The Explorer (The Anomaly Quartet, 1) - Softcover

Smythe, James

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062229419 ISBN 13: 9780062229410

Publisher: Harper Voyager, 2013

Synopsis

When journalist Cormac Easton is selected to document the first mannedmission into deep space, he dreams of securing his place in history asone of humanity's great explorers.

But in space, nothing goes according to plan.

The crew wake from hypersleep to discover their captain dead in his allegedlyfail-proof safety pod. They mourn, and Cormac sends a beautifully written eulogyback to Earth. The word from ground control is unequivocal: no matter whathappens, the mission must continue.

But as the body count begins to rise, Cormac finds himself alone and spiralingtoward his own inevitable death . . . unless he can do something to stop it.

About this title

About the Author

James Smythe has written scripts for a number of video games, and teaches creative writing in London. His previous novel was The Explorer.

From the Back Cover

When journalist Cormac Easton is selected to document the first mannedmission into deep space, he dreams of securing his place in history asone of humanity's great explorers.

But in space, nothing goes according to plan.

The crew wake from hypersleep to discover their captain dead in his allegedlyfail-proof safety pod. They mourn, and Cormac sends a beautifully written eulogyback to Earth. The word from ground control is unequivocal: no matter whathappens, the mission must continue.

But as the body count begins to rise, Cormac finds himself alone and spiralingtoward his own inevitable death . . . unless he can do something to stop it.

Reviews

They probably dreamed up the phrase niche book for novels like this one. More than a little mind-bending, it tells the story of Cormac, a journalist-astronaut who’s part of humankind’s first manned deep-space expedition. As related by Cormac, when it came time for the cryosleeping astronauts to awaken, they soon died, one by one, for various reasons (faulty space suit, heart attack, etc.). And then the story appears to reset, going back to the beginning, with the crew waking up again; only now, Cormac is an observer, hidden from view, watching events unfold as he has just related them to us. Eventually, Cormac becomes a third-person character in his own first-person story, and by this time, sf fans have either given up in confusion or become glued to their seats. Like Moon, Duncan Jones’ recent film, the story straddles the line between reality and fantasy, but where Jones had visuals to tell his story, Smythe does it entirely with words, calling on us to supply the visuals in our own minds. A challenging and stimulating read. --David Pitt

Edition details

• Publisher: Harper Voyager
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062229419
• ISBN 13: 9780062229410
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272