What do you think?
Rate this book
Chaos Chronicles #1
Neptune Crossing
When John Bandicut encounters an alien intelligence on Neptune's moon Triton, his life changes irrevocably. Urged by the alien quarx now sharing his mind, he accepts an audacious mission—to steal a ship and hurtle across the solar system in a desperate bid for Earth's survival.
391 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1994
694 people are currently reading
1922 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
November 17, 2011
Okay, I am a total sucker for this kind of book and I devoured this one. It's set on Triton, Neptune's moon (I love Neptune). I'm tired because it's late at night or else I would write more. Anyway, if you like sci-fi -- especially if you like classic-type sci-fi (like the stuff from the good old days in the 60s/70s), check this out.
Also, bonus points for not being military sci-fi. I am kind of tired of reading about battles and wars in all the sci-fi and fantasy novels I've been devouring lately.
Also, bonus points for not being military sci-fi. I am kind of tired of reading about battles and wars in all the sci-fi and fantasy novels I've been devouring lately.
October 30, 2011
I originally downloaded this book because, well, it was free. I had a day-long training seminar for work, it promised to be boring, there was a long bus ride, I'm broke ... well ... you get the picture.
I download a lot of free books. I read pretty voraciously, and the truth is, most of them aren't really worth commenting on. They're just this weird, un-ending stream of semi-ok books that transition from one into the next.
So when I got a little way into this book and it just grabbed me - hey, I was excited! The characters were engaging, the element of the quarx and the stones was fantasy without being hokey, (actually, truth be told, I loved the different quarxes; they were just great), and I found myself being drawn pretty far into the whole thing, wondering ... how was he going to wrap this up? I loved the relationship between the male protagonist, his interior companion, and his female companion, and the "silence-fugues" ahh.... I think I'm giving too much away.
Let me just put it this way. I read it, and then in a scenario that only happens once every ten books or so, I went ahead and downloaded the second. And then the third.
I download a lot of free books. I read pretty voraciously, and the truth is, most of them aren't really worth commenting on. They're just this weird, un-ending stream of semi-ok books that transition from one into the next.
So when I got a little way into this book and it just grabbed me - hey, I was excited! The characters were engaging, the element of the quarx and the stones was fantasy without being hokey, (actually, truth be told, I loved the different quarxes; they were just great), and I found myself being drawn pretty far into the whole thing, wondering ... how was he going to wrap this up? I loved the relationship between the male protagonist, his interior companion, and his female companion, and the "silence-fugues" ahh.... I think I'm giving too much away.
Let me just put it this way. I read it, and then in a scenario that only happens once every ten books or so, I went ahead and downloaded the second. And then the third.
December 5, 2021
I planned to give this four stars right up the last ten pages. The story had a climax, then kept going and just . . . stopped. No resolution, no ending, no tying up of ends.
A first contact story with good, hard science fiction. What's not to like? Well, the protagonist is flawed--deeply flawed. Most of it's not his fault, but he's something of a loser anyway. Kind of feels like a former drugger who has sworn off the stuff but is still brain damaged.
Still, it's a good read.
A first contact story with good, hard science fiction. What's not to like? Well, the protagonist is flawed--deeply flawed. Most of it's not his fault, but he's something of a loser anyway. Kind of feels like a former drugger who has sworn off the stuff but is still brain damaged.
Still, it's a good read.
April 12, 2017
No worries if you don't think of Chaos Theory the same way they did back in the 90s. And no worries about it being a series; this episode does end. (However, it is clearly an episode and does entice me to consider the sequels.) It is well-written, in that it is clear, engaging, with characters that act like real people with believable motivations & reactions, with an interesting alien, with tidbits of world-building re' robots, mining on Triton, etc., with an exciting adventure.... but I'm not sure I love or recommend it because it doesn't really have the 'what if' or 'sense of wonder' that I read SF for. There are no real Ideas. Difficult to rate. Maybe, in another mood, I'd give it four stars. I do have a feeling I'll be thinking about Charlie & old TV and the neuro-net & silence-fugue a few more times.
September 24, 2012
If 15-year-old me were writing this review, this would be four stars. I first read this book when I was about that age, and remember liking it a lot, but I couldn't find the sequels in any of the local libraries (and this was pre-Amazon). On a lark, I searched for it in 2009, to figure out if the sequels were around. They were, as free e-books! I re-read all of it, and all I can say is "this didn't hold up well." Characterization is pretty flat, situations are not particularly compelling. I feel like it's sort of "fun, quirky 90s sci-fi, if you don't want to think too much and aren't expecting particularly literary fiction."
January 17, 2017
I found this book to be a very mixed attempt. The main character was okay, not compelling, but reasonable enough to feel some sympathy for him. The alien seemed utterly ridiculous and I felt that the "dialog" between the two was many times nothing more than long piles of exposition tricked out in dubious formatting.
I also felt that many times the author used language designed to try and show how clever he is and forced. Like the repeated use of words such as "coruscating.". There were also several places where there seemed to be a lot of repetition, as though the book hadn't been edited very well.
All that said, I'd have probably been more inclined towards rating this as 4 stars if it wasn't for the ridiculous "end" right in the middle of the action. It feels like the writer just got tired at that point and quit. Novels that do this to me only display the writer's incompetence or blatant attempt to make the reader read the next in the series. There was a point near the end where the story could have been wrapped up fairly neatly, with enough resolution to make it satisfying and still leave an opening for a sequel, but the author chose deliberately not to do that. Books like this lose me completely and I shall not be reading further.
I also felt that many times the author used language designed to try and show how clever he is and forced. Like the repeated use of words such as "coruscating.". There were also several places where there seemed to be a lot of repetition, as though the book hadn't been edited very well.
All that said, I'd have probably been more inclined towards rating this as 4 stars if it wasn't for the ridiculous "end" right in the middle of the action. It feels like the writer just got tired at that point and quit. Novels that do this to me only display the writer's incompetence or blatant attempt to make the reader read the next in the series. There was a point near the end where the story could have been wrapped up fairly neatly, with enough resolution to make it satisfying and still leave an opening for a sequel, but the author chose deliberately not to do that. Books like this lose me completely and I shall not be reading further.
July 13, 2009
Fun story about John Bandicut, a man working on Triton, one of Neptune's moons, with surprisingly (and conveniently) little connection to Earth (a niece). John's employer, whose doctor has negligently burned out John's ability to access the internet with his mind, is mining Triton for the exotic metals left there by the ancient, and long-dead, alien race. After an encounter with an alien artifact, the man shares his brain with an ancient alien (lineage of aliens?), and he is given a mission: save the Earth from certain destruction by a comet hurtling toward it from the outer reaches of the Solar System. The man falls in love with another worker at the harsh compound on Triton (a xenobioligist there trying to study the extinct alien race with what's left of their culture -- almost nothing), and develops a friendship with his alien brain-mate (who promptly dies and is replaced by another alien brain-mate, who also dies at the end of the novel). John decides to leave this behind, he steals a shuttle, and with the alien and the artifact's help, smashes into the comet at near the speed of light, destroying it and (in a cliff hanger ending) instantly teleporting himself to a giant alien spaceship or station some where far, far away from our solar system.
This was a fun, quick read. The science was good, and the characters weren't too terribly one-dimensional. John was pretty believable, with his own foibles and mess-ups. I will definitetly read more of the books in this series. If the rest of the books are anything like this first one, I'll probably finish the whole series (and pretty quickly too, since the books all appear to be short and easy to read).
This was a fun, quick read. The science was good, and the characters weren't too terribly one-dimensional. John was pretty believable, with his own foibles and mess-ups. I will definitetly read more of the books in this series. If the rest of the books are anything like this first one, I'll probably finish the whole series (and pretty quickly too, since the books all appear to be short and easy to read).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2015
I loved this book. I liked the concept, the play between the main character, and shall we say, his little "friend" in his head. Bandicut is a bit of a misfit, but has a good heart. Now, he is set with the task of saving Earth, but not able to tell anyone what he knows, or has found. He is on a moon where a company mines. Throw in a bit of that, with some Einey-Stieny game, a touch of romance and his journey to completing his task. It took very little time to read as it was interesting. If you appreciate this genre, you'll like this. Warning: if you read this, you'll have to read what comes after too. Yep, that's the catch. One I know well.
September 14, 2020
Here’s a series starter that introduces a clever, universe-spanning concept in the context of a novel First Contact story.
About seventy years ago Isaac Asimov published his Foundation Trilogy (which belatedly won the Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series in 1966). Asimov’s conceit was that a far-future “psychohistorian” named Hari Seldon developed a methodology to predict how large populations of people would react under certain predictable circumstances.
A great many years later Jeffrey A. Carver produced the Chaos Chronicles, a series that now consists of six volumes. The books are based on a somewhat similar concept. In Carver’s telling, an alien superintelligence has grasped how to apply chaos theory to anticipate the emergent behavior of large, complex systems. The solar system, for example. And in Neptune Crossing, the first book in the series, a comet is hurtling directly toward Earth. That comet will extinguish all life on the planet—and human scientists are ignorant of the threat. Tragically, only one hapless human pilot stuck in the far-future equivalent of KP duty on Neptune can possibly save the day.
Alien intervention takes an unlikely hero on an interplanetary adventure
On a corporate mining survey of Neptune‘s moon Triton late in the twenty-second century, pilot John Bandicut literally stumbles into a pit on the surface. There, he finds himself face to face with an alien artifact—the first-ever evidence of intelligent life of extraterrestrial origin. “He was standing in front of . . . the discovery of the century. An alien machine! It was what the Neptune/Triton explorers had looked for in vain for years.”
Soon it transpires that the device, hidden under Triton’s surface for uncounted millennia, serves as a “translator” for the quarx. It seems that the quarx, an immaterial intelligence, had identified Bandicut as “one who knew the presence of others in his mind, who felt at home with the tidal movement of dataflow and the slow seep of intermingled consciousness.” And now, Bandicut discovers, the quarx has embedded itself in his mind. Even worse, the quarx is intent on guiding him to defy the mining company, betray his friends, steal a spaceship, and fly it directly at enormous speed into that comet threatening life on Earth. Chances are—well, almost certainly—he’ll lose his life in the resulting cataclysmic explosion. And so will the quarx, for that matter. The problem is, Bandicut doesn’t have any choice in the matter.
How far away is Neptune?
So, you pick up this book and you say, sure, let’s take a trip to Neptune. Now, of course you know that Neptune is the most distant planet in the solar system, since Pluto was demoted to dwarf status in 2006. Neptune is located some 2.8 billion miles (4,500 million kilometers) from the sun and more or less that far from Earth, give or take a hundred million miles or so. How long would it take to get there?
Well, assume that a spaceship escapes from Earth at 25,000 miles per hour and continues on its way to the outer solar system. That ship would be on the way for roughly 4,666 days. (That’s almost thirteen years.) Still on board? I doubt it. If you imagine that an interplanetary adventure is in the cards for humanity at any time in the predictable future, you’re probably safe in saying it’s unlikely to start at Neptune.
About seventy years ago Isaac Asimov published his Foundation Trilogy (which belatedly won the Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series in 1966). Asimov’s conceit was that a far-future “psychohistorian” named Hari Seldon developed a methodology to predict how large populations of people would react under certain predictable circumstances.
A great many years later Jeffrey A. Carver produced the Chaos Chronicles, a series that now consists of six volumes. The books are based on a somewhat similar concept. In Carver’s telling, an alien superintelligence has grasped how to apply chaos theory to anticipate the emergent behavior of large, complex systems. The solar system, for example. And in Neptune Crossing, the first book in the series, a comet is hurtling directly toward Earth. That comet will extinguish all life on the planet—and human scientists are ignorant of the threat. Tragically, only one hapless human pilot stuck in the far-future equivalent of KP duty on Neptune can possibly save the day.
Alien intervention takes an unlikely hero on an interplanetary adventure
On a corporate mining survey of Neptune‘s moon Triton late in the twenty-second century, pilot John Bandicut literally stumbles into a pit on the surface. There, he finds himself face to face with an alien artifact—the first-ever evidence of intelligent life of extraterrestrial origin. “He was standing in front of . . . the discovery of the century. An alien machine! It was what the Neptune/Triton explorers had looked for in vain for years.”
Soon it transpires that the device, hidden under Triton’s surface for uncounted millennia, serves as a “translator” for the quarx. It seems that the quarx, an immaterial intelligence, had identified Bandicut as “one who knew the presence of others in his mind, who felt at home with the tidal movement of dataflow and the slow seep of intermingled consciousness.” And now, Bandicut discovers, the quarx has embedded itself in his mind. Even worse, the quarx is intent on guiding him to defy the mining company, betray his friends, steal a spaceship, and fly it directly at enormous speed into that comet threatening life on Earth. Chances are—well, almost certainly—he’ll lose his life in the resulting cataclysmic explosion. And so will the quarx, for that matter. The problem is, Bandicut doesn’t have any choice in the matter.
How far away is Neptune?
So, you pick up this book and you say, sure, let’s take a trip to Neptune. Now, of course you know that Neptune is the most distant planet in the solar system, since Pluto was demoted to dwarf status in 2006. Neptune is located some 2.8 billion miles (4,500 million kilometers) from the sun and more or less that far from Earth, give or take a hundred million miles or so. How long would it take to get there?
Well, assume that a spaceship escapes from Earth at 25,000 miles per hour and continues on its way to the outer solar system. That ship would be on the way for roughly 4,666 days. (That’s almost thirteen years.) Still on board? I doubt it. If you imagine that an interplanetary adventure is in the cards for humanity at any time in the predictable future, you’re probably safe in saying it’s unlikely to start at Neptune.
November 18, 2021
As other Goodread reviewers have said, "Neptune Crossing" seemingly has everything it needs to be a compelling scifi read. An "electrifying scenario" that finds a comet speeding on a collision course with Earth, an alien artifact with accompanying alien, romance, and "a winning combination in Bandicut and the...quarx". Why, then, did I find this book less than compelling?
First, I'm not crazy about incorporeal beings that inhabit people's minds. They're OK in fantasies or ghost stories, but this is supposed to be "hard" scifi and there isn't any hard evidence anywhere for the existence of incorporeal beings. Secondly, as somebody else has pointed out, there is a lot here (and not just alien technology) that goes completely unexplained. Finally, though, and most importantly, the story meandered. There just wasn't enough action to keep me turning the page to see what would happen next.
Between the first 30 pages and the last 50, not much happens that seems to be of major consequence to the! plot. Even the development of the relationship between John and Julie seems to be a side issue, significant only because it adds to Bandicut's reluctance to do what he obviously must. The mine accident, for example, seems largely irrelevant. Ultimately, this was a slow read. Reading often right before going to bed, I more than once found that I had fallen asleep after reading only a page or two.
Oddly, the action finally did pick up near the end, and the end left things hanging in an interesting place. It left me wanting to know more about the new artefact and where things go from there, as well as whether John will ever get back to Julie. In short, it left me wanting to read the next instalment in the series (this book is the first).
On its own, this book is, IMHO, just average. You may want to give it a try, however, on the possibility that subsequent books in the series will be better. Stay tuned.
First, I'm not crazy about incorporeal beings that inhabit people's minds. They're OK in fantasies or ghost stories, but this is supposed to be "hard" scifi and there isn't any hard evidence anywhere for the existence of incorporeal beings. Secondly, as somebody else has pointed out, there is a lot here (and not just alien technology) that goes completely unexplained. Finally, though, and most importantly, the story meandered. There just wasn't enough action to keep me turning the page to see what would happen next.
Between the first 30 pages and the last 50, not much happens that seems to be of major consequence to the! plot. Even the development of the relationship between John and Julie seems to be a side issue, significant only because it adds to Bandicut's reluctance to do what he obviously must. The mine accident, for example, seems largely irrelevant. Ultimately, this was a slow read. Reading often right before going to bed, I more than once found that I had fallen asleep after reading only a page or two.
Oddly, the action finally did pick up near the end, and the end left things hanging in an interesting place. It left me wanting to know more about the new artefact and where things go from there, as well as whether John will ever get back to Julie. In short, it left me wanting to read the next instalment in the series (this book is the first).
On its own, this book is, IMHO, just average. You may want to give it a try, however, on the possibility that subsequent books in the series will be better. Stay tuned.
February 7, 2012
The synopsis of this book made it sound like exactly my sort of scifi, but I did find his writing style a little difficult to get into. Anyway, I gradually warmed to the style, and whilst the pace was a little odd in places (a problem I know I suffer from too) the story got going and looked most promising. It successfully drew me in and I felt compelled to read right to the end. I'm not going to say to much about the last few chapters as I didn't really like the way the story went and things got WAY too strange for my liking. I can't say much more than that without giving away some plot elements.
After the last chapter was a lovely extra chapter detailing how the book was written and some of the problems and solutions that the author faced. Very interesting and I wish more authors would do that. But then there was a final page titled "About the Author". I have to admit I had never heard of the guy, so I was interested to find out a little more. I read it only to be shocked, I don't think that is too strong a word, to discover that not only has he had quite a collection of books published by physical publishers, including some big name ones, but he also wrote the novelisation of the Battlestar Galactica series!
Had I known this before I began reading Neptune Crossing, I suspect I would have been rather disappointed. The story was rather one dimensional and did not have the kind of depth I would have expected from one so successful and experienced.
After the last chapter was a lovely extra chapter detailing how the book was written and some of the problems and solutions that the author faced. Very interesting and I wish more authors would do that. But then there was a final page titled "About the Author". I have to admit I had never heard of the guy, so I was interested to find out a little more. I read it only to be shocked, I don't think that is too strong a word, to discover that not only has he had quite a collection of books published by physical publishers, including some big name ones, but he also wrote the novelisation of the Battlestar Galactica series!
Had I known this before I began reading Neptune Crossing, I suspect I would have been rather disappointed. The story was rather one dimensional and did not have the kind of depth I would have expected from one so successful and experienced.
December 16, 2016
Near future. Aliens. A twist on the still to be explained parts of the solar system as we know it. This had the feel of both an epic saga and a short story, maintaining a small cast and localized action with a backdrop the size of the Galaxy, but only revealed in enough detail to develop the story, the current one at least. The main character is not particularly like able, almost an antihero, and I'd be surprised if the author had not read Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series. And not just because of the antihero bit. I'm not sure whether the story reverts to magic....it certainly constrains it to a plausible cause, albeit unexplained. I liked the pace of this, as it moved quickly but not frantically to its climax and an intriguing jump point to whatever comes next.
September 11, 2018
This was an exciting adventure! Imagine having an alien enter your head and tell you that they must complete their mission. However, even the alien doesn't know yet what the mission is. The pressure really builds and I couldn't go to bed without finding out what happened. Yes, this is a 3 parter, but the first part ends cleanly with a sortof cliffhanger to introduce the next book.
February 28, 2023
3 1/2 Stars
I am a sucker for first-contact stories, mixed with some real science fiction (and I don't mean crime novels set on a space station, bug hunts, or military shoot-em-ups) and this book came close. Here we have Bandicut who discovers an alien artifact that ends up making contact with an entity that takes up residence in his mind. Cool so far. Then the alien informs him that an asteroid will strike Earth in 48 days and Bandicut is committed to doing something. Of course, he is at Neptune and it would take more than 48 days to get to Earth. No worries, our alien pal has that covered.
What figured fairly prominently was the relationship between Bandicut and Charlie (yes he is named Charlie). The dynamic works pretty well with Charlie being your typical amenable alien (hooked on 20th-century Television) as the two of them attempt to figure out what to do. But shortly into the relationship, Charlie dies with a promise that there will be a replacement. Sure enough, the replacement appears and is named - yup, Charlie. The second Charlie is quite different but has the same mission.
The book takes a bit of a side track through the introduction of a love interest for Bandicut who certainly appears to be like a 40-year-old virgin. We suffer through his stumbling and bumbling until he seems to make some progress - only to have Charlie virtually puking in his head as things heat up. I guess this may have been added for humor but it was a bit annoying.
I struggled a bit with Charlie - he was conniving but comes off sniveling and apologizing after he does stuff. Certainly, his adverse reaction to Bandicut doing the sex thing was somewhat annoying, and while I really enjoy listening to Stefan Rudnicki, he kind of hams it up too much in these parts of the book; almost annoyingly so. But not enough to dissuade you from reading this.
We are left with a cliffhanger leading to book 2. We know he survives because there is a book two, so we will get answers there.
A decent read - I would recommend it.
I am a sucker for first-contact stories, mixed with some real science fiction (and I don't mean crime novels set on a space station, bug hunts, or military shoot-em-ups) and this book came close. Here we have Bandicut who discovers an alien artifact that ends up making contact with an entity that takes up residence in his mind. Cool so far. Then the alien informs him that an asteroid will strike Earth in 48 days and Bandicut is committed to doing something. Of course, he is at Neptune and it would take more than 48 days to get to Earth. No worries, our alien pal has that covered.
What figured fairly prominently was the relationship between Bandicut and Charlie (yes he is named Charlie). The dynamic works pretty well with Charlie being your typical amenable alien (hooked on 20th-century Television) as the two of them attempt to figure out what to do. But shortly into the relationship, Charlie dies with a promise that there will be a replacement. Sure enough, the replacement appears and is named - yup, Charlie. The second Charlie is quite different but has the same mission.
The book takes a bit of a side track through the introduction of a love interest for Bandicut who certainly appears to be like a 40-year-old virgin. We suffer through his stumbling and bumbling until he seems to make some progress - only to have Charlie virtually puking in his head as things heat up. I guess this may have been added for humor but it was a bit annoying.
I struggled a bit with Charlie - he was conniving but comes off sniveling and apologizing after he does stuff. Certainly, his adverse reaction to Bandicut doing the sex thing was somewhat annoying, and while I really enjoy listening to Stefan Rudnicki, he kind of hams it up too much in these parts of the book; almost annoyingly so. But not enough to dissuade you from reading this.
We are left with a cliffhanger leading to book 2. We know he survives because there is a book two, so we will get answers there.
A decent read - I would recommend it.
September 18, 2017
Awesome plot, great execution.... Loved it.
Wow, What a plot.
Earth about to be blown into Thy Kingdom come and a highly advanced non-corporeal species chooses a corporeal being to save Humanity. Well, the concept in itself a bit flawed. Though I loved the book and would take up the entire series up now. But the question remains, why would a advanced sentient non-corporeal being partner with a corporeal being to save Earth when the alien has a super advanced, future predicting, dynamic super computer with added abilities.
The story at first felt a lot similar to, "Quantum Entanglement". Those of you haven't read it, read it, you'll see the Quarx in John's and the Quantum entity in Seth's mind are quite similar. A lot of similarities. But inspite of few unexplained turns, this author did a marvellous job shaping this unbelievable plot into super interesting novel. I liked the way how he added more necessary details and minor delays until the climax, otherwise the book would have finished a lot sooner and probably disappointed a lot of readers.
The plot of mining in Neptune's Moon alone intrigued me, I mean, Triton, wow, not even in sci-fi tv series do they make such a plot. Most authors or writers think sci-fi & space means beyond our solar system for starters. So, I guess, the prime plot of Advanced intelligent beings residing in Proximity of Neptune alone should get this author some kind of innovative award.
I hope my questions will be answered in the next part of the book, in 'The Chaos Chronicles Books'.
I sure did love the interesting sci-fi terms used here, really cool.
What I don't understand is that, why do every sci-fi author change the scientific terms for FTL(Faster than Light) in their book, Some say quantum stream, some threading space. Should stick to one, better for mass readers to grasp.
Wow, What a plot.
Earth about to be blown into Thy Kingdom come and a highly advanced non-corporeal species chooses a corporeal being to save Humanity. Well, the concept in itself a bit flawed. Though I loved the book and would take up the entire series up now. But the question remains, why would a advanced sentient non-corporeal being partner with a corporeal being to save Earth when the alien has a super advanced, future predicting, dynamic super computer with added abilities.
The story at first felt a lot similar to, "Quantum Entanglement". Those of you haven't read it, read it, you'll see the Quarx in John's and the Quantum entity in Seth's mind are quite similar. A lot of similarities. But inspite of few unexplained turns, this author did a marvellous job shaping this unbelievable plot into super interesting novel. I liked the way how he added more necessary details and minor delays until the climax, otherwise the book would have finished a lot sooner and probably disappointed a lot of readers.
The plot of mining in Neptune's Moon alone intrigued me, I mean, Triton, wow, not even in sci-fi tv series do they make such a plot. Most authors or writers think sci-fi & space means beyond our solar system for starters. So, I guess, the prime plot of Advanced intelligent beings residing in Proximity of Neptune alone should get this author some kind of innovative award.
I hope my questions will be answered in the next part of the book, in 'The Chaos Chronicles Books'.
I sure did love the interesting sci-fi terms used here, really cool.
What I don't understand is that, why do every sci-fi author change the scientific terms for FTL(Faster than Light) in their book, Some say quantum stream, some threading space. Should stick to one, better for mass readers to grasp.
February 6, 2021
I read only 52% of the novel and then I had to call it quits because this story was a complete slog to get through.
** SPOILERS **
(1) I wasn't terribly impressed with the main character, Bandicut; he's not really a hero type or an antihero. He doesn't have any redeeming qualities that I could find.
(2) All of the management types he has to work for are characterized as complete aholes not to be trusted and out to get him. I am not fond of corporations, and yes indeed they can be filled with aholes, but not all of them can be: in reality there has to be a competent manager somewhere to keep things going.
(3) Charlie, and then Charlie-two, the alien(s) that invade Bandicut's mind, are not really all that helpful or nice (mostly distracting or demanding). There is a vague warning of a threat to Earth, and then a demand for detailed data about the known star system. That should've set off warning bells that this alien is a THREAT TO HUMANITY. Instead, Bandicut just limps along trying to have normal days and keep his new alien friend happy.
(4) After Bandicut learns about the unknown threat to Earth... he dicks around with boring day-to-day tasks that don't really move the story forward, for about 50% of the story at least.
(5) Bandicut doesn't seem concerned there's an alien in his head. How did it get in? How many of them are there? Is this a forward scout of an invasion force ready to take over humanity? How did Charlie-two just pop into his head after Charlie died? What kind of life cycle do these aliens have? These are important questions that Bandicut just seems to ignore, and takes the words from Charlie as truth.
** END SPOILERS **
** SPOILERS **
(1) I wasn't terribly impressed with the main character, Bandicut; he's not really a hero type or an antihero. He doesn't have any redeeming qualities that I could find.
(2) All of the management types he has to work for are characterized as complete aholes not to be trusted and out to get him. I am not fond of corporations, and yes indeed they can be filled with aholes, but not all of them can be: in reality there has to be a competent manager somewhere to keep things going.
(3) Charlie, and then Charlie-two, the alien(s) that invade Bandicut's mind, are not really all that helpful or nice (mostly distracting or demanding). There is a vague warning of a threat to Earth, and then a demand for detailed data about the known star system. That should've set off warning bells that this alien is a THREAT TO HUMANITY. Instead, Bandicut just limps along trying to have normal days and keep his new alien friend happy.
(4) After Bandicut learns about the unknown threat to Earth... he dicks around with boring day-to-day tasks that don't really move the story forward, for about 50% of the story at least.
(5) Bandicut doesn't seem concerned there's an alien in his head. How did it get in? How many of them are there? Is this a forward scout of an invasion force ready to take over humanity? How did Charlie-two just pop into his head after Charlie died? What kind of life cycle do these aliens have? These are important questions that Bandicut just seems to ignore, and takes the words from Charlie as truth.
** END SPOILERS **
August 30, 2020
Neptune Crossing is a fun take on first contact and disaster story combined. The first contact stuff provides the fun with the snarky dialogue between John Bandicut, the main protagonist, and Charlie, the alien occupying Bandicut’s mind. Now that occupying his mind bit, for me, requires levels of suspension of disbelief that I’m, frankly, not very good at. This is a classic case of advanced alien technology that looks more like magic. But the writing was fluid and the story sufficiently interesting that I was prepared to run with it, though I almost abandoned it when faced with the extraordinarily inept handling of Bandicut’s attraction to the love interest. This was so badly written and so painfully embarrassing to read that I nearly gave up at that point. Fortunately, it was of little real importance to the plot and could be skimmed. A little surprising as the rest of the writing was generally well done.
An interesting book with an interesting premise. A little weird and looking like it might get more so in the books that follow on from it but just enough fun and intriguing plot to lift it to four stars from me and the likelihood that I will continue with the series.
An interesting book with an interesting premise. A little weird and looking like it might get more so in the books that follow on from it but just enough fun and intriguing plot to lift it to four stars from me and the likelihood that I will continue with the series.
August 17, 2025
John Bandicutt is a pilot who, due to an injury and possibly some inadequate medical care, lost his ability to access the nexus through his neurolink. Now, he is assigned to driving routine survey missions on the surface of Triton, where he inadvertently discovers an alien artifact and is involuntarilly joined by an alien presence in his mind. If that's not upsetting enough, his new alien partner announces that he is being co-opted to save Earth from a threat that humanity is yet unaware of.
Carver does a great job of conveying the puzzlement, disbelief, anger, hesitance, revulsion and affection of our reluctant hero as he struggles with his extraordinary partnership. The internal dialog between host and guest is sometimes humorous, sometimes frustrating, sometimes confrontational, and always interesting. The storyline is exciting and moves right along , keeping the reader turning the pages.
This is the first of a 4+ book series, but that's good if the sequels are as good as the first book.
Carver does a great job of conveying the puzzlement, disbelief, anger, hesitance, revulsion and affection of our reluctant hero as he struggles with his extraordinary partnership. The internal dialog between host and guest is sometimes humorous, sometimes frustrating, sometimes confrontational, and always interesting. The storyline is exciting and moves right along , keeping the reader turning the pages.
This is the first of a 4+ book series, but that's good if the sequels are as good as the first book.
October 3, 2017
ClarkeClarkeAsimov
This may be heretical, but this is the best science fiction I have read since Arthur C. Clarke's Odyssey trilogy. Imagine Arthur C. Clarke as an ice cream cone with a sprinkling of Issac Asimov on top. This book would be the result. I don't know of the hard science is close to realistic, but it sounded and felt real. Imagining the loss of a computer linkage that connected you to the navigation and controls of a spaceship seems to almost be in our grasp now. Imagining an Alien something with a life form we can barely comprehend, well, Duh. Imagining a comet smashing into the earth hard enough to cause a nuclear winter has happened once ... This is classic science fiction. Read it. You won't be sorry.
This may be heretical, but this is the best science fiction I have read since Arthur C. Clarke's Odyssey trilogy. Imagine Arthur C. Clarke as an ice cream cone with a sprinkling of Issac Asimov on top. This book would be the result. I don't know of the hard science is close to realistic, but it sounded and felt real. Imagining the loss of a computer linkage that connected you to the navigation and controls of a spaceship seems to almost be in our grasp now. Imagining an Alien something with a life form we can barely comprehend, well, Duh. Imagining a comet smashing into the earth hard enough to cause a nuclear winter has happened once ... This is classic science fiction. Read it. You won't be sorry.
February 3, 2019
This novel is an undemanding bit of sci-fi with a relateable everyman protagonist and a few fish-out-of-the-water alien entities, but no complex concepts or detailed technobabble.
It rattles along entertainingly and does a good job to represent the alienness of communicating with a non-organic consciousness. It also examines personal motives and personal interaction rather than relying on action or plot. The storyline is very straightforward, and it is the well-rounded characters that provide the depth and maturity of the tale.
All in all a good read. There is a series of sequels, which I might get around to in due course.
It rattles along entertainingly and does a good job to represent the alienness of communicating with a non-organic consciousness. It also examines personal motives and personal interaction rather than relying on action or plot. The storyline is very straightforward, and it is the well-rounded characters that provide the depth and maturity of the tale.
All in all a good read. There is a series of sequels, which I might get around to in due course.
December 16, 2020
Strange Story
This was as much a psychological mystery as it was science fiction drama, and I’m still not sure what it all means. There is a bit of escapism in the storyline though not as much as is typically found. Lots of “internal struggles” for our reluctant hero and a disturbingly thin background to support or explain them. This book ends with no resolution for the majority of the story threads and no denouement.
Overall assessment is the book is OK. Definitely not a book I expect to ever read again and not one I would actively recommend to others. Read the preview, make your own assessment, and proceed, perhaps with a bit of caution.
This was as much a psychological mystery as it was science fiction drama, and I’m still not sure what it all means. There is a bit of escapism in the storyline though not as much as is typically found. Lots of “internal struggles” for our reluctant hero and a disturbingly thin background to support or explain them. This book ends with no resolution for the majority of the story threads and no denouement.
Overall assessment is the book is OK. Definitely not a book I expect to ever read again and not one I would actively recommend to others. Read the preview, make your own assessment, and proceed, perhaps with a bit of caution.
August 6, 2021
I found the story's narration neurotic, whiney, and annoying. I need to save earth, but is this going to inconvenience me? The ending was illogical, arbitrary, and felt like it was missing the last 200 pages.
Now for the good. Some great creativity for human-alien interaction. The story had lots of potential, but just never quite figured out how to smoothly deliver. I am sure this book was a wrestle to write. The author's note at the end would seem to confirm that conclusion. Kudos for getting it done!
I would give this a 2.5. I had difficulty wanting to finish the story, and then had no real conclusion.
Now for the good. Some great creativity for human-alien interaction. The story had lots of potential, but just never quite figured out how to smoothly deliver. I am sure this book was a wrestle to write. The author's note at the end would seem to confirm that conclusion. Kudos for getting it done!
I would give this a 2.5. I had difficulty wanting to finish the story, and then had no real conclusion.
March 13, 2022
Fantastic
Neptune Crossing, book 1 of The Chaos Chronicles, is a thought provoking science fiction novel that brings about thoughts of "what if?" Just like other scifi phenomena (i.e., specifically Star Trek) one thinks could this be a possibility in the future? And this thought persists until proven to be nonviable (travel at or beyond the speed of light). While I do not consider our universe chaotic, but rather, consistent and orderly. It is still most fascinating to read other's view(s) of the future. This book is a definite 👍 for anyone who loves science fiction and especially anyone who can see the myriad possibilities of the future. 🖖Live long and prosper.
Neptune Crossing, book 1 of The Chaos Chronicles, is a thought provoking science fiction novel that brings about thoughts of "what if?" Just like other scifi phenomena (i.e., specifically Star Trek) one thinks could this be a possibility in the future? And this thought persists until proven to be nonviable (travel at or beyond the speed of light). While I do not consider our universe chaotic, but rather, consistent and orderly. It is still most fascinating to read other's view(s) of the future. This book is a definite 👍 for anyone who loves science fiction and especially anyone who can see the myriad possibilities of the future. 🖖Live long and prosper.
August 6, 2019
It is engaging; I immediately started reading the next book in the series.
It is (to me) original in its premise, something I long for in SF. Not shocking and startling; not world view changing, not in this the first book in the series. (Having started the 2nd, I can tell you it has opened new thoughts of what might be out there. The 2nd book expands the view, I'm really getting into it!)
More intensity, a bit more suspense, a bit more "wait, what?" would have made it a 5*. Definitely worth reading.
It is (to me) original in its premise, something I long for in SF. Not shocking and startling; not world view changing, not in this the first book in the series. (Having started the 2nd, I can tell you it has opened new thoughts of what might be out there. The 2nd book expands the view, I'm really getting into it!)
More intensity, a bit more suspense, a bit more "wait, what?" would have made it a 5*. Definitely worth reading.
April 26, 2020
Great read!
I love this premise of an unseen alien merging with an unsuspecting human. I especially like that it's a friendly entity who is trying to save humanity, rather than destroy it from within.
As a shorter novel, there is not much secondary character development, and the author does a good job of showing their personalities and John's feelings through dialog. I quite enjoyed this book even if the ending was just a bit of a cliffhanger. At least the main storyline was finished! And really, it's not so much a cliffhanger as it is a really, really good hook.
I love this premise of an unseen alien merging with an unsuspecting human. I especially like that it's a friendly entity who is trying to save humanity, rather than destroy it from within.
As a shorter novel, there is not much secondary character development, and the author does a good job of showing their personalities and John's feelings through dialog. I quite enjoyed this book even if the ending was just a bit of a cliffhanger. At least the main storyline was finished! And really, it's not so much a cliffhanger as it is a really, really good hook.
September 30, 2021
Juvenile.
Skimmed most of the last half of the book. Main character is…how can I put this…an idiot. Alien intelligence that occupies his brain is barely smarter. He names it Charlie. It dies, then it’s reborn, then it dies again. In the meantime, there’s an Earth destroying comet heading our way and rather than doing something logical, like broadcasting it’s spatial coordinates so astronomers can “discover” it, dumb and dumber steal a spaceship, arm themselves with energy stones and collide with the thing. No, I can’t subject myself to Book 2.
Skimmed most of the last half of the book. Main character is…how can I put this…an idiot. Alien intelligence that occupies his brain is barely smarter. He names it Charlie. It dies, then it’s reborn, then it dies again. In the meantime, there’s an Earth destroying comet heading our way and rather than doing something logical, like broadcasting it’s spatial coordinates so astronomers can “discover” it, dumb and dumber steal a spaceship, arm themselves with energy stones and collide with the thing. No, I can’t subject myself to Book 2.
April 3, 2023
this was just okay - some pretty good pieces of writing, disappointing characters, and i disagree with some of the decisions made here. my favorite character is killed off almost immediately and i think the book really suffered for that. the ending was so-so and some of the science is difficult to follow to a point where it’s annoying and gets old. i understand this is a sci-fi book, but there are ways to make scientific procedure’s interesting, like in The Martian. doesn’t really go beyond surface level emotionally. i probably wouldn’t pick up the next book, but maybe read the synopsis.
June 25, 2024
I struggled whether to give this book a 3 or 4. The concept was excellent. The characters were ok and some of the choices I didn't understand. There were points in the story that just seemed to drag as the main character showed his lack of character. Things get better once the mission really starts and the ending is a little weird. However, I feel like I want to read the next one so I gave it a 4.
Kind of interesting the descriptions of mining operations and how leisure time could be spent. I don't want to put in any spoilers but it was a pretty good sci-fi story.
Kind of interesting the descriptions of mining operations and how leisure time could be spent. I don't want to put in any spoilers but it was a pretty good sci-fi story.
October 3, 2024
Love the concept of a greater being occupying a lesser-developed human mind. I have come across it before. But good to see it explored in a different way. Wasn't too keen on Bandicut's character. Apprehension is understandable. but with the fate of the human race at stake, he seems more concerned with his self, ego and pleasures, and doesn't seem to develop much from there. Nor does the plot, except maybe at the end. Hence 3 Stars. I do appreciate though that this is the first of six books, and that in the sample excerpt of book two, he has moved into a new and strange environment. I may pursue into the next book to see if both character and plot develop in the huge potential for an exciting read that hangs in the balance.
January 17, 2025
Last reading of 2024 that I forgot to review.
I didn't know what I was expecting of a free book with a weird ugly cover, not a old book, an old book from the good times in which everything was still weird and even though if even it wasn't a good one, it was a pleasant one.
This is one of the good ones, cheesy, campy, fun, there's some beautiful moments even.
There's another book of the author that call to me more that I want to read before continuing with this series, but, this is a complete keeper for me.
I didn't know what I was expecting of a free book with a weird ugly cover, not a old book, an old book from the good times in which everything was still weird and even though if even it wasn't a good one, it was a pleasant one.
This is one of the good ones, cheesy, campy, fun, there's some beautiful moments even.
There's another book of the author that call to me more that I want to read before continuing with this series, but, this is a complete keeper for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews