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elliecaitlin16's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
heathengray's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This was a surprise. Of the two Sci-Fi books about a distant but still extant alien threat, The Three Body Problem now feels slow and lumbering compared to this taught 200 page thriller from 80 years ago. It's taught, it's reflective, it's quite nihilistic. And like TBP, raises questions about the authority of people to act on the whole of humanity's behalf. It's also the novelisation of a TV Series!
If you've seen the 90's movie Species, then you've got about 80% of the plot, albeit from an American perspective. If you've seen that movie, you also know that the best bit is at the start when they explain what they did when they received an alien signal. What they do with the signal, is the basis of this book.
Dr Fleming is an alcoholic sex-pest (both written straight, see Content Warning) who, on testing a brand new radio telescope located in Britain (you know it's sci fi because there's enough fine weather in Britain to make the largest yet radio telescope feasible), receives a signal akin to morse code. Things get serious, and Fleming quickly becomes the signal's biggest opponent, constantly questioning the reason it was sent, and what it would do if acted upon. He's set squarely against most of the establishment who seek to use it for the betterment and enrichment of Britain. Fleming being constantly right about anything doesn't seem to diminish the tension,and it's like some grim inevitable car crash. Sprinkle in some deadly, yet paper-thin espionage, and you have A is for Andromeda.
I made light of Fleming's flaws, but they are played straight, and sadly shrugged off as being quite normal (especially as he's considered a genius eccentric). However I think Eliot and Hoyle cleverly fronted this flawed character to contrast against the sane yet greedy establishment, and the perfection produced from the signal. There are a couple of pages that simply wouldn't fly today, even if that were their intent. It think without these uncomfortable moments, I would have bumped my review up to a 4.
Overall it ticks along at an impressive pace, you feel the danger both near and far at all times, and it's worth a read, even today. The threat of running wild with a technology we don't fully understand (social media, AI,) is felt today more than ever
If you've seen the 90's movie Species, then you've got about 80% of the plot, albeit from an American perspective. If you've seen that movie, you also know that the best bit is at the start when they explain what they did when they received an alien signal. What they do with the signal, is the basis of this book.
Dr Fleming is an alcoholic sex-pest (both written straight, see Content Warning) who, on testing a brand new radio telescope located in Britain (you know it's sci fi because there's enough fine weather in Britain to make the largest yet radio telescope feasible), receives a signal akin to morse code. Things get serious, and Fleming quickly becomes the signal's biggest opponent, constantly questioning the reason it was sent, and what it would do if acted upon. He's set squarely against most of the establishment who seek to use it for the betterment and enrichment of Britain. Fleming being constantly right about anything doesn't seem to diminish the tension,and it's like some grim inevitable car crash. Sprinkle in some deadly, yet paper-thin espionage, and you have A is for Andromeda.
I made light of Fleming's flaws, but they are played straight, and sadly shrugged off as being quite normal (especially as he's considered a genius eccentric). However I think Eliot and Hoyle cleverly fronted this flawed character to contrast against the sane yet greedy establishment, and the perfection produced from the signal. There are a couple of pages that simply wouldn't fly today, even if that were their intent. It think without these uncomfortable moments, I would have bumped my review up to a 4.
Overall it ticks along at an impressive pace, you feel the danger both near and far at all times, and it's worth a read, even today. The threat of running wild with a technology we don't fully understand (social media, AI,) is felt today more than ever
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Alcoholism
Our hero is an alcoholic who likes to punctuate his lectures to women by slapping their bottoms or forcing them to accept his kisses. Some of it is returned, but when it isn't it's (perhaps sadly for the time) shrugged off as quite normal behaviour. Not as bad as some contemporaries, but it's quite glaring, and used as a foil in the plotwoody4595's review
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
d6y's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it. Didn’t realise it was the book of the 1960s BBC TV series (since lost).
agnesceciliajuliane's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
nekokat's review
3.0
Neat premise: a radio telescope picks up a signal from the stars, which turns out to be translatable as instructions for building a computer, as well as a program to run on it. The computer is, of course, an AI. Charming antiquated tech (punch cards!) and even some okay female characters (passes the Bechdel test).
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