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First Contact
But The Stars
"But the stars that marked our starting fall away.
We must go deeper into greater pain,
for it is not permitted that we stay."
–Dante Alighieri, Inferno, 1301 AD
At the start of the 22nd century, the starship Acheron is in orbit around WISE 5571 only, unbeknownst to the crew, the ship has been overrun by telepathic extraterrestrials. How do you fight an enemy that distorts everything you see? What do you do when you can't trust your own senses, let alone anyone around you?
We must go deeper into greater pain,
for it is not permitted that we stay."
–Dante Alighieri, Inferno, 1301 AD
At the start of the 22nd century, the starship Acheron is in orbit around WISE 5571 only, unbeknownst to the crew, the ship has been overrun by telepathic extraterrestrials. How do you fight an enemy that distorts everything you see? What do you do when you can't trust your own senses, let alone anyone around you?
449 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2020
391 people are currently reading
411 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
May 18, 2020
In the most recent of Australian Peter Cawdron‘s eleven standalone novels on the theme of First Contact, there’s action aplenty. But the most meaningful developments are best described as psychological and philosophical. The small human crew on the spaceship Acheron never see any physical manifestation of the aliens they encounter. They merely feel the creatures’ presence, which alters their perception and their consciousness. A philosopher might call But the Stars a novel about epistemology. In other words, this novel describes an alien encounter that raises questions about the nature of reality.
Unsurprisingly, then, this novel is slow-going at times, because it’s so confusing to follow the perceptions of the crew. They, of course, are themselves confused.
An alien encounter 100 years away from Earth
The Acheron has sped eighty-eight light years at 96% of the speed of light toward a fictional star called WISE 5571. The ship has landed on a rocky planet known only as P4. Twenty-five years have elapsed on board, although the crew has been in stasis nearly all the way and have not aged appreciably. (More than ninety years have passed on Earth.)
Soon after landing, they come into “contact” with intelligent aliens who “can’t read minds, but they can manipulate thoughts.” In short order, the crew is profoundly disoriented. As one asks, “Who am I really? I’m conscious, but I can’t explain what that means or why I happen to be me.”
Eventually, life on board the Acheron becomes even more confusing, as the ship’s doctor learns that at least one member of the crew has been replaced by an alien and is stirring up conflict.
Spaceship design, time dilation, and the likelihood of an alien encounter
As usual in these First Contact novels, Cawdron depicts a fascinating future reality grounded (largely) in known science. The spaceship he describes in this novel illustrates some of the best thinking about how such a craft might be constructed. And, in an intriguing Afterword, he discusses the science of time dilation at speeds approaching the speed of light. As he notes, “things get complicated close to the speed of light.” His explanation is, pardon the expression, illuminating.
Cawdron also remarks on the physical basis for understanding why it seems likely that life exists elsewhere in the universe. “Theory suggests,” he writes, “life will arise naturally given the right circumstances, as life is the optimal way to redistribute energy—and physics loves efficiency.”
An alien encounter novel rooted in the classics
Cawdron notes in his Afterword that “But the Stars is based on a quote from Dante Aligheri’s 14th century poem The Divine Comedy. ‘But the stars that marked our starting fall away. We must go deeper into greater pain, for it is not permitted that we stay.'”
Unsurprisingly, then, this novel is slow-going at times, because it’s so confusing to follow the perceptions of the crew. They, of course, are themselves confused.
An alien encounter 100 years away from Earth
The Acheron has sped eighty-eight light years at 96% of the speed of light toward a fictional star called WISE 5571. The ship has landed on a rocky planet known only as P4. Twenty-five years have elapsed on board, although the crew has been in stasis nearly all the way and have not aged appreciably. (More than ninety years have passed on Earth.)
Soon after landing, they come into “contact” with intelligent aliens who “can’t read minds, but they can manipulate thoughts.” In short order, the crew is profoundly disoriented. As one asks, “Who am I really? I’m conscious, but I can’t explain what that means or why I happen to be me.”
Eventually, life on board the Acheron becomes even more confusing, as the ship’s doctor learns that at least one member of the crew has been replaced by an alien and is stirring up conflict.
Spaceship design, time dilation, and the likelihood of an alien encounter
As usual in these First Contact novels, Cawdron depicts a fascinating future reality grounded (largely) in known science. The spaceship he describes in this novel illustrates some of the best thinking about how such a craft might be constructed. And, in an intriguing Afterword, he discusses the science of time dilation at speeds approaching the speed of light. As he notes, “things get complicated close to the speed of light.” His explanation is, pardon the expression, illuminating.
Cawdron also remarks on the physical basis for understanding why it seems likely that life exists elsewhere in the universe. “Theory suggests,” he writes, “life will arise naturally given the right circumstances, as life is the optimal way to redistribute energy—and physics loves efficiency.”
An alien encounter novel rooted in the classics
Cawdron notes in his Afterword that “But the Stars is based on a quote from Dante Aligheri’s 14th century poem The Divine Comedy. ‘But the stars that marked our starting fall away. We must go deeper into greater pain, for it is not permitted that we stay.'”
December 27, 2022
A half decent premise, if not original, but tedious in the execution
I have read a lot of Cawdron's First Contact books and have enjoyed all of them more than this. They are generally a decent read. I found that the story structure of this one made for tedious reading. There is always potential mileage in the 'what is reality' theme, but in this case I found it unsatisfying and just wanted the book to end. When the setting finally moved on, the future was hastily drawn. I didn't really care about any of the characters and in any case, if we can never be sure whether what's happened to them is real or an illusion, why should we? The conversation at the end strives to be philosophical and profound, but just reads as the most unnatural conversation imaginable and isn't really either. Sorry, did not enjoy this one.
I have read a lot of Cawdron's First Contact books and have enjoyed all of them more than this. They are generally a decent read. I found that the story structure of this one made for tedious reading. There is always potential mileage in the 'what is reality' theme, but in this case I found it unsatisfying and just wanted the book to end. When the setting finally moved on, the future was hastily drawn. I didn't really care about any of the characters and in any case, if we can never be sure whether what's happened to them is real or an illusion, why should we? The conversation at the end strives to be philosophical and profound, but just reads as the most unnatural conversation imaginable and isn't really either. Sorry, did not enjoy this one.
April 17, 2021
“I am, therefore I think, I feel, I laugh and I love.”
In But the Stars, Peter Cawdron continues his excellent First Contact series by exploring what it means to be conscious. Even as humans set out to look for other life forms in the universe we have yet to answer the questions of; what is life, what is consciousness, and can different species communicate and get along.
After years of SETI programs looking for life out in space and dealing with the Fermi Paradox of “where is everyone”, some scientists, including the late Stephen Hawking, have become a little more cautious. In The Dark Forest by Chinese science fiction writer Liu Cixin, Cixin proposes that contacting aliens is a bad idea because a) we don’t have our own house in order and b) we have to assume that other intelligent life in the universe is hostile.
Just as humans are leery when meeting a stranger, First Contact must focus on intent. We need to convince the aliens that our intensions are peaceful (hopefully they will be) and hope that they can convince us of the same. Of course, since humans from different cultures, countries, religions, etc. have yet to figure out how to get along….
But the Stars starts out with the main character, Dante, waking up with few memories. After nearly three years in hyper-sleep, Dee knows that she and her shipmates made it to the planet, P4. Once there, however, for some reason that she cannot remember, they had to leave via an emergency evacuation. She now seems to be on a different ship, being seen by a nurse not from her crew, and the questions being posed to her feel more like an interrogation than checking on her health. So starts the adventure.
Once again Cawdron has created great characters and an interesting plot to explore First Contact. Not only is the story riveting, but running throughout the book are philosophical and scientific questions. Along with the characters you can ponder the questions of; what is life, what is consciousness, what is reality, where does life come from, and the biggest question of all, why?
My only complaint about this book is, having completed it, I only have two more in the series to read.
P.S. In the afterword Cawdron give a bit of the backstory to the book which involves Hugh Howey, the outstanding author of the Silo series. If you have not read Howey’s Silo books, drop everything and do so right away!
In But the Stars, Peter Cawdron continues his excellent First Contact series by exploring what it means to be conscious. Even as humans set out to look for other life forms in the universe we have yet to answer the questions of; what is life, what is consciousness, and can different species communicate and get along.
After years of SETI programs looking for life out in space and dealing with the Fermi Paradox of “where is everyone”, some scientists, including the late Stephen Hawking, have become a little more cautious. In The Dark Forest by Chinese science fiction writer Liu Cixin, Cixin proposes that contacting aliens is a bad idea because a) we don’t have our own house in order and b) we have to assume that other intelligent life in the universe is hostile.
Just as humans are leery when meeting a stranger, First Contact must focus on intent. We need to convince the aliens that our intensions are peaceful (hopefully they will be) and hope that they can convince us of the same. Of course, since humans from different cultures, countries, religions, etc. have yet to figure out how to get along….
But the Stars starts out with the main character, Dante, waking up with few memories. After nearly three years in hyper-sleep, Dee knows that she and her shipmates made it to the planet, P4. Once there, however, for some reason that she cannot remember, they had to leave via an emergency evacuation. She now seems to be on a different ship, being seen by a nurse not from her crew, and the questions being posed to her feel more like an interrogation than checking on her health. So starts the adventure.
Once again Cawdron has created great characters and an interesting plot to explore First Contact. Not only is the story riveting, but running throughout the book are philosophical and scientific questions. Along with the characters you can ponder the questions of; what is life, what is consciousness, what is reality, where does life come from, and the biggest question of all, why?
My only complaint about this book is, having completed it, I only have two more in the series to read.
P.S. In the afterword Cawdron give a bit of the backstory to the book which involves Hugh Howey, the outstanding author of the Silo series. If you have not read Howey’s Silo books, drop everything and do so right away!
April 5, 2020
Yet Another Great Read.
Another unputdownable, thought provoking novel. This author has one hell of a big, roomy mind. Even the afterward of each of Mr Cawdron's books gives fascinating insights into how he came up with the ideas for the story, at the same time your own knowledge of our world, and of the universe is enriched. We are all made up of a few atomic elements, but, luckily for us, some extra special ones just happened to bind together to create this brilliant author.
Another unputdownable, thought provoking novel. This author has one hell of a big, roomy mind. Even the afterward of each of Mr Cawdron's books gives fascinating insights into how he came up with the ideas for the story, at the same time your own knowledge of our world, and of the universe is enriched. We are all made up of a few atomic elements, but, luckily for us, some extra special ones just happened to bind together to create this brilliant author.
April 10, 2020
Right up there with some of Cawdron’s best, I was hovering between a 4 and 5 star rating until the last third of the book. The tension increases spectacularly, and the final act is so climactic and emotionally powerful that I want to go back and read the thing from the start all over again to catch the nuances. Cawdron’s first contact scenarios are all exciting, thought-provoking and almost unparalleled melds of science, philosophy and morality. This one fizzed along at a brilliant pace and is going into my enjoyed pile of treasured rereads.
April 2, 2020
Great twisty-turny plot, and fun to read
I’ve read just about everything Peter has published, but this book was different — so many plot twists, consistent with the concept, of course. And the character development was just great. This may be Peter’s best work to date, in my opinion.
I’ve read just about everything Peter has published, but this book was different — so many plot twists, consistent with the concept, of course. And the character development was just great. This may be Peter’s best work to date, in my opinion.
January 30, 2022
I liked most of the books from this author, but this one is a exhaustive description of how unintelligent bright scientists struggle to differentiate reality from alien mind manipulation with poor rational thinking.
February 23, 2022
Også ei god bok, men eg får framleis følelsen av at forfattaren har lært noko nytt og spennande om fysikk og universet, og så berre mååå fortelja det vidare. Så du får ein del veldig godt kjente fysikktema inn med teskei.
Det er greitt nok at han vil ha med desse detaljane, men korfor ha det i dialogen? Vi følger mannskapet på eit romskip, dei treng ikkje undervise kvarandre i ganske grunnleggande fysikk.
Det er greitt nok at han vil ha med desse detaljane, men korfor ha det i dialogen? Vi følger mannskapet på eit romskip, dei treng ikkje undervise kvarandre i ganske grunnleggande fysikk.
September 7, 2024
I seek out first contact stories so I have read a few Peter Cawdron novels. This one didn't do much for me. I found the premise interesting but, over time, found all the philosophizing... well, tedious. I didn't care much about the characters and the story just never really 'took off". That said, this iteration of first contact as a mind control experiment was unexpected and creative. Three stars.. and I'll definitively keep sampling from the Cawdron First Contact library.
July 10, 2020
But the Stars…I think this is something that all of us think about at some point at our lives, whether as a child, a teenager, or possibly into adulthood, you can’t help but stop, and stare into the night sky at some point and stare at the beautiful star scape that makes up our night sky.
And it is the Stars and their Position in the night sky that makes such a difference in this
This is a stunning look at the human psyche, delving into the human soul, exploring what are we, what makes us Human?
The story revolves around the crew of the Acheron that have gone to the planet WISE 5571 to explore the planet. The crew are deep space explorers, investigating planets that are possibilities for Human colonisation in the future.
However, as they come into range of the planet, they are set upon by an Alien presence, one that initially, they have no idea that they are even in contact with.
The story is told mainly from the point of Dante (or Dee), the ships Doctor. Dante is a wonderful character, as we get to explore the events from her point of view, seeing everything from inside her head, it is utterly fascinating watching her unravel different things, and the path she takes. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but Dante’s mind is obviously gifted, she has numerous degrees, and has passed insurmountable odds to be on the crew, and even though there is the ships Commander – “Cap” – it is quite clear that the crew of the ship have huge respect for her, and defer to her as well. As we move through the story, it becomes more and more enthralling, and you find that you are completely captivated, trying to work out, what is real? What is simulation?
I work intensely with simulation work, (including the concept of using human in the loop simulations), and found Cawdron’s descriptions (as well as his obvious research on the content), to be compelling, as well as exceptionally well written.
We are told in the synopsis that the crew has been taken, but it is not for some time in the actual story that the crew of 9 Humans actually work out that they are in the thrall of an Alien presence. Dante does have interactions with the ships A.I., and this interaction is one of the really interesting and clever parts of the book. Jeeves IV is a rather fascinating character in this book, but of course, (without spoilers), it is very obvious why he isn’t in later parts.
One of the really clever, and extraordinary parts of this story, and again, showing how Cawdron is a true Master of Character Driven Stories, is the interactions between the crew. This is, at heart, a psychological thriller, with a Sci-fi twist, and the dialogue and exchanges between the Dante and each of the individual crew as she tries to uncover the truth, are not only gripping and intense, but totally inspired.
As I stated at the start, this story really delves into what it is to be Human, peeling back each layer of our Humanity, looking at the physicality, and delving into multiple different aspects of the mind. It is such a riveting journey as Cawdron uses his Main Character to go between each of the other Secondary Characters and kind of ‘interrogate’ them, but through a simulation, without them knowing it, and at the same time, watching as within the simulation, they are pulled apart piece by piece to see what makes us tick (metaphorically speaking of course – well most of the time – but you will have to read to find out!!)
But the Stars is a First Contact in which things have gone wrong for the crew, they are being held and subject to a simulated environment (and for those reading other reviews – No it is not “Groundhog day”, as this would require the same simulation over and over, which was not the case, constructive criticism is helpful, reviews in which facts are not correct don’t help anyone). The simulations themselves are just remarkable, so intricate, but with issues that I won’t discuss to give away spoilers. Again, from someone who has done testing, from a technical point of view, the concept is very clever, given how in-depth it went, and the nature of the simulations. A lot of thought went into this part of the story, giving it a lot of realism and making it exceptionally well done.
For anyone who loves a good First Contact (possibly with a bit of a twist), and certainly with outstanding Characters providing an exceptional storyline that will keep you totally engaged, (glued to it until you finish!).
Cawdron has again produced another Masterpiece in his already Exceptional Library of Alien Contact stories, this is a worthy addition. You don’t even have to like Sci-Fi to read this, it is such a great Psychological Thriller, it will appeal to a great audience, as well as those you love Sci-Fi – Don’t miss out!!
And it is the Stars and their Position in the night sky that makes such a difference in this
This is a stunning look at the human psyche, delving into the human soul, exploring what are we, what makes us Human?
The story revolves around the crew of the Acheron that have gone to the planet WISE 5571 to explore the planet. The crew are deep space explorers, investigating planets that are possibilities for Human colonisation in the future.
However, as they come into range of the planet, they are set upon by an Alien presence, one that initially, they have no idea that they are even in contact with.
The story is told mainly from the point of Dante (or Dee), the ships Doctor. Dante is a wonderful character, as we get to explore the events from her point of view, seeing everything from inside her head, it is utterly fascinating watching her unravel different things, and the path she takes. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but Dante’s mind is obviously gifted, she has numerous degrees, and has passed insurmountable odds to be on the crew, and even though there is the ships Commander – “Cap” – it is quite clear that the crew of the ship have huge respect for her, and defer to her as well. As we move through the story, it becomes more and more enthralling, and you find that you are completely captivated, trying to work out, what is real? What is simulation?
I work intensely with simulation work, (including the concept of using human in the loop simulations), and found Cawdron’s descriptions (as well as his obvious research on the content), to be compelling, as well as exceptionally well written.
We are told in the synopsis that the crew has been taken, but it is not for some time in the actual story that the crew of 9 Humans actually work out that they are in the thrall of an Alien presence. Dante does have interactions with the ships A.I., and this interaction is one of the really interesting and clever parts of the book. Jeeves IV is a rather fascinating character in this book, but of course, (without spoilers), it is very obvious why he isn’t in later parts.
One of the really clever, and extraordinary parts of this story, and again, showing how Cawdron is a true Master of Character Driven Stories, is the interactions between the crew. This is, at heart, a psychological thriller, with a Sci-fi twist, and the dialogue and exchanges between the Dante and each of the individual crew as she tries to uncover the truth, are not only gripping and intense, but totally inspired.
As I stated at the start, this story really delves into what it is to be Human, peeling back each layer of our Humanity, looking at the physicality, and delving into multiple different aspects of the mind. It is such a riveting journey as Cawdron uses his Main Character to go between each of the other Secondary Characters and kind of ‘interrogate’ them, but through a simulation, without them knowing it, and at the same time, watching as within the simulation, they are pulled apart piece by piece to see what makes us tick (metaphorically speaking of course – well most of the time – but you will have to read to find out!!)
But the Stars is a First Contact in which things have gone wrong for the crew, they are being held and subject to a simulated environment (and for those reading other reviews – No it is not “Groundhog day”, as this would require the same simulation over and over, which was not the case, constructive criticism is helpful, reviews in which facts are not correct don’t help anyone). The simulations themselves are just remarkable, so intricate, but with issues that I won’t discuss to give away spoilers. Again, from someone who has done testing, from a technical point of view, the concept is very clever, given how in-depth it went, and the nature of the simulations. A lot of thought went into this part of the story, giving it a lot of realism and making it exceptionally well done.
For anyone who loves a good First Contact (possibly with a bit of a twist), and certainly with outstanding Characters providing an exceptional storyline that will keep you totally engaged, (glued to it until you finish!).
Cawdron has again produced another Masterpiece in his already Exceptional Library of Alien Contact stories, this is a worthy addition. You don’t even have to like Sci-Fi to read this, it is such a great Psychological Thriller, it will appeal to a great audience, as well as those you love Sci-Fi – Don’t miss out!!
February 24, 2024
It's only January, so saying this is my favorite book of the year doesn't have much impact. So, I have to say this book has made my top 3 books of all time. This is an outstanding book, genius level. As I sit here to try to review this, I'm at a loss for words. Everything was just so... Read it for yourself, and find out!
December 21, 2021
Story starts off repeating & continued to repeat til I had to abandon it. Sad. I love this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2020
Another excellent book from my favourite writer!
As I was reading the book I went through these 4 stages.
Excitement --> Confusion --> Frustration --> Mind-blow!
The middle of the book was a bit confusing as I wasn't sure, who to trust anymore. It was frustrating and I really felt for the main character.
However at the end of the story there was a big plot twist and it raised very interesting questions of who are we, is this world we live in real or is it just a simulation? What is real, how can we determine this?
The saying ''You are dust and to dust you shall return.'' gained a completely new meaning.
As I was reading the book I went through these 4 stages.
Excitement --> Confusion --> Frustration --> Mind-blow!
The middle of the book was a bit confusing as I wasn't sure, who to trust anymore. It was frustrating and I really felt for the main character.
However at the end of the story there was a big plot twist and it raised very interesting questions of who are we, is this world we live in real or is it just a simulation? What is real, how can we determine this?
The saying ''You are dust and to dust you shall return.'' gained a completely new meaning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2021
Another awesome book
As always seems to happen with this author, I've blown way past my bedtime because I just couldn't put it down! If you like stories that make you think, you'll like this. If you're looking for a story that tells you how to think, or has no depth, just action, then you probably won't appreciate this book.
I also loved the notes at the end of the book, I like how he explains some of the science used in the story, and OF COURSE I find out he hangs out with Hugh Howey, another of my favorite indie authors. Good to know, and it makes me happy to know they're friends as they're both amazing authors.
As always seems to happen with this author, I've blown way past my bedtime because I just couldn't put it down! If you like stories that make you think, you'll like this. If you're looking for a story that tells you how to think, or has no depth, just action, then you probably won't appreciate this book.
I also loved the notes at the end of the book, I like how he explains some of the science used in the story, and OF COURSE I find out he hangs out with Hugh Howey, another of my favorite indie authors. Good to know, and it makes me happy to know they're friends as they're both amazing authors.
February 17, 2021
Um!?!? Wait, what!?!? Ok ok, you got to stay with it. This one is deep. It starts off slow with the main characters stuck in some simulation that keeps restarting but is different each time, and little be little they start to notice and figure things out. Around a little over the half way make... I think. The ending is a bit of a twist and even the main characters wonder if they ever really escaped the simulations they were in. Long time fan of Peter Cawdrons work and this one didn't disappoint.
August 16, 2021
Disjointed!!! One of Cawdron's worst. When the plot falters he throws in a new scenario. Characters die, resurrect them in the next chapter. Have them awake in a new century. Very disappointing.
August 25, 2021
Not my favorite
Love this series and so far each book.... this was not my favorite. Could not get into it, yet each of the others so far have gripped me. Moving on to the next
Love this series and so far each book.... this was not my favorite. Could not get into it, yet each of the others so far have gripped me. Moving on to the next
August 12, 2022
But the Stars is one of Peter Cawdron's most difficult books to read, but if you stay with it until the end, it is quite rewarding.
This is a psychological thriller wrapped up in a sci-fi First Contact story. I won't go into detail about the story because others have already done that before me. Rather, I would like to review the writing of the story.
Cawdron is a master of character development. That's why he can write more than 20 First Contact books and have different stories and characters in each, rather than sequels with the same already developed characters. In this book, he explores the characters that interact with the main protagonist as she attempts to determine what exactly is happening to the crew of her ship. The development of her character and the interactions she has with the other crew members is extraordinary. To make points that are perfectly clear, Cawdron sometimes gets wordy but is usually succinct enough to keep from boring the reader.
This book is so deep into the psychology and philosophy of what is real, what is reality, and why we are existing, it is a book that should be read more than once to completely understand and appreciate just how good of an author Peter Cawdron is. And as is the case with all his books, he explains in his afterword the science behind the story. His explanation of what happens when something travels close to the speed of light was one of the highlights of the entire book for me.
If the reader is looking for pure science fiction, you may want to try one of Cawdron's other books before this one. But if you want to twist your mind into a pretzel, this book will do it. I strongly recommend this book and give it five stars, although, in my opinion, it is subpar to some of his later work.
This is a psychological thriller wrapped up in a sci-fi First Contact story. I won't go into detail about the story because others have already done that before me. Rather, I would like to review the writing of the story.
Cawdron is a master of character development. That's why he can write more than 20 First Contact books and have different stories and characters in each, rather than sequels with the same already developed characters. In this book, he explores the characters that interact with the main protagonist as she attempts to determine what exactly is happening to the crew of her ship. The development of her character and the interactions she has with the other crew members is extraordinary. To make points that are perfectly clear, Cawdron sometimes gets wordy but is usually succinct enough to keep from boring the reader.
This book is so deep into the psychology and philosophy of what is real, what is reality, and why we are existing, it is a book that should be read more than once to completely understand and appreciate just how good of an author Peter Cawdron is. And as is the case with all his books, he explains in his afterword the science behind the story. His explanation of what happens when something travels close to the speed of light was one of the highlights of the entire book for me.
If the reader is looking for pure science fiction, you may want to try one of Cawdron's other books before this one. But if you want to twist your mind into a pretzel, this book will do it. I strongly recommend this book and give it five stars, although, in my opinion, it is subpar to some of his later work.
December 15, 2025
The first couple of chapters made my heart race, and that's rare for me, so kudos to Peter Cawdron for that; he sure knows how to start strong.
Unfortunately, the story starts to devolve into tired repetition around the halfway mark. The book's core questions --What is life? Is there an objective reality? What is the is the value of the human condition?-- are heady and ambitious, but the exploration of these questions doesn't go much past philosophy 101. By the third iteration of Descartes, I got the point, but the book saw fit to walk me through several more intrusive asides anyway.
There is a conciseness, even parsimony, in great writing that separates it from the sophomoric, and it is not in evidence here. In addition to some eyebrow-raising word choices ("slither" is used instead of "sliver" at least twice), the prose around the central questions in But The Stars eventually becomes repetitive to the point of being self-indulgent. By the end of the book, I was more frustrated with the scattershot narrative than I was engaged in trying to piece together a mystery.
Despite its flaws, I think this book could have turned things around and redeemed itself with an ending that faced the terrors of space travel and the ineffability of first contact head-on. Instead, the final act takes a hard right turn into what can only be described as a hostile takeover by another, more derivative novel, and in just a couple short chapters, the author manages to throw what little atmosphere he had remaining both literally and figuratively out the window, leaving only unanswered questions that I was too disappointed and upset to care about.
Unfortunately, the story starts to devolve into tired repetition around the halfway mark. The book's core questions --What is life? Is there an objective reality? What is the is the value of the human condition?-- are heady and ambitious, but the exploration of these questions doesn't go much past philosophy 101. By the third iteration of Descartes, I got the point, but the book saw fit to walk me through several more intrusive asides anyway.
There is a conciseness, even parsimony, in great writing that separates it from the sophomoric, and it is not in evidence here. In addition to some eyebrow-raising word choices ("slither" is used instead of "sliver" at least twice), the prose around the central questions in But The Stars eventually becomes repetitive to the point of being self-indulgent. By the end of the book, I was more frustrated with the scattershot narrative than I was engaged in trying to piece together a mystery.
Despite its flaws, I think this book could have turned things around and redeemed itself with an ending that faced the terrors of space travel and the ineffability of first contact head-on. Instead, the final act takes a hard right turn into what can only be described as a hostile takeover by another, more derivative novel, and in just a couple short chapters, the author manages to throw what little atmosphere he had remaining both literally and figuratively out the window, leaving only unanswered questions that I was too disappointed and upset to care about.
February 23, 2025
I give this a 4.5. Now this book gave me the chills as it tapped into one of my great fears. The crew of the Acheron is out in deep space and their ship has been overrun by extraterrestrials with telepathic powers. They control what the crew experiences through their senses, manipulating what they see, hear and experience. Dante, ship's doctor, attempts to sort through her memories and determine what is real. And that is the essence of the novel. What is real? Who is human and who is alien? Why are the aliens creating the experiences of the crew after every "reset" or when one experience seems to terminate and the crew wakes to be in another situation. After maybe three such "reset" experiences, I believe I would have turned to madness to avoid the sheer terror of not knowing what was real, who was really who they appeared to be and what was coming next. The idea that an alien intelligence could conquer us, not with weapons that explode and wreck our physical environment, but by capturing our minds and our experience of life is terrifying. A terror with no ending. Thought-provoking, horrifying, and heart-breaking, another fantastic story by Cawdron.
March 31, 2024
Cameron continues to inspire and scare the bejezzus out of me
My fifth of Peter Cameron's First Contact series. As always his visions of First Contact are insightful and much more about who WE are than about who or what THEY are. Also science. Even when we don't know how some seemingly magical aspect of our own or of extraterrestrial technology works, Cawdron gives us some of the best tools currently available to human beings to demystify it. Often the
result is not an explanation but
almost always an exploration of possibilities in the physical world.
While Cameron has some faults as a writer he clearly loves to tell stories. So when I step back from whatever criticism I have of some aspects of But the Stars, I again find myself saying "OK I'll read the next book in the
series." At the end of the day that feeling of wanting to hear one more story seems to me as good a congratulations to confer on the author as any.
My fifth of Peter Cameron's First Contact series. As always his visions of First Contact are insightful and much more about who WE are than about who or what THEY are. Also science. Even when we don't know how some seemingly magical aspect of our own or of extraterrestrial technology works, Cawdron gives us some of the best tools currently available to human beings to demystify it. Often the
result is not an explanation but
almost always an exploration of possibilities in the physical world.
While Cameron has some faults as a writer he clearly loves to tell stories. So when I step back from whatever criticism I have of some aspects of But the Stars, I again find myself saying "OK I'll read the next book in the
series." At the end of the day that feeling of wanting to hear one more story seems to me as good a congratulations to confer on the author as any.
April 7, 2020
A SIMPLE MAN'S REVIEW:
I'm a huge Cawdron fan, so when he drops a new book, I'm already halfway to Amazon to buy it. I don't know how many different ways he can figure for our first encounter with aliens, but I'm on board for each and every one!
This story is one part whodunit and one part philosophy course - all set on a starship in the depths of space. The crew has encountered aliens, but their reality might be something different. Which causes discussions about the nature of reality and what it means to be alive.
If you've read any of Cawdron's previous work, you know that the story moves fast, the characters are likable, and the ideas presented are interesting. And with his books being as affordable as they are, he is the best deal in science fiction.
Read it!
I'm a huge Cawdron fan, so when he drops a new book, I'm already halfway to Amazon to buy it. I don't know how many different ways he can figure for our first encounter with aliens, but I'm on board for each and every one!
This story is one part whodunit and one part philosophy course - all set on a starship in the depths of space. The crew has encountered aliens, but their reality might be something different. Which causes discussions about the nature of reality and what it means to be alive.
If you've read any of Cawdron's previous work, you know that the story moves fast, the characters are likable, and the ideas presented are interesting. And with his books being as affordable as they are, he is the best deal in science fiction.
Read it!
May 19, 2021
Cogito ergo sum
How does one review a story that asks an age old question that has NEVER been answered, "How do we know what's real?" How do we even know we exist? Cawdron goes on too long in this book in what my creative writing instructor called "Dream Sequence" where anything goes. In a dream sequence you can write whatever you wish and does not have to be logica or sequential, so "sequence" is kind of a misnomer. I found myself not just skipping pages in this book, but skipping chapters. In the end, like so many philosophers of old, you cannot know that answer and simply say, "I think, therefore I am." Right or wrong that's all we can do. As a result, this story dragged on and on repeating the same question in different scenarios.
How does one review a story that asks an age old question that has NEVER been answered, "How do we know what's real?" How do we even know we exist? Cawdron goes on too long in this book in what my creative writing instructor called "Dream Sequence" where anything goes. In a dream sequence you can write whatever you wish and does not have to be logica or sequential, so "sequence" is kind of a misnomer. I found myself not just skipping pages in this book, but skipping chapters. In the end, like so many philosophers of old, you cannot know that answer and simply say, "I think, therefore I am." Right or wrong that's all we can do. As a result, this story dragged on and on repeating the same question in different scenarios.
December 15, 2022
Amazingly creative and absolutely frustrating.
Probably the most insidious horror / sci-fi story I've ever read.
The most disturbing dreams to me are the ones you wake up from and believe the events really happened.
Now take that premise and make it your entire life. Are you in an illusion now, were you previously? Is this the past or the future. You never quite know if anything that happens in this book is real because the characters don't know. The plot is a feat of storytelling - until the author wanders off into mundane, mostly boring memories which don't have much to do with the story. You could literally cut a 100 pages and not miss them at all.
If you can manage to get through those long passages of frustrating nothingness, what is left is genius though.
Probably the most insidious horror / sci-fi story I've ever read.
The most disturbing dreams to me are the ones you wake up from and believe the events really happened.
Now take that premise and make it your entire life. Are you in an illusion now, were you previously? Is this the past or the future. You never quite know if anything that happens in this book is real because the characters don't know. The plot is a feat of storytelling - until the author wanders off into mundane, mostly boring memories which don't have much to do with the story. You could literally cut a 100 pages and not miss them at all.
If you can manage to get through those long passages of frustrating nothingness, what is left is genius though.
April 30, 2020
My 5th Peter Cawdron book, I've started my 6th. A great author, engaging characters that you care about, amazing unique thought provocating plots. What is reality? What is real? If you think it is real, is it real? How to deal with your reality being manipulated? What does it mean to be a living conscious being? To be human? To be alien? What do you believe in? Why do you believe it? When you can't trust your senses what do you trust? Just a few of the ideas in this great novel. Not an easy read, you must immerse & commit yourself fully & enjoy the ride. What a ride it is. Strap in & let go.
July 7, 2020
Easy recommend on this. Cawdron at his best. Not all his first contact books are true page turners. All have great thought put in to them and are well crafted Some are cute (Hello World). Some are just fine (Ezekiel). Some have some plot holes but otherwise worth a read (Feedback). Some are really cool and fun (Little Green Men). This one is excellent.
Ripped through this one. Couldn't put it down. Keeping you guessing. Questioning yourself. Great dialogue and knowledge and philosophy thrown in. Has action, but the suspense is what keeps you going.
You're just not sure what to believe.
Ripped through this one. Couldn't put it down. Keeping you guessing. Questioning yourself. Great dialogue and knowledge and philosophy thrown in. Has action, but the suspense is what keeps you going.
You're just not sure what to believe.
November 7, 2020
Direct na 3zekiel van dezelfde auteur gelezen en ik vond deze persoonlijk iets minder boeiend dan 3zekiel, maar zeker de moeite waard. Het verhaal gaat over een groep astronauten die in contact komen met buitenaardse wezens met telepathische vermogens. De hoofdpersoon Danté (dat ligt er misschien iets te dik bovenop) heeft als eerste door dat er iets mis is en wat volgt is een spannend spelletje "Wie is de Mol?" in de ruimte. De spanning en onzekerheid lopen hoog op en uiteindelijk heeft het boek ook nog wat interessante doordenkers over de aard en waarde (of het gebrek daaraan) van het leven.
January 9, 2023
Well then
...this was an interesting read. The premise of the aliens altering perceptions is nothing new. Heck, I'm currently going through another watch through of Doctor Who, finished The Silence story arc the other night. Similar concept, but with a different twist. The resets got a bit annoying at times, specially the first couple of chapters. I kept wondering when it would get to the actual alien part, which is technically never did. Cawdron purposely left the aliens true forms ambiguous, hinting at something, but then quickly excusing it as a trick of the brain.
Overall, i enjoyed the story.
...this was an interesting read. The premise of the aliens altering perceptions is nothing new. Heck, I'm currently going through another watch through of Doctor Who, finished The Silence story arc the other night. Similar concept, but with a different twist. The resets got a bit annoying at times, specially the first couple of chapters. I kept wondering when it would get to the actual alien part, which is technically never did. Cawdron purposely left the aliens true forms ambiguous, hinting at something, but then quickly excusing it as a trick of the brain.
Overall, i enjoyed the story.
April 28, 2023
I burned through this in a couple days. It has a great premise: an exploratory starship has been taken over by mind-manipulating aliens who conceal their presence from the crew. The aliens' imperfect understanding of humanity causes them to slip sometimes, and the crew gradually piece together most of what has happened to them. From there it's an escalating battle of wits as both sides display an ability to learn and adapt.
Some of the prose is a little bumpy and the ending, for my tastes, ran soft, but for most of the book it's exactly the thriller it promises, and I enjoyed it a great deal.
Some of the prose is a little bumpy and the ending, for my tastes, ran soft, but for most of the book it's exactly the thriller it promises, and I enjoyed it a great deal.
November 7, 2025
What an excruciating read! I usually enjoy Peter Cawdron's books, but this book is infuriating.
Interesting premise but deplorable execution. I couldn't help but roll my eyes every time a character says some variation of "I don't understand". This book commits a capital sin so common in science fiction: writing space-faring characters with personalities so incompatible with a space mission. These characters wouldn't even be selected for space travel by any reputable institution in the first place!
At no point did I care about what would happen to any of the unlikeable characters. I simply wanted the book to end.
Interesting premise but deplorable execution. I couldn't help but roll my eyes every time a character says some variation of "I don't understand". This book commits a capital sin so common in science fiction: writing space-faring characters with personalities so incompatible with a space mission. These characters wouldn't even be selected for space travel by any reputable institution in the first place!
At no point did I care about what would happen to any of the unlikeable characters. I simply wanted the book to end.
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