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Oceanworlds
If you were in awe of books like The Martian and 2001: A Space Odyssey or movies like Interstellar and Apollo 13 , get ready for a story with the potential to leap from fiction into reality and become the greatest adventure on which humankind has ever embarked.
September 7 2030. Mission Day 1179 . Late at night inside the two-person Dragon spacecraft resting on the frozen surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, Derya Terzi put on headphones and became the first Earthling to hear the sloshing of the enormous subsurface ocean beneath his feet. Intoxicated with the promise of discovery, he could have sworn it was whispers between inscrutable creatures of the deep. He was convinced they were days away from settling the most profound and existential mystery known to are we alone in the universe ? But that was 10 days ago, before disaster struck. Now, marooned a billion miles from home, what the surviving crew is about to go through will shatter the limits of friendship, courage, and the human spirit.
“In addition to telling a truly immersive story – and one so realistic that the stakes always feel sky high – J.P. Landau continues the tradition of Sci-Fi meant to spur not just the imagination, but action toward a better future as well. He asks readers not simply to seriously consider the utility of space exploration, but to also remember how dangerous the journey will be – and how essential it is to the human condition.” — Kirkus Reviews
Before buying the book, please check out the Note to the Reader available in the “Look Inside!” feature.
September 7 2030. Mission Day 1179 . Late at night inside the two-person Dragon spacecraft resting on the frozen surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, Derya Terzi put on headphones and became the first Earthling to hear the sloshing of the enormous subsurface ocean beneath his feet. Intoxicated with the promise of discovery, he could have sworn it was whispers between inscrutable creatures of the deep. He was convinced they were days away from settling the most profound and existential mystery known to are we alone in the universe ? But that was 10 days ago, before disaster struck. Now, marooned a billion miles from home, what the surviving crew is about to go through will shatter the limits of friendship, courage, and the human spirit.
“In addition to telling a truly immersive story – and one so realistic that the stakes always feel sky high – J.P. Landau continues the tradition of Sci-Fi meant to spur not just the imagination, but action toward a better future as well. He asks readers not simply to seriously consider the utility of space exploration, but to also remember how dangerous the journey will be – and how essential it is to the human condition.” — Kirkus Reviews
Before buying the book, please check out the Note to the Reader available in the “Look Inside!” feature.
440 pages, paperback
First published April 10, 2019
675 people are currently reading
442 people want to read
About the author
J.P. Landau
1 book21 followersJ.P. LANDAU is a pseudonym.
The man behind it likes to think he's still in his early 30s, but that would only be possible if he had been Kerouac typing up On the Road. Instead, Oceanworlds took north of four years to complete. He does look and feel younger than he did in his mid-20s, when he worked in the cash-rich, soul-crushing world of investment finance. He cleansed for three years at Stanford, and afterward co-founded an energy storage company.
The man behind it likes to think he's still in his early 30s, but that would only be possible if he had been Kerouac typing up On the Road. Instead, Oceanworlds took north of four years to complete. He does look and feel younger than he did in his mid-20s, when he worked in the cash-rich, soul-crushing world of investment finance. He cleansed for three years at Stanford, and afterward co-founded an energy storage company.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
November 29, 2019
I do like a good ‘Oh no the earth is going to be destroyed, let's go into space’ story so I was looking forward to this.
This is a very science sci-fi book, I don’t mean that it was particularly hard or complicated, for the most part I was fine and I’m no expert, but there is a lot of information given. It is written as though it is in its entirety fact not fiction and a lot of it is indeed fact (where possible of course!) It started as a really interesting read but after a while I got bogged down with all the information provided - there is a lot of history here as well as science (history of science I might add). So much information, so many footnotes, which eventually just detract from the actual story, apparently this book took years to write and I am not surprised given the amount of research that must have gone into it with all the technical and historical details provided, but in the process it does feel a little over worked.
Having said all that about science and facts was also conversely have phrases like “The sky was filled with celestial majesty” - I felt like the writer was trying too hard to write beautifully and scientifically and be all things to all people. Also while I’m moaning about the writing I didn’t much care for the way we could read the thoughts of the characters (in italics), these thoughts came across as forced and trying to be charming or endearing in some way and not natural at all, although some of them are necessary to the story.
So on to the actual story/plot - The first 30% seems mainly fact and little fiction, then we get to that bit where we actually go into space! Once in space some interesting and dramatic events unfold and these should be exciting or exhilarating but they weren’t, maybe it’s just me but the author somehow managed to suck all the life out of it. In addition to this at points when something important was happening in space the story moved back to earth and whatever happened in space was glossed over with no further information! I was left thinking what the hell, is he deliberately making it as dull as possible?
This book was clearly not for me (with hindsight!), it’s something to get your teeth into if you really like lots of detailed information but I felt the excitement was seriously lacking although there were lots of really quite good ideas. This was an overworked sci-fi/fact book which at times read like a text book, and at the end of the book, when the story is over there is then just text book like explanations and details of almost everything that happened in the story.
Sadly this was a disappointing read for me and felt like a long slog reading it, it wasn’t completely terrible but it wasn’t great either, very underwhelming. Worth the effort? I’m honestly not sure, in bits it was, some bits were good but there was a lot of c**p to get through to get to them. I am giving it a rather harsh 2*/5, it’s a 2.5 at best in my humble opinion.
This is a very science sci-fi book, I don’t mean that it was particularly hard or complicated, for the most part I was fine and I’m no expert, but there is a lot of information given. It is written as though it is in its entirety fact not fiction and a lot of it is indeed fact (where possible of course!) It started as a really interesting read but after a while I got bogged down with all the information provided - there is a lot of history here as well as science (history of science I might add). So much information, so many footnotes, which eventually just detract from the actual story, apparently this book took years to write and I am not surprised given the amount of research that must have gone into it with all the technical and historical details provided, but in the process it does feel a little over worked.
Having said all that about science and facts was also conversely have phrases like “The sky was filled with celestial majesty” - I felt like the writer was trying too hard to write beautifully and scientifically and be all things to all people. Also while I’m moaning about the writing I didn’t much care for the way we could read the thoughts of the characters (in italics), these thoughts came across as forced and trying to be charming or endearing in some way and not natural at all, although some of them are necessary to the story.
So on to the actual story/plot - The first 30% seems mainly fact and little fiction, then we get to that bit where we actually go into space! Once in space some interesting and dramatic events unfold and these should be exciting or exhilarating but they weren’t, maybe it’s just me but the author somehow managed to suck all the life out of it. In addition to this at points when something important was happening in space the story moved back to earth and whatever happened in space was glossed over with no further information! I was left thinking what the hell, is he deliberately making it as dull as possible?
This book was clearly not for me (with hindsight!), it’s something to get your teeth into if you really like lots of detailed information but I felt the excitement was seriously lacking although there were lots of really quite good ideas. This was an overworked sci-fi/fact book which at times read like a text book, and at the end of the book, when the story is over there is then just text book like explanations and details of almost everything that happened in the story.
Sadly this was a disappointing read for me and felt like a long slog reading it, it wasn’t completely terrible but it wasn’t great either, very underwhelming. Worth the effort? I’m honestly not sure, in bits it was, some bits were good but there was a lot of c**p to get through to get to them. I am giving it a rather harsh 2*/5, it’s a 2.5 at best in my humble opinion.
August 16, 2020
I have read this because I enjoy Sci-Fi and am interested in space stories. I have really enjoyed the idea , the structure of the plot, and the passion behind it.
This is a good and accessible hard sci-fi (or maybe an adventure novel set in space) that asks to consider the significance of space exploration. It makes use of known, believable technology and the additional text in footnotes and appendices are testimony to the author's passionate interest in the topic and the admirable wish to present the material credibly- that alone is contagious. I cheer on the author's ambition to turn it into a movie; I think it would work very well in the movie format - I could see it as a film while reading.
It's well researched and factual, thoughtful about the whole idea and what we may have at stake and the adventure plot is good but character development is secondary and that has made the story a little less interesting for me.I didn't find the overall writing very compelling, it's competent and informed but somehow a little drier than I like, and so it didn't resonate with me, but the point and focus is to discuss space exploration and the need for it, along with its risks, dangers and possible outcomes. And that, along with the well arranged plot, is achieved very well.
We go on a journey to Saturn here, following a team of six pretty varied individuals. I liked some of them more than others. We follow in great detail the entire journey and I loved that because that gave the story a sense of completeness and progression and I did want to find out what else happens: from the conception of the idea, through preparation, the journey, what happens once they reach it and the journey back, along with some personal developments of the crew, and I liked the ending. Are the prices to pay worth the general outcome? And are we ready for it? There's quite a bit to think about regarding attitudes to space programmes, exploration and what is or isn't out there.
Despite the fact it didn't entirely mesmerise me as I hoped, I've found it to be very interesting and thoughtful, competently told. It leaves a good impression some time after reading, because it has good intentions and I will remember it more fondly than not. Space continues to fascinate me. I'll reread and reassess this one day.
This is a good and accessible hard sci-fi (or maybe an adventure novel set in space) that asks to consider the significance of space exploration. It makes use of known, believable technology and the additional text in footnotes and appendices are testimony to the author's passionate interest in the topic and the admirable wish to present the material credibly- that alone is contagious. I cheer on the author's ambition to turn it into a movie; I think it would work very well in the movie format - I could see it as a film while reading.
It's well researched and factual, thoughtful about the whole idea and what we may have at stake and the adventure plot is good but character development is secondary and that has made the story a little less interesting for me.I didn't find the overall writing very compelling, it's competent and informed but somehow a little drier than I like, and so it didn't resonate with me, but the point and focus is to discuss space exploration and the need for it, along with its risks, dangers and possible outcomes. And that, along with the well arranged plot, is achieved very well.
We go on a journey to Saturn here, following a team of six pretty varied individuals. I liked some of them more than others. We follow in great detail the entire journey and I loved that because that gave the story a sense of completeness and progression and I did want to find out what else happens: from the conception of the idea, through preparation, the journey, what happens once they reach it and the journey back, along with some personal developments of the crew, and I liked the ending. Are the prices to pay worth the general outcome? And are we ready for it? There's quite a bit to think about regarding attitudes to space programmes, exploration and what is or isn't out there.
Despite the fact it didn't entirely mesmerise me as I hoped, I've found it to be very interesting and thoughtful, competently told. It leaves a good impression some time after reading, because it has good intentions and I will remember it more fondly than not. Space continues to fascinate me. I'll reread and reassess this one day.
June 20, 2020
Intensely engaging, absolutely fascinating book.
This was an intense and totally absorbing book to read. My father worked for NASA so the stars are in my blood, so to find a work of fiction incorporating past and current space exploration and extrapolating into what might be was a moment of great joy. I appreciated also the footnotes and additional information. Thank you for putting your heart and time into writing this book.
This was an intense and totally absorbing book to read. My father worked for NASA so the stars are in my blood, so to find a work of fiction incorporating past and current space exploration and extrapolating into what might be was a moment of great joy. I appreciated also the footnotes and additional information. Thank you for putting your heart and time into writing this book.
June 5, 2019
This definitely comes under the heading of hard sci-fi. There is almost nothing here that isn't based on our current technology, or what we are likely to achieve in the next decade. Any moments that threaten to suspend disbelief - and there aren't many - come about from about from the actions of the characters rather than the technology. So the case could be made that this is really more of an adventure novel set in space, rather than sci-fi.
One of the things about writing science fiction set in such a familiar background, is that the reader is perhaps going to demand more realistic behaviour from the cast than they would if the novel were say, a space opera. Landau delivers on this - the characters all have believable motivations, including the supporting cast, and the near-future Earth he describes is certainly likely enough to come about.
Most of the tension comes from man vs environment, and space is certainly a very unforgiving environment, where almost any error can have catastrophic consequences. The book is probably a little longer than it really needed to be, and I think too much time was spent on the genesis of the mission, but I'm sure others will disagree. There are a lot of footnotes, almost all of which are quite informative.
One of the things about writing science fiction set in such a familiar background, is that the reader is perhaps going to demand more realistic behaviour from the cast than they would if the novel were say, a space opera. Landau delivers on this - the characters all have believable motivations, including the supporting cast, and the near-future Earth he describes is certainly likely enough to come about.
Most of the tension comes from man vs environment, and space is certainly a very unforgiving environment, where almost any error can have catastrophic consequences. The book is probably a little longer than it really needed to be, and I think too much time was spent on the genesis of the mission, but I'm sure others will disagree. There are a lot of footnotes, almost all of which are quite informative.
May 23, 2019
Mesmerizing.
I found myself taking every available minute to read some of this book. The story is gripping. The characters are compelling. And we're getting closer by the day to it not being impossible. At first I was irritated by the after chapter "explanation" chapters... But I soon grew to enjoy them. And having the option to skip them without losing the thread of the story was very nice. All in all... I'd recommend this book to anyone that likes a good space opera. But... even if you don't do space opera... keep in mind that this is something that's based on fact. The spaceship in the story is being built as I write this review. We'll get to live the history of watching humanity's first true spaceship be tested and succeed or fail. The heady days of Apollo making history are back.
I found myself taking every available minute to read some of this book. The story is gripping. The characters are compelling. And we're getting closer by the day to it not being impossible. At first I was irritated by the after chapter "explanation" chapters... But I soon grew to enjoy them. And having the option to skip them without losing the thread of the story was very nice. All in all... I'd recommend this book to anyone that likes a good space opera. But... even if you don't do space opera... keep in mind that this is something that's based on fact. The spaceship in the story is being built as I write this review. We'll get to live the history of watching humanity's first true spaceship be tested and succeed or fail. The heady days of Apollo making history are back.
May 3, 2019
Favorite book of 2019
I don’t usually post reviews but this time I had to. Oceanworlds is a marvelous book, with such an inspiring, entertaining and emotional storyline that I could simply not put it down. A definite must read for everyone!
I don’t usually post reviews but this time I had to. Oceanworlds is a marvelous book, with such an inspiring, entertaining and emotional storyline that I could simply not put it down. A definite must read for everyone!
June 10, 2019
A fascinating look at what space exploration could look like in our very near future, based on realistic extensions of currently available technology. I must confess that I've never been very sold on the importance of space exploration, but this book may have changed my mind about that. The science/technology is well-balanced with an engaging adventure narrative.
June 9, 2019
The absolute best
A wonderful plot grounded in real science. I am hoping for another book from this author soon. A truly fantastic read.
A wonderful plot grounded in real science. I am hoping for another book from this author soon. A truly fantastic read.
May 17, 2021
I don't know why I picked this book, as it's not my genre at all. Hard sci fi usually bores me silly. But I adored this! I was totally engrossed from the first chapter! It's all based in real science, and even when it pushes the limits, things stay believable. Characters are quite reductive (the Russian cosmonaut encapsulates every single Russian stereotype, for example). For example: One Asian, One woman, One American, One gay, One Russian. Even so, I was absolutely invested in their adventure! Six years in space and I was not bored for a single second. This book was a surprise and a delight and one of the best things I've read in years! Who the people were wasn't really important, it was what they were doing in the moment. I was carried along, belief fully suspended, all the way until the very end. Despite being based on science, the history of science, the potential of science, it's written at neither a pretentious/hard to understand level, nor does it talk down to the reader. It assumes you're smart enough to follow and I found the science subsumed by the story. Very enjoyable all the way through.
Note: I listened to the audio book version in my car, so I didn't have all the footnotes etc., but I believe either format would be good.
Note: I listened to the audio book version in my car, so I didn't have all the footnotes etc., but I believe either format would be good.
May 30, 2019
I read some reviews comparing this to "The Martian." I loved "The Martian" for all the reasons I didn't like Oceanworlds very much. First, the egregious amount of footnotes really took away from the story. Second, the plot was interesting, but the story of the astronauts actually making the trip seemed to be forgotten in the technical jargon. I found myself almost not remembering who a character was, because we hadn't heard about them for 50 pages. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but there is little story of the human side of going to Saturn. I didn't need a love fest, just a lot more people story and less (what seemed to me) "aren't I smart in knowing (or researching) all this extraneous information"?
May 26, 2019
Wonderful Space Exploration Novel: Real Characters @ Real Science!
Quite simply one of the best and most mind-bending SF books I've read in years. Brings back some of the wonder and awe of my mis-spent youth reading every SF book in the library. All grounded in scientific fact and tied up with a decorous ribbon of lovely storytelling. Huzzah!
Quite simply one of the best and most mind-bending SF books I've read in years. Brings back some of the wonder and awe of my mis-spent youth reading every SF book in the library. All grounded in scientific fact and tied up with a decorous ribbon of lovely storytelling. Huzzah!
November 4, 2019
Same quality as The Martian by Andy Weir
The out-of-this-world reality of the moons of Saturn make this a fantastic book (no need for fantasy to hold your interest): a mission to search for life in oceans beneath a moon's surface is described with the author's hope to spur us to actually do it. I sat in Mission Control (Johnson Space Center) at the last take-off from our moon, back in 1972 -- we've not had the inspiration sufficient to explore since JFK (and that was prompted by the Cold War with the USSR), so a manned mission to the moons of Saturn is rather unlikely. Next best is to read this book!
The out-of-this-world reality of the moons of Saturn make this a fantastic book (no need for fantasy to hold your interest): a mission to search for life in oceans beneath a moon's surface is described with the author's hope to spur us to actually do it. I sat in Mission Control (Johnson Space Center) at the last take-off from our moon, back in 1972 -- we've not had the inspiration sufficient to explore since JFK (and that was prompted by the Cold War with the USSR), so a manned mission to the moons of Saturn is rather unlikely. Next best is to read this book!
May 13, 2021
Plodding and Predictable
If you suffer from insomnia, this is the book for you. I managed to get through it, but it was a painful experience. Stilted dialogue and a plot that jumps around like someone with ADHD in a room full of shiny objects. Huge gaps in the storyline, and tangents that go nowhere. It reads more like some outline for a book rather than a complete manuscript.
If you suffer from insomnia, this is the book for you. I managed to get through it, but it was a painful experience. Stilted dialogue and a plot that jumps around like someone with ADHD in a room full of shiny objects. Huge gaps in the storyline, and tangents that go nowhere. It reads more like some outline for a book rather than a complete manuscript.
May 24, 2019
Awesome and Inspiring
This book is Inspirational! Fantastic plot, vast research and excellent character development make this one of the best Science Fiction stories I have ever read. Believable with great solid science! An excellent tale, and one I will reread!
This book is Inspirational! Fantastic plot, vast research and excellent character development make this one of the best Science Fiction stories I have ever read. Believable with great solid science! An excellent tale, and one I will reread!
October 27, 2021
Fun science and an exciting read. I actually liked the footnotes. However I think the female characters were problematic, as they seemed to be used for emotional effect and were not very believable as people. FYI, male writers: women don't ever think of ourselves as lacking penises. That said, I still enjoyed it and would read more from the author.
June 23, 2019
Real science and current knowledge, combine in a great novel.
If you enjoy science fiction why not learn a lot about real science in light of current knowledge and actual potential
space travel.
The best book I have read in quite a while.
If you enjoy science fiction why not learn a lot about real science in light of current knowledge and actual potential
space travel.
The best book I have read in quite a while.
December 16, 2019
This was an amazing read! Titanium steel hard Sci Fi presented in a thrilling story all the way through. With footnotes, even! Intensely interesting footnotes to me, but no loss to the story at all if they were skipped.
If you liked the Martian, you need to read this.
If you liked the Martian, you need to read this.
January 9, 2020
Oceanworlds (Kindle Edition) by J.P. Landau
So boring I couldn't finish it.
So boring I couldn't finish it.
August 24, 2024
I am not gonna lie. I can be picky about my books. That being said, I still appreciate a book even if it didn't fit the style that I like. This... took me 7 months to complete because it was sucking the life out of me from how slow-paced it was. The only reason why I completed it at all is because this novel is for my senior thesis along with 3 other sci-fi novels.
Lets really get into it though.
The pace of the novel was slow all throughout it. The events that were exciting and grabbed by attention were all toward the end when people were dying. I get the author took 4 years to write it because of research but not all the information from the research actually had to go into the novel...
The amount of footnotes that could have just been placed as regular text is insane. Readers don't like footnotes and if they wanted them then they would go open a textbook. Having so many footnotes that could have literally been a whole chapter causes the reader to lose information because they skip over it. 4 pages of footnotes is too much. Just make it part of the chapter.
I get a large portion of the novel being the set up of them leaving creates a sense that you get to really know the characters, why they are going, how they feel about the others that are going, etc, etc. But roughly half of the novel is this. When you read the back of the book, it advertises it as the discovery of new life. Honesty, I thought we would have discovered this by like page 70 or so and then it would have gone into how Earth perceives this and how we compare this alien life form to Earth and that is how we get the lesson that there is nothing like humans.
This novel gives that same lesson but in a sacrificial and slow paced way. It shows it through smaller aspects like daily life.
Speaking of... the depiction of the only female on the ship with the daily life aspects was ridiculous. Of course the only female character is the one that thinks about the crewmates pleasuring themselves and thinking about the captain potentially thinking about her even though he has a family. And of course she is the one that discovers one of the crew naked. And of course she kisses the same guy at the end of the book. If feels like she is just one of those female characters placed in a novel or movie so they can't say it was sexist but then proceed to do this. I mean the man she thought was thinking of her while he pleasured himself literally died for all of them and was thinking of his wife and child as he died.
The sci-fi concepts are amazing in this novel but it was suffocated by an overuse of facts that add nothing to the story and characters that don't feel real. Spent roughly half of the novel to get to know the characters, what they like, why they are there, who they will get along with... and yet most of them felt flat or not realistic. If you are writing about humanity coming together in a risky mission that will eventually teach them the value of life and their home, etc..., then you shouldn't go completely hard sci-fi. You have got to loosen the reigns more than what this novel had. It was the tightest grasp on hard sci-fi that I have ever read which drowned the story and ruined the meaning of the novel.
I can finally say that I am done with this novel and I can move on!
Lets really get into it though.
The pace of the novel was slow all throughout it. The events that were exciting and grabbed by attention were all toward the end when people were dying. I get the author took 4 years to write it because of research but not all the information from the research actually had to go into the novel...
The amount of footnotes that could have just been placed as regular text is insane. Readers don't like footnotes and if they wanted them then they would go open a textbook. Having so many footnotes that could have literally been a whole chapter causes the reader to lose information because they skip over it. 4 pages of footnotes is too much. Just make it part of the chapter.
I get a large portion of the novel being the set up of them leaving creates a sense that you get to really know the characters, why they are going, how they feel about the others that are going, etc, etc. But roughly half of the novel is this. When you read the back of the book, it advertises it as the discovery of new life. Honesty, I thought we would have discovered this by like page 70 or so and then it would have gone into how Earth perceives this and how we compare this alien life form to Earth and that is how we get the lesson that there is nothing like humans.
This novel gives that same lesson but in a sacrificial and slow paced way. It shows it through smaller aspects like daily life.
Speaking of... the depiction of the only female on the ship with the daily life aspects was ridiculous. Of course the only female character is the one that thinks about the crewmates pleasuring themselves and thinking about the captain potentially thinking about her even though he has a family. And of course she is the one that discovers one of the crew naked. And of course she kisses the same guy at the end of the book. If feels like she is just one of those female characters placed in a novel or movie so they can't say it was sexist but then proceed to do this. I mean the man she thought was thinking of her while he pleasured himself literally died for all of them and was thinking of his wife and child as he died.
The sci-fi concepts are amazing in this novel but it was suffocated by an overuse of facts that add nothing to the story and characters that don't feel real. Spent roughly half of the novel to get to know the characters, what they like, why they are there, who they will get along with... and yet most of them felt flat or not realistic. If you are writing about humanity coming together in a risky mission that will eventually teach them the value of life and their home, etc..., then you shouldn't go completely hard sci-fi. You have got to loosen the reigns more than what this novel had. It was the tightest grasp on hard sci-fi that I have ever read which drowned the story and ruined the meaning of the novel.
I can finally say that I am done with this novel and I can move on!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2023
Most of all, I don’t appreciate the ableist slur on page 15 (r*tard). This was a huge red flag, but I let it slide hoping things would look up, but it never did. I need to trust my gut more. The writing and humor and metaphors and references rubbed me the wrong way, but most of that is personal. A smaller knit-pick, why are we using real world brands? Just seems weird when authors do that. Makes me feel like I’m reading an ad.
DNF on page 46 when Elon Musk is referred as “the legendary business maverick.” Love or hate the man however you want, but I found it annoying. Billionaires should not exist, nor should they be revered. He’s also described as tall as, but broader than, one of the main characters (and he’s got a massive pe- JK JK, but that’s the vibe here). Just… It broke this tired camel’s back. I couldn’t get passed the idolization of that doofus, nor the oddly off-putting push for space travel to Saturn.
In the book, people apparently spend $70 million dollars for the kickstarter? According to this book, we should focus on space travel instead of saving people from starvation or homelessness or climate change or genocidal countries or the countless others things we need to fix on this planet? We’re expected to just be okay with numerous human sacrifices because space is dangerous, and people who dislike risk are the problem? We’re supposed to dunk on NASA but venerate SpaceX because of Musk and NOT the talented workers who actually do the work?? No thanks.
There’s some weird media interview with Anna the astronaut and the news anchor named Chris where they argue about the Saturn plan, and for some reason the astronaut’s speech/lecture was apparently deemed moving enough for Li (saved from being lost at sea) to sell everything and move to USA to help the Saturn project… I wasn’t convinced or even slightly swayed by the interview at all lol. The whole thing was too forced and cartoonish.
The footnotes were an interesting addition, and I mostly enjoyed them (other than the slur). I appreciate the effort and research involved for the science and tech. I didn’t care for the thoughts in italics, and they usually didn’t add anything to the story itself. Very short chapters, which is good for a feeling of progression although not much is said in a decent chunk of chapters. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, but that could be because I didn’t read on… Still, readers shouldn’t have to get that far in a book without feeling something for at least someone. Idk, that could just be me.
I was expecting a cool sci-fi/speculative story about life on one of Saturn’s moons, in the massive ocean, and all I got was a lukewarm set up and disappointment. The story started far too soon. It should have started when they hear the sloshing in Enceladus’s subsurface ocean like the back summary describes.
DNF on page 46 when Elon Musk is referred as “the legendary business maverick.” Love or hate the man however you want, but I found it annoying. Billionaires should not exist, nor should they be revered. He’s also described as tall as, but broader than, one of the main characters (and he’s got a massive pe- JK JK, but that’s the vibe here). Just… It broke this tired camel’s back. I couldn’t get passed the idolization of that doofus, nor the oddly off-putting push for space travel to Saturn.
In the book, people apparently spend $70 million dollars for the kickstarter? According to this book, we should focus on space travel instead of saving people from starvation or homelessness or climate change or genocidal countries or the countless others things we need to fix on this planet? We’re expected to just be okay with numerous human sacrifices because space is dangerous, and people who dislike risk are the problem? We’re supposed to dunk on NASA but venerate SpaceX because of Musk and NOT the talented workers who actually do the work?? No thanks.
There’s some weird media interview with Anna the astronaut and the news anchor named Chris where they argue about the Saturn plan, and for some reason the astronaut’s speech/lecture was apparently deemed moving enough for Li (saved from being lost at sea) to sell everything and move to USA to help the Saturn project… I wasn’t convinced or even slightly swayed by the interview at all lol. The whole thing was too forced and cartoonish.
The footnotes were an interesting addition, and I mostly enjoyed them (other than the slur). I appreciate the effort and research involved for the science and tech. I didn’t care for the thoughts in italics, and they usually didn’t add anything to the story itself. Very short chapters, which is good for a feeling of progression although not much is said in a decent chunk of chapters. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, but that could be because I didn’t read on… Still, readers shouldn’t have to get that far in a book without feeling something for at least someone. Idk, that could just be me.
I was expecting a cool sci-fi/speculative story about life on one of Saturn’s moons, in the massive ocean, and all I got was a lukewarm set up and disappointment. The story started far too soon. It should have started when they hear the sloshing in Enceladus’s subsurface ocean like the back summary describes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2019
Quoting the new audiobook Oceanworlds, “Things are easy when you have no choice”. When in space, choices can equate to disaster or worse. The story consists of an expansive and expressive contemporary science fiction space experience in the likes of the hit movie Interstellar (more on this later) with some rather unique and interesting events while our cast travels to and from the mysterious planet we call Saturn. The book is the premiere work of author J.P. Landau (pseudonym) which took him over four years to complete. The audiobook edition is narrated by both Andrew Dennis and Caitlin Campbell; each is a relatively new narrator on the Audible platform. Yet, I found the narration to be overall professionally performed. If you are a person who enjoys large scale adventures along with the many complications involved in space travel, I think you will enjoy this story for the most part. I found it important that much of the technology discussed in this book are either in the works or existing, so this adventure is not too far into the future. You will see in this book just how complicated space travel is to achieve. Such feats are really a miracle when you examine all the variables. This risk includes not only the failure of the equipment, but the psychological effects upon the travelers as well. It is not a perfect audiobook, but if you can put up with some of its flaws, it is quite enjoyable.
I found the research in the book to be detailed and important to the story. IN many of the places you feel you are there with the crew. The author shows the listener just how difficult space flight and long distance travel is when he refers to the legacy work done by NASA with both the Gemini and Apollo programs. He also called our the importance of the recent rise in commercial space flight by companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, etc. Things we take for granted today such as radio communication requires alteration to provide not only the amount of data but reduced latency; the time it takes for the signal to travel between the Earth and the spaceship in such a vast amount of space. We are presented with the pros and cons of both radio and laser communications. Not only was it important to have the correct technology, people themselves need to be conditioned and trained for the long journey to Saturn. Again, I found that the author did a decent job of revealing just how difficult and vast space travel is. We see the importance of timing, orbits, schedules, and so much more. One little miscalculation and the life of the crew could be lost. The author even included a cameo of Bill Nye, yes the “science guy” as he makes an appearance in this book. I liked the different perspective of those traveling to Saturn and the many Earth-based crew needed to support the team. The author also included some aspects around crew relationships along with many periods of emotional crisis each faced. But, even with all of this, I never felt that the characters were fully developed and dimensional like in the works of other well established science fiction works.
For me, there were a few areas where the book was lacking. I wanted more character depth, background, and development than what we were given. I wanted more of the pre-mission details. Both around the technology and personnel development of the crew. What personal issues they have going on in their lives, what did they struggle with? As the initial chapters of the book set the scene, I felt many key components were passed over which could have helped me to be more involved in the lives and actions of the characters themselves. I desired to know and better understand the many psychological and physiological struggles with the crew. I wanted more details on the technology and how it was developed. The book lacked many of the elements that make a story into something bigger that feels alive. I often felt that the author was more telling the story more like a data dump then as a storyteller would. Here is where I felt the story diverged from the many titles listed in the audiobook publisher’s summary. The book had body, but there were times I felt it lacked soul and substance. There were a few places where the story meandered or felt disjointed from the other parts of the main storyline. This is not to say the story was bad or not worth your listening, but I wanted and expected more.
Let me turn to the audiobook’s narration. Both narrators are relatively new based on the number of audiobooks listed under their names on Audible. Yet, I found the narration to be professionally done with no noticeable artifacts such as swallows, page turns, etc. I did feel the audiobook was read at a slightly faster pace than average making it sound faster than other audiobooks. The narration of the various characters was well performed, however I did not enjoy the voice of the younger boy in the early parts of the book. I will also say that it too me some time to get used to the back and forth between the two narrators and the way the author intended them to be used. The use of accents for the characters was performed decently. I did have some difficulty with the pronunciation of the planet Uranus, but for the length and scope of the book it was a minor issue. The book also contained a few pauses that were longer than normal or in odd places.
For parents and younger readers, be aware that the book does contain a few uses of vulgar language and adult subject matter. The use of profanity seems to escalate in the second half. There were also some elements of graphic violence which may not be appropriate for younger readers. The author includes some anti-religious components during character communications. If you are offended by any of the above, I would recommend you not give this book a listen.
In summary, the book was a good work for someone’s premiere release. I enjoyed the many elements of technology used, but I wanted more of how and why such was selected. The characters at times felt a bit flat, but I think with some backstory and or other bits and pieces shared with the listener, it would have felt more alive. One gets a great idea of the complexity and vastness of space travel not only upon the ship but the characters as well. If you go into the book with knowing some of its flaws, it is a great premise and first start.
I found the research in the book to be detailed and important to the story. IN many of the places you feel you are there with the crew. The author shows the listener just how difficult space flight and long distance travel is when he refers to the legacy work done by NASA with both the Gemini and Apollo programs. He also called our the importance of the recent rise in commercial space flight by companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, etc. Things we take for granted today such as radio communication requires alteration to provide not only the amount of data but reduced latency; the time it takes for the signal to travel between the Earth and the spaceship in such a vast amount of space. We are presented with the pros and cons of both radio and laser communications. Not only was it important to have the correct technology, people themselves need to be conditioned and trained for the long journey to Saturn. Again, I found that the author did a decent job of revealing just how difficult and vast space travel is. We see the importance of timing, orbits, schedules, and so much more. One little miscalculation and the life of the crew could be lost. The author even included a cameo of Bill Nye, yes the “science guy” as he makes an appearance in this book. I liked the different perspective of those traveling to Saturn and the many Earth-based crew needed to support the team. The author also included some aspects around crew relationships along with many periods of emotional crisis each faced. But, even with all of this, I never felt that the characters were fully developed and dimensional like in the works of other well established science fiction works.
For me, there were a few areas where the book was lacking. I wanted more character depth, background, and development than what we were given. I wanted more of the pre-mission details. Both around the technology and personnel development of the crew. What personal issues they have going on in their lives, what did they struggle with? As the initial chapters of the book set the scene, I felt many key components were passed over which could have helped me to be more involved in the lives and actions of the characters themselves. I desired to know and better understand the many psychological and physiological struggles with the crew. I wanted more details on the technology and how it was developed. The book lacked many of the elements that make a story into something bigger that feels alive. I often felt that the author was more telling the story more like a data dump then as a storyteller would. Here is where I felt the story diverged from the many titles listed in the audiobook publisher’s summary. The book had body, but there were times I felt it lacked soul and substance. There were a few places where the story meandered or felt disjointed from the other parts of the main storyline. This is not to say the story was bad or not worth your listening, but I wanted and expected more.
Let me turn to the audiobook’s narration. Both narrators are relatively new based on the number of audiobooks listed under their names on Audible. Yet, I found the narration to be professionally done with no noticeable artifacts such as swallows, page turns, etc. I did feel the audiobook was read at a slightly faster pace than average making it sound faster than other audiobooks. The narration of the various characters was well performed, however I did not enjoy the voice of the younger boy in the early parts of the book. I will also say that it too me some time to get used to the back and forth between the two narrators and the way the author intended them to be used. The use of accents for the characters was performed decently. I did have some difficulty with the pronunciation of the planet Uranus, but for the length and scope of the book it was a minor issue. The book also contained a few pauses that were longer than normal or in odd places.
For parents and younger readers, be aware that the book does contain a few uses of vulgar language and adult subject matter. The use of profanity seems to escalate in the second half. There were also some elements of graphic violence which may not be appropriate for younger readers. The author includes some anti-religious components during character communications. If you are offended by any of the above, I would recommend you not give this book a listen.
In summary, the book was a good work for someone’s premiere release. I enjoyed the many elements of technology used, but I wanted more of how and why such was selected. The characters at times felt a bit flat, but I think with some backstory and or other bits and pieces shared with the listener, it would have felt more alive. One gets a great idea of the complexity and vastness of space travel not only upon the ship but the characters as well. If you go into the book with knowing some of its flaws, it is a great premise and first start.
January 2, 2024
Great ideas marred by poor writing. The concept of this book is really amazing and had great potential for an amazing story, so I was really looking forward to reading it, but there’s just a lot of issues that sullied my experience. Starting with the characters.
There are 5 main crew members on the adventure, and none of them are all that interesting. You got the wisecracker, the coward, the quirky girl, the stoic with a heart of gold, and the leader. Cliched roles isn’t bad per se, but it is when the dialogue isn’t any good. Most of the dialogue in this book is really cringe inducing most of the time. The best way I can describe it is a lot of the things character say sound like they belong in slam poetry, not in a human conversation.
The scenes can also be difficult to follow with poor descriptions of what’s going on. Even in simple conversations it can be hard to even figure out who’s supposed to be talking due to inconsistencies in the formatting. And when it gets to the fast paced action scenes or any scene where the author is trying to paint a picture with words, just forget about it. There’s either not enough detail to get a grasp on what’s going on, or way too much detail on the inconsequential that it’s hard to figure out what’s important.
Overall, if you’re just itching for a interesting space exploration story, it’s worth your time, but just not quite what it could have been.
There are 5 main crew members on the adventure, and none of them are all that interesting. You got the wisecracker, the coward, the quirky girl, the stoic with a heart of gold, and the leader. Cliched roles isn’t bad per se, but it is when the dialogue isn’t any good. Most of the dialogue in this book is really cringe inducing most of the time. The best way I can describe it is a lot of the things character say sound like they belong in slam poetry, not in a human conversation.
The scenes can also be difficult to follow with poor descriptions of what’s going on. Even in simple conversations it can be hard to even figure out who’s supposed to be talking due to inconsistencies in the formatting. And when it gets to the fast paced action scenes or any scene where the author is trying to paint a picture with words, just forget about it. There’s either not enough detail to get a grasp on what’s going on, or way too much detail on the inconsequential that it’s hard to figure out what’s important.
Overall, if you’re just itching for a interesting space exploration story, it’s worth your time, but just not quite what it could have been.
May 31, 2022
Excellent book with copious amounts of hard science and good characters.
Loved almost everything, except one thing. It wasn't annoying enough for me to reduce the rating but I do feel like it needs to be put into words hoping the author will see it.
I hope the author in his upcoming books refrains from the cringe-worthy Musk sycophancy. He was only mentioned maybe 4 times in the beginning and showed up once but it still ground my gears. It's one thing to elevate contemporary scientists and astronauts in your writing, and a whole another thing to shower praise on a union busting marketer and a fraud. I am not American so my views on this grifter have nothing to do with your petty politics. It's just laughable to think that SpaceX would help with such an audacious mission imagined here "at a cost".
Having said that, I absolutely loved how the characters really suffered but still behaved rationally, and mustered the courage to do what was necessary. Too many books have characters completely lose it under pressure and then the book devolves into various kinds of horror or absurd scenarios and little to no focus is then placed on science and problem solving.
Looking forward to the next one.
Loved almost everything, except one thing. It wasn't annoying enough for me to reduce the rating but I do feel like it needs to be put into words hoping the author will see it.
I hope the author in his upcoming books refrains from the cringe-worthy Musk sycophancy. He was only mentioned maybe 4 times in the beginning and showed up once but it still ground my gears. It's one thing to elevate contemporary scientists and astronauts in your writing, and a whole another thing to shower praise on a union busting marketer and a fraud. I am not American so my views on this grifter have nothing to do with your petty politics. It's just laughable to think that SpaceX would help with such an audacious mission imagined here "at a cost".
Having said that, I absolutely loved how the characters really suffered but still behaved rationally, and mustered the courage to do what was necessary. Too many books have characters completely lose it under pressure and then the book devolves into various kinds of horror or absurd scenarios and little to no focus is then placed on science and problem solving.
Looking forward to the next one.
May 24, 2022
I recently finished Oceanworlds, which details a fictional-but-realistic attempt to discover other life in our solar system. What I really liked was the intrigue and slow-release of tantalising information that kept the reader hooked. I also enjoyed the multiple viewpoints, where the story was told from many alternating perspectives (even more than I use for my own writing!). It was tricky at first, especially given the heavy scientific explanations, but I began to love it. A few things that jarred a little were some overly-heavy science-ey parts, some glossing over of certain events that had been built up, and the use of many current celebrities/real-life personalities (I enjoyed Elon Musk's appearance, but still found it a little strange). That said, heavy science or overly descriptive sequences have never bothered me as I skim through them, and I view them as more "it's-there-if-you-want-to-read-it-but-ignore-if-you-don't". At the end, I was left wanting more, in a good way, and will be thinking about the journey it took me on for some time to come. I heartily advise reading a copy.
June 8, 2020
Fills the hole left by Arther C. Clarke.
The writing is good, but not great. But it doesn't really matter because the journey is captivating. This book reminds me of Rendezvous with Rama, and obviously 2001. The science in the book is one of the characters.
The author chose to use real people as fictional characters to compliment the use of real spacecraft, which works, but isn't quite as nice as Neal Stephenson using fictional characters (think Seveneves) that are clearly inspired by real people.
If you've been missing a true science fiction book on a vast scale, where humans tackle risky challenges, the imagination of the 50s and 60s, this book will likely sate your appetite.
This book fills a particular void at present, because while we can't step outside of our homes to explore the moons of Saturn, we also can't step outside of our homes and explore, say, a neighboring state or country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you need a tale of exploration to fill a day or two, this book will certainly fit the bill.
The writing is good, but not great. But it doesn't really matter because the journey is captivating. This book reminds me of Rendezvous with Rama, and obviously 2001. The science in the book is one of the characters.
The author chose to use real people as fictional characters to compliment the use of real spacecraft, which works, but isn't quite as nice as Neal Stephenson using fictional characters (think Seveneves) that are clearly inspired by real people.
If you've been missing a true science fiction book on a vast scale, where humans tackle risky challenges, the imagination of the 50s and 60s, this book will likely sate your appetite.
This book fills a particular void at present, because while we can't step outside of our homes to explore the moons of Saturn, we also can't step outside of our homes and explore, say, a neighboring state or country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you need a tale of exploration to fill a day or two, this book will certainly fit the bill.
June 12, 2020
It was OK. Not that great as a novel - too meandering and gushing, though I did like the ending.
But it was fascinating and very readable as a science and engineering packed account of the first research expedition to one of Saturn's moons. Or two of them as it turns out.
Note to author - Discovering alien microbial life (similar or dissimilar) will be an important discovery but not exactly astonishing and very far from the most important and most astonishing discovery ever. ( see note about gushing. ) The arrival of intelligent and malevolent aliens in huge battle fleets will be very important - but even that won't be exactly astonishing when it comes down to it. More or less inevitable really. Better get that space program going - and any and all forms of advanced research.
But it was fascinating and very readable as a science and engineering packed account of the first research expedition to one of Saturn's moons. Or two of them as it turns out.
Note to author - Discovering alien microbial life (similar or dissimilar) will be an important discovery but not exactly astonishing and very far from the most important and most astonishing discovery ever. ( see note about gushing. ) The arrival of intelligent and malevolent aliens in huge battle fleets will be very important - but even that won't be exactly astonishing when it comes down to it. More or less inevitable really. Better get that space program going - and any and all forms of advanced research.
abandoned
June 5, 2024DNF.
I was excited for this book and it started well but quickly went downhill.
There is a bit of a plot there but it is just bogged down with so much science that you forget what the characters are actually doing. At the end of each chapter there is then often a sh*t ton of footnotes that are just as long as the chapter. Sometimes these include full on conversations between characters which made them confusing as at first as I assumed it must have been a weird formatting issue with my kindle and that then next chapter had started. Nope.
I gave up at 31%. I realised that I started reading this book in September 2023 and the last few times I’ve attempted to read it I just dread it. So I’m writing it off, and I’m on to something else.
I was excited for this book and it started well but quickly went downhill.
There is a bit of a plot there but it is just bogged down with so much science that you forget what the characters are actually doing. At the end of each chapter there is then often a sh*t ton of footnotes that are just as long as the chapter. Sometimes these include full on conversations between characters which made them confusing as at first as I assumed it must have been a weird formatting issue with my kindle and that then next chapter had started. Nope.
I gave up at 31%. I realised that I started reading this book in September 2023 and the last few times I’ve attempted to read it I just dread it. So I’m writing it off, and I’m on to something else.
May 28, 2019
Oceanworlds is a fun and thrilling read, both for readers looking for a fast-paced sci fi story and those most passionate about the inner workings of space travel. The book moves at a move-like clip, with well researched choose-your-level-of-detail-style footnotes. I enjoyed both the journey and the destination (literally and figuratively).
At one point, a character references a Twain-ism - "The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction needs to be credible." That's a perfect description for this book, carefully melding the latest in space and technology with complex characters and a futuristic, yet believable, journey into Space.
At one point, a character references a Twain-ism - "The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction needs to be credible." That's a perfect description for this book, carefully melding the latest in space and technology with complex characters and a futuristic, yet believable, journey into Space.
May 26, 2021
This was an outstanding near future hard science work!
Wasn't sure what to expect going in but was completely blown away by the story and science. I've long believed, since middle school, that the eventual exploration and use if space would require private enterprise - just like the exploration and settlement if the Americas ultimately (what started as initial state funded expeditions eventually changed to commercial ventures). While a little too much Elon Musk fanboyism it was exciting and inspirational (and gotta admit - Elon's space x program is leading the game right now)
Wasn't sure what to expect going in but was completely blown away by the story and science. I've long believed, since middle school, that the eventual exploration and use if space would require private enterprise - just like the exploration and settlement if the Americas ultimately (what started as initial state funded expeditions eventually changed to commercial ventures). While a little too much Elon Musk fanboyism it was exciting and inspirational (and gotta admit - Elon's space x program is leading the game right now)
July 29, 2022
I am a picky reader and obsessed with science fiction. Yet I also have difficulty when science fiction is too unrealistic. This book is as hard science fiction as possible. It is an optimistic yet possible and explainable sci-fi story and one that could happen in the near future. I think the author did an amazing job with it. I have never read a book quite like that. Love the story, context, and scientific back up. Highly recommend!! And thanks to the author for an inspiring vision of the near future.
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