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Transcendence #1
Visitor
Years have passed since Earth encountered its first known interstellar object: Oumuamua. Now an even larger one has been discovered, following the exact same trajectory as its predecessor. Scientists around the world theorize that this can no longer be passed off as mere coincidence—the new contact must be an artificial construct of some kind.
With an ambitious plan to build a spacecraft and attempt a manned landing, a crew is formed. Disgraced astronaut Cassie Voges hopes to get selected for one last chance at redemption. Maverick billionaire Toby Merckx wants to beat his rivals to the extraordinary secrets he believes the object may unlock. And its controversial discoverer, Charles Hudson, seeks to escape his past and be remembered for something better.
What they find will change humanity forever.
With an ambitious plan to build a spacecraft and attempt a manned landing, a crew is formed. Disgraced astronaut Cassie Voges hopes to get selected for one last chance at redemption. Maverick billionaire Toby Merckx wants to beat his rivals to the extraordinary secrets he believes the object may unlock. And its controversial discoverer, Charles Hudson, seeks to escape his past and be remembered for something better.
What they find will change humanity forever.
490 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 27, 2021
398 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 12, 2023
An exciting and plot-centric Sci-Fi thriller based on our interstellar visitor, Oumuamua. A very well written and solidly researced hard sci-fi offering.
It's been some years hence and the author bases most of his main protagonists off of some real world personalities that the lead cobbles together for a manned mission to visit a second larger visitor to our solar system set on the priors' trajectory.
I'm not really sure if creating fictional characters wouldn't have served him better but... otherwise, the plot really takes off on a unique trajectory towards the last tenth of the book and events rapidly degenerate into horror and more chaos. It all ends on an extremely high cliffhanger so I'm committed to finding out more.
Recommended
It's been some years hence and the author bases most of his main protagonists off of some real world personalities that the lead cobbles together for a manned mission to visit a second larger visitor to our solar system set on the priors' trajectory.
I'm not really sure if creating fictional characters wouldn't have served him better but... otherwise, the plot really takes off on a unique trajectory towards the last tenth of the book and events rapidly degenerate into horror and more chaos. It all ends on an extremely high cliffhanger so I'm committed to finding out more.
Recommended
July 16, 2021
This is a sci-fi journey inspired by one astronomical event and probably by several books on the same theme which preceded it.
The event was the first observation of a demonstrable interstellar object. Back in 2017, at Haleakalā Observatory in Hawaii, the object Oumuamua (Hawaiian meaning: "a messenger from afar arriving first") was identified as being of interstellar origin. Specifically, although the 57,000 mph tumbling mass was noticed only after it swung around the sun, its trajectory placed it has having come from the vicinity of the star Vega, 147 trillion miles from our planet.
Apart from originating outside the Solar System, Oumuamua differed in three other ways from other observed large, travelling space objects: (1) it had length to width proportions of 10/1, (2) it expelled no dust or vapour gasses, as would a comet; and (3) after it cornered around the sun it accelerated away without any observed form of propulsion or having its inertia acted upon by any known law of physics. Let’s say that again. Without having all the information, the data we had collected showed that this object was not only unique (so far) but that it had defied the laws of physics and motion. The thing is, the laws Sir Isaac Newton discovered hold true not only on Earth but also predict and match the observable movement of Saturn’s moons, for example. They work everywhere and yet, strangely, apparently, not on this interstellar object.
Some scientists, those brave and disciplined enough to be led by the evidence and stand up to peer pressure from those who think astrophysicists should avoid the subject no matter what the evidence is, interpreted the observational and measured data as strong enough that we should consider the hypothesis that the object might have been constructed or be a natural object appropriated and engineered by an intelligent form of extra-terrestrial life. The most publicly visible proponent of this theory is Prof. Loeb of Harvard University – see: Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth, by Avi Loeb.
“See first, think later, then test. But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting. Most scientists forget that” – Douglas Adams. Loeb didn’t forget correct process, which makes him a good scientist.
The executive summary is that we don’t have all the data to prove or disprove the alien hypothesis for Oumuamua. The object we need to gather the defining data from has flown out of reach, on its way out of our system, so designing an experiment to test that hypothesis (e.g. provoke a reaction) is now a missed chance. This novel, Visitor, looks at the scenario of what we would do if given a second chance, i.e. if another object with the same characteristics followed exactly the same trajectory through our system on its way to slingshot around the sun and we had time to prepare missions to land on it.
Star Trek IV uses the same ‘around the sun’ plot device to achieve a different aim, time travel, although going backwards in time at nearly the speed of light wouldn’t work (relative time would slow to almost a stop). In Star Trek, they use propulsion from an engine to achieve this acceleration. Oumuamua was observed accelerating without any evidence of an engine, so either it had a discreet propellant of some kind or there’s some sort of new physics at work here. Both alternatives are equally stunning.
The other thing I want to mention is the previous literature on this subject: Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke (1973), Eon, by Greg Bear (copyrighted in 1985 but published in 1987), and The Cosmic Bullet, by Andrew C. Broderick (2017). Two of those titles preceded Oumuamua and one was published in the year it arrived, so there was a science fiction trend of predicting an object of this kind would arrive several decades before it did. Having read all four books now, I can tell you that Greg Bear’s (which also explores the scenario of twisting dimensional space and time to serve intelligent life) and Clarke’s (which is the superior description of suspected alien structures fantasy) were on a higher rung of the imaginative, poetic and literary ladder than Triptych’s (race between modern billionaires) and Broderick’s (a race between scrap metal merchants) novels. Just like the four authors who wrote versions of Faust, I suppose they can’t all be Goethe. Consolation goes to Marlowe’s, which was much shorter. [For the pedants, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Percy Bysshe Shelley translated Goethe’s, so weren’t authors].
Visitor, by John Triptych, has an interesting plot, internationally differentiated characters and explores the fascinating idea of ‘what if we had a second chance to explore an interstellar object?’
The idea of checking out the very first inter-planetary object seen has been explored before, but that’s fine if the writer does something slightly new with it. I liked his concept of the Chinese butterfly spaceship very much but felt more could be done with the imagery. I thought it was quite a mature decision to portray alien life in the way it was done here and also for using the dandelion seed on the river approach to spreading your species, not to have a crew of silly humanoid aliens with ridiculously long lifespans and then having to invent an unlikely food source for them. That kept the fantasy closer to reality and made it easier for the reader to accept. However, I didn’t notice any great lines to quote (no playing with language) and the description was at the functional level rather than the mind-expanding and artistic. It is a good plot making an entertaining and engaging experience for the reader, so you probably won’t want to drop out of this, but I also encourage you to read the other three novels on the subject and see if you agree with my impression that this scores about a three and a third points out of five, honourably edged out by a couple of the others.
The event was the first observation of a demonstrable interstellar object. Back in 2017, at Haleakalā Observatory in Hawaii, the object Oumuamua (Hawaiian meaning: "a messenger from afar arriving first") was identified as being of interstellar origin. Specifically, although the 57,000 mph tumbling mass was noticed only after it swung around the sun, its trajectory placed it has having come from the vicinity of the star Vega, 147 trillion miles from our planet.
Apart from originating outside the Solar System, Oumuamua differed in three other ways from other observed large, travelling space objects: (1) it had length to width proportions of 10/1, (2) it expelled no dust or vapour gasses, as would a comet; and (3) after it cornered around the sun it accelerated away without any observed form of propulsion or having its inertia acted upon by any known law of physics. Let’s say that again. Without having all the information, the data we had collected showed that this object was not only unique (so far) but that it had defied the laws of physics and motion. The thing is, the laws Sir Isaac Newton discovered hold true not only on Earth but also predict and match the observable movement of Saturn’s moons, for example. They work everywhere and yet, strangely, apparently, not on this interstellar object.
Some scientists, those brave and disciplined enough to be led by the evidence and stand up to peer pressure from those who think astrophysicists should avoid the subject no matter what the evidence is, interpreted the observational and measured data as strong enough that we should consider the hypothesis that the object might have been constructed or be a natural object appropriated and engineered by an intelligent form of extra-terrestrial life. The most publicly visible proponent of this theory is Prof. Loeb of Harvard University – see: Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth, by Avi Loeb.
“See first, think later, then test. But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting. Most scientists forget that” – Douglas Adams. Loeb didn’t forget correct process, which makes him a good scientist.
The executive summary is that we don’t have all the data to prove or disprove the alien hypothesis for Oumuamua. The object we need to gather the defining data from has flown out of reach, on its way out of our system, so designing an experiment to test that hypothesis (e.g. provoke a reaction) is now a missed chance. This novel, Visitor, looks at the scenario of what we would do if given a second chance, i.e. if another object with the same characteristics followed exactly the same trajectory through our system on its way to slingshot around the sun and we had time to prepare missions to land on it.
Star Trek IV uses the same ‘around the sun’ plot device to achieve a different aim, time travel, although going backwards in time at nearly the speed of light wouldn’t work (relative time would slow to almost a stop). In Star Trek, they use propulsion from an engine to achieve this acceleration. Oumuamua was observed accelerating without any evidence of an engine, so either it had a discreet propellant of some kind or there’s some sort of new physics at work here. Both alternatives are equally stunning.
The other thing I want to mention is the previous literature on this subject: Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke (1973), Eon, by Greg Bear (copyrighted in 1985 but published in 1987), and The Cosmic Bullet, by Andrew C. Broderick (2017). Two of those titles preceded Oumuamua and one was published in the year it arrived, so there was a science fiction trend of predicting an object of this kind would arrive several decades before it did. Having read all four books now, I can tell you that Greg Bear’s (which also explores the scenario of twisting dimensional space and time to serve intelligent life) and Clarke’s (which is the superior description of suspected alien structures fantasy) were on a higher rung of the imaginative, poetic and literary ladder than Triptych’s (race between modern billionaires) and Broderick’s (a race between scrap metal merchants) novels. Just like the four authors who wrote versions of Faust, I suppose they can’t all be Goethe. Consolation goes to Marlowe’s, which was much shorter. [For the pedants, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Percy Bysshe Shelley translated Goethe’s, so weren’t authors].
Visitor, by John Triptych, has an interesting plot, internationally differentiated characters and explores the fascinating idea of ‘what if we had a second chance to explore an interstellar object?’
The idea of checking out the very first inter-planetary object seen has been explored before, but that’s fine if the writer does something slightly new with it. I liked his concept of the Chinese butterfly spaceship very much but felt more could be done with the imagery. I thought it was quite a mature decision to portray alien life in the way it was done here and also for using the dandelion seed on the river approach to spreading your species, not to have a crew of silly humanoid aliens with ridiculously long lifespans and then having to invent an unlikely food source for them. That kept the fantasy closer to reality and made it easier for the reader to accept. However, I didn’t notice any great lines to quote (no playing with language) and the description was at the functional level rather than the mind-expanding and artistic. It is a good plot making an entertaining and engaging experience for the reader, so you probably won’t want to drop out of this, but I also encourage you to read the other three novels on the subject and see if you agree with my impression that this scores about a three and a third points out of five, honourably edged out by a couple of the others.
May 22, 2021
This book did not live up to works previously written. It came across as a mishmash of the visiting alien asteroid story in the news, a sprinkle of Alien, and tech billionaires, so Psychopathic, they would not be in charge of a lemonade stand.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2021
Space billionaire melodrama
This poorly portrayed competition overshadows the story. More of a horror soap opera set in space. And Cassie cries way too much!
This poorly portrayed competition overshadows the story. More of a horror soap opera set in space. And Cassie cries way too much!
December 1, 2021
I can marginally recommend this as a good first contact novel. It would make a better Hollywood movie than novel. It’s a bit obvious, pedestrian, and cliché.
So ʻOumuamua’s big brother is a few years away and this time, humankind wants to hitch a ride. As if written by Crichton’s little brother—half the book slowly gathers the team of diverse characters; the other, matter-of-factly explores the wonders of space.
My favorite line is when they land on the asteroid and start exploring. They see a cavern’s “strange glow that had attracted them seemed to emanate from within like a sex shop’s neon aura.” Lol. What? That’s a jarring, tightly packed simile! However, when they go exploring, it start to get boring—just when they get to the “good part,” oddly enough. I lost interest and started skimming.
My biggest disappointment of the second half was that it felt too derivative of the Alien franchise. A second disappointment is that the tone lacked the dread, tension, and sense of urgency that a horror novel requires. Even though I didn’t love those two aspects, I have to give them artistic respect for leaving room for imagination by not over describing all the alien weird shit and that by using an oddly flattish tone it does jell with an ambivalent ending.
So ʻOumuamua’s big brother is a few years away and this time, humankind wants to hitch a ride. As if written by Crichton’s little brother—half the book slowly gathers the team of diverse characters; the other, matter-of-factly explores the wonders of space.
My favorite line is when they land on the asteroid and start exploring. They see a cavern’s “strange glow that had attracted them seemed to emanate from within like a sex shop’s neon aura.” Lol. What? That’s a jarring, tightly packed simile! However, when they go exploring, it start to get boring—just when they get to the “good part,” oddly enough. I lost interest and started skimming.
My biggest disappointment of the second half was that it felt too derivative of the Alien franchise. A second disappointment is that the tone lacked the dread, tension, and sense of urgency that a horror novel requires. Even though I didn’t love those two aspects, I have to give them artistic respect for leaving room for imagination by not over describing all the alien weird shit and that by using an oddly flattish tone it does jell with an ambivalent ending.
Read
December 21, 2025I am one of the judges of team Space Girls for the SPSFC5 contest. This review is my personal opinion. Officially, it is still in the running for the contest, pending any official team announcements.
Status: Cut
Read: 29%
There are some things this book shares in common with Of mycelium and men by William C. Tracy, mainly that the story has some alien hovering in the shadows while 95% of the story focuses on the daily lives of a few humans that react to this hidden entity. It is kinda a bit like the first 20 minutes of Independence Day where we have a social pariah mad scientist that discovers the approaching alien's signal fluctuation and an aerospace pilot hoping for their golden ticket to pilot a shuttle. Similar to that 1996 film, neither the telematics specialist nor the pilot knows eachother and have their own messy life problems.
Hudson serves the telematics role and I found his chapter trying to bribe a Hawaiian to fool a telescope security guard so that he can illegally copy data to be funny. He reminds me of a creepy and slobbish version of Leonardo DiCaprio's character in Don't Look Up. The book explains in passing credible reasons for him ending up as an outcast among amateur astronomers due to a longstanding history of harassing seemingly everyone. Sadly for me, despite being my favorite character in the book, his chapters are far and few between.
The second character is a disgraced NASA pilot named Cassie who apparently ends up in a violent rampage when her coworker dies in space performing a frantic Space Station debris evasion maneuver. Somewhat similar to the Oppenheimer and Sully films, this book skips the frantic scenes and focuses more attention on the sterile committee meetings. We only know in passing Cassie freaked out without knowing exactly what she did and how she returned to Earth. While the reasons for her situation only serve as backstory, I feel this was a reflection of some of the issues I had with this book.
Why would that be?
Mainly because unlike Independence Day where there is a ticking timer before the alien arrival, we don't have an ominous urgency regarding the upcoming visitor temporarily nicknamed Ounamura II. In every sense of the way, the visitor serves as a McGuffin prop that doesn't exactly offer any tension. Earth experienced the arrival of its smaller sibling Ounamura I a few years prior and save for some passing news reports, there were zero Earthian consequences from its brief visit.
Earth continues hovering around the Sun exactly the same without any changes in its gravitational tilt. Things would have felt more urgent if Ounamura I's visit caused Earth's weather to experience devastating changes from a mere tiny change in its orbit or tilt. Maybe summers and winters could have been more extreme. Or a terrifying reversal of Climate Change where Ice Sheets start growing, announcing the impending arrival of a new Ice Age. Since I am quite terrible at math, I wouldn't be updated whether a 4 km wide celestial body making a quickie pass through the solar system could change the planet's orbit. But offering some lasting effect would have given the story more urgency because the bigger sibling coming Earth's way is 4 times bigger.
Without any longlasting consequence nearly 30% into the story, the low stakes mainly focus on a CEO wanting to secure private funding to land a human crew on the approaching object. The closest explanation alongside boasting rights is to accelerate technological advancement for future trips to Mars. Yes, there is a subplot the CEO would like to mine riches from Ounamura II. The book leaves out any data pertaining to Ounamura I's radiation emitting chemical composition, so it seems like nobody knows if Ounamura II even has anything worth mining to merit such a huge investment.
I think one of the issues I had with this book is that it had several good ideas that with additional editing, would have allowed it to either choose being an Armageddon style 'save the day' action story, a 'Don't look up' satire or cozy Sci-Fi. Perhaps become an Oscar bait style Oppenheimer drama that includes some science but mainly focuses on the protagonist's political problems. If the book had removed the CEO POV and mainly focused the story on Hudson and Cassie's personal growth, I felt the book would have worked pretty well. Not every story needs interplanetary stakes. There is plenty of room for intimate character driven stories that explore what pushed Hudson to break the law and declare first dibs for a life-changing discovery. Cassie's fall from grace to become the underdog comeback story is a popular theme with Hollywood drama flicks. To make such a story work, the stakes could have mainly focused on both characters battling an uphill legal battle for recognition.
This book does offer some chapters where we see the consequences of both characters' mistakes. Hudson has to face trespassing and corporate theft charges. Cassie has to accept her crumbling marriage. Much to my glee, we do get a fun chapter where Hudson sneaks out his condo window when cops knock on his door and Cassie faces her angered husband. However, 80% of these scenes are not shown. We only have a narration that mentions 'and Hudson a few weeks prior crowdfunded enough money for a lawyer to plead for lesser charges.'
If readers don't mind 70% of this book is a more 'Slice of Life' very low stakes tell not show story, they might enjoy the fun aspects of the redemption story of all 3 characters and won't mind the narration heavy storytelling style. I dare say, Hudson's funny antics getting out of trouble are most endearing.
Status: Cut
Read: 29%
There are some things this book shares in common with Of mycelium and men by William C. Tracy, mainly that the story has some alien hovering in the shadows while 95% of the story focuses on the daily lives of a few humans that react to this hidden entity. It is kinda a bit like the first 20 minutes of Independence Day where we have a social pariah mad scientist that discovers the approaching alien's signal fluctuation and an aerospace pilot hoping for their golden ticket to pilot a shuttle. Similar to that 1996 film, neither the telematics specialist nor the pilot knows eachother and have their own messy life problems.
Hudson serves the telematics role and I found his chapter trying to bribe a Hawaiian to fool a telescope security guard so that he can illegally copy data to be funny. He reminds me of a creepy and slobbish version of Leonardo DiCaprio's character in Don't Look Up. The book explains in passing credible reasons for him ending up as an outcast among amateur astronomers due to a longstanding history of harassing seemingly everyone. Sadly for me, despite being my favorite character in the book, his chapters are far and few between.
The second character is a disgraced NASA pilot named Cassie who apparently ends up in a violent rampage when her coworker dies in space performing a frantic Space Station debris evasion maneuver. Somewhat similar to the Oppenheimer and Sully films, this book skips the frantic scenes and focuses more attention on the sterile committee meetings. We only know in passing Cassie freaked out without knowing exactly what she did and how she returned to Earth. While the reasons for her situation only serve as backstory, I feel this was a reflection of some of the issues I had with this book.
Why would that be?
Mainly because unlike Independence Day where there is a ticking timer before the alien arrival, we don't have an ominous urgency regarding the upcoming visitor temporarily nicknamed Ounamura II. In every sense of the way, the visitor serves as a McGuffin prop that doesn't exactly offer any tension. Earth experienced the arrival of its smaller sibling Ounamura I a few years prior and save for some passing news reports, there were zero Earthian consequences from its brief visit.
Earth continues hovering around the Sun exactly the same without any changes in its gravitational tilt. Things would have felt more urgent if Ounamura I's visit caused Earth's weather to experience devastating changes from a mere tiny change in its orbit or tilt. Maybe summers and winters could have been more extreme. Or a terrifying reversal of Climate Change where Ice Sheets start growing, announcing the impending arrival of a new Ice Age. Since I am quite terrible at math, I wouldn't be updated whether a 4 km wide celestial body making a quickie pass through the solar system could change the planet's orbit. But offering some lasting effect would have given the story more urgency because the bigger sibling coming Earth's way is 4 times bigger.
Without any longlasting consequence nearly 30% into the story, the low stakes mainly focus on a CEO wanting to secure private funding to land a human crew on the approaching object. The closest explanation alongside boasting rights is to accelerate technological advancement for future trips to Mars. Yes, there is a subplot the CEO would like to mine riches from Ounamura II. The book leaves out any data pertaining to Ounamura I's radiation emitting chemical composition, so it seems like nobody knows if Ounamura II even has anything worth mining to merit such a huge investment.
I think one of the issues I had with this book is that it had several good ideas that with additional editing, would have allowed it to either choose being an Armageddon style 'save the day' action story, a 'Don't look up' satire or cozy Sci-Fi. Perhaps become an Oscar bait style Oppenheimer drama that includes some science but mainly focuses on the protagonist's political problems. If the book had removed the CEO POV and mainly focused the story on Hudson and Cassie's personal growth, I felt the book would have worked pretty well. Not every story needs interplanetary stakes. There is plenty of room for intimate character driven stories that explore what pushed Hudson to break the law and declare first dibs for a life-changing discovery. Cassie's fall from grace to become the underdog comeback story is a popular theme with Hollywood drama flicks. To make such a story work, the stakes could have mainly focused on both characters battling an uphill legal battle for recognition.
This book does offer some chapters where we see the consequences of both characters' mistakes. Hudson has to face trespassing and corporate theft charges. Cassie has to accept her crumbling marriage. Much to my glee, we do get a fun chapter where Hudson sneaks out his condo window when cops knock on his door and Cassie faces her angered husband. However, 80% of these scenes are not shown. We only have a narration that mentions 'and Hudson a few weeks prior crowdfunded enough money for a lawyer to plead for lesser charges.'
If readers don't mind 70% of this book is a more 'Slice of Life' very low stakes tell not show story, they might enjoy the fun aspects of the redemption story of all 3 characters and won't mind the narration heavy storytelling style. I dare say, Hudson's funny antics getting out of trouble are most endearing.
April 3, 2023
Great writing style, but tedious, boring and drags when you expect it to race. Lousy characters and very predictable.
March 27, 2023
Stylistically not the most elaborately written book but that works in it's favor being a sci-fi book. You can get away with a more concise straight forward writing style. Though there are some sections it would have been fun to dive deeper into descriptions and what not.
Anyway, overall I found this book to be an exciting read. Each character had a pretty detailed background story that let you get to know them and their reasons for things they did or said. It didn't really lag anywhere. I'm excited to continue the story in the next one.
Anyway, overall I found this book to be an exciting read. Each character had a pretty detailed background story that let you get to know them and their reasons for things they did or said. It didn't really lag anywhere. I'm excited to continue the story in the next one.
June 25, 2021
Slow Moving And Boring.
I sensed something was off almost immediately, the characters seemed dense and one dimensional, the plot plodding along and seeming to take forever to really get moving. It just didn't hang together for me and I didn't care what happened. I certainly won't be seeking out any more of the author's work.
I sensed something was off almost immediately, the characters seemed dense and one dimensional, the plot plodding along and seeming to take forever to really get moving. It just didn't hang together for me and I didn't care what happened. I certainly won't be seeking out any more of the author's work.
January 2, 2022
This book started out OK. The story was interesting and the characters had potential although the writing was sometimes a bit clumsy. What could have been a real interesting discovery turned out to be a worn out theme. And the end . . . .
August 3, 2022
This is a really interesting story based on the actual object Oumuamua which is an object which entered our solar system from somewhere else in space. It trveled around the sun and then set on a course that would take it away from our solar sytem.
Scientists believe that it was basically a chunk of rock, longer than wide, that was just moving through space and happened to pass through our solar system, around the sun and probably picked up some speed that way.
There are a few people, though, that believe it was an actual interstellar craft of some kind that was just exploring solar systems that had a setup that could result in at least one planet developing life.
This story takes that and runs with it. Not long after the original object left another, much bigger one appears, heading on a similar path. There's controversy over whether it is just another rock or whether it 's something more.
There's competition to get there first. The description of what they find there is really interesting even if matters get bad fast.
I didn't particularly care for the ending, though, but that's just my opinion.
Scientists believe that it was basically a chunk of rock, longer than wide, that was just moving through space and happened to pass through our solar system, around the sun and probably picked up some speed that way.
There are a few people, though, that believe it was an actual interstellar craft of some kind that was just exploring solar systems that had a setup that could result in at least one planet developing life.
This story takes that and runs with it. Not long after the original object left another, much bigger one appears, heading on a similar path. There's controversy over whether it is just another rock or whether it 's something more.
There's competition to get there first. The description of what they find there is really interesting even if matters get bad fast.
I didn't particularly care for the ending, though, but that's just my opinion.
February 11, 2022
Why only 4 stars? You decide. Careful!
Low entertainment value for me. 4 stars. Not a bad author. The theme will make you think of several alien horror movies and books. More horror than science fiction.
More vain use of God's name than foul words but just short of R rating. Gory and repulsive scenes. So many immoral, drug addicted, lying and deceiving, and greedy wealthy characters. Immorality was not graphic, just sad people messing up their lives. In fact, the only character who seemed admirable got killed off early.
If you're fed up with today's (2022) politics. Russia/China/USA contention be forewarned you're not going to avoid it in this story.
Having said all that, I'll tell you that I finished the book expecting to go find another series. Maybe Brandon Sanderson, Jordan Rivet, or Jeff Wheeler.
But my curiosity overwhelms me! I gotta see what happens...
Low entertainment value for me. 4 stars. Not a bad author. The theme will make you think of several alien horror movies and books. More horror than science fiction.
More vain use of God's name than foul words but just short of R rating. Gory and repulsive scenes. So many immoral, drug addicted, lying and deceiving, and greedy wealthy characters. Immorality was not graphic, just sad people messing up their lives. In fact, the only character who seemed admirable got killed off early.
If you're fed up with today's (2022) politics. Russia/China/USA contention be forewarned you're not going to avoid it in this story.
Having said all that, I'll tell you that I finished the book expecting to go find another series. Maybe Brandon Sanderson, Jordan Rivet, or Jeff Wheeler.
But my curiosity overwhelms me! I gotta see what happens...
January 14, 2024
A very good science fiction story if you like hard syfy, as I do. It is the story of a mission that is created to intercept an object that appears to be traveling through our solar system with all indications is not a comet or rogue asteroid, but a UFO that appears to be "unnatural" or build by an intelligence...too good an opportunity for a budding space exploring industry to ignore. So, once identified as potentially the opportunity for a first contact with other intelligent life in the universe, the players in that industry vie to try and get to it first.
There's lots of science industry, interagency politics, and various large personalities that get involved. The yarn is well told and the ending is a bit of a let down until you think about what it had to be.
I'll be looking for another yard from Triptych.
There's lots of science industry, interagency politics, and various large personalities that get involved. The yarn is well told and the ending is a bit of a let down until you think about what it had to be.
I'll be looking for another yard from Triptych.
May 19, 2022
I don't like it
It's not because the writing isn't good or the characters not developed or the story not realistic, it's because I don't like the ending. Since the ending is a major twist, I don't want to reveal and spoil for some readers. It is a plausible ending, and quite likely. Heinlein wrote a novel that covered this theme. I am reminded of Jie Li and Biogen. The explanation for the ending is unexplained. I think the author could have taken a stab at it, but it is really unexplainable. He just tells it like it is with everyone doing their thing according to their individual logic. How can people trained in what to do make such horribly catastrophic mistakes?
It's not because the writing isn't good or the characters not developed or the story not realistic, it's because I don't like the ending. Since the ending is a major twist, I don't want to reveal and spoil for some readers. It is a plausible ending, and quite likely. Heinlein wrote a novel that covered this theme. I am reminded of Jie Li and Biogen. The explanation for the ending is unexplained. I think the author could have taken a stab at it, but it is really unexplainable. He just tells it like it is with everyone doing their thing according to their individual logic. How can people trained in what to do make such horribly catastrophic mistakes?
May 18, 2021
This is the second of Mr. Tryptych’s books I’ve read and I continue to be favorably impressed. The story was well-planned, with strong, believable characters and vivid descriptions that made me feel like I was right in the middle of it. The author delved deeply into personalities, showing how and why each character became part of this mission. It was their interplay that impacted the outcome and kept me engrossed in this easy-to-read story. I received an ARC – this review is my honest opinion. I purchased a copy to support this very good author.
August 18, 2025
I enjoyed this book and will start book 2 straight away.
I did have a feeling that the author had a little too low expectation of women.... cheating and the hints of Lotta being cheap with the Russians on space etc.
But think about that.... sex in space. No gravity. Way too much preparation before etc.
It was a theme on a space podcast (Norwegian one) about exactly that. Would be a problem. So very unlikely.
But again I think this is a light horror sci-fi as I just have read this. Very intriguing.
I did have a feeling that the author had a little too low expectation of women.... cheating and the hints of Lotta being cheap with the Russians on space etc.
But think about that.... sex in space. No gravity. Way too much preparation before etc.
It was a theme on a space podcast (Norwegian one) about exactly that. Would be a problem. So very unlikely.
But again I think this is a light horror sci-fi as I just have read this. Very intriguing.
August 1, 2021
Book was going great until they just ENDED it.
It had no ending.
Nevertheless, a relatively good tale.
This author always gets right to it. No putting up his feet on the bridge or shoveling down chili or drinking raw whiskey—none of the typical, trite, hackneyed, used-up, sci-fi bullsht I read practically everywhere else.
He tells a story. And it’s usually a story I never heard before.
No lonnnnnnnnngggggg, guddam buildup “introducing” the same old stock, standard, trite characters. No Hollywood bullsht. A good writer.
.
It had no ending.
Nevertheless, a relatively good tale.
This author always gets right to it. No putting up his feet on the bridge or shoveling down chili or drinking raw whiskey—none of the typical, trite, hackneyed, used-up, sci-fi bullsht I read practically everywhere else.
He tells a story. And it’s usually a story I never heard before.
No lonnnnnnnnngggggg, guddam buildup “introducing” the same old stock, standard, trite characters. No Hollywood bullsht. A good writer.
.
November 21, 2025
One of a Kind !!!
The Visitor had everything a science fiction horror fan could wish for.
First was the storyline,then the science,and last the horror.
I was spellbound.
I will highly recommend this book to anyone...
And so,on to the next series of this story
I hope part 2 will not disappoint,as a lot of other part 2 or 3 series do.
Thank you so much for this read.I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Regards
The Visitor had everything a science fiction horror fan could wish for.
First was the storyline,then the science,and last the horror.
I was spellbound.
I will highly recommend this book to anyone...
And so,on to the next series of this story
I hope part 2 will not disappoint,as a lot of other part 2 or 3 series do.
Thank you so much for this read.I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Regards
July 25, 2021
I like happy endings
I like happy endings. This does NOT have a happy ending. It does have a lot of other stuff. It has greed, industrial sabotage, corporate spying, country against country, and everyone out for themselves. It has space flight, death, and alien life destroying humanity - or perhaps making it better depending on your point of view.
I like happy endings. This does NOT have a happy ending. It does have a lot of other stuff. It has greed, industrial sabotage, corporate spying, country against country, and everyone out for themselves. It has space flight, death, and alien life destroying humanity - or perhaps making it better depending on your point of view.
March 26, 2022
Takes too long to get to the punch. It is not a knockout. Just a jaw tap.
Hoping the second book produces the kick needed. This book could have been cut in half. The attempt to get into too many character minds is annoying. Its a mystery then a mystery. Spinning around the story. Yes I'm going to read the second book. Why because I'm confused why another book.
Hoping the second book produces the kick needed. This book could have been cut in half. The attempt to get into too many character minds is annoying. Its a mystery then a mystery. Spinning around the story. Yes I'm going to read the second book. Why because I'm confused why another book.
April 5, 2022
An entertaining first contact story to kick off a trilogy. A mishmashed group of astronauts and private citizens launches an expedition to land on a UFO. The story involved plenty of the standard space action like EVAs and ship members losing their minds. It then moves on to body horror a’la Aliens. This novel is not meant to break new ground in literature, it’s meant to entertain with the usual tropes—in that I think it succeeds.
September 6, 2025
Slow start but gets better
I often complain about books with characters that are too perfect. This book does not suffer from that problem. Indeed, it is hard to really identify with any of the characters, given their character flaws. . Moreover, as time passes, the motivating event will become dated. However, I liked it enough to buy the next book in the series.
I often complain about books with characters that are too perfect. This book does not suffer from that problem. Indeed, it is hard to really identify with any of the characters, given their character flaws. . Moreover, as time passes, the motivating event will become dated. However, I liked it enough to buy the next book in the series.
May 21, 2021
A great space flight with first contact read
A very timely story. The plot keeps you enthralled till the very last page. If you are interested in space, competitive billionaires, and wonder if we are alone, this is one for you to read.
A very timely story. The plot keeps you enthralled till the very last page. If you are interested in space, competitive billionaires, and wonder if we are alone, this is one for you to read.
July 31, 2021
Interesting idea
The story had some interesting ideas, but the writing was not great, and the editing was poor. Characters were not well developed, and the science was not well researched.
The story had some interesting ideas, but the writing was not great, and the editing was poor. Characters were not well developed, and the science was not well researched.
September 22, 2021
It’s a journey
It’s a ride to the stars that you never expected. It’s a ride to to the stars that takes you on a most unusual journey with an unexpected outcome. Come along and strap in!
It’s a ride to the stars that you never expected. It’s a ride to to the stars that takes you on a most unusual journey with an unexpected outcome. Come along and strap in!
June 5, 2022
Engrossing read but ending is disappointing
Very interesting and a page turner up to the last pages. The ending is disappointing and a letdown in it's lack of logic. It's hard to reconcile the protagonist's actions at the end with her mindset throughout the rest of the book.
Very interesting and a page turner up to the last pages. The ending is disappointing and a letdown in it's lack of logic. It's hard to reconcile the protagonist's actions at the end with her mindset throughout the rest of the book.
May 5, 2023
How about a legitimate ending
So tired of reading books that end with the author trying to get you to buy his next book by providing only a partial climax to the plot. What could have been a great story fizzled at the end.
So tired of reading books that end with the author trying to get you to buy his next book by providing only a partial climax to the plot. What could have been a great story fizzled at the end.
June 29, 2021
Slow death.
Visitor is a train wreck. You know the outcome but you can't stop reading. The authors have done a masterful job.
Visitor is a train wreck. You know the outcome but you can't stop reading. The authors have done a masterful job.
August 15, 2021
A really fast read.
Good book.the ending could have been better.they should have extended the endings little further.but a good read.I give it a limited good review.
Good book.the ending could have been better.they should have extended the endings little further.but a good read.I give it a limited good review.
September 3, 2021
If you crave sci fi story with mystery, this is it. I couldn't wait to see where it took me. An excellent story with relatable characters, I enjoyed it immensely and was sad to see it finish.
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