My brother has a taste for “older science fiction novels,” which includes a pretty broad range—-from the likes of Jules Verne to H.P. Lovecraft, Kurt Vonnegut, and C.S. Lewis, with a whole bunch of lesser-known authors in between. Because I like to dabble in the same, and because I hope he’ll pass on some of his favorites to me, I keep on the lookout for other possible authors he may have never before tried.

At a Little Free Library in town, I came across a whole stack of James White novels, and from the artwork on the covers and blurbs on the back, they seemed like exactly what we might like. Of all the books in the mix, I chose this one to try first, mainly because the tag line on the front seemed most appealing: “60,000,000 miles from Earth, a man is very much alone.” It reminded me perhaps of The Martian (2011) by Andy Weir, so I had to give this one a try.

While this tagline proved misleading (Dr. McCullough actually has several other astronauts with him throughout the plot), the story was excellently written, engaging, exciting, and an old-school sci-fi. I loved it.

Plot Summary

The story begins with earth recognizing an object outside Jupiter that appears to be intelligently designed. They organize a team of 6 astronauts to take 2 space vehicles out to investigate. What begins as an information-gathering exploration actually turns into a test of human endurance and an introduction to the politics of this new Information Age.

I don’t want to spoil too much, but the astronauts discover life forms aboard the ship and must determine how protect themselves against potential attack. All the while, though, their communication with Earth (delayed by 30 minutes each way due to the distance) becomes a media firestorm—everyone back on Earth hangs upon every word the astronauts say and they follow every event to the minutest detail. These astronauts are the world’s first “viral celebrities,” and of course with great exposure comes great responsibility.

Certain factions and even nations disagree with the methods the astronauts employ, sparking riots and even wars back home. The pressure which the commander back on Earth places upon the astronauts to guard their tongues and change their methods against the aliens wreaks havoc on the astronaut’s sanity, only making matters worse for them—alone and now misunderstood, hated, abandoned.

McCullough tells the General at one point, when strains on the relationship began to strain:

Our problem, or rather your problem, is this. We are being told what to do by people who do not know all the facts, and who don’t want to be told them because of the effect the telling might have on public opinion…We need help. And not only are we not getting it, we are being ordered not to ask for it! (111)

Conclusion

I really enjoyed the psychological bent of this particular story. It was enough to help me ignore the faulty concepts of life in space and the ignorance of its vacuum or extreme temperatures. I can handle aliens to a degree, and this is the kind that I don’t mind. Creatively described and thoughtfully mysterious.

All in all, I’d have to say (after just one book) that I’m a James White fan. I’ll probably read another of his sometime in the future. It was a pleasant distraction for my normal reading fare. It was clean and engaging, and I’m happy to pass the stack of books along, not only to my brother but to you all as well.

©2021 E.T.