Book Review: Derelict by Mark All
Genre(s): Science Fiction
Book Synopsis:
If you find alien technology … don’t turn it on.
Beyond the farthest reaches of explored space, survey ship Cerberus arrives at an unclaimed planet to find a deserted vessel already in orbit. When newly commissioned captain Janet Hollander leads a team to the derelict, they find an ancient alien artifact on board.
As her own crew members begin to disappear, Hollander learns that neither the ghost ship nor the planet are as lifeless as they appear. She must survive long enough to find out what happened to the derelict—before she and her crew suffer the same fate.
Review:
Let me preface this by saying I’m a sucker for the derelict spacecraft floating in space that might kill you theme. There’s nothing like exploration coupled with the creeping sense that something horrible is going to happen to drive a story forward. This book set the tone and atmosphere fantastically.
This isn’t just a creepy sci-fi novel. There is mention of some real science throughout. Quantum physics concepts related to interstellar travel, the theme of evolution through gene modification, AI and its programming, and then there was the constant theme of ordinary humans trying to explore and survive in a hostile atmosphere (space as well as an alien planet.) The humans in this story have advanced technology on their side, but confronted with completely alien machinery, there was definitely a struggle.
There are a huge number of characters mentioned, some more often than others. Most of the chapters are from Hollander’s viewpoint, which made it easier as a reader, though there were a few instances of other characters taking center stage, if only briefly. As a main character, I liked Hollander; she was determined and scrappy, focused on the survival of herself and her crew as the situation became more dire.
The other viewpoint chapters felt a bit unnecessary in terms of the storyline and didn’t really add anything to the overall narrative. But they were infrequent and often very brief, so it didn’t detract from the story either.
I really enjoyed this book’s premise and its Alien movie vibes, but I had one big issue with the science involved. As a biologist myself (ok, I’m a microbiologist, but I still know a bit about cellular processes and genetics), I took issue with the speed of the transformations. I understand that for the purpose of the story and driving it forward, some liberties were ultimately taken by the author and it is a work of fiction, but in terms of plausibility, it just didn’t work for me. If it had been slower, think District 9, I may have bought it.
Still, this was an engaging story. I actually read this in 2 days, which is rare.
For anyone who likes the Alien movie franchise, I think you’ll enjoy this book.
Author website: markallauthor.com
Amazon link: Derelict
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