Scan barcode
alexctelander's review against another edition
4.0
In Jeff Carlson’s ebook novella, The Frozen Sky, he takes on the genre of hard science fiction, taking readers to that distant moon of Jupiter, Europa, where there are frozen seas and oceans, but beneath the possibility of alien life.
Carlson uses a great storytelling method of short chapters and jumping back and forth. In the present our main character is dealing with the alien life that exists beneath the ice, trying her best to stay alive using her futuristic spacesuit that works practically as a fully-servicing vehicle along with the downloaded knowledge and abilities of her dead colleague. Carlson throws in the details here and there of great scifi tech without bogging the story down or confusing the reader. In alternate chapters, the reader is taken back to different periods in time, when the main characters first set foot on Europa, what they hoped to find and what they actually found, which were very different things.
In less than sixty pages, Carlson skillfully manages to tell a great story, present some possible ancestry to these alien creatures, put in a bunch of cool technology that makes sense and is believable. To top it all off, he manages to send the message of when we do finally start traveling to the stars, we better be sure we’re fully prepared for everything we might come up against, and that maybe we should look and think before we leap into that mysterious hole in the ground on an alien planet.
Originally written on April 10, 2011 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, and exclusive interviews, go to BookBanter
Carlson uses a great storytelling method of short chapters and jumping back and forth. In the present our main character is dealing with the alien life that exists beneath the ice, trying her best to stay alive using her futuristic spacesuit that works practically as a fully-servicing vehicle along with the downloaded knowledge and abilities of her dead colleague. Carlson throws in the details here and there of great scifi tech without bogging the story down or confusing the reader. In alternate chapters, the reader is taken back to different periods in time, when the main characters first set foot on Europa, what they hoped to find and what they actually found, which were very different things.
In less than sixty pages, Carlson skillfully manages to tell a great story, present some possible ancestry to these alien creatures, put in a bunch of cool technology that makes sense and is believable. To top it all off, he manages to send the message of when we do finally start traveling to the stars, we better be sure we’re fully prepared for everything we might come up against, and that maybe we should look and think before we leap into that mysterious hole in the ground on an alien planet.
Originally written on April 10, 2011 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, and exclusive interviews, go to BookBanter
archergal's review against another edition
2.0
The Frozen Sky starts off with a dramatic discovery (alien life) and a dramatic chase/escape FROM that alien life.
There's life under the frozen surface of Europa. This is a novel about discovering that life and deciding what to do about it. There's also a rogue AI, not to mention nationalistic issues and conflict between different countries doing research on Europa (i.e., politics).
I hate stories with politics like this in them. Because usually nothing is done for GOOD reasons, just for what is expedient and what can be compromised on. And these folks may have heard of a Prime Directive, but they're definitely Not Having It. I kinda hated all the characters too. :(
That said, it's a competent hard SF book. I couldn't quite visualize how the "sunfish" (what the researchers called the aliens) moved around under the frozen surface of Europa. I was also astonished by the amount of tech -- bio and non-bio -- these researchers had with them. They could replace damaged eyes and limbs, even. Wow.
All that caused a bit of a strain to my WSOD, along with how quickly they decoded the aliens' communications. Hence the low rating. :(
There's life under the frozen surface of Europa. This is a novel about discovering that life and deciding what to do about it. There's also a rogue AI, not to mention nationalistic issues and conflict between different countries doing research on Europa (i.e., politics).
I hate stories with politics like this in them. Because usually nothing is done for GOOD reasons, just for what is expedient and what can be compromised on. And these folks may have heard of a Prime Directive, but they're definitely Not Having It. I kinda hated all the characters too. :(
That said, it's a competent hard SF book. I couldn't quite visualize how the "sunfish" (what the researchers called the aliens) moved around under the frozen surface of Europa. I was also astonished by the amount of tech -- bio and non-bio -- these researchers had with them. They could replace damaged eyes and limbs, even. Wow.
All that caused a bit of a strain to my WSOD, along with how quickly they decoded the aliens' communications. Hence the low rating. :(
esko's review
challenging
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? No
3.0
The last 20 pages were the best part of the book. I did not expect so much politics,random space combat jargons. Writing style was really bad,and the characters were so lame,especially the main one. Author should focus on few things,and describe the world as interesting as possible for the reader. He rushed so many things,it was really annoying,a lot of nonsense through every page.
wingedpotato's review against another edition
4.0
This was so much better than I expected it to be. Fascinating story of a first contact that is as perplexing as it should be dealing with an alien species. Not sure if I need to read the others, even though I really want to know what else it under the ice.
bekrecka's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. It was a really interesting story...but it needed to be longer. Cramming so much into a short story made it confusing. By the time I understood what was happening, it was over. It would be awesome with more character development and back story to it. In my opinion, the story has great potential. I wish the author wouldn't have done it as a short. It feels very thrown together... I felt more like I was reading an excerpt of a really great book, than the whole story itself. Sad day.
cheekimonkey's review against another edition
2.0
Mostly an uneventful book. I was hoping for more description of creatures and alien environment and instead was mostly bored with thoughts and memories of the character and how she got stuck alone in her super-suit. I gave it two stars because I was at least interested enough to finish it.
kayswear's review
3.0
Science Fiction set on Jupiter's moon Europa. This is nominally about advanced technology humans encountering and as usual taking advantage of the backward native people/aliens. But maybe more central to this story is the inner life and personality and social standing of the protagonist Vonnie. I liked that this isn't just descriptions of robots and inscrutable aliens and the wonder of another plant but more about a real person behaving in accordance with her conscience and dealing with the consequences. I did not like that this is clearly the first of a series and lacks a reasonable conclusion to the book.
thomassmith's review
4.0
I don’t think I have read a book quite like The Frozen Sky. The author took some chances with an almost inverted plot structure and was able to pull off a book that is jaw-dropping, thoughtful and (perhaps most impressive) believable. This book challenges perceptions and dares to portray one of the few alien species in SF that is truly alien.