El Ocaso de Próxima

Proxima #2

by Brandon Q. Morris, Tomas Ibarra Cervantes (Translator)

An intelligent robot and two young people explore Proxima Centauri b, the planet orbiting our nearest star, Proxima Centauri. Their ideas about the mission quickly prove grossly naive as they venture about on this planet of extremes. Where are the senders of the call for help that lured them here? They find no one and no traces on the daylight side, so they place their hopes upon an expedition into the eternal ice on Proxima b's dark side. They not only face everlasting night, the team encounters grave dangers. A fateful decision will change the planet forever.

Bonus in Book Two of the Proxima Trilogy—The Guided Tour of Dark Matter: What science knows about this strange phenomenon that dominates the mass of the universe.

Genres: Science Fiction, Artificial Intelligence, Audiobook, Aliens

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 27, 2020

About the author

Brandon Q. Morris is a physicist and space specialist. He has long been concerned with space issues, both professionally and privately and while he wanted to become an astronaut, he had to stay on Earth for a variety of reasons. He is particularly fascinated by the "what if” and through his books he aims to share compelling hard science fiction stories that could actually happen, and someday may happen. Morris is the author of several best-selling science fiction novels.

Reviews

[reherrma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3| In diesem Mittelteil der Proxima-Trilogie von Brandon Q. Morris (Matthias Matting) geht es düster zu. Nachdem die Expedition der MESSENGER mit Marchenko 1, einem Quantencomputer mit dem heruntergeladenen Bewußtsein von Dimitry Machenko, einem Teilnehmer der Enceladus-Mission (siehe Enceladus-Trilogie) und Adam & Eva, zweier Menschen die während des Fluges aus DNA-Zellen erzeugt wurden, Proxima b erreicht hat und sie die Basis des falschen Marchenko (Marschenko 2) übernommen haben, geht es mit der Suche nach den rätselhaften Signalen weiter.
Marchenko 2, der andere Marchenko hat diesen Planeten bereits Jahre vor der Messenger erreicht, jedoch ohne seine beiden Kinder, die unter rätselhaften Umständen gestorben sind. Er wurde nach Außeindandersetzungen mit den drei Messenger-Passagieren, auf die dunkle Seite des Planeten verbannt, eine Verbannung, die er nicht hinnehmen kann. Aus dem Orbit wurde ein riesiges Gebäude auf der eisigen, dunklen Seite des Planeten endeckt. Marchenko 1, Adam und Eva machen sich auf den Weg, während Adam verbotenerweise Kontakt zu Marchenko 2 aufnimmt, der sich mit ihm treffen will. Unterwegs verschwindet Adam, Marchenko und Eva halten ihn danach für tot und reisen dennoch weiter zu dem außerirdischen Objekt, das sie daraufhin erforschen und irgendetwas in Gang setzen, was wahrscheinlich im 3. Teil der Trilogie aufgeklärt wird.
Nach dem hervorragenden 1. Band der Trilogie ist dies ein Roman der in erster Linie durch die Spannung und die Schilderung des exotischen Planeten und des faszinierenden Inneren des außerirdischen Bauwerks (oder ist es ein Raumschiff) punktet. Ansonsten ist ein ein typischer Mittelteilband, der die Entwicklung des 1. Teils zum 3. Teil transportiert, ohne dass die begonnenen Handlungsstränge abgeschlossen wurden. Auf jeden Fall ist dies ein düsterer Roman, bei dem man mit den Protagonisten mitleidet, weil sie im Grunde genommen nur Verluste erleiden...
Trotzdem, ein lesenswerter Roman der Lust auf den 3. Band macht...
Ergänzt wurde der Band wieder mit einem wissenschaftlichen Artikel, dessen Thema wie immer in Verbindung zum Roman steht, dieses Mal ist es das Thema der Dunkle Materie.
Und hier, denke ich, ist Brandon Q. Morris ein Fehler unterlaufen: Er behauptet dass nach 1/5 Sekunde nach dem Urknall das Universum bereits 50 Lichtjahre groß gewesen sein soll; dies würde nach meiner Meinung die Naturgesetze verletzen, die Inflation nach dem Urknall kann nicht so groß gewesen sein, dass sie die Lichtgeschwindigkeit überschreitet. Deshalb ist der Artikel, der sehr interessant ist, mit Vorsicht zu genießen...

[Jeb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like all of Morris’ books. They’re not the most complex storylines, but, I like the level of science and the stories are different enough that even after five of six, I still keep picking them up when I want something entertaining but, not stupid, to read for a few hours.

[David O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes. In many ways this is, or should be, a great book; it will definitely suit anyone who enjoys endless excruciating detail, personal internal monologues, and stupid decisions offset, but seldom redeemed, by clever thinking. It does offer a realistic perspective on a first encounter with an alien civilisation where one has no anchor or starting point, with all its attendant miscomprehensions and errors.

I listened to the audio book but was often bored into a trance by the minute descriptions and monologues. Whatever dialogue there was was largely limited to discussing technical surmise and/or detail. It appears to be well written, as you'd expect, but I'm not sure it can be described as hard science fiction. It's much more a harsh tale of survival primarily, and first contact.

Proxima Dreaming....... maybe, but probably not.

[Strifes · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Wenn also meine Sensoren korrekt arbeiten, das Ergebnis aber trotzdem falsch ist, hat dann nicht Newton ein Problem? Seine Bewegungsgleichungen gelten dann nicht mehr, wenn wir in den Bereich der Allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie kommen. Aber das ist bei den Entfernungen und Geschwindigkeiten, um die es geht, völlig unmöglich. Oder?" - Wie cool ist das denn? Über 50% an einem Tag gelesen. War schon sehr spannend. Ungewisses Ende, aber es gibt ja noch "Proxima Dreaming"

[Steve Hunt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pointless and annoying

The characters and indeed the story have become pointless. It and they meander, making little sense, making strange stupid decisions. The book often reads like the internal monologue of a slightly dim child, not enjoyable at all.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beginnings are the best time. But that being said, middle books are still progression. And here we learn ever more about Proxima, it's deadly mystery, and the kids' own (as well as the mission's) dark past.

Pretty standard, story-wise. Nothing even close to unique. BUT, it's well-done and quite entertaining, and I appreciate it for exactly that.

SF exploration is and should be a thing we still have in our heads. Endlessly trawling the depths of our own depravity shouldn't be everything we get. :)

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Death by padding. They have the tech to build a spacecraft but can’t seem to make a vehicle to cross the land. So they have to walk halfway around the planet. Cue a long boring trek with generic mishaps along the way. Not enough awe and adventure.

I abandoned this second, book which is a shame after the ingenuity of the first one.

[William Capps]

The second book of a trilogy. Science beyond the pale science fiction.
Interesting until it is not. Each book takes on a different focus with the same story line.

[Iza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm excited to read the third part of Proxima!

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would a new world contain. What are the logistics to survival on a new world

[Kyle O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one, but there's a point in the book where Marchenko keeps using explosions to solve his problems, and it keeps literally blowing up in his face.

[Alan Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of this trilogy. Excellent read. On to book 3

[Jeffrey Poindexter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

[Adii · Rating 1 out of 5]

No me atrapo, no le importaba si morían o lo que fuera simplemente quería que acabara, fue una tortura fue muy difícil acabarlo 🙁

[Arthur Davida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mushy sf

Very enjoyable hard bs sf. Are nanifabricators any closer to realization. Less bs'y than bv larson, another favorite writer.
I will definitely read proxima dreaming

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me los estoy ventilando, están super super interesantes y son cortitos.

[Fabi]

https://amzn.eu/d/anUQynB

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have now read everything that this author has written - that's only approximately 10 or so novels. They all range from good to great. PROXIMA DYING Is right in the middle. While a bit speculative for a "hard science fiction" novel, I'm a sucker for "first contact" stories and this is a very good one. The aliens are very cool, if a bit too anthropomorphic.

I also have a soft spot in my heart for the character of Marchenko, who started off in a different series (The ICE MOON series) as a Russian cosmonaut and along the way, merged with a super-advanced AI to survive physical death and become the best AI hero since the robot on LOST IN SPACE.

I also need to give kudos to the translator. I am usually very sensitive to translations, finding that much of the beauty in the language os the author is blunted or lost. I read at least 3 or 4 of Morris’ novels before I twigged to the fact that ALL were translated from the German. The translator and translations are brilliant and I cannot detect, even in hindsight, that all these novels are translations.

Recommended.

JM Tepper

[Whitey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I'm just fussy, but it really ticks me off when a book abruptly finishes in the middle of a subplot and then invites you to go to the third Book of a trilogy set ... only to find that it hasn't been published yet!!!!!

I quite enjoyed the first book in the trilogy and swallowed my frustration when it suddenly stopped and sent me to Book two. But the transition was at least relatively seamless. The Book 2 to Book 3 transition was anything but seamless … think of a bike hitting a brick. I shouted insults at my Kindle …. but surprise surprise …. it did me no good at all. Then again … how do I know it's seamless or not seamless … while it's close, the third part of the trilogy hasn't been published yet.

Aaaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

I am enjoying the rollicking plot but not the sudden stops.

[Peter Roseman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intelligent, character driven, Brandon is an excellent writer, especially adept at world building and description. I was totally involved with the human characters and felt transported to their environments. In many Hard Sci-Fi novels, current science is interpolated, expanded, used as a launching platform for the speculated. Not so much here. There seems more the exposition of current science still applicable in the far future. Yes, alien tech is fun and plausible too. There are times when explications, descriptions, become SO minute they may be a bit tedious (thus the 4-star). Put the read down for a few minutes and refresh yourself because the novelty, prosaics, the personalities, the unexpected, make this read a great way to spend time... LOVED it!!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is just so cerebral. Told by an AI, it is very non-emotional, so to many it could read as just really boring. But it's fascinating. It grabbed me and it's held me in. The pacing here is excellent.

What I love the most is the use of simple scientific method. Here's the problem, here's what we know, let's try this (experiment), what are the results? Did we achieve what we wanted? So simple and common, and yet to recognize it here feels new.

Our main characters here are separated for the most part and the AI is having a very bad day. But it really gets interesting toward the end with the introduction of some aliens. I'm really interested to see what happens next. Eduardo Ballerini is fantastic on the audio.

[Tom Hanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good follow up

Overall a fun ride... though the sense of the passage of time is a bit jarring at times. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

[terry eugene price · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tiring

The whole time That they spend in the building seems like I was stuck in there with them! It was monotonous and boring and I skipped ahead just to wait until at least they could escape or die and the book ends.

[BeVar]

Better Than Wonderful.. Exceptional

My tital tells it all. The kind of science fiction we ALL have been waiting for. Tomorrow the third in this Trillogy comes out. I have to wait 4 more hours. I am so looking forward to it.

[Bob Ribokas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ended too soon

I have enjoyed this one as much as the first, and as much as all of the others by Brandon. I can't wait to get started on number three.

[Ton · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 let me just say the female protagonist is stupid as hell huh

[Timothy Haggerty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Two of Three

Story moves along nicely. The characters remain interesting though one needs to go. Enjoyed the imagination of a foreign world.

[Stephen Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.