THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The alternate history first contact adventure Axiom’s End is an extraordinary debut from Hugo finalist and video essayist Lindsay Ellis. Truth is a human right. It’s fall 2007. A well-timed leak has revealed that the US government might have engaged in first contact. Cora Sabino is doing everything she can to avoid the whole mess, since the force driving … everything she can to avoid the whole mess, since the force driving the controversy is her whistleblower father. Even though Cora hasn’t spoken to him in years, his celebrity has caught the attention of the press, the Internet, the paparazzi, and the government–and with him in hiding, that attention is on her. She neither knows nor cares whether her father’s leaks are a hoax, and wants nothing to do with him–until she learns just how deeply entrenched her family is in the cover-up, and that an extraterrestrial presence has been on Earth for decades.
Realizing the extent to which both she and the public have been lied to, she sets out to gather as much information as she can, and finds that the best way for her to uncover the truth is not as a whistleblower, but as an intermediary. The alien presence has been completely uncommunicative until she convinces one of them that she can act as their interpreter, becoming the first and only human vessel of communication. Their otherworldly connection will change everything she thought she knew about being human–and could unleash a force more sinister than she ever imagined.
more
So much fun. Lindsay Ellis’s experience as one of our sharpest cultural observers gives Axiom’s End an edge of realism that makes it both cutting and compelling. Close encounters have a whole new look.
Axiom’s End: if you enjoy first contact tales, alien cultures, inexplicable found families, beautiful chaos and elegantly constructed stories.
Axiom’s End is eerily plausible and wildly entertaining. An alternate history that fully delivers on its premise.
I’m sad I’m done reading the book because it was so good and I just want to read more! I look forward to the next one.
Who would be the world’s forefront expert on extraterrestrial life? A team of highly specialized government operatives who spent the better part of their careers studying aliens specimens, or one twenty-something-year-old college dropout who has absolutely no idea what’s going on?
Guys, I like to think I’m above falling for cliches, but god, I’m sorry, this is it. This is my favorite trope. It’s like “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, but instead of an expert linguist, Cora took one Intro to Linguistics class and was like, I got this!
Axiom’s End wastes no time in getting into the aliens, but it does still take a while for the story to pick up. This isn’t an action-packed story either, and most of it is focused on elements relating to diplomacy and existentialism. How do we connect with an intelligent alien race? What do we risk in communicating with that race? What are the greater implications of first contact for humanity as a whole?
Things pick up about a third of the way in, and that’s where I really started to get into it. It’s also about this point that Ellis fleshes out the supporting cast (who were excellent and who I hope to see more of in future books.) Though it’s still relatively quiet as far as plots go, I loved the quiet moments, especially between Cora and Ampersand as they try to find a way to understand each other as two extraordinarily dissimilar entities. Those moments were more interesting than any of the more traditionally exciting scenes that are sprinkled throughout later chapters, so if you like your sci fi to lean into its philosophy, you’ll probably like this a lot. If you want more action, you might find yourself a bit bored at times. I think what it comes down to is personal taste, but overall this is a solid debut and I’m excited to see more from Lindsay!
I absolutely loved this book. It caught you from the beginning and never let you go. Science fiction at its best. A unique twist to first contact. Wonderful depiction of characters, both alien and human, that you will come to love.
Wonderful
Axiom’s End is somehow deeply aware of not just what it is to be human, but what it is to be any intelligent species. It’s as real as any first-contact story I have ever read. Wonderfully plotted and paced, the adventure never lets up, and neither does the insight.
This takes me back to the days I used to read sci-fi more and submerge into the technical “out there” paragraphs that delve into the science, politics and existence of extra-terrestrials. This is one of those novels that involves some interestingly thought-out background information on the different “alien” cultures coming together in this read.
In between the science and alien/human history we have our MC, Cora, whose father has gone into hiding because of his leaks that alien life exists and the government has known for years. He’s abandoned his family and in turn his family is under surveillance thanks to dear old dad. Unbeknownst to Cora the CIA isn’t the only thing watching her.
Cora was not my most liked character but her flawed and frustrating nature honestly fit this story really well. She depicts a very real version of ‘human’ down to the humanity. Hands down the relationship between Cora and Ampersand is what makes this read what it is. Their bond grows in a realistic manner without overdone frills or too fast of a pace. Ellis did an amazing job creating the connection between these two characters.
There are areas that may drag for some readers that discuss at length the intricacies of the political hierarchy of the aliens and linguistics. It even touches on topics like genocide over differences and molding races to be the image of the superorganism in power. Seeing topical ideas flow in a read like this was pretty impressive. It’s hard to say how the world would react to knowing we are not alone and this book adds such a sense of possibility you may just look to the stars and wonder when you finish. I’d definitely recommend this for science fiction lovers of the extra-terrestrial kind.
Thank you to Lindsay Ellis and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this advanced reader copy for an honest and unbiased opinion