adult and learn how he'd reached this place and the hardships he had gone through. Many things happen and not all of them directly serve the main plot-line, but they give a richer understanding of the universe Oren lives in.


Gradient has exceeded all my expectations. I was ready for an interesting science fiction novel, but I was rewarded with a rich universe, deep philosophical discussions, a captivating story, and shiphearts. Shiphearts are awesome, shiphearts are my favourite characters, I want a shipheart as my bestfriend.

Aside from shiphearts, there were many characters. Too many for my liking, since they were not fully developed and until this moment I have no strong attachment to most of them. But the story line compensated for that, so no complaints. Also, having Oren as the narrator throughout a book which spans hundreds of years made him endearing to me, and I was always cheering for him. Despite his huge size, he is never a dickhead, and is always soft, funny, and kind. I really liked that.

Which leads me to my next point: breaking stereotypes. Oren probably looks very scary because of his size but he is, as I said, anything but. He shows great empathy, has no problem with displaying his true feelings, and is always a lovely person to have around. Saiara is a genius girl who is always many steps ahead of Oren, but he admires her and tries to follow in her lead instead of feeling inadequate (and she wasn't the only admirable woman in this book; Darpausha was exceptional as well). There was beautiful LGBT representation, and an anti-racism message. There was respect for foreign cultures even when they were less advanced, a desire to bring peace and prosperity to everyone, and to live in a world devoid from exploitation and oppression.


The writing was excellent and captivating; I was hooked from the very first page. It flowed smoothly and while it was a bit strange at first to jump ahead years or centuries when moving from one part of the book to the next, I soon grew accustomed to it. I really enjoyed following Oren's journey from Verygone to the planet Eaiph. The world-building was excellent, and it felt so real, like somewhere out in this vast universe, we will find the Fellowship, Forsara, and cool starhubs.

Longlife, connecting to fields, quantum computation, psychotropic serums, collective consciousness, and many other interesting concepts and ideas were presented in Gradient. It was a bit similar to the matrix,, so if you enjoyed it, I think you'd love this book as well.

There are so many things that I found intriguing about this book, and if I keep describing them I will probably be unable to finish, so really, go give it a try. I don't think you will be disappointed. I wasn't.


“This planet is a flourishing gift. Absolutely teeming with life. It is more than seventy percent water, and photosynthetic organisms are prolific. They are gobbling up the carbon dioxide. The air is even richer than we first gathered. Almost seventy cones oxygen per unit in the lower spheres. And look at this spectrogram.”
The star, Soth Ra, floated in front of me on a mobile console. Its color shifted from yellow, to red, to blue, to purple, to green, then back again through the spectra. Then the view zoomed past the star, focusing in on the planet. We watched as the radiant energy from the star, represented by the rainbow of colors, streamed past the planet, diverted along its curve, flowing around and out into space.
Neka touched my arm. “The planet’s outermost sphere is a thin but effective magnetic shield, produced by the planetary spin and its dense molten metal core. It filters out the intense solar radiation, while allowing the optimal spectra to penetrate. Life does not just survive here. It thrives. It is a beautiful, delicate balance.”

Our planet is pretty awesome <3

[Jeremiah Demster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gradient is sweeping and ambitious in scope. It has ecological themes, sci fi space exploration themes, horror themes, explores ideas of the nature of consciousness, and wraps this in a good story.

Oren Siris is a character who you see at both his strongest and at his weakest. He is driven by a restless desire to experience and explore, which makes him a great set of eyes through which to view Cahill's universe. At the same time it's his development that is the thread which ties the novel together.

This book is well written and smart. There are some really haunting experiences throughout that could stand as stories on their own even removed from the larger context. I found myself underlining passages and marking pages to make sure I could get back to certain parts later when phrases or ideas stuck out to me. I do want to acknowledge that there is a sense at times that you aren't certain what narrative thread you are actually supposed to be following. You live parts of Oren's life with him, and then as he move on so do you, and you can be left with the lingering question of what importance those events serve the larger plot. But in reality this isn't that kind of book. If instead you keep reading and let the book happen you will be enthralled for different reasons at different moments, and you will be rewarded in the end. I found this book lingering with me after the fact for that reason, and I enjoyed it a lot.

From my own reading experience I see shades of Frank Herbert and Orson Scott Card among others. If you're a fan of either of those writers or the type I think you'll like this a lot.

[Ali Emin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was brilliant, simply brilliant.

Full disclosure, I edit books for a living, and most authors I read are, frankly, dreadful, but occasionally one comes across a rough diamond, ready to be shaped into something spectacular. Rarer still is to come across a gem that is fully formed, cut to perfection and alive with light.

Anders Cahill is one of those rare gems. He has managed to create a fully formed world, peopled with glorious characters, wrapped up in a story that spans time and space and does so with poetry, a beauty I have no words with which to do justice. However, what's remarkable is that he makes it relevant to now, to right now, and I suspect for decades to come.

I could wax lyrical about the ideas, themes, language and imagery used in this book for pages but why rob you of the delight of discovering it all for yourself?

Just read this book, I implore you.

[Luis Humberto Molinar Márquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gradient is a huge science fiction, space exploration, horror, adventure, cultural and human critique novel, written in first person. Its protagonist, Oren, narrates with efficiency and at a fast pace a personal story that spans centuries and thousands of light years.

The conducting thread is the innate need of a human being to learn, explore, experiment and grow; all of them elements with which I could relate completely. Oren is a round and endearing character, but above all very human, whose values ​​and strength serve as a counterweight to his weaknesses and fears. The rest of the characters have the specific weight and complexity necessary to be very credible and to provide the necessary and just flavor that endows the main character with credibility and completeness.

Cahill has managed to put on the table great past, current and future issues of humanity, such as sustainability, consciousness, technological progress, freedom, morality, respect, cultural and sexual diversity, the assimilation of cultures, the acquisition and sharing of knowledge, the role of religion and science in civilizations, the prolongation of human life, alienation, communication, the interconnection between humans, equality, health, the search for happiness and the difficulties to achieve peace.

Even when touching so many subjects and telling such a big story, Gradient is a very agile and continuous reading, with the exact amount of details to set the story without ever falling into excesses or moral lessons. The language is at all times simple and direct, and at times even poetic. The touches of psychological terror, drama and action are very effective and propose new dimensions to understand the main story as a logical network of facts and events in which everything occupies a precise place and function.

I consider Gradient a great novel of critical fiction, with a very careful and thoughtful rhythm that makes the reader think, which is always appreciated, and I dare to compare it to Accelerando, by Charles Stross, and in its most terrifying parts to The Zombie Bible series, by Stant Litore. I liked finding semi-hidden references to celestial bodies, mythological figures and known cultures, without ever falling into the obvious. Pleasantly, I presume Gradient like a novel that has arrived with the right foot to the list of my favorites.

I also note with pleasure that this book has no gratuitous or misplaced elements, and that throughout its more than 500 pages Cahill does not waste a single word. I read the book in a week and it literally went like water. Reading Gradient has been a real pleasure.


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Gradient es una enorme novela de ciencia ficción, exploración espacial, terror, aventura y crítica cultural y humana, escrita en primera persona. Su protagonista, Oren, narra con bastante eficiencia y a un ritmo trepidante una historia personal que abarca siglos y miles de años luz.

El hilo conductor es la necesidad innata de un humano de aprender, explorar, experimentar y crecer; todos ellos elementos con los que pude relacionarme completamente. Oren es un personaje redondo y entrañable, pero sobre todo muy humano, cuyos valores y fuerza sirven de contrapeso a sus debilidades y a sus temores. El resto de los personajes tienen el peso específico y la complejidad necesarios para resultar muy creíbles y para aportar el sabor necesario y justo que dota de credibilidad y completitud al personaje principal.

Cahill ha logrado poner sobre la mesa grandes asuntos pasados, actuales y futuros de la humanidad, tales como la sustentabilidad, la conciencia, el avance tecnológico, la libertad, la moralidad, el respeto, la diversidad cultural y sexual, la asimilación de los pueblos, la adquisición y compartición de conocimientos, el papel de la religión y de la ciencia en las civilizaciones, la prolongación de la vida humana, la alienación, la comunicación, la interconexión entre los humanos, la igualdad ,la salud, la búsqueda de la felicidad y las dificultades para lograr la paz.

Aún tocando tantos temas y contando una historia tan grande, Gradient supone una lectura bastante ágil y continua, con la cantidad exacta de detalles para ambientar la historia sin caer nunca en excesos ni lecciones de moral. El lenguaje es en todo momento sencillo y directo, y aún así en ocasiones incluso poético. Los toques de terror psicológico, drama y acción son muy efectivos y proponen nuevas dimensiones para comprender la historia principal como una red lógica de hechos y sucesos en la que todo ocupa un lugar y una función precisa.

Considero a Gradient una gran novela de ficción crítica, con un ritmo muy bien cuidado y que hace pensar al lector, lo cual siempre se agradece, y me atrevo a compararla con Accelerando, de Charles Stross, y en sus partes más terroríficas con la serie de La Biblia Zombi, de Stant Litore. Me gustó encontrar referencias semi-ocultas a cuerpos celestes, figuras mitológicas y culturas conocidas, sin caer nunca en la obviedad. Gratamente, presumo que Gradient es una novela que se ha colado con el pied derecho en la lista de mis favoritos.

Hago notar con gusto que este libro no tiene elementos gratuitos ni fuera de lugar, y que a lo largo de sus más de 500 páginas Cahill no desperdicia una sóla palabra. Leí el libro en una semana y literalmente se me fue como agua. Leer Gradient ha sido un verdadero gusto.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellently written scifi. Makes you feel as if you are there are exploring with the characters. Lots of intrigue, drama,humor and excitement. A must read for all science fiction lovers.

[CinderBelle615 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to booktasters, the author was kind enough to send me a digi-copy of the book to read in exchange for a review:

Neka, Xander, Adjet Xayes, Sid, and so so many more were fun to read about yet a little difficult to follow. I’m terrible with names so I was thankful that the author was able to paint a good picture on what each person looked like/acted like to help follow who was talking at what moment. If there’s a sequel or if there’s ever going to be one, I’d appreciate less characters, maybe stick with the same group and kill one off, just to make the sequel memorable because sometimes it’s difficult to find good sequels because they all end up being so bland and so many characters end up overcrowding the story.

Even though the character development for each person was truncated because of so many voices within the same book, the world building was fantastic.

I enjoyed how the author was able to create a vivid picture of the external world:

“Clay dwellings, built together in dense clusters, raun up the gentle slope away from the river, smoke wafting up through holes in the roofing. The exterior walls were etched with complex hieroglyphs formed from soft curves and lines in the clay, a style perhaps reflective of a people who lived their lives in a fertile river valley.”

…as well as a glimpse of what was going on inside of the main character's mind:

“I poked the half-eaten food on my plate for a few minutes, then set it aside. My mind turned over the events on the moon. That cold, terrifying oice. The images of that long lost crew, decaying before my eyes. My helmet, lifting from my head, and the toxic air seeping into my lungs.”
It wasn’t just dark outer space, it was how Anders managed to make space come to life, chapter after chapter of effortless world building.

There were many moments in the book that made me hold my breath like this one:

“It was one of the sightless, disfigured humans that had attacked Reacher and me. It was shambling down the hallway, swinging its head left and right, snuffling in the air. I froze, holding my breath, trying not to make a sound. Something creaked behind me. The creature’s head shot up. Its empty eye sockets burned with cold silver light. It started running towards me, terrifyingly fast.”

I don’t want to sound so cliché but the action and suspense coupled with the sensation of how outer space was described made this a real “page turner.”

The author’s ability to absorb the reader in such an enthralling sci-fi novel, being this novel Ander’s first one, is impressive.

Themes:
Space exploration
Environment
LGBT+
Cultures/civilizations
Action and suspense

[Mick Barley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I launched into Mr Cahill’s Gradient, I expected a Science Fiction story, but not the full sweeping space opera, brilliantly realised through quality writing, with incisive contemporary themes and striking concepts.

The novel begins with our first glimpse of the planet Eaiph. Oren, the narrator and main protagonist, and his team are tasked with exploring Eaiph, awash with wildly divergent organic life. His crew are an exotic blend of enhanced humans, well fleshed out by the author and excitingly different from the run-of-the-mill tropes that unfortunately populate many current SF novels.

With our first taste of their target planet, Mr Cahill whisks us back to Oren’s childhood; his growing up, friends, ever more responsible ship commands and misfortunes. Much of the writing I could dare to call lyrical, even poetic. For a debut, Gradient is an impressive work. The interlocking characters and Oren’s nonjudgmental views are refreshing. The author manages to mix together alien concepts, ancient religions, questions of ethics and morality, without the reader ever feeling as though they are being preached to.

Oren’s lost love Saiara partly pushes Oren’s exploration—always in the far distance—but never forgotten. He is an dedicated explorer and always, with the feedback of his tight crew, a measured decision-maker.

Gradient is a SF novel replete with masterly world-building reminiscent to me of Heinlein, but with a much lusher feel for telling the story. For such an ambitious debut novel, Mr. Cahill fulfilled my expectations: an always interesting and exciting plot woven over what could be our fears for the future. There is a lot going on in this novel so it pays to not rush through it.

A thoughtful and absorbing read, I would recommend Gradient to any SciFi fan that likes a fast paced story, surprisingly original concepts with a multilayered plot line. There are many temporal shifts and spatial locations, with an underlying—barely visible—sense of malevolence and morbidity à la Lovecraft. If you come across this novel I highly recommend reading it.

I was giving a copy of Gradient to review.

[Christine Vazou · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing I have to say is that whoever is a fan of Star Wars and Star Trek will surely fall in love with this book (myself included)!

The story is told by the view of Oren Siris, the book’s protagonist. We can clearly follow his development, starting from a simple boy on Verygone, his home, to becoming an explorer of the stars and a Pausha, a leader.

He is humble, ambitious, brave and very strong both emotionally and physically. He has to battle the evil core of an old wrecked ship. Quoting from the book “a spacefarer designed to carry a small group of people across huge swaths of space”. Within his mind Oren must not fall prey to illusions and this entity’s plan to control him completely.

The world Anders Cahill created is described and explained thoroughly, so as readers can understand and imagine themselves being a part of it. There were numerous times I felt like I watched live the scenes described and I appreciate this in a book.

For all those who love science fiction, adventure, suspense and romance I surely recommend this book. When I finished it and started writing this review I thought that I got to see a possible, very distant future. A really advanced and different future and the thought exhilarated me and scared me at the same time. I can’t wait for the sequel!

[Araceli · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me so long to finish this book. I'm not sure if I liked it because I was able to understand half of it or less. It was confusing to me because of the vocabulary and also because the environment created for this story depends on many new or invented words for this.
The protagonist, Oren, was too good, or that was what I thought it intended to be. It was difficult to grasp the interactions between the characters and the story flow as all it was told from Oren's perspective. Also, it was tiring to follow all the dialogue since we have the quotation marks all the time, and it had to have the reference of who was the one talking. On the other hand, the story had a lot of leaps in time, and also things about dreams and hallucinations that I did not completely understand until they were referenced in the next chapter.
I was not that happy with the fact that two of the main milestones of the story were solved with a little background of it, and it looked like it was magically solved. For the last part, I think that it took so long to show the problem, and then it was solved in a rush.
In general, it was ok, though I like to read other types of science fiction stories.

[Kayla Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The universe exists on a gradient. A spectrum. Never just black and white... In short, I contain multitudes."

This book is an incredible ride. Gradient is a beautiful space odyssey following Oren, a young man from a planet called Verygone, who takes on the opportunity of a lifetime. He leaves his family behind and goes on to explore the universe.

Oren is a fascinating character. He goes from deep and thought provoking to joking around with others. Oren has emotions, amazing character development, and a lighthearted, friendly personality. He really grows up and finds himself throughout the novel.

Some of the sci-fi concepts were so cool and unlike anything I've ever read before. The idea of a "shipheart" was compelling to read. I wanted to know more about it as the novel progressed.

The only area I'd critique is the length of the novel. It was just a bit too long.

Overall, definitely worth the read. 4/5 stars

[Arshiya Sultana · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Gradient" is an epic space folktale about Oren Siris, a loner who joins an interstellar mission to build a new world, but faces unseen forces threatening peace and driving the team to war. A debut novel praised for its rich storytelling and big ideas.

I had to restart it because I got confused midway, though I think it was worth it. The story arc is on point, and we can clearly see the character development of Oren.

However, a little explanation or world-building would have been better since there were so many new jargons that went over my head. And long chapters were just an ick to me.

Overall, I liked it though I would have appreciated smaller chapters and a little world building. Recommended to sci-fi lovers.

[Thatiane Rezende · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gradient takes us to a new universe and makes us feel as we were in a Star Trek movie, but with its elements, creatures and system.

Oren leads his team through space while they discover new worlds following orders of The Fellowship. It's a book that will make you feel different in each chapter, Oren dreams too much and it can confuse you sometimes, but will see that they have a reason to be there.

I would say that this book was a roller-coaster to me. In the beginning, the book was slow, but as the things started to happen, I could feel the emotion of the universe of Gradient, so if the reading looks a bit dense, keep reading, it will be worth it!

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall it’s not bad. There are a lot of strange names, which I kind of struggled to remember. Well Xander it’s a pretty easy name, but when it comes down to Adjet, Eaiph, Xayes or Orenpausha, it’s tough
I didn’t understood the whole universe thing (how it works).
The first chapter was a little heard to read because it jumps right into the story, without explaining the basics or giving a map, but it gets easier.
I didn’t like the really long chapters
Also I quite didn’t understood really well how the spaceship/ technology works.

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

An action packed journey across the stars. A young man realizes his life’s dream when he is taken aboard a star ship. From there he joins the academy and then crosses the galaxy to begin a new colony. Lots of twists and turns make this an epic adventure I’ll not soon forget! Wonderfully developed characters and even a little romance add to the great story. So sit back and lose yourself in this beautifully crafted book!

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Gradient" delivered far more than I expected. I thought I was getting a sci-fi novel that would be a simple read. I wasn't prepared to be so fully drawn into the story. It felt like the plot expanded within my mind as I was reading, making this book an epic read. This book should be a classic, and Anders Cahill is someone to watch out for in the future.

My thanks to the author and BookTasters. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

[Mirela Lohja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gradient is a complex and imaginative sci-fi novel that follows a journey through time and space. The book explores deep themes like consciousness and identity, with rich world-building and unique ideas.
Oren is a surprisingly kind and emotional character, and his development is a strong point of the story. However, the writing can be confusing at times due to unusual vocabulary, time jumps.
But still a really interesting and engaging story!

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The scope of the tale in both time and space is extensive. The story and the characters drew me in, and several times I found myself reading longer than I had intended. Large themes of good-vs.-evil, following one's destiny, and living with the consequences of one's choices intertwine to result in the protagonist overcoming adversity, but not without cost. Recommended.

[A. L. Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gradient is a gripping sci-fi thriller that reads like an epic fantasy and it makes for a first-rate intergalactic ride. Orin's journey is equal parts compelling, complex, and relatable. This book was really tough to put down and kept me thinking for days afterward - a phenomenal debut!

[Isabelle Plourde · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great time I had reading this book. A real page turner,thrilling and filled up with so much details. This book contain a lot of suspense. When love,sci Fi and action collide!!!
You have to read it !!!!

[Abbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cahill creates a truly wondrous universe with interesting and endearing characters who take you on a wild, mindbending adventure through space and time. The really impressive attention to detail in describing the science and technology of this alternate universe makes you believe in the future possibilities of our own. Gradient is a supremely enjoyable read that will leave you hoping for many more tales and adventures to come.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gradient is epic in scope and echoes many scifi themes but makes them original. I thought of Star Trek, Matrix, Star Trek Deep Space Nine, themes of future and alien life mixed with ancient religions, world building etc. The novel bounces between a straight narrative following the main protagonist Oren and then takes us into his current assignment where the novel veers into a world where nothing is as it seems, years can go by and the reader is not sure where truth begins and possible hallucinations take hold. My only criticism is felt the book was overly long and while I finished it and enjoyed it very much I had trouble sticking with it and in parts found it confusing. Overall though the novel is so ambitious and beautifully written it is definitely worth your time.

[Kristen TenDyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling, gripping and a constant page turner! I loved reading this. It felt suspenseful, with many unexpected details. A beautiful, action filled, sci-fi, love story.

[Charles Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

"GRADIENT is a sprawling yet intimate debut sci-fi novel by Anders Cahill. Cahill covers questions like sustainability, the nature of consciousness, and power and civilization, all with a deft hand. The story is set in a distant yet familiar future involving the colonization of many different planets. If you enjoy worlds glimmering with wonder and populated by compelling, interesting characters with story arcs that span centuries, this is the book for you. Fans of Lovecraft, Heinlein, and Robert Jordan will find a sure ally in this book."

[Shatasha]

This book is great from beginning to end. I was very impressed with the author's choice of setting, and the character development of Oren is spot on. Great book.