Today it’s all about aliens! I’m talking about a recent release, AXIOM’S END by Lindsay Ellis. Let’s dive right in!
1. Cora Sabino
You knew this was coming. It’s typical of me to cite the protagonist as something I like about a story, and Cora is no exception. She’s just the right protagonist for this kind of story-she has enough knowledge going in that she’s not clueless, but she’s new enough to the whole aliens thing that information can be explained to the reader through her. I also like that empathy and compassion for non human creatures is a big part of her, hidden as it is beneath a tough exterior.
2. Time Period
AE is set firmly in 2007, and embraces it. There are the small details-while the Internet is around, smartphones aren’t yet running rampant, Bush is president-but also the larger implications of the 2008 financial crisis being kicked off early by the revelation of aliens on Earth. Altogether, the choice to set the story in 2007 is an interesting one, and the story doesn't hesitate to utilize it to its potential while also never distracting from the plot.
3. Unique Alien Race
An alien story is only as good as its aliens, and AE delivers. The aliens of AE strike the balance of being close enough to human to be relatable, but also utterly different and foreign enough to be fascinating.
4. Interludes
Not sure if interlude is the right thing to call this, but every so often, between chapters there’s a document (an excerpt from Nils’s blog, an email, a memo, etc.). These are all about a page or so in length, and all add something to the story that the reader couldn’t get just from Cora’s perspective. Sometimes it gives us a broader view of the world at large, and sometimes we learn information about what’s happening before Cora does. Whatever the value a specific document adds, I love the inclusion of them as a whole.
5. The Links Work
The above mentioned documents all include a little proper citation at the end, as if these were all real documents being professionally cited. Since these are pretty much all online sources, their citations include urls. And these links actually work.
6. Ampersand
No, this number is not about the &. Rather, this is about the alien nicknamed by humans Ampersand. Without spoiling too much, I can say that I really enjoyed Ampersand’s characterization and the glimpse it gives into the mindsight of a not-human being.
7. Smart, Without Making You Feel Not-Smart
The title says it all. AE deals with a realistic portrayal of first contact might be like, and deals with philosophical questions like how to deal with sentient life completely foreign from humanity, and the Great Filter. But while the story isn’t afraid to grapple with deeper intellectual ideas, it also never talks down to the reader.
8. Nils
I want to start by saying I don’t like Nils. So why am I listing it as one of ten things I liked about this book? Well while I don’t like him, I don’t dislike him either. I don’t really know how I feel about him, and that’s my point. I like that I don’t know how to feel about him, and probably won’t until the sequel(s).
9. Unpredictable Plot
I couldn’t see many of the twists and turns in this story coming, which is something I always love. Not much more to say about that without spoilers.
10. The Ending
AE does a great job of tying up the main plot of the story and concluding it while very clearly setting up for future stories. Personally, I can't wait to see where it goes next.
So that’s AXIOM’S END. I highly recommend it for all your alien sci-fi needs.
What should I cover next? Let me know in the comments!
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