Scan barcode
isnerd's review against another edition
5.0
Phenomenal read that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Although this story may not quite fit into what some call the canonical Alien world, it fits in nicely with the later films (like Prometheus) and even brings some new things into the universe. Another *newish* addition to the Alien universe was what Alex White could uniquely bring to the table (being not your typical Cis-white male sci-fi writer). White was able to throw out some of the old tropes that sci-fi sometimes relies on to make characters “feel real” (I.e weak female characters, etc.), made the read feel refreshing in a way. This book got me excited about reading again and really made me want to get deeper into other SciFi stories and worlds.
secretrue's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
errantdreams's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Alex White’s Alien: Into Charybdis is sort of a follow-on to his Alien: The Cold Forge. You probably don’t need to read that one first, and you’ll spend the first half or more of this book wondering why I say you should, but it does become relevant and I think I would have been a bit confused had I not read that book first. I’m a huge fan of the Alien franchise, and I think Alex White’s books stand up very well to the other material out there.
Cheyenne (Shy) Hunt is a contractor–her and her team handle contracts for installation and maintenance of colony infrastructure (yes, even in space you need HVAC maintenance!). They take a job on a planet that’s literally called “Hasanova Data Solutions” that is run by the Iranians. A couple of people on the contractor crew are not entirely happy about this, but they need the money badly. The actual colony is, so far, a big island with a stable lava tube in the middle. This feature, called Charybdis, is a whirlpool of water and toxic gases, and anything that goes over the safety railings isn’t coming back. A local named Kamran Afghanzadeh is tasked with making sure the contractors stick to what they’re supposed to do and don’t go poking around. Of course Shy and Noah stumble across something they shouldn’t see, and suddenly they’re virtually prisoners. Then the Iranians come across a certain xenomorph, and Noah decides it’s time to send a distress call.
I love that the main characters are blue-collar workers in space. It’s creative and interesting, and brings some unusual skills and knowledge to the table. The Iranians and the Americans are pretty prickly for a while, and some of it starts out seeming like stereotypical bigotry, but when push comes to shove, all the characters have depth and nuance.
There are a couple of unexplained mysteries that got dropped in that never paid off; I was a bit disappointed by that, but it’s really my only complaint. We do, however, get to find out what happened to Dr. Blue Marsalis after the end of Alien: The Cold Forge, which is great. She was such an excellent character.
The colony is unusual in its makeup, size, and unique challenges, and the author makes wonderful use of these things when everything goes to hell. It’s also interesting to see what sorts of tricks their would-be rescuers have up their sleeves now that the military knows a lot more about the xenomorphs. It has enabled some interesting advances in technology and some new ways of dealing with the aliens.
I think if you enjoy the Alien franchise, you’ll love this book. It hits all of the sweet spots for character interplay, horror, science fiction, and combat against the deadliest creatures the universe has seen.
Content warning for blood & gore, dismemberment, spiders, a little bigotry, child harm, and child death.
Cheyenne (Shy) Hunt is a contractor–her and her team handle contracts for installation and maintenance of colony infrastructure (yes, even in space you need HVAC maintenance!). They take a job on a planet that’s literally called “Hasanova Data Solutions” that is run by the Iranians. A couple of people on the contractor crew are not entirely happy about this, but they need the money badly. The actual colony is, so far, a big island with a stable lava tube in the middle. This feature, called Charybdis, is a whirlpool of water and toxic gases, and anything that goes over the safety railings isn’t coming back. A local named Kamran Afghanzadeh is tasked with making sure the contractors stick to what they’re supposed to do and don’t go poking around. Of course Shy and Noah stumble across something they shouldn’t see, and suddenly they’re virtually prisoners. Then the Iranians come across a certain xenomorph, and Noah decides it’s time to send a distress call.
I love that the main characters are blue-collar workers in space. It’s creative and interesting, and brings some unusual skills and knowledge to the table. The Iranians and the Americans are pretty prickly for a while, and some of it starts out seeming like stereotypical bigotry, but when push comes to shove, all the characters have depth and nuance.
There are a couple of unexplained mysteries that got dropped in that never paid off; I was a bit disappointed by that, but it’s really my only complaint. We do, however, get to find out what happened to Dr. Blue Marsalis after the end of Alien: The Cold Forge, which is great. She was such an excellent character.
The colony is unusual in its makeup, size, and unique challenges, and the author makes wonderful use of these things when everything goes to hell. It’s also interesting to see what sorts of tricks their would-be rescuers have up their sleeves now that the military knows a lot more about the xenomorphs. It has enabled some interesting advances in technology and some new ways of dealing with the aliens.
I think if you enjoy the Alien franchise, you’ll love this book. It hits all of the sweet spots for character interplay, horror, science fiction, and combat against the deadliest creatures the universe has seen.
Content warning for blood & gore, dismemberment, spiders, a little bigotry, child harm, and child death.
dguthrieadams's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
More...