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First Contact
Cold Eyes
COLD EYES is a FIRST CONTACT tribute to the 1974 science fiction classic, THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE.
The UN warship Magellan is twelve light-years from Earth, exploring a cold eye, a tidally-locked super-earth called Bee. At least two advanced, intelligent species evolved on the planet, but no one is waiting for them in orbit. Dali Patel has to figure out why. Any breakdown in communication could lead to war.
FIRST CONTACT is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact.
The UN warship Magellan is twelve light-years from Earth, exploring a cold eye, a tidally-locked super-earth called Bee. At least two advanced, intelligent species evolved on the planet, but no one is waiting for them in orbit. Dali Patel has to figure out why. Any breakdown in communication could lead to war.
FIRST CONTACT is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
October 27, 2021
I was drawn to Peter Cawdron's work because he makes hard science fiction easy to understand. His writing style is attractive to both the novice and the expert, and he researches his subject material so well, it is impossible sometimes to tell when fact turns into fiction. Cold Eyes is a perfect example of this; with Cawdron spinning a tale so well, you would think he was there when it happened. Or better yet, YOU are there as you read the story.
Most First Contact stories deal with the Earth being visited, invaded, or overrun by aliens from another planet somewhere from this galaxy. Cawdron has taken a completely different stance with this book, modeling it after The Mote in God's Eye, a classic First Contact book from 1974, by writing a story about Earthlings visiting another planet. He has written a story with so much detail about not one but two alien species, the reader will tend to believe they exist. Cawdron's descriptions of the planet, the animals, and the intelligent species are so complete, it will leave the reader wanting more and finding it difficult to put down the book.
This is undoubtedly Cawdron's most ambitious work to date. I didn't think anyone would write a First Contact story better than Wherever The Seeds May Fall, but Cawdron proved me wrong with Cold Eyes. This is presently my favorite science fiction book of all time. Peter Cawdron is my favorite author, and I will one day own his entire library of work. However, it won't be easy to find a book better written than this one.
Most First Contact stories deal with the Earth being visited, invaded, or overrun by aliens from another planet somewhere from this galaxy. Cawdron has taken a completely different stance with this book, modeling it after The Mote in God's Eye, a classic First Contact book from 1974, by writing a story about Earthlings visiting another planet. He has written a story with so much detail about not one but two alien species, the reader will tend to believe they exist. Cawdron's descriptions of the planet, the animals, and the intelligent species are so complete, it will leave the reader wanting more and finding it difficult to put down the book.
This is undoubtedly Cawdron's most ambitious work to date. I didn't think anyone would write a First Contact story better than Wherever The Seeds May Fall, but Cawdron proved me wrong with Cold Eyes. This is presently my favorite science fiction book of all time. Peter Cawdron is my favorite author, and I will one day own his entire library of work. However, it won't be easy to find a book better written than this one.
November 7, 2021
More from the master of the What If
Dali finds himself on a space craft 12 light years from Earth: he has no memory of the trip, as because he’s a clone, he’s called into service as they approach a planet called Bee. As Dali learns more about who they are (his memory dump didn’t take that well), and what they’re there for, he (eventually) encounters the inhabitants of this planet, along with some action-packed events (no spoilers here). In addition to this being a first contact novel, it’s also, on a deeper level, an examination of our history, colonisation, revolution, reason vs religion, and how we interact with each other, and eventually with the others we think may be out there (if Frank Drake has his calculations right). It’s an easy, if difficult to put down read, and certainly draws parallels with the human experience.
As a bonus, there’s an explanatory section at the back for the science used in the story line. Ever helpful, even though I Google stuff and consult the family physicist as I read along.
Also: spotto the song lyric. I got you babe.
Dali finds himself on a space craft 12 light years from Earth: he has no memory of the trip, as because he’s a clone, he’s called into service as they approach a planet called Bee. As Dali learns more about who they are (his memory dump didn’t take that well), and what they’re there for, he (eventually) encounters the inhabitants of this planet, along with some action-packed events (no spoilers here). In addition to this being a first contact novel, it’s also, on a deeper level, an examination of our history, colonisation, revolution, reason vs religion, and how we interact with each other, and eventually with the others we think may be out there (if Frank Drake has his calculations right). It’s an easy, if difficult to put down read, and certainly draws parallels with the human experience.
As a bonus, there’s an explanatory section at the back for the science used in the story line. Ever helpful, even though I Google stuff and consult the family physicist as I read along.
Also: spotto the song lyric. I got you babe.
November 6, 2021
FINALLY! On my fourth try, I found a book in the First Contact series that is more along the lines of what I was hoping for. Let's go through that list of common themes from the others one more time...
• A mysterious alien artifact of some kind appears
Not this time. This time it's a signal we receive, and we're the ones who head to their planet to make contact.
• Powers that be on Earth starts debating what to do about it
Nope.
• The protagonist, who doesn't really belong in the thick of this debate, somehow ends up in the middle of it due to some unlikely circumstances.
There is an element of this theme, in that even though our protagonist was super qualified to be on the First Contact mission, something happens right at the beginning that almost completely strips him (seemingly) of his qualifications.
• This protagonist, by the way, is very science-minded, and starts making all sorts of hypotheses and predictions about the alien artifact.
Yes, but his science is Humanities.
• Other human factions don't like what's going on, and our protagonist and the female lead (named Cathy in one book and Kath in the other) end up injured.
Human factions? No. But there are definitely factions that don't like what's going on and end up injuring friends of the protagonist.
• We finally make contact with the aliens about 90% of the way through the book.
I am pleased to say that in this book, we make contact at 57% of the way in. That left almost the entire second half for how things went once contact was made. That's more like it! =)
This was definitely my favorite of the four books. Interesting characters, well-paced, and we finally got to see Peter Cawdron describing extraterrestrial sentience and culture.
• A mysterious alien artifact of some kind appears
Not this time. This time it's a signal we receive, and we're the ones who head to their planet to make contact.
• Powers that be on Earth starts debating what to do about it
Nope.
• The protagonist, who doesn't really belong in the thick of this debate, somehow ends up in the middle of it due to some unlikely circumstances.
There is an element of this theme, in that even though our protagonist was super qualified to be on the First Contact mission, something happens right at the beginning that almost completely strips him (seemingly) of his qualifications.
• This protagonist, by the way, is very science-minded, and starts making all sorts of hypotheses and predictions about the alien artifact.
Yes, but his science is Humanities.
• Other human factions don't like what's going on, and our protagonist and the female lead (named Cathy in one book and Kath in the other) end up injured.
Human factions? No. But there are definitely factions that don't like what's going on and end up injuring friends of the protagonist.
• We finally make contact with the aliens about 90% of the way through the book.
I am pleased to say that in this book, we make contact at 57% of the way in. That left almost the entire second half for how things went once contact was made. That's more like it! =)
This was definitely my favorite of the four books. Interesting characters, well-paced, and we finally got to see Peter Cawdron describing extraterrestrial sentience and culture.
December 13, 2021
Dali Patel wakes up screaming. He thinks at first that he’s dead. He’s naked, trapped inside a narrow glass cylinder, and covered with goo. A young woman helps him out onto his feet. She explains that Dali is, in fact, a clone, hatched at the age of 18 aboard the UN starship Magellan. The two of them are half of the ship’s crew. She’s Sandra Anderson, the commander. But she is troubled that he doesn’t recognize her. Sandy, it turns out, was his wife of 42 years when they both inhabited the bodies of the people from whom they were cloned. And something has gone very, very wrong. Thus begins Peter Cawdron’s impressive tale, Cold Eyes, a novel about humanity’s First Contact with the people of a Super-Earth.
A SUPER-EARTH WITHIN THE HABITABLE ZONE
The Magellan is en route to a Super-Earth, one of the most Earth-like planets ever discovered. It’s nearly three times as massive as Earth and tidally locked—a “cold eye”—with an enormous ocean on one side forever facing its star and a glacier covering the other in perpetual darkness. It’s a real exoplanet, and these are facts known to science today. The crew has christened the planet “Bee.”
Their mission is to establish First Contact with the inhabitants. They’re responding to a clear signal of intelligence replying to a message radioed to them in 2017. Unfortunately, Dali is the crew’s First Contact specialist. And his memory implant didn’t take properly, so he remembers none of the professional education his progenitor had received as a linguist or anything of his months of training. He’s forced to prove himself to his crew-mates—and to himself. Which, it turns out, is not easy.
TRAPPED ON THE PLANET BY HEAVY GRAVITY
Dali and his 18-year-old crew-mates—Dr. Kari Ndiaye and Dr. Helios Christensen (another couple) as well as Sandy—exchange messages with the “Beebs” (as they call the inhabitants of Bee) on close approach to the planet. Two outstanding facts soon become clear. First, whoever they are, they’re extremely intelligent. They pick up almost instantly on Dali’s messages sent to establish a basis of communication. And, second, they are trapped on the surface, unable ever to visit the stars. The heavy gravity and dense atmosphere of Bee will not permit any conceivable rocket to obtain escape velocity.
Of course, the same factors make it impossible for the crew of the Magellan to land, because they would never be able to leave. Which means that Dali once again thinks he’s died when the delta-wing spacecraft he’s riding on a reconnaissance mission explodes high in the atmosphere. But he doesn’t die. Instead, he lands on Bee, where he quickly becomes caught up in a civil war between Bee’s two intelligent species. The people of this Super-Earth are in no way like humans physiologically, but they demonstrate very understandable behavior.
THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR THIS STORY
Cawdron’s tale is set on the planet we now know as Gliese 273b (or, more commonly, Luyten b). Here’s what Wikipedia tells us about it: Luyten b “is a confirmed exoplanet, likely rocky, orbiting within the habitable zone of the nearby red dwarf Luyten’s Star. The planet orbits its star at a distance less than one-tenth as far as Earth is from the sun. It is one of the most Earth-like planets ever found and is the fifth-closest potentially habitable exoplanet known. Luyten b has around 2.89 times the mass of Earth—which makes it a Super-Earth—and receives only 6% more starlight, thus constituting one of the best candidates for habitability.
In October 2017 and 2018, the nonprofit organization METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence) sent a message containing dozens of short musical compositions and a scientific “tutorial” towards the planet in hopes of contacting any potential extraterrestrial civilizations.” The conceit at the basis of Cawdron’s tale is that a response to this message from the planet has triggered Dali’s interstellar mission.
THE THINKING BEHIND THE NOVEL
In a lengthy Afterword, Cawdron shares the thinking behind the novel and cites the scientific sources of his reasoning. All his books feature such discussions, which I regard as a generous gift to us readers. His knowledge of the science underlying the story is impressive. If you’re tempted to skip the Afterword, thinking it’s the usual sort of recitation of people who helped the author, don’t. It’s well worth reading.
Cawdron may cause you to think about things that have never occurred to you before. For example:
** What’s normal? “On a cosmic scale, ‘normal’ is -455F and roughly one minuscule atom for every cubic inch. There’s nothing normal about life. Life is decidedly abnormal.”
** What is intelligence? “Intelligence is an arm wrestle against the base nature of fight-or-flight. It’s the only reasonable alternative to instinct. Intelligence thrives on hope.”
** Why is the speed of light a limit? “When you consider the impact of speed on time, it becomes obvious why there’s a cosmic speed limit. It’s not speed itself that’s limited. The problem is time. Time can only slow until the point it stops—and the point at which time comes to a halt is the speed at which light travels! To go faster, you’d need to go backward in time. Although that might appeal to our science-fiction-addled minds, it’s nonsense.”
A SUPER-EARTH WITHIN THE HABITABLE ZONE
The Magellan is en route to a Super-Earth, one of the most Earth-like planets ever discovered. It’s nearly three times as massive as Earth and tidally locked—a “cold eye”—with an enormous ocean on one side forever facing its star and a glacier covering the other in perpetual darkness. It’s a real exoplanet, and these are facts known to science today. The crew has christened the planet “Bee.”
Their mission is to establish First Contact with the inhabitants. They’re responding to a clear signal of intelligence replying to a message radioed to them in 2017. Unfortunately, Dali is the crew’s First Contact specialist. And his memory implant didn’t take properly, so he remembers none of the professional education his progenitor had received as a linguist or anything of his months of training. He’s forced to prove himself to his crew-mates—and to himself. Which, it turns out, is not easy.
TRAPPED ON THE PLANET BY HEAVY GRAVITY
Dali and his 18-year-old crew-mates—Dr. Kari Ndiaye and Dr. Helios Christensen (another couple) as well as Sandy—exchange messages with the “Beebs” (as they call the inhabitants of Bee) on close approach to the planet. Two outstanding facts soon become clear. First, whoever they are, they’re extremely intelligent. They pick up almost instantly on Dali’s messages sent to establish a basis of communication. And, second, they are trapped on the surface, unable ever to visit the stars. The heavy gravity and dense atmosphere of Bee will not permit any conceivable rocket to obtain escape velocity.
Of course, the same factors make it impossible for the crew of the Magellan to land, because they would never be able to leave. Which means that Dali once again thinks he’s died when the delta-wing spacecraft he’s riding on a reconnaissance mission explodes high in the atmosphere. But he doesn’t die. Instead, he lands on Bee, where he quickly becomes caught up in a civil war between Bee’s two intelligent species. The people of this Super-Earth are in no way like humans physiologically, but they demonstrate very understandable behavior.
THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR THIS STORY
Cawdron’s tale is set on the planet we now know as Gliese 273b (or, more commonly, Luyten b). Here’s what Wikipedia tells us about it: Luyten b “is a confirmed exoplanet, likely rocky, orbiting within the habitable zone of the nearby red dwarf Luyten’s Star. The planet orbits its star at a distance less than one-tenth as far as Earth is from the sun. It is one of the most Earth-like planets ever found and is the fifth-closest potentially habitable exoplanet known. Luyten b has around 2.89 times the mass of Earth—which makes it a Super-Earth—and receives only 6% more starlight, thus constituting one of the best candidates for habitability.
In October 2017 and 2018, the nonprofit organization METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence) sent a message containing dozens of short musical compositions and a scientific “tutorial” towards the planet in hopes of contacting any potential extraterrestrial civilizations.” The conceit at the basis of Cawdron’s tale is that a response to this message from the planet has triggered Dali’s interstellar mission.
THE THINKING BEHIND THE NOVEL
In a lengthy Afterword, Cawdron shares the thinking behind the novel and cites the scientific sources of his reasoning. All his books feature such discussions, which I regard as a generous gift to us readers. His knowledge of the science underlying the story is impressive. If you’re tempted to skip the Afterword, thinking it’s the usual sort of recitation of people who helped the author, don’t. It’s well worth reading.
Cawdron may cause you to think about things that have never occurred to you before. For example:
** What’s normal? “On a cosmic scale, ‘normal’ is -455F and roughly one minuscule atom for every cubic inch. There’s nothing normal about life. Life is decidedly abnormal.”
** What is intelligence? “Intelligence is an arm wrestle against the base nature of fight-or-flight. It’s the only reasonable alternative to instinct. Intelligence thrives on hope.”
** Why is the speed of light a limit? “When you consider the impact of speed on time, it becomes obvious why there’s a cosmic speed limit. It’s not speed itself that’s limited. The problem is time. Time can only slow until the point it stops—and the point at which time comes to a halt is the speed at which light travels! To go faster, you’d need to go backward in time. Although that might appeal to our science-fiction-addled minds, it’s nonsense.”
October 30, 2021
My favorite of all your first contact series !
For a while I resisted reading more than one of the First Contact books. I mean, how many ways can it be imagined? But I love your writing so much that I made myself read them all. Some were a little out there for me, but this one really hit the right spot. Something about Dali being so young and incomplete when facing such an important event was very profound. His growth was the driving factor for me. I love to see characters evolve. Great book!
For a while I resisted reading more than one of the First Contact books. I mean, how many ways can it be imagined? But I love your writing so much that I made myself read them all. Some were a little out there for me, but this one really hit the right spot. Something about Dali being so young and incomplete when facing such an important event was very profound. His growth was the driving factor for me. I love to see characters evolve. Great book!
October 23, 2021
I loved this book. It's the kind you sit down to read and get so engrossed, hours fly by. The story drew me right in and the characters were all memorable. This is science fiction in its magnificence-based on real research and an author who cares very much about getting everything just right. It's all believable too! All of the First Contact books by Mr. Cawdron are unique and original-this book is a great addition to an outstanding series. I highly recommend this entertaining and gripping novel. You will not be disappointed!
July 29, 2023
Glasklare 5 Sterne! Ich hatte von diesem Autor noch nie gehört, auf der Suche nach einem neuen Buch bin ich durch sehr kontroverse Rezensionen darüber gestolpert.
Ich wusste, mir kommt das Setting bekannt vor. Im Nachwort dann die Erklärung. Die Geschichte ist eine Hommage an Niven/Pournells "Splitter im Auge Gottes". Diese Hommage ist absolut gelungen. Hard Science at its best, eine irre Erstkontakt Geschichte und dazu noch viele unvorhersehbare Wendungen.
Diese Geschichte hat den "Sense of Wonder" den ich schon verloren geglaubt hatte.
Ich wusste, mir kommt das Setting bekannt vor. Im Nachwort dann die Erklärung. Die Geschichte ist eine Hommage an Niven/Pournells "Splitter im Auge Gottes". Diese Hommage ist absolut gelungen. Hard Science at its best, eine irre Erstkontakt Geschichte und dazu noch viele unvorhersehbare Wendungen.
Diese Geschichte hat den "Sense of Wonder" den ich schon verloren geglaubt hatte.
December 7, 2024
Großartig!
So wie ich SF liebe!
Glaubwürdig, spannend und phantasievoll.
Wem 'Project Hail Mary' von Andy Weir gefallen hat, wird auch hier auf seine Kosten kommen.
Nicht auszudenken was Regisseure wie z.B. Ridley Scott oder James Cameron mit dieser Vorlage auf die Kinoleinwand zaubern könnten...
Dieses Erstkontakt Abenteuer kommt ohne überladene Hi Tech oder Ballerei aus, wie es leider viel zu häufig in diesem Genre üblich ist.
Leser/Hörer die auf sowas stehen werden höchstwahrscheinlich enttäuscht oder gelangweilt sein!
Ich jedenfalls fand es äußerst kurzweilig und auch wenn das Hörbuch fast 16 Stunden dauert, hätte ich mir noch viele weitere Hörstunden gewünscht.
Die Hauptcharaktere (Dali, Bob, Rose) sind sympathisch, phasenweise angenehm philosophisch und wachsen einem ans Herz.
Auch der Humor kommt nicht zu kurz (z.B. Zeitrechnung der Menschheit vs Mathematik) und ich musste an einigen Stellen herzhaft lachen.
Danke an den Autor Peter Cawdron und den Sprecher Gerd Köster für dieses wunderbare Hörerlebniss!
Ich freue mich jedenfalls auf die vielen weiteren Erstkontakt Hörbücher dieser Beiden...
So wie ich SF liebe!
Glaubwürdig, spannend und phantasievoll.
Wem 'Project Hail Mary' von Andy Weir gefallen hat, wird auch hier auf seine Kosten kommen.
Nicht auszudenken was Regisseure wie z.B. Ridley Scott oder James Cameron mit dieser Vorlage auf die Kinoleinwand zaubern könnten...
Dieses Erstkontakt Abenteuer kommt ohne überladene Hi Tech oder Ballerei aus, wie es leider viel zu häufig in diesem Genre üblich ist.
Leser/Hörer die auf sowas stehen werden höchstwahrscheinlich enttäuscht oder gelangweilt sein!
Ich jedenfalls fand es äußerst kurzweilig und auch wenn das Hörbuch fast 16 Stunden dauert, hätte ich mir noch viele weitere Hörstunden gewünscht.
Die Hauptcharaktere (Dali, Bob, Rose) sind sympathisch, phasenweise angenehm philosophisch und wachsen einem ans Herz.
Auch der Humor kommt nicht zu kurz (z.B. Zeitrechnung der Menschheit vs Mathematik) und ich musste an einigen Stellen herzhaft lachen.
Danke an den Autor Peter Cawdron und den Sprecher Gerd Köster für dieses wunderbare Hörerlebniss!
Ich freue mich jedenfalls auf die vielen weiteren Erstkontakt Hörbücher dieser Beiden...
September 14, 2023
Bespr. folgt !
October 6, 2022
Niven's The Mote In God's Eye rekindled my love of space sci-fi at a time when my wonder of space's unknown was beginning to wane. So to see this book by one of my new favorites described as a tribute to Mote? That sent it right up the queue. I very much enjoyed this novel, it kept me entertained and guessing.
I laughed when the MC was explaining our divisions of time. I know humans are chaotic, but it drove home the point. How DID we make it off planet?
Great narration. The narrator's voice for the MC did make him sound a bit too naive and child-like, but it wasn't overly distracting.
I laughed when the MC was explaining our divisions of time. I know humans are chaotic, but it drove home the point. How DID we make it off planet?
Great narration. The narrator's voice for the MC did make him sound a bit too naive and child-like, but it wasn't overly distracting.
April 25, 2022
Peter Cawdron has been writing ‘First Contact’ stories for a long time now, each one completely different to the last, but just as outstanding, clever and intriguing, and with each new book, he seems to challenge himself to create a more fascinating adventure to take us on. Cold Eyes is no exception.
At the start of Cold Eyes, we meet our main character, Dali, and the rest of the crew of the Magellan, as they are finishing their 12 light year journey to Luyten’s Star, and the planet Gliese 273b or ‘Bee’ for short. It is here that the crew hope to contact the alien species that inhabit this planet, a tidally locked ‘Super Earth’.
Cawdron starts this story with some fascinating Sci-Fi straight off, as we learn that the crew have been ‘grown’ on the way, and had their memories implanted from the original people that they have been cloned from. This has allowed the ship to travel the incredible distance without a ‘live’ crew as such, and then populate the ship once they reach their destination. The concept, the science, is all exceptionally fascinating, and Cawdron uses his characters to explain it to us, using Dali as he has not properly imprinted and as a result, does not have his memories and needs things explained to him. It is a very clever way of telling the story to the reader, allowing the explanation of some more ‘hard sci-fi’ concepts, but keeping with the story that poor Dali has ended up as a clone with his language and basic features, but none of his core mission and higher learning programming has properly implanted. This is a serious concern for the mission also, as Dali is the missions First Contact expert, and without his skills, the mission could be on an early path to disaster. They need to communicate with the planet to avoid a potential conflict, as whomever is down on the planet is far more advanced than Earth, and with no one in orbit around Bee waiting for them, everyone is worried about what the intentions of those that live on Gliese 273b actually are?
Cawdron begins to unravel the story, of a mission that needs to succeed due to various parameters (I won’t give spoilers), and is now down a key member. Some of the crew advocate for just air-locking Dali and creating another clone so that they can do the imprint again, but this raises some very moral and ethical questions that Cawdron discusses amongst the crew.
What follows is a fascinating, intriguing, and totally captivating series of events as they approach Bee, and you find yourself drawn into this book, and getting so lost, you realise it is 3am in the morning and you have to be up in 3hrs for work. Cawdron’s world building, both of the Magellan, and in a literal sense of Gliese 273b, is just outstanding. He creates this intricate, incredibly detailed and comprehensive places for his characters to tell their stories, but more than that, Cawdron has researched every aspect of every scene, so that it is as realistic and real-life as possible. Without Spoilers, the in-depth descriptions of the Magellan, and of Bee, the science is mind-blowing. As the Magellan manoeuvres through space, the explanation and mental imagery of the orbital mechanics is just exceptional and adds this whole extra dimension to the story telling. Cawdron has created a world on Bee that is just full of sensational surprises and discoveries, it is not only amazing to read about, but once again proves just what an absolute Master he is creating this sort of Sci-Fi.
As with all of Cawdron’s work though, the true standout has always been his character driven story-telling, and Cold Eyes takes this to a whole new level. The characters in this story, Dali, Sandy, Helios and Kari are all beautifully written, each with such different personalities, all so highly intelligent and driven by the mission, but at the same time, having this interpersonal connection with their partner, and the group. It is a fascinating group dynamic to watch, and Cawdron has put a lot of effort into not only creating the characters, but making sure that the psychology of such a small group, and the subsequent group dynamic is accurate as well. The ensuing discussions relating to Dali and his situation are just intriguing and again, this is done with so much realism, intensity, and human emotion.
This is a truly fascinating story, seen through the eyes of Dali, a newly born clone, that has not received the memories of his host, so is basically child like at times in his curiosity, and whilst still having picked up some of his former hosts memories, as Dali struggles in his new environment and the adventure he goes on, it is not only captivating and intriguing, but there is both wonder and some humour in his story. I don’t want to give spoilers, but Dali’s interaction with the inhabitants of Bee, sentient life that has developed on this planet, but has not taken to space, is magical. Dali’s story is an epic tale, beautifully told, with stunning, in-depth and intricate world building, as well as a good bit of Hard Sci-Fi, this will captivate and enthrall you – Cawdron has again shown that he is the Master of Character Driven Sci-Fi, and this is one Not to be Missed!!
At the start of Cold Eyes, we meet our main character, Dali, and the rest of the crew of the Magellan, as they are finishing their 12 light year journey to Luyten’s Star, and the planet Gliese 273b or ‘Bee’ for short. It is here that the crew hope to contact the alien species that inhabit this planet, a tidally locked ‘Super Earth’.
Cawdron starts this story with some fascinating Sci-Fi straight off, as we learn that the crew have been ‘grown’ on the way, and had their memories implanted from the original people that they have been cloned from. This has allowed the ship to travel the incredible distance without a ‘live’ crew as such, and then populate the ship once they reach their destination. The concept, the science, is all exceptionally fascinating, and Cawdron uses his characters to explain it to us, using Dali as he has not properly imprinted and as a result, does not have his memories and needs things explained to him. It is a very clever way of telling the story to the reader, allowing the explanation of some more ‘hard sci-fi’ concepts, but keeping with the story that poor Dali has ended up as a clone with his language and basic features, but none of his core mission and higher learning programming has properly implanted. This is a serious concern for the mission also, as Dali is the missions First Contact expert, and without his skills, the mission could be on an early path to disaster. They need to communicate with the planet to avoid a potential conflict, as whomever is down on the planet is far more advanced than Earth, and with no one in orbit around Bee waiting for them, everyone is worried about what the intentions of those that live on Gliese 273b actually are?
Cawdron begins to unravel the story, of a mission that needs to succeed due to various parameters (I won’t give spoilers), and is now down a key member. Some of the crew advocate for just air-locking Dali and creating another clone so that they can do the imprint again, but this raises some very moral and ethical questions that Cawdron discusses amongst the crew.
What follows is a fascinating, intriguing, and totally captivating series of events as they approach Bee, and you find yourself drawn into this book, and getting so lost, you realise it is 3am in the morning and you have to be up in 3hrs for work. Cawdron’s world building, both of the Magellan, and in a literal sense of Gliese 273b, is just outstanding. He creates this intricate, incredibly detailed and comprehensive places for his characters to tell their stories, but more than that, Cawdron has researched every aspect of every scene, so that it is as realistic and real-life as possible. Without Spoilers, the in-depth descriptions of the Magellan, and of Bee, the science is mind-blowing. As the Magellan manoeuvres through space, the explanation and mental imagery of the orbital mechanics is just exceptional and adds this whole extra dimension to the story telling. Cawdron has created a world on Bee that is just full of sensational surprises and discoveries, it is not only amazing to read about, but once again proves just what an absolute Master he is creating this sort of Sci-Fi.
As with all of Cawdron’s work though, the true standout has always been his character driven story-telling, and Cold Eyes takes this to a whole new level. The characters in this story, Dali, Sandy, Helios and Kari are all beautifully written, each with such different personalities, all so highly intelligent and driven by the mission, but at the same time, having this interpersonal connection with their partner, and the group. It is a fascinating group dynamic to watch, and Cawdron has put a lot of effort into not only creating the characters, but making sure that the psychology of such a small group, and the subsequent group dynamic is accurate as well. The ensuing discussions relating to Dali and his situation are just intriguing and again, this is done with so much realism, intensity, and human emotion.
This is a truly fascinating story, seen through the eyes of Dali, a newly born clone, that has not received the memories of his host, so is basically child like at times in his curiosity, and whilst still having picked up some of his former hosts memories, as Dali struggles in his new environment and the adventure he goes on, it is not only captivating and intriguing, but there is both wonder and some humour in his story. I don’t want to give spoilers, but Dali’s interaction with the inhabitants of Bee, sentient life that has developed on this planet, but has not taken to space, is magical. Dali’s story is an epic tale, beautifully told, with stunning, in-depth and intricate world building, as well as a good bit of Hard Sci-Fi, this will captivate and enthrall you – Cawdron has again shown that he is the Master of Character Driven Sci-Fi, and this is one Not to be Missed!!
September 13, 2023
Tiré d’une série de livres qui explore la thématique des premiers contacts extra-terrestre, Cold Eyes suit l’équipage du vaisseau Magellan, en route pour la super-Terre appelée Bee, potentiellement habitée.
Bon, alors.
Y’a du bon et y’a du beaucoup moins bon.
J’aime beaucoup les aliens décrits, les civilisations et concepts moraux et sociaux présentés, pas de soucis, meilleur moment du livre. Mais alors Dali est le typique personne Scalzien qui te sors par les yeux (je rappelle : petit rigolo sarcastique mais en vrai il est trop foooOoooOort), les personnages du Magellan sont antipathiques as fuck, et l’histoire met beaucoup trop de temps à se lancer.
C’est chouette, ça se laisse lire, mais ça casse pas trois pattes à un connard.
Bon, alors.
Y’a du bon et y’a du beaucoup moins bon.
J’aime beaucoup les aliens décrits, les civilisations et concepts moraux et sociaux présentés, pas de soucis, meilleur moment du livre. Mais alors Dali est le typique personne Scalzien qui te sors par les yeux (je rappelle : petit rigolo sarcastique mais en vrai il est trop foooOoooOort), les personnages du Magellan sont antipathiques as fuck, et l’histoire met beaucoup trop de temps à se lancer.
C’est chouette, ça se laisse lire, mais ça casse pas trois pattes à un connard.
March 5, 2022
This is the first book I have read by Peter Cawdron, but for sure not my last.
He created a world, and beings, that I could see, fell and believe in. He created a wonderful believable story and world, light years from home.
I loved this book!
He created a world, and beings, that I could see, fell and believe in. He created a wonderful believable story and world, light years from home.
I loved this book!
April 1, 2023
Great read
Like all of Peter Cawdron’s books, it’s been a well researched and entertaining read. There are strange (to us) aliens, diverse human characters, lots of believable actions and much introspection.
Like all of Peter Cawdron’s books, it’s been a well researched and entertaining read. There are strange (to us) aliens, diverse human characters, lots of believable actions and much introspection.
August 31, 2023
Cooles Buch. Etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig ist die Gegenwartserzählung, aber von den Ideen her, sehr cool. Hat etwas vom Marsianer, wird sogar zitiert. Da bin ich mal auf die weiteren Bände gespannt.
September 13, 2022
There is no question this a good book which had me engrossed from page 1.
Two things irked me:
Actual alien face to face contact isn't made until halfway through.
Dali completely ignores his own logical and passionate ideas of how First Contact should be handled.
Two things irked me:
Actual alien face to face contact isn't made until halfway through.
Dali completely ignores his own logical and passionate ideas of how First Contact should be handled.
June 19, 2024
Like a rollercoaster and the end had me close to tears. On par with Andy Weirs books, this is really what modern day science fiction can be like. Scientific, bold ideas, interesting characters and lots of new thoughts to dwell on. Simply a great story.
November 3, 2021
"Expect lies. Lots of them."
I have been a fan of Mr.Cawdron's writing since first reading the original version of Little Green Men (now part of his First Contact series in a revised form). I loved it for the humour, the forthright writing, imagination and the insight into human nature. All are in Cold Eyes, too, but with an increasingly absorbing story which grips the reader from the moment that Dali is 'born' on the U.N. Warship Magellan. A meld of hard science, gloriously animated description which burst into life around the reader to drop them in the middle of place and time, and very real protagonists with individual characters.
This is quite possibly my preferred book in the series so far although each time I feel his stories cannot be bettered, Peter Cawdron proves me wrong. Highly recommended to all who enjoy science fiction and look for a better way of being in the future.
I have been a fan of Mr.Cawdron's writing since first reading the original version of Little Green Men (now part of his First Contact series in a revised form). I loved it for the humour, the forthright writing, imagination and the insight into human nature. All are in Cold Eyes, too, but with an increasingly absorbing story which grips the reader from the moment that Dali is 'born' on the U.N. Warship Magellan. A meld of hard science, gloriously animated description which burst into life around the reader to drop them in the middle of place and time, and very real protagonists with individual characters.
This is quite possibly my preferred book in the series so far although each time I feel his stories cannot be bettered, Peter Cawdron proves me wrong. Highly recommended to all who enjoy science fiction and look for a better way of being in the future.
November 19, 2021
Cawdron uses a clever plot device by awakening the central character Dali as a new clone with incomplete memories. This allows him to do expansive exposition about the mission and his situation. The first half of the book is largely philosophical, addressing the issues of being a clone and the overarching mission of first contact. This is all deeply thoughtful stuff and well written. The narrative kicks into high gear about halfway through when they do make first contact with aliens. Dali is literally thrown in at the deep end and the narrative really moves along while maintaining ongoing observations about the way people (humans and aliens) lie to themselves and deceive each other. The actual aliens are extremely well conceived and credible while also reflecting very human traits. This is an excellent and very readable book filled with ideas that will leave you thinking for days.
November 9, 2021
A SIMPLE MAN'S REVIEW:
Cawdron did a great job capturing the vibe from 60's and 70's sci-fi: a know-it-all protagonist, the science vs religion conflict, and an alien civilization that is close enough to human-like that they suffer the same problems we do. But he goes one further and actually tells an interesting story!
The story is fun, even if somewhat predictable. Cawdron imagines a world that makes sense, but I'm not sure I've read about yet, so I love that! The characters are very likable and, at times, it feels like a buddy-story between two species. I'd watch this movie!
My only complaint is that there's a lot of info-dumps in the first half. The protagonist seems to speaks in paragraphs rather than sentences, and although the content is interesting to think about, it does get a bit old. But thankfully his circumstances end that habit and the dialogue becomes more natural.
Another great first-contact by Cawdron!
Read it!
Cawdron did a great job capturing the vibe from 60's and 70's sci-fi: a know-it-all protagonist, the science vs religion conflict, and an alien civilization that is close enough to human-like that they suffer the same problems we do. But he goes one further and actually tells an interesting story!
The story is fun, even if somewhat predictable. Cawdron imagines a world that makes sense, but I'm not sure I've read about yet, so I love that! The characters are very likable and, at times, it feels like a buddy-story between two species. I'd watch this movie!
My only complaint is that there's a lot of info-dumps in the first half. The protagonist seems to speaks in paragraphs rather than sentences, and although the content is interesting to think about, it does get a bit old. But thankfully his circumstances end that habit and the dialogue becomes more natural.
Another great first-contact by Cawdron!
Read it!
October 14, 2022
An enjoyable read. Like two different books stuck together in some ways. Old school scifi.
Firstly, it is enjoyable to read and I will read another Peter Cawdron book as a consequence. For me, the book divides between pre-contact and post contact. The pre contact section is the more contemporary, both in terms of story and the way it's written. Once the main character meets the aliens, it becomes much more like an old school sci-fi book. As I like some old school scifi, this isnt a bad thing for me, but it does feel different to the first half. The story zips along and brings enough new things in to keep your interest. It gets a bit cheesy towards the end, which detracts a bit for me, but it's a fun read.
Firstly, it is enjoyable to read and I will read another Peter Cawdron book as a consequence. For me, the book divides between pre-contact and post contact. The pre contact section is the more contemporary, both in terms of story and the way it's written. Once the main character meets the aliens, it becomes much more like an old school sci-fi book. As I like some old school scifi, this isnt a bad thing for me, but it does feel different to the first half. The story zips along and brings enough new things in to keep your interest. It gets a bit cheesy towards the end, which detracts a bit for me, but it's a fun read.
January 2, 2024
I liked Cold Eyes and am glad I gave it a try on a whim. It had some of the same hard-science-alien-contact stuff that I really liked from other books like The Three-Body Problem (although didn't quite punch at that weight) and Project Hail Mary (very similar). I'll probably check out other books in the First Contact series (of which this book is a part, although the books aren't strictly related).
April 6, 2025
Wow! I am only halfway through this book, but it is good. I love it. I am 80 yrs old & been reading sy-fi for a hell of a long time & I don't have anyone I know who appreciates good sci-fi, so this turned me on & I want to shout it out. Read some of the other reviews if you want to know what the story is about because I don't do that, but good believable characters, good science, good adventure, good mystery,-----go for it. I will definitely start reading more of this guy's books.
Finished this book. It was Excellent!
Finished this book. It was Excellent!
July 23, 2023
This is brilliant! Peter Cawdron's books can be hit-or-miss but Cold Eyes definitely hits the spot. This surely is one of my favourites this 2023!
Cold Eyes is like an amalgam of the greatest classics of science fiction.
• The author explicitly says that it was inspired by Niven and Pournelle's The Mote in God's Eye, so I'll leave it at that.
• It echoes Liu Cixin's The Three Body Problem when it talked about orbital mechanics and the boom-and-bust cycles of civilisations.
• Not only does it deal with hard natural sciences, it also gives due importance to humanities and social sciences, like Asimov's Foundation series.
• It's got resource-based political conflict like Herbert's Dune.
• It's got the two-species conflict of Wells' The Time Machine.
• It puts a spotlight on the institutionalisation and weaponisation of deception, like Orwell's 1984.
• It juxtaposes the linearity of human languages with the idea of more efficient, 'circular' extra-terrestrial languages, similar to the language of the heptapods in the film Arrival.
Whilst reading this book, all I could think of was that this is how Adrian Tchaikovsky should've written The Children of Time! is in many ways similar to The Children of Time. Both involve engaging in first contact with extra-terrestrial life. Both have sections of the narrative focused on humanity and another on the extra-terrestrials. Both deal with fields beyond the usual science-y topics people associate with first contact: mathematics, humanities, linguistics, sociology, warfare, etc. Both end on a positive note.
But Cold Eyes clearly beats The Children of Time in many aspects. It has better pacing. At the beginning, it already throws a conflict at us, which I first thought was off-putting, but was indeed effective in hooking my attention. It has better narration. It has better and more loveable characters. It is grounded in more definitive science. I would even go on to say that Cold Eyes better deserves the limelight The Children of Time currently enjoys.
I think what really enthralled me was Peter Cawdron's idea of "The Great Suck". I won't spoil it, but it's intriguing and will keep one thinking for days. This puts Peter Cawdron at the same level as Liu Cixin (at least for me).
I'd definitely recommend this to all readers, fans of science fiction and not. Peter Cawdron has a gift of making hard science fiction easy to digest for the uninitiated. Looking forward to his future books!
P.S. Cold Eyes is definitely adaptable to visual media. I'd love to see this story in film!
Cold Eyes is like an amalgam of the greatest classics of science fiction.
• The author explicitly says that it was inspired by Niven and Pournelle's The Mote in God's Eye, so I'll leave it at that.
• It echoes Liu Cixin's The Three Body Problem when it talked about orbital mechanics and the boom-and-bust cycles of civilisations.
• Not only does it deal with hard natural sciences, it also gives due importance to humanities and social sciences, like Asimov's Foundation series.
• It's got resource-based political conflict like Herbert's Dune.
• It's got the two-species conflict of Wells' The Time Machine.
• It puts a spotlight on the institutionalisation and weaponisation of deception, like Orwell's 1984.
• It juxtaposes the linearity of human languages with the idea of more efficient, 'circular' extra-terrestrial languages, similar to the language of the heptapods in the film Arrival.
Whilst reading this book, all I could think of was that this is how Adrian Tchaikovsky should've written The Children of Time! is in many ways similar to The Children of Time. Both involve engaging in first contact with extra-terrestrial life. Both have sections of the narrative focused on humanity and another on the extra-terrestrials. Both deal with fields beyond the usual science-y topics people associate with first contact: mathematics, humanities, linguistics, sociology, warfare, etc. Both end on a positive note.
But Cold Eyes clearly beats The Children of Time in many aspects. It has better pacing. At the beginning, it already throws a conflict at us, which I first thought was off-putting, but was indeed effective in hooking my attention. It has better narration. It has better and more loveable characters. It is grounded in more definitive science. I would even go on to say that Cold Eyes better deserves the limelight The Children of Time currently enjoys.
I think what really enthralled me was Peter Cawdron's idea of "The Great Suck". I won't spoil it, but it's intriguing and will keep one thinking for days. This puts Peter Cawdron at the same level as Liu Cixin (at least for me).
I'd definitely recommend this to all readers, fans of science fiction and not. Peter Cawdron has a gift of making hard science fiction easy to digest for the uninitiated. Looking forward to his future books!
P.S. Cold Eyes is definitely adaptable to visual media. I'd love to see this story in film!
May 4, 2024
There is so much I didn't like, didn't agree with and didn't believe was scientifically accurate with this book, starting with the Dali character speaking from the 3rd person. That became very annoying.
I did really like the idea of how humans travel from Earth to the alien star system!
Unfortunately, the story is virtually 100% predictable as it stumbles forward to a final, again predictable conclusion and the writing is very simplistic.
I'll just critique a few points but could do many more.
It is hard to believe that a planet with 3 times the mass of the earth rotating around its star (red dwarf 25% the size of our Sun and with a surface temp about 50% of Sol) in only 18.6 days, meaning it is quite close to the star and moving very fast, would still have an atmosphere. I would think that the planet's atmosphere would have been burned off or blown away.
With gravity supposedly calculated at 1.27 that of Earth, I believe there is much less likelihood of flying life forms of any type and that with the higher gravity, living things are going to tend to be shorter, more heavily muscled and slower than they would be in lighter gravity, not what is depicted in the book.
As for inability of lifeforms to escape the planet, they may not be able to do so directly via chemical means but given this planet has water that could be broken down into H2 and O2, they could build fusion power engines or perhaps a combination of fusion and chemical that would allow them to get into orbit. We are currently on the cusp of commercial fusion power and at some point, the technology will be reduced in size, perhaps small enough to fit in a spaceship.
Or they could build a space elevator from the ground up, piece by piece in stages. Or at least high enough to enable the launch of a chemical rocket to then complete the job from a satellite in geostationary orbit.
Where there is a will, there is often a way. It may not be the most straightforward or the easiest though.
I could go on but will spare you.
If you want a light, fun book to read, this might be it. For me, I'm convinced that it won't be a book that I will remember years from now.
I did really like the idea of how humans travel from Earth to the alien star system!
Unfortunately, the story is virtually 100% predictable as it stumbles forward to a final, again predictable conclusion and the writing is very simplistic.
I'll just critique a few points but could do many more.
It is hard to believe that a planet with 3 times the mass of the earth rotating around its star (red dwarf 25% the size of our Sun and with a surface temp about 50% of Sol) in only 18.6 days, meaning it is quite close to the star and moving very fast, would still have an atmosphere. I would think that the planet's atmosphere would have been burned off or blown away.
With gravity supposedly calculated at 1.27 that of Earth, I believe there is much less likelihood of flying life forms of any type and that with the higher gravity, living things are going to tend to be shorter, more heavily muscled and slower than they would be in lighter gravity, not what is depicted in the book.
As for inability of lifeforms to escape the planet, they may not be able to do so directly via chemical means but given this planet has water that could be broken down into H2 and O2, they could build fusion power engines or perhaps a combination of fusion and chemical that would allow them to get into orbit. We are currently on the cusp of commercial fusion power and at some point, the technology will be reduced in size, perhaps small enough to fit in a spaceship.
Or they could build a space elevator from the ground up, piece by piece in stages. Or at least high enough to enable the launch of a chemical rocket to then complete the job from a satellite in geostationary orbit.
Where there is a will, there is often a way. It may not be the most straightforward or the easiest though.
I could go on but will spare you.
If you want a light, fun book to read, this might be it. For me, I'm convinced that it won't be a book that I will remember years from now.
November 3, 2021
Peter Cawdron has written and published eighteen different books about First Contact over the past decade. Each book; is based on hard science, each features interesting and engaging characters, and the story lines are fascinating and “page turners”. But the most amazing thing is that each First Contact is from a unique and plausible vantage point.
In Cold Eyes four scientists, Dali, Sandy, Helios, and Kari, are on the spaceship Magellan approaching a world twelve light-years from Earth. In 2017 a group from a music festival in Barcelona decided to broadcast a concert to the stars via a radio telescope pointed at Luyten’s Star and nearly four decades later Earth received a response. (FYI - this broadcast really happened.) In response to the reply the Magellan was launched to make first contact.
Cawdron picked a Cold Eyeball Planet for this story. This type of planet would be tidally locked with its star with liquid on the side facing the host star while the rest of its surface is made of ice and rocks. This formation makes it look an eyeball with the water the pupil and the mountains surrounding it the iris. I learn so much science, astronomy, and more from each of these books!
As with all Cawdron’s books in this series, there is a lot more going on than just First Contact. For example, there is an ongoing philosophical, sociological, and ethical discussion about lying among the crew. An analysis of how language and communication works is also a fascinating aside. The first dialog in the book is spoken by Dali who says, “I-I’m dead.” I cannot explain why he says this without giving away too much of the storyline but it is also related to some very interesting questions humanity may face in the not too distant future.
The highest praise I can give any book is when I wish it was longer. I read Cold Eyes in two sittings because it was so good but then the end came much too fast. Now comes the hard part of waiting for Cawdron to write another book.
In Cold Eyes four scientists, Dali, Sandy, Helios, and Kari, are on the spaceship Magellan approaching a world twelve light-years from Earth. In 2017 a group from a music festival in Barcelona decided to broadcast a concert to the stars via a radio telescope pointed at Luyten’s Star and nearly four decades later Earth received a response. (FYI - this broadcast really happened.) In response to the reply the Magellan was launched to make first contact.
Cawdron picked a Cold Eyeball Planet for this story. This type of planet would be tidally locked with its star with liquid on the side facing the host star while the rest of its surface is made of ice and rocks. This formation makes it look an eyeball with the water the pupil and the mountains surrounding it the iris. I learn so much science, astronomy, and more from each of these books!
As with all Cawdron’s books in this series, there is a lot more going on than just First Contact. For example, there is an ongoing philosophical, sociological, and ethical discussion about lying among the crew. An analysis of how language and communication works is also a fascinating aside. The first dialog in the book is spoken by Dali who says, “I-I’m dead.” I cannot explain why he says this without giving away too much of the storyline but it is also related to some very interesting questions humanity may face in the not too distant future.
The highest praise I can give any book is when I wish it was longer. I read Cold Eyes in two sittings because it was so good but then the end came much too fast. Now comes the hard part of waiting for Cawdron to write another book.
February 21, 2022
Lots of fun science in this story. How do you transport a crewmember to a destination more than 12 lightyears away? In this case, you trigger a cloning process as your spacecraft draws near its destination – oh, and then load his/her brain with the original host’s memories (That should work -- well, most of the time anyway.) And that’s just how the story begins. There are lots of clever science ideas incorporated into this story. (The author mentioned many of them in the book’s “Afterword”.)
Psychology is also a large part of the story. The basic question, when two cultures first try to communicate, is how to distinguish truth from other-than-truth. Initial communications may use math and science to establish terminology, but when conversations turn to experience-based soft-science subjects such as sociology, government, politics, prioritizations or philosophy, then lies, half-truths, obfuscation or silence may be much more likely than the plain and simple truth. (For example, picture a Republican and a Democrat trying to convince a political neophyte which way to vote. The conversations would sound nothing alike. Indeed, in these political times, they might not sound like they are from the same planet.) That basic question, of what-is-true-and-what-is-less-than-true, is what helps make this sci-fi book so interesting. Especially if the protagonist’s life may depend on knowing the answer.
Bottom line: Interesting sci-fi with psychological overtones.
Biggest issue: For a time, humans and Neanderthals co-existed, but probably never peacefully. And even Incan and Aztec cultures didn't survive their contact with European cultures. It sure seems like survival-of-the-fittest would make peaceful co-existence between different primitive cultures impossible.
Psychology is also a large part of the story. The basic question, when two cultures first try to communicate, is how to distinguish truth from other-than-truth. Initial communications may use math and science to establish terminology, but when conversations turn to experience-based soft-science subjects such as sociology, government, politics, prioritizations or philosophy, then lies, half-truths, obfuscation or silence may be much more likely than the plain and simple truth. (For example, picture a Republican and a Democrat trying to convince a political neophyte which way to vote. The conversations would sound nothing alike. Indeed, in these political times, they might not sound like they are from the same planet.) That basic question, of what-is-true-and-what-is-less-than-true, is what helps make this sci-fi book so interesting. Especially if the protagonist’s life may depend on knowing the answer.
Bottom line: Interesting sci-fi with psychological overtones.
Biggest issue: For a time, humans and Neanderthals co-existed, but probably never peacefully. And even Incan and Aztec cultures didn't survive their contact with European cultures. It sure seems like survival-of-the-fittest would make peaceful co-existence between different primitive cultures impossible.
February 24, 2022
Since I read almost 40% of the book, maybe I should grant it two stars. Nah, I skipped thru many pages of that 40%.
The main character, Dali, is very childish. Being an 18 y/o clone just woken with implanted memories (mostly missing, but slowly returning) does not excuse this - it seems to be inherent in his personality. Why would you put such a person on a starship to make first contact?
A long diatribe with his three shipmates expounding on his theory that everyone lies almost all the time was a true waste of time. It reminded me of those adolescent insights that we all spent long hours discussing with our friends in high school - but later realized were a facet of any life that we could dispense with in a few sentences. I skipped many pages at this point in the book.
I gave up when his exploration capsule deorbits and burns up, but supposedly his miraculous spacesuit will allow him to survive a 30 km fall; so many pages of excruciating detail - now he crawls another 2 inches - now he strains to open the hatch - now the winds buffet him; so many pages of this nonsense; this is where I gave up.
Good stories should not be based on one impossible situation after another. Good stories should not be based on idiotic characters making idiotic decisions.
I did read an earlier "First Contact" book by the same author, "Xenophobia". My review of that was more positive, but it was a strange story - hardly science fiction at all (but there was an alien), mostly military - and the ending was a sudden letdown. I'll cut my losses and never read another book by this author.
The main character, Dali, is very childish. Being an 18 y/o clone just woken with implanted memories (mostly missing, but slowly returning) does not excuse this - it seems to be inherent in his personality. Why would you put such a person on a starship to make first contact?
A long diatribe with his three shipmates expounding on his theory that everyone lies almost all the time was a true waste of time. It reminded me of those adolescent insights that we all spent long hours discussing with our friends in high school - but later realized were a facet of any life that we could dispense with in a few sentences. I skipped many pages at this point in the book.
I gave up when his exploration capsule deorbits and burns up, but supposedly his miraculous spacesuit will allow him to survive a 30 km fall; so many pages of excruciating detail - now he crawls another 2 inches - now he strains to open the hatch - now the winds buffet him; so many pages of this nonsense; this is where I gave up.
Good stories should not be based on one impossible situation after another. Good stories should not be based on idiotic characters making idiotic decisions.
I did read an earlier "First Contact" book by the same author, "Xenophobia". My review of that was more positive, but it was a strange story - hardly science fiction at all (but there was an alien), mostly military - and the ending was a sudden letdown. I'll cut my losses and never read another book by this author.
September 17, 2025
another fascinating Cawdron story.
As always, I am amazed at how one author can revisit a single theme, first contact, and have each story totally different from all before. This is a story of earth making first contact with a planet bound species twelve light years away. The very suggestion that an intelligent species that has been advanced for millennia ( and longer) never occurred to me, but Cawdron explains it in a way that makes sense, in fact more than makes sense- it makes you understand that we may have natural resources, and astrophysical circumstances, that suggest an advantage for space travel that may actually be very rare in itself. It adds yet another factor to answering Fermies paradox. Very thought provoking.
What affected me the most was the suggestion that all such scenarios would inevitably involve dishonesty- lies. Not exactly a theme in Star Trek (!) but surprisingly logical as Cawdron makes the cases. Makes you look at first contact in a whole new way.
Oh yeah, lots of great character development, action and suspense, a little quirky ending perhaps but overall another great read.
If you haven’t read Cawdrons work before, when you finish this one make sure to keep reading after the epilogue. One of the things I like most about his stories, as a fan of hard science based science fiction, is the explanations at the end of each book about the real science he has used to create his stories. Always informative and thought provoking.
A great read!
As always, I am amazed at how one author can revisit a single theme, first contact, and have each story totally different from all before. This is a story of earth making first contact with a planet bound species twelve light years away. The very suggestion that an intelligent species that has been advanced for millennia ( and longer) never occurred to me, but Cawdron explains it in a way that makes sense, in fact more than makes sense- it makes you understand that we may have natural resources, and astrophysical circumstances, that suggest an advantage for space travel that may actually be very rare in itself. It adds yet another factor to answering Fermies paradox. Very thought provoking.
What affected me the most was the suggestion that all such scenarios would inevitably involve dishonesty- lies. Not exactly a theme in Star Trek (!) but surprisingly logical as Cawdron makes the cases. Makes you look at first contact in a whole new way.
Oh yeah, lots of great character development, action and suspense, a little quirky ending perhaps but overall another great read.
If you haven’t read Cawdrons work before, when you finish this one make sure to keep reading after the epilogue. One of the things I like most about his stories, as a fan of hard science based science fiction, is the explanations at the end of each book about the real science he has used to create his stories. Always informative and thought provoking.
A great read!
December 21, 2025
This is on the level of classic sci-fi must-reads, like Foundation, Altered Carbon, Heechee Saga/Gateway Trilogy, The Forever War ...
Read this one. Do it! ... FUCKING DO IT! AAAAAH!!!?
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This is the first book I've read - or rather 'listened to' - from Peter Cawdrons "First Contact" series. I've had his actual first "First Contact" book in the list: Anomaly / -but decided to start with this one. I liked the premise and had hope of quality - since, at the time of publication, this was a work of high experience.
The audiobook is what I decided I'd like to use as mechanism to perceive this Story.
And I have made this one a part of the set of universally appreciated Sci-Fi classics, that are unquestionably the most thought-provoking pieces of literature in this genre.
If you'd've read it, you'd've understood why it qualifies as such a thing.
That Peter has honed his craft - I postulate now - over the years since Anomaly, to this extend, is a showing of quality that I've rarely seen in any experienced author. Many tend to spit out more and more books since their debut, that aren't worth more than the time you spend to read them.
This one spoke to my humanism.
He did it right. He made a reasonable story with reasonable characters, that are reasonable and promote reason itself.
Compassion for aliens - may they be local or not - is something we, as a species, are lacking. We are bad people. We even know why. Because we fool ourselves and lie all the fucking time.
Read it. Listen to it. DO IT
Read this one. Do it! ... FUCKING DO IT! AAAAAH!!!?
------------------------------------------
This is the first book I've read - or rather 'listened to' - from Peter Cawdrons "First Contact" series. I've had his actual first "First Contact" book in the list: Anomaly / -but decided to start with this one. I liked the premise and had hope of quality - since, at the time of publication, this was a work of high experience.
The audiobook is what I decided I'd like to use as mechanism to perceive this Story.
And I have made this one a part of the set of universally appreciated Sci-Fi classics, that are unquestionably the most thought-provoking pieces of literature in this genre.
If you'd've read it, you'd've understood why it qualifies as such a thing.
That Peter has honed his craft - I postulate now - over the years since Anomaly, to this extend, is a showing of quality that I've rarely seen in any experienced author. Many tend to spit out more and more books since their debut, that aren't worth more than the time you spend to read them.
This one spoke to my humanism.
He did it right. He made a reasonable story with reasonable characters, that are reasonable and promote reason itself.
Compassion for aliens - may they be local or not - is something we, as a species, are lacking. We are bad people. We even know why. Because we fool ourselves and lie all the fucking time.
Read it. Listen to it. DO IT
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