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First Contact
3zekiel
Deep within the Congo, a team of scientists prepares for the greatest event in the history of humanity, making First Contact with an intelligent extraterrestrial species, only the jungle is no place for doubts.
Could First Contact be our last?
Could First Contact be our last?
406 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 23, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 502 reviews
October 5, 2019
“Respect is all that separates us from the savages.”
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.”
To say I was totally overwhelmed with this story, is to put it mildly. It’s one of the best stories that I’ve read till now, and has left a profound mark in my mind and soul!
Peter Cawdron tells the story through great characters. If you're like me, finding outstanding science fiction that's not warfare, dystopian, or overtly violent is worth talking about. A realistic story, and characters as real persons. This is one of the best first person narration I’ve read. The first person narrative of Josh the protagonist is so realistic, I could feel all the emotional moments he went through. The thorough speculations, and contemplative summaries of the scientist is so fascinating, I was totally hooked and captivated! The jungle life and how Josh has completely adjusted to its life is beautiful, the coloured diversity of the hard and resilient natives, the surrounding nature, full of life and dangerous illnesses is perfectly described, it felt as if I was there, so vivid was the feeling. It’s highly thought provoking and emotive. What drew my attention and held it was the debate of science versus religion, all seeing through the eyes of a teenage boy, whose father is a reformed bike rider converted to pastor, an opening of a whole world of possibilities, the simple existence of life and our interpretation of it. This is a complex yet very easy to understand premise, with profound and provoking philosophical connotations and concepts, different perspectives. Surreal, controversial, a deep interior debate within oneself and what we thought morality, science and religion is about. I’m wholly impressed! It has an exciting, excellent, impressive and unique experience! This book is sure going with my favourite classic SciFi books shelf! Chapeau, Mr. Cawdron. Congratulations!
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.”
To say I was totally overwhelmed with this story, is to put it mildly. It’s one of the best stories that I’ve read till now, and has left a profound mark in my mind and soul!
Peter Cawdron tells the story through great characters. If you're like me, finding outstanding science fiction that's not warfare, dystopian, or overtly violent is worth talking about. A realistic story, and characters as real persons. This is one of the best first person narration I’ve read. The first person narrative of Josh the protagonist is so realistic, I could feel all the emotional moments he went through. The thorough speculations, and contemplative summaries of the scientist is so fascinating, I was totally hooked and captivated! The jungle life and how Josh has completely adjusted to its life is beautiful, the coloured diversity of the hard and resilient natives, the surrounding nature, full of life and dangerous illnesses is perfectly described, it felt as if I was there, so vivid was the feeling. It’s highly thought provoking and emotive. What drew my attention and held it was the debate of science versus religion, all seeing through the eyes of a teenage boy, whose father is a reformed bike rider converted to pastor, an opening of a whole world of possibilities, the simple existence of life and our interpretation of it. This is a complex yet very easy to understand premise, with profound and provoking philosophical connotations and concepts, different perspectives. Surreal, controversial, a deep interior debate within oneself and what we thought morality, science and religion is about. I’m wholly impressed! It has an exciting, excellent, impressive and unique experience! This book is sure going with my favourite classic SciFi books shelf! Chapeau, Mr. Cawdron. Congratulations!
January 10, 2021
2.5 stars
Most authors think that aliens can only fly to America so this was a novelty to read about first contact that takes place in Africa.
Set in the Congo where a new star in the heavens signal that we are in fact not alone. Narrated by the son of a missionary, the first part of the book quoted snippets of the book of Ezekiel hinting that this is not the first time humans have encountered extra-terrestrial life. I enjoyed these theological debates between Josh’s father and brother Mordecai.
I liked the African setting but felt that the author took way too many liberties with the gorilla behaviour in the story. I also liked the explanations of how microbes can contaminate and completely ruin any first contact we could potentially have.
But I really didn’t enjoy the military angle.
You know the war stories that used to be so popular in the 1980s? Russians are evil but then GI Joes defeat them with superhuman strength and intelligence? Well, if you liked stories like that you will love this. I actually had to double check if this was not written during the height of the cold war but nope this book came out in 2019.
The characters also felt a little underdeveloped but I think this book is more geared towards a YA audience than an adult one.
Not a bad book but also not entirely satisfying either.
Most authors think that aliens can only fly to America so this was a novelty to read about first contact that takes place in Africa.
Set in the Congo where a new star in the heavens signal that we are in fact not alone. Narrated by the son of a missionary, the first part of the book quoted snippets of the book of Ezekiel hinting that this is not the first time humans have encountered extra-terrestrial life. I enjoyed these theological debates between Josh’s father and brother Mordecai.
I liked the African setting but felt that the author took way too many liberties with the gorilla behaviour in the story. I also liked the explanations of how microbes can contaminate and completely ruin any first contact we could potentially have.
But I really didn’t enjoy the military angle.
You know the war stories that used to be so popular in the 1980s? Russians are evil but then GI Joes defeat them with superhuman strength and intelligence? Well, if you liked stories like that you will love this. I actually had to double check if this was not written during the height of the cold war but nope this book came out in 2019.
The characters also felt a little underdeveloped but I think this book is more geared towards a YA audience than an adult one.
Not a bad book but also not entirely satisfying either.
September 22, 2019
3ZEKIEL was not my first Peter Cawdron novel. I read ANOMALY back in 2011 and thought it was horrible on almost all levels, and my review indicated that. But I subscribe to Kindle Unlimited that offers 3ZEKIEL and thought that the blurb was very interesting so I ordered it for free (sort of). Anyway, I'm happy to report that all of the things that bothered me so much about ANOMALY (another first contact story) were completely reversed here.
An alien space ship enters the solar system headed for earth. It captures an asteroid and drag it along with the vessel into a geosynchronous high earth orbit, parked over the center of Africa. All attempts at communication fail. An unmanned probe sent to investigate disappears. And then nothing happens for a while while the world waits in fear and anticipation. Is this an invasion? Why don't the aliens answer. What happened to the probe? And then, the aliens drop a space elevator into the middle of the most unpopulated dense African jungle.
That's as much of of a no-spoilers summary as I can safely write, and all that happens in the first 5 or 8 % of the novel. We also meet Joshua, a 17 year old American, son of a biker-turned missionary who drags Josh with him to this remote part of the world, and Jana, a local native girl with whom Josh is infatuated. A couple of other well-drawn characters re also introduced, and almost all of the action centers around these four.
In sharp contrast to ANOMALY, all of the science in 3ZEKIEL is rock solid. One of the main characters, Pretzel, is an elderly scientist sent to try to determine why the aliens chose this location and what their intentions might me. Pretzel turns out to be something of a polymath genius and is used to explain all of the science to the readers in an interesting manner. In between the action, there are bits about the Fermi paradox, limits on interstellar travel, interspecies communication, von Neuman devices, space elevators, asteroid mining and of course, First Contact.
The ending was unexpected and worthy of the novel, and I will now certainly try more of Cawdron's novels.
Recommended
JM Tepper
An alien space ship enters the solar system headed for earth. It captures an asteroid and drag it along with the vessel into a geosynchronous high earth orbit, parked over the center of Africa. All attempts at communication fail. An unmanned probe sent to investigate disappears. And then nothing happens for a while while the world waits in fear and anticipation. Is this an invasion? Why don't the aliens answer. What happened to the probe? And then, the aliens drop a space elevator into the middle of the most unpopulated dense African jungle.
That's as much of of a no-spoilers summary as I can safely write, and all that happens in the first 5 or 8 % of the novel. We also meet Joshua, a 17 year old American, son of a biker-turned missionary who drags Josh with him to this remote part of the world, and Jana, a local native girl with whom Josh is infatuated. A couple of other well-drawn characters re also introduced, and almost all of the action centers around these four.
In sharp contrast to ANOMALY, all of the science in 3ZEKIEL is rock solid. One of the main characters, Pretzel, is an elderly scientist sent to try to determine why the aliens chose this location and what their intentions might me. Pretzel turns out to be something of a polymath genius and is used to explain all of the science to the readers in an interesting manner. In between the action, there are bits about the Fermi paradox, limits on interstellar travel, interspecies communication, von Neuman devices, space elevators, asteroid mining and of course, First Contact.
The ending was unexpected and worthy of the novel, and I will now certainly try more of Cawdron's novels.
Recommended
JM Tepper
November 17, 2019
Mind = blown
Wow... this blew my mind. Especially with how much attention to detail and actual science the author actually spent time to fact check and double check and stuff.
I will honestly say aliens is a subject I’ve mulled over occasionally. Are we alone? Where is everybody else? Is a constant question I ask myself. Most science fiction authors tend to make the aliens the invader and the conquerors, subjecting them to human ideology and illusions of grandeur.
So in that sense, I love that this author didn’t do that. It used a more pragmatic approach and threw out human perception and expectation and behaviour out the window. What we have is a very, very cleverly written novel. One which surprisingly, answers a lot of questions for me.
The science employed in this book is also astonishingly....feasible(?)...realistic(?)At least, to my engineer brain, it seems and sounds correct and not insane or anything. I initially didn’t quite like the ending but having a night to let my subconscious work through it, I think it made the most sense.
I picked up the book with zero expectations. Mostly because I really couldn’t stomach anymore romance at this point in time. But I put down this book in awe. In awe of the writing and the cleverness of plot and just, of the possibilities and explanations the author has presented. Mind. Blown. 🤯 in a good way 😅 kudos and much respect to the author! 🙏
Wow... this blew my mind. Especially with how much attention to detail and actual science the author actually spent time to fact check and double check and stuff.
I will honestly say aliens is a subject I’ve mulled over occasionally. Are we alone? Where is everybody else? Is a constant question I ask myself. Most science fiction authors tend to make the aliens the invader and the conquerors, subjecting them to human ideology and illusions of grandeur.
So in that sense, I love that this author didn’t do that. It used a more pragmatic approach and threw out human perception and expectation and behaviour out the window. What we have is a very, very cleverly written novel. One which surprisingly, answers a lot of questions for me.
The science employed in this book is also astonishingly....feasible(?)...realistic(?)At least, to my engineer brain, it seems and sounds correct and not insane or anything. I initially didn’t quite like the ending but having a night to let my subconscious work through it, I think it made the most sense.
I picked up the book with zero expectations. Mostly because I really couldn’t stomach anymore romance at this point in time. But I put down this book in awe. In awe of the writing and the cleverness of plot and just, of the possibilities and explanations the author has presented. Mind. Blown. 🤯 in a good way 😅 kudos and much respect to the author! 🙏
February 7, 2020
I want to preface this review by admitting I may not have been the target demographic for this novel. Based on other reviews, I was expecting a story with meaty science and well-fleshed out characters. Unfortunately, I was disappointed on both accounts. Let’s step back a bit and break this novel down into a few categories as I explain my thought process and why I’ve rated it three stars rather than five. Be warned - there may be spoilers ahead.
Category One - Editing and Grammar [9/10]
3zekiel impressed me, as far as spelling and grammar goes. A lot of these smaller, lesser known authors tend to forego proper editing. After all, it can be quite expensive. This novel, however, feels professionally edited. Whether the author edited it himself or paid to have it edited, they did a job well done. My only gripe would be in regards to how simple some of the exposition is.
There are entire paragraphs of description so generic that after reading them, I have to go back and reread but still can’t picture what on earth the author is trying to describe. The vagueness can become rather irritating and lead to skimming some sections. I believe the author needs to work on communicating what they’re imagining to the reader. We don’t always know what -that thing over there- is, or how -the thing next to the thing over by the thing- looks. It’s up to the author to explain that.
Category Two - Characters [3/10]
This category, alongside the following category, are where the story really disappoints. The characters are one sided. Mind-numbingly one sided. Real people are multi-faceted, and perhaps this is only a complaint due to the immature perspective of a 17 year old protagonist. However, I think the problem is deeper than that.
For example, Garcia. Why does he latch onto our hero so quickly? Why does our protagonist follow Garcia and become so attached to him so quickly? What about the scientist, Pretzel? The dynamic between these characters feels forced and unrealistic. Their relationships are rushed and the dialogue is stilted, like it’s just an excuse for exposition. The dialogue and personal motives aren’t the only uncomfortably unrealistic problem here. Let’s dive deeper into the Garcia characters, shall we?
Garcia is a Navy SEAL. He’s supposedly highly trained. We can accept that; it’s realistic. But I have a hard time believing that even a highly trained Navy SEAL, upon being permanently blinded, can effortlessly navigate a leveled rainforest after a thermobaric bomb blast based on /the sound of his companions’ footsteps alone./ That requires an uncomfortable suspension of disbelief.
That the scientist, Pretzel, can run/walk some distance after being shot in the leg, also requires suspension of disbelief. In fact, all of the injuries our protagonists suffer feel like artificially constructed temporary setbacks, designed solely to show how they aren’t Mary Sue characters and they are just overcoming struggles.
Let’s not even begin to discuss how a scrawny 17 year old boy with his hands ziptied behind his back can run through a hail of bullets at a Russian soldier armed with an automatic/semi-automatic firearm, causing the soldier to panic and ultimately die, while our protagonist gets...an injured shoulder? What kind of soldiers are these, rent-a-cops in costumes? I had to set the book down after reading that scene. It was just too much.
Ultimately, every character was as flat as a sheet of glass and just as transparent. They served their intended purpose and nothing more. They felt soulless and empty, like machines clothed in human flesh. The love interest was emotionless, the controlling father had more backstory and less page time than any other character, the quirky preacher ended up taking a totally out-of-character action, the soldier was all-powerful and all-seeing (ironically), and the scientist seemed to exist solely for exposition and to act as the voice of the author. Meanwhile, the other characters took his word as the word of God, it seemed. He said this is why the aliens are here, there would be a brief exchange of people doubting that, he’d double down on his (dubious and sometimes illogical) position, and everyone would just fall in place and agree with him.
Category Three - Setting and Plot [5/10]
The premise is extremely interesting. I’m a sucker for hard sci-fi and I love space elevators. The execution of this space elevator was quite nice, the description of the ribbon was beautiful, the aliens were a bit lackluster, and the surroundings of the characters as the story progressed were nonexistent at worst and vague gibberish at best. A sad parallel is drawn here between the author’s ability to describe the setting and the plot’s meandering, unrealistic path as the story progresses.
I’m not sure the author had a planned ending when he started writing, to be honest. It all feels quite random and haphazard. Not that unplanned writing is wrong...it’s just difficult to pull off and I’m afraid this attempt fell flat at the end. The Congo is such a beautiful locale, but how it’s described in this story is like looking at the rainforest through a straw. It didn’t do the location any justice whatsoever, and it was extremely difficult to follow the characters in your mind as they traveled.
Conclusion - Final Score [17/30] Three Stars
I did enjoy this story a little bit, but as I originally mentioned, it feels like this novel would’ve been much better off if it was marketed at teens or young adults. It doesn’t hold up well against comparable hard science fiction and feels like the author is just getting his feet wet. If, perhaps, an editor had stripped away some of the Mary Sue aspects, if the characters were given proper goals and motivations, and if the descriptions of the settings weren’t so vague and indecipherable, this book has the potential to be an amazing story. Maybe next time.
(Review written on mobile, forgive any formatting weirdness! <3)
Category One - Editing and Grammar [9/10]
3zekiel impressed me, as far as spelling and grammar goes. A lot of these smaller, lesser known authors tend to forego proper editing. After all, it can be quite expensive. This novel, however, feels professionally edited. Whether the author edited it himself or paid to have it edited, they did a job well done. My only gripe would be in regards to how simple some of the exposition is.
There are entire paragraphs of description so generic that after reading them, I have to go back and reread but still can’t picture what on earth the author is trying to describe. The vagueness can become rather irritating and lead to skimming some sections. I believe the author needs to work on communicating what they’re imagining to the reader. We don’t always know what -that thing over there- is, or how -the thing next to the thing over by the thing- looks. It’s up to the author to explain that.
Category Two - Characters [3/10]
This category, alongside the following category, are where the story really disappoints. The characters are one sided. Mind-numbingly one sided. Real people are multi-faceted, and perhaps this is only a complaint due to the immature perspective of a 17 year old protagonist. However, I think the problem is deeper than that.
For example, Garcia. Why does he latch onto our hero so quickly? Why does our protagonist follow Garcia and become so attached to him so quickly? What about the scientist, Pretzel? The dynamic between these characters feels forced and unrealistic. Their relationships are rushed and the dialogue is stilted, like it’s just an excuse for exposition. The dialogue and personal motives aren’t the only uncomfortably unrealistic problem here. Let’s dive deeper into the Garcia characters, shall we?
Garcia is a Navy SEAL. He’s supposedly highly trained. We can accept that; it’s realistic. But I have a hard time believing that even a highly trained Navy SEAL, upon being permanently blinded, can effortlessly navigate a leveled rainforest after a thermobaric bomb blast based on /the sound of his companions’ footsteps alone./ That requires an uncomfortable suspension of disbelief.
That the scientist, Pretzel, can run/walk some distance after being shot in the leg, also requires suspension of disbelief. In fact, all of the injuries our protagonists suffer feel like artificially constructed temporary setbacks, designed solely to show how they aren’t Mary Sue characters and they are just overcoming struggles.
Let’s not even begin to discuss how a scrawny 17 year old boy with his hands ziptied behind his back can run through a hail of bullets at a Russian soldier armed with an automatic/semi-automatic firearm, causing the soldier to panic and ultimately die, while our protagonist gets...an injured shoulder? What kind of soldiers are these, rent-a-cops in costumes? I had to set the book down after reading that scene. It was just too much.
Ultimately, every character was as flat as a sheet of glass and just as transparent. They served their intended purpose and nothing more. They felt soulless and empty, like machines clothed in human flesh. The love interest was emotionless, the controlling father had more backstory and less page time than any other character, the quirky preacher ended up taking a totally out-of-character action, the soldier was all-powerful and all-seeing (ironically), and the scientist seemed to exist solely for exposition and to act as the voice of the author. Meanwhile, the other characters took his word as the word of God, it seemed. He said this is why the aliens are here, there would be a brief exchange of people doubting that, he’d double down on his (dubious and sometimes illogical) position, and everyone would just fall in place and agree with him.
Category Three - Setting and Plot [5/10]
The premise is extremely interesting. I’m a sucker for hard sci-fi and I love space elevators. The execution of this space elevator was quite nice, the description of the ribbon was beautiful, the aliens were a bit lackluster, and the surroundings of the characters as the story progressed were nonexistent at worst and vague gibberish at best. A sad parallel is drawn here between the author’s ability to describe the setting and the plot’s meandering, unrealistic path as the story progresses.
I’m not sure the author had a planned ending when he started writing, to be honest. It all feels quite random and haphazard. Not that unplanned writing is wrong...it’s just difficult to pull off and I’m afraid this attempt fell flat at the end. The Congo is such a beautiful locale, but how it’s described in this story is like looking at the rainforest through a straw. It didn’t do the location any justice whatsoever, and it was extremely difficult to follow the characters in your mind as they traveled.
Conclusion - Final Score [17/30] Three Stars
I did enjoy this story a little bit, but as I originally mentioned, it feels like this novel would’ve been much better off if it was marketed at teens or young adults. It doesn’t hold up well against comparable hard science fiction and feels like the author is just getting his feet wet. If, perhaps, an editor had stripped away some of the Mary Sue aspects, if the characters were given proper goals and motivations, and if the descriptions of the settings weren’t so vague and indecipherable, this book has the potential to be an amazing story. Maybe next time.
(Review written on mobile, forgive any formatting weirdness! <3)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2021
I liked the concept and ideas put into this but I didn't enjoy listening to the audiobook as much as I had hoped. It wasn't that thrilling, can't stop listening moment but it wasn't that bad either. A so so book
September 29, 2019
Good SciFi
I really like that the book takes you to unexpected places and the author writes about things in a way they might actually happen. I also liked that the story took place in Africa.
This is really well written hard SciFi that's not focused on interstellar travel, but things closer to home.
I enjoyed it and recommend it!
I really like that the book takes you to unexpected places and the author writes about things in a way they might actually happen. I also liked that the story took place in Africa.
This is really well written hard SciFi that's not focused on interstellar travel, but things closer to home.
I enjoyed it and recommend it!
August 24, 2019
3ZEKIEL is another Cawdron masterpiece, it follows the lives of an eclectic group in a small village in Africa following the arrival in orbit of an Alien Space Craft. The story is mainly seen from the point of view of Josh, the 16yr old son of the local Missionary at the small village. Josh is friends with a local African girl Jana when a party arrives to set up for the arrival of the Aliens. The Aliens have built a ‘Space Elevator’ in geosynchronous orbit over Earth, and the ladders drop point is not far from the village. As such, the village becomes a focal point.
The team that arrives is made up of US Navy Seals and US Scientists. Josh is assigned a ‘Watcher’ a Seal named Garcia, being the US Missionaries Son, but he also becomes interested in two Scientists on the team, an Indian nicknamed ‘Pretzel’ as no one can pronounce his real name, and an American named Angela.
The story follows Josh and this group of Garcia, Jana, Pretzel and Angela as they go to set up some sensors at some nearby bat caves that Jana and Josh know of that can provide some valuable information for the scientists.
The story is a combination of hard sci-fi with some incredibly detailed research on the jungle, the creatures within, the possibility of Alien contact, Astronomy, and a myriad of other topics. Each step of this story has been meticulously researched so that as you read, you get to enjoy some incredible facts as well, making this an utterly fascinating story.
Without giving away spoilers, the group come across African Gorillas as one stage, and this part of the story is utterly mesmerising in its detail, Cawdron creates so much power and beauty in his story telling, you really feel like you are there with these incredible creatures.
Of course, the real bonus in any Cawdron story is the exceptional Character work. Cawdron has become a true master at creating powerful Character driven stories, and 3ZEKIEL is another example of his superior work. The Character of Josh is not just a typical youth as you would expect from a Missionaries son, who has been dragged around the world to different places, by a Father with a colourful background. His Character is engaging, intelligent, and yet, as all 16yr old boys are want to be, flawed at various stages. Jana is a vibrant young woman, who is fascinating, and totally enchanting, and yet, there is a lot of mystery about her. Pretzel is an enigma, hilarious, he is like a walking Google, but he is also wise, knowing how to implement that knowledge. Angela is just brilliant, a total genius. Garcia is as tough as they come, but under the hard shell, there is a gentle soul.
Each of these Characters has so much detail, so much depth, you feel like you know each of them personally.
Added to this is this amazing landscape. Cawdron walks us through this world that most of us will never have seen, and makes it like we are sitting there, reading the book from the grass at the front of the village, feeling the heat, with the canopy of the trees overhead, and the soft breeze tickling our skin. As the story moves along, we move with it, and we understand every bit of terrain that the group crosses, or touches, we are there, feeling it, smelling it, the world building is stunning.
I don’t want to give too much away about the story, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, the story is breathtaking, wondrous, exciting, powerful and at times, terrifying and heartbreaking. But at all times, you will be utterly engaged, unable to but down the book. This is not just a book about Alien First Contact, it is about a Journey of Discovery, Knowledge, Understanding of Hope. It is one of the best stories I have read this year, and is very thought provoking and powerful, I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a Good Sci-Fi story, a Good Adventure, or just a Good Read.
The team that arrives is made up of US Navy Seals and US Scientists. Josh is assigned a ‘Watcher’ a Seal named Garcia, being the US Missionaries Son, but he also becomes interested in two Scientists on the team, an Indian nicknamed ‘Pretzel’ as no one can pronounce his real name, and an American named Angela.
The story follows Josh and this group of Garcia, Jana, Pretzel and Angela as they go to set up some sensors at some nearby bat caves that Jana and Josh know of that can provide some valuable information for the scientists.
The story is a combination of hard sci-fi with some incredibly detailed research on the jungle, the creatures within, the possibility of Alien contact, Astronomy, and a myriad of other topics. Each step of this story has been meticulously researched so that as you read, you get to enjoy some incredible facts as well, making this an utterly fascinating story.
Without giving away spoilers, the group come across African Gorillas as one stage, and this part of the story is utterly mesmerising in its detail, Cawdron creates so much power and beauty in his story telling, you really feel like you are there with these incredible creatures.
Of course, the real bonus in any Cawdron story is the exceptional Character work. Cawdron has become a true master at creating powerful Character driven stories, and 3ZEKIEL is another example of his superior work. The Character of Josh is not just a typical youth as you would expect from a Missionaries son, who has been dragged around the world to different places, by a Father with a colourful background. His Character is engaging, intelligent, and yet, as all 16yr old boys are want to be, flawed at various stages. Jana is a vibrant young woman, who is fascinating, and totally enchanting, and yet, there is a lot of mystery about her. Pretzel is an enigma, hilarious, he is like a walking Google, but he is also wise, knowing how to implement that knowledge. Angela is just brilliant, a total genius. Garcia is as tough as they come, but under the hard shell, there is a gentle soul.
Each of these Characters has so much detail, so much depth, you feel like you know each of them personally.
Added to this is this amazing landscape. Cawdron walks us through this world that most of us will never have seen, and makes it like we are sitting there, reading the book from the grass at the front of the village, feeling the heat, with the canopy of the trees overhead, and the soft breeze tickling our skin. As the story moves along, we move with it, and we understand every bit of terrain that the group crosses, or touches, we are there, feeling it, smelling it, the world building is stunning.
I don’t want to give too much away about the story, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, the story is breathtaking, wondrous, exciting, powerful and at times, terrifying and heartbreaking. But at all times, you will be utterly engaged, unable to but down the book. This is not just a book about Alien First Contact, it is about a Journey of Discovery, Knowledge, Understanding of Hope. It is one of the best stories I have read this year, and is very thought provoking and powerful, I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a Good Sci-Fi story, a Good Adventure, or just a Good Read.
November 23, 2019
Mediocre sci-fi. Not the worst I've read, but exceptionally far from the best. However, for a self-publication, I was somewhat surprised I didn't feel like giving this zero stars.
Also, despite claims to the contrary, there is very little "hard" sci-fi here. It's all entry-level science, even if a character can claim to perform tensor analysis in their head. Buzzwords doth not maketh hard sci-fi.
Also, despite claims to the contrary, there is very little "hard" sci-fi here. It's all entry-level science, even if a character can claim to perform tensor analysis in their head. Buzzwords doth not maketh hard sci-fi.
August 17, 2020
2.5/3
+ cool science
+ interesting ideas about The First Contact
+ cool setting
- weak characterization
- guess what, bad Russians are to blame for everything
- plenty of unnecessary threads that lead nowhere
+ cool science
+ interesting ideas about The First Contact
+ cool setting
- weak characterization
- guess what, bad Russians are to blame for everything
- plenty of unnecessary threads that lead nowhere
February 15, 2020
A great sci-fi book
I loved every minute of this book. As if Ancient Aliens met a modern sci fi classic. I will definitely read more by Peter
I loved every minute of this book. As if Ancient Aliens met a modern sci fi classic. I will definitely read more by Peter
July 9, 2020
Wow. I think my minds has been blown to smithereens.
I don't think there any words that would do justice to this fantastic, amazing novel. Calling it a masterpiece, while true, also can't convey how wonderful this story is.
True, at its core, "3zekiel" is hard science-fiction, first contact story, but it's so much more than that. SO MUCH MORE.
The cast of characters are nothing short of amazing. Not only everyone has his distinct voice and thought-process, but they also feel real, like any other person you'd know in life, whether it's teenage Josh, Pretzel the scientist, Garcia the Navy SEAL. Even Lady and Tiny, the gorillas, have their own characteristics- and at times they even feel more human than the human themselves.
Cawdron's narrative and writing style is superb- he uses real science in this wonderful tale, and while he doesn't dumb anything down, he also doesn't patronize you, rather he's sure you're intelligent enough to understand concepts, explains only what's truly needed to be explained, never repeats anything, never wastes time with redundancy. He let's the story- and the characters- flow naturally, and it all feels like a smooth ride.
But the real strength of this novel is the exploration. And I do mean exploration- not just the exploration of the jungle, but of everything- human beliefs systems, science, religion, human stupidity and arrogance, the paradox of being able to create so much beauty ans achieve so much greatness, yet we're still barbaric, cruel, and primitive at times. There's also a lot of philosophy here, as Cawdron uses the First Contact story to try and realize what is our place in the great scheme of things.
I really loves how Cawdron balanced between the use of common-sense and the ever-so-predictable human stupidity and paranoia and violent tendencies- for example: Pretzel, the scientist, urges using common sense in trying to truly understand why the aliens came to earth and what is their real purpose, while others, like Sergei, a soldier who's also letting his disappointments and arrogance take the best of him, sees every in black and uses any opportunity to wage interstellar war- just because he doesn't understand the alien's real motives. But their views are balanced by the likes of Josh and Garcia, who usually try to see the ground- while there's no cause for real concern, there's no harm in being careful.
There's so much more I could write, but truly, no words could do justice to this amazing story. My best advice for you is to pick it up and enjoy the ride, as it's a very exciting, action-packed, thought-provoking adventure. In many ways, it's not just a story about a first contact between two civilization- it's also the story of Earth- its history, its brimming diverse life-forms, and its future. And of us, the Humans- capable of so much than we can ever imagine.
Five stars.
Although it's definitely not enough.
A truly fantastic science-fiction tale. You won't be disappointed.
Some quotes I loved:
“People get importance all wrong. Celebrities. Movie stars. Singers. Princes and prime ministers. They’re important, right? Wrong. They’re entertainers, politicians, that’s all. They’re individuals—just like you and me. Nothing more. Nothing less.
“Ah, but scientists, professors, doctors—surely they’re important. Nope, they’re individuals too. You see, none of this has any value if we aren’t all equally important.”
“We want miracles,” Pretzel says in barely a whisper. “We look for meaning in life, but we’re asking the wrong questions. There’s nothing out there that will give meaning to our lives. On the contrary, it’s our lives that give meaning to the universe.
“Don’t go looking for miracles. You are the miracle. Every day, your body creates roughly three hundred billion new blood cells. That’s more than all the stars in the galaxy. Imagine that. All of them. As big and as vast as they are, you’re more amazing. You.”
His eyes glance briefly at the sun and then back to us. He points. “For billions of years that’s kinda where we were. The atoms in our bodies were superheated and scattered throughout a plasma that hit temperatures of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of millions of degrees in the heart of some now long dead star. Seething and boiling and glowing with raw, unbridled energy.” He gestures with his hands, opening them out before us as though he were offering a present. “And here you are.”
Pretzel looks around at the decimated forest. Splintered trees dot the landscape. The smell of smoke seeps through the broken branches. We’re nestled in a hollow. Thick, gnarly upturned roots and clods of dirt surround us.
“Life itself is a miracle.”
I don't think there any words that would do justice to this fantastic, amazing novel. Calling it a masterpiece, while true, also can't convey how wonderful this story is.
True, at its core, "3zekiel" is hard science-fiction, first contact story, but it's so much more than that. SO MUCH MORE.
The cast of characters are nothing short of amazing. Not only everyone has his distinct voice and thought-process, but they also feel real, like any other person you'd know in life, whether it's teenage Josh, Pretzel the scientist, Garcia the Navy SEAL. Even Lady and Tiny, the gorillas, have their own characteristics- and at times they even feel more human than the human themselves.
Cawdron's narrative and writing style is superb- he uses real science in this wonderful tale, and while he doesn't dumb anything down, he also doesn't patronize you, rather he's sure you're intelligent enough to understand concepts, explains only what's truly needed to be explained, never repeats anything, never wastes time with redundancy. He let's the story- and the characters- flow naturally, and it all feels like a smooth ride.
But the real strength of this novel is the exploration. And I do mean exploration- not just the exploration of the jungle, but of everything- human beliefs systems, science, religion, human stupidity and arrogance, the paradox of being able to create so much beauty ans achieve so much greatness, yet we're still barbaric, cruel, and primitive at times. There's also a lot of philosophy here, as Cawdron uses the First Contact story to try and realize what is our place in the great scheme of things.
I really loves how Cawdron balanced between the use of common-sense and the ever-so-predictable human stupidity and paranoia and violent tendencies- for example: Pretzel, the scientist, urges using common sense in trying to truly understand why the aliens came to earth and what is their real purpose, while others, like Sergei, a soldier who's also letting his disappointments and arrogance take the best of him, sees every in black and uses any opportunity to wage interstellar war- just because he doesn't understand the alien's real motives. But their views are balanced by the likes of Josh and Garcia, who usually try to see the ground- while there's no cause for real concern, there's no harm in being careful.
There's so much more I could write, but truly, no words could do justice to this amazing story. My best advice for you is to pick it up and enjoy the ride, as it's a very exciting, action-packed, thought-provoking adventure. In many ways, it's not just a story about a first contact between two civilization- it's also the story of Earth- its history, its brimming diverse life-forms, and its future. And of us, the Humans- capable of so much than we can ever imagine.
Five stars.
Although it's definitely not enough.
A truly fantastic science-fiction tale. You won't be disappointed.
Some quotes I loved:
“People get importance all wrong. Celebrities. Movie stars. Singers. Princes and prime ministers. They’re important, right? Wrong. They’re entertainers, politicians, that’s all. They’re individuals—just like you and me. Nothing more. Nothing less.
“Ah, but scientists, professors, doctors—surely they’re important. Nope, they’re individuals too. You see, none of this has any value if we aren’t all equally important.”
“We want miracles,” Pretzel says in barely a whisper. “We look for meaning in life, but we’re asking the wrong questions. There’s nothing out there that will give meaning to our lives. On the contrary, it’s our lives that give meaning to the universe.
“Don’t go looking for miracles. You are the miracle. Every day, your body creates roughly three hundred billion new blood cells. That’s more than all the stars in the galaxy. Imagine that. All of them. As big and as vast as they are, you’re more amazing. You.”
His eyes glance briefly at the sun and then back to us. He points. “For billions of years that’s kinda where we were. The atoms in our bodies were superheated and scattered throughout a plasma that hit temperatures of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of millions of degrees in the heart of some now long dead star. Seething and boiling and glowing with raw, unbridled energy.” He gestures with his hands, opening them out before us as though he were offering a present. “And here you are.”
Pretzel looks around at the decimated forest. Splintered trees dot the landscape. The smell of smoke seeps through the broken branches. We’re nestled in a hollow. Thick, gnarly upturned roots and clods of dirt surround us.
“Life itself is a miracle.”
October 7, 2019
Have you ever given serious thought to what First Contact with an alien race from the stars might be like? Not what you might have come across on film or in a novel like The War of the Worlds, but a picture based on reason and known science? Well, that's what you'll find in the latest novel from Australian science fiction author Peter Cawdron. It's a truly thoughtful treatment of First Contact. 3zekiel is nothing short of brilliant.
A story set in the African jungle
The novel is set in the jungle of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There, the teenage son of a rogue Catholic missionary tells the tale. Joshua Chambers and his friend Jana, a local girl, are sixteen when an alien satellite descends into a fixed orbit in the sky hundreds of miles above them. Sometime later, American helicopters descend on the village, and a small team of soldiers and scientists emerge. Petty Officer Garcia of SEAL Team Two leads the troops. A senior Indian-American scientist named Pratul Arjun Khatri-Lagharin (known as Pretzel) is the lead in what is expected to involve First Contact.
Together, the team's leaders and the two youngsters (acting as guides) set out to prepare for the aliens to descend from the satellite above. But their preparations are cut short when a Russian military operation takes them captive. The Russians, it turns out, feel profoundly threatened by the aliens and intend to destroy them with nuclear arms.
A three-way conflict now becomes four-way
What now appears to be a potential three-way conflict among the aliens, the Americans, and the Russians acquires a new dimension. A troop of gorillas the two teenagers know enters the fray. Jana "talks" with the troop's leaders using sign language, and they play a significant role in the story that ensues.
A thoughtful treatment of First Contact, and it's all based on established science
One of the central elements in 3zekiel is the "space elevator" the aliens use to descend to the Earth. You might be thinking (as did I) that this element, setting the story in the Congo, and involving gorillas that communicate with sign language are all way off base. But as Cawdron explains in his Afterword, it's all squarely based on established science. And so is the nature of the alien encounter that ensues. Once Josh, Petty Officer Garcia, and Pretzel escape from the Russians and proceed to the alien base at the bottom of the space elevator, there are further surprises.
About the author
I was astonished to read in Peter Cawdron's Afterword to 3zekiel that "only two of [his] twenty-plus books have been picked up by a traditional publisher." I knew writing for publication was tough (since I've been doing it, too, for half a century) but I had no idea just how tough. All of Cawdron's work I've read so far has been extraordinarily good, quite the equal of the best that comes out these days from Tor or DAW. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Cawdron is Australian.
A story set in the African jungle
The novel is set in the jungle of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There, the teenage son of a rogue Catholic missionary tells the tale. Joshua Chambers and his friend Jana, a local girl, are sixteen when an alien satellite descends into a fixed orbit in the sky hundreds of miles above them. Sometime later, American helicopters descend on the village, and a small team of soldiers and scientists emerge. Petty Officer Garcia of SEAL Team Two leads the troops. A senior Indian-American scientist named Pratul Arjun Khatri-Lagharin (known as Pretzel) is the lead in what is expected to involve First Contact.
Together, the team's leaders and the two youngsters (acting as guides) set out to prepare for the aliens to descend from the satellite above. But their preparations are cut short when a Russian military operation takes them captive. The Russians, it turns out, feel profoundly threatened by the aliens and intend to destroy them with nuclear arms.
A three-way conflict now becomes four-way
What now appears to be a potential three-way conflict among the aliens, the Americans, and the Russians acquires a new dimension. A troop of gorillas the two teenagers know enters the fray. Jana "talks" with the troop's leaders using sign language, and they play a significant role in the story that ensues.
A thoughtful treatment of First Contact, and it's all based on established science
One of the central elements in 3zekiel is the "space elevator" the aliens use to descend to the Earth. You might be thinking (as did I) that this element, setting the story in the Congo, and involving gorillas that communicate with sign language are all way off base. But as Cawdron explains in his Afterword, it's all squarely based on established science. And so is the nature of the alien encounter that ensues. Once Josh, Petty Officer Garcia, and Pretzel escape from the Russians and proceed to the alien base at the bottom of the space elevator, there are further surprises.
About the author
I was astonished to read in Peter Cawdron's Afterword to 3zekiel that "only two of [his] twenty-plus books have been picked up by a traditional publisher." I knew writing for publication was tough (since I've been doing it, too, for half a century) but I had no idea just how tough. All of Cawdron's work I've read so far has been extraordinarily good, quite the equal of the best that comes out these days from Tor or DAW. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Cawdron is Australian.
November 26, 2019
Highly original and entertaining.
I got sucked into this book from the beginning. The science made it feel like an Andy Weir novel. I appreciated the references to The Old Testament. There were some great surprising twists as well that kept me wondering where thing were going next. Really good book!!
I got sucked into this book from the beginning. The science made it feel like an Andy Weir novel. I appreciated the references to The Old Testament. There were some great surprising twists as well that kept me wondering where thing were going next. Really good book!!
February 26, 2020
I enjoyed this book. It was different than I was expecting. The main character is a teenager, not an astronaut or scientist as in most other first contact books. The references to the Bible were interesting.
October 17, 2019
Caught in a Gravity Well
Loved the book! Mr. Cawdron weaves an intriguing tale of a First Contact that left the reader intrigued with the prospect of its coming. The science is well researched -- so much so, I couldn't put the book down until I finished reading the tale. I look forward to reading more of his work.
Well done!
Loved the book! Mr. Cawdron weaves an intriguing tale of a First Contact that left the reader intrigued with the prospect of its coming. The science is well researched -- so much so, I couldn't put the book down until I finished reading the tale. I look forward to reading more of his work.
Well done!
June 4, 2024
Dieser Autor überrascht mich immer wieder mit einem neuen Gedankenexperiment, was das Thema "First Contact" anbelangt. Ich mag die Plausibilität seiner Erstkontakt-Romane, seine emphatische Erzählweise und seine philosophische Tiefe. Da die Romane dieser Reihe völlig unabhängig sind von den anderen, ist es jedes Mal spannend zu lesen, wohin die Reise geht und wie der Autor das Thema Erstkontakt dieses Mal angeht.
In dem Roman geht es um einen amerikanischen Missionar im Dschungel der Republik Kongo, die Geschichte wird jedoch von seinem Teenagersohn erzählt. Am Himmel ist für die Eingeborenen ein neuer Stern erschienen, im Radio hört man, dass Aliens einen Asteroiden in eine geosynchrone Umlaufbahn geschickt haben, an dem ein Raumschiff angedockt hat. Es wird ersichtlich, dass ein Weltraumaufzug vom Asteroiden heruntergelassen wird, und er wird an die Stelle des afrikanischen Dorfes landen, weil es genau am Äquator liegt. Es kommen amerikanische Militärs ins Dorf mit Erstkontaktspezialisten, die von der UN ausgewählt wurden. Doch es kommt nicht zum Erstkontakt, weil chinesische und russische Militärs das ganze Gelände mit einer Superbombe dem Erdboden gleichmachen, der Erstkontakt-Spezialist, ein amerikanischer Navy-Seal und 2 Kinder aus dem Dorf überleben schwer verletzt und sind danach auf der Flucht vor den Russen, die einen Erstkontakt verhindert wollen. Ihre Erlebnisse und den folgenden Erstkontakt bilden ein Großteil des Romans, aber auch viele philosophische Einblicke in uns Menschen werden thematisiert, auch Texte des Schriftpropheten Ezechiel werden kontrovers diskutiert. Wie immer bei diesem Autor, weiß man nicht, worauf alles am Ende hinausläuft, auch dieses Mal überrascht mich das Ende...
Ein sehr guter Roman eines sehr guten Autors; warum wurde er und sein Werk von den deutschen Verlagen übersehen ? Das ist das beste, was in den letzten Jahren als Sf veröffentlicht wurde...!
In dem Roman geht es um einen amerikanischen Missionar im Dschungel der Republik Kongo, die Geschichte wird jedoch von seinem Teenagersohn erzählt. Am Himmel ist für die Eingeborenen ein neuer Stern erschienen, im Radio hört man, dass Aliens einen Asteroiden in eine geosynchrone Umlaufbahn geschickt haben, an dem ein Raumschiff angedockt hat. Es wird ersichtlich, dass ein Weltraumaufzug vom Asteroiden heruntergelassen wird, und er wird an die Stelle des afrikanischen Dorfes landen, weil es genau am Äquator liegt. Es kommen amerikanische Militärs ins Dorf mit Erstkontaktspezialisten, die von der UN ausgewählt wurden. Doch es kommt nicht zum Erstkontakt, weil chinesische und russische Militärs das ganze Gelände mit einer Superbombe dem Erdboden gleichmachen, der Erstkontakt-Spezialist, ein amerikanischer Navy-Seal und 2 Kinder aus dem Dorf überleben schwer verletzt und sind danach auf der Flucht vor den Russen, die einen Erstkontakt verhindert wollen. Ihre Erlebnisse und den folgenden Erstkontakt bilden ein Großteil des Romans, aber auch viele philosophische Einblicke in uns Menschen werden thematisiert, auch Texte des Schriftpropheten Ezechiel werden kontrovers diskutiert. Wie immer bei diesem Autor, weiß man nicht, worauf alles am Ende hinausläuft, auch dieses Mal überrascht mich das Ende...
Ein sehr guter Roman eines sehr guten Autors; warum wurde er und sein Werk von den deutschen Verlagen übersehen ? Das ist das beste, was in den letzten Jahren als Sf veröffentlicht wurde...!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2020
Love the book and the characters described in it!
Definitely a lot of research was put into this story, He puts in a lot of science in it but makes it easy for a person like me (who has like only 2 brain cells) to understand. I also love the way Cawdon includes a story from the Bible into this. It definitely adds an interesting perspective
Super descriptive, great story, would recommend.
Definitely a lot of research was put into this story, He puts in a lot of science in it but makes it easy for a person like me (who has like only 2 brain cells) to understand. I also love the way Cawdon includes a story from the Bible into this. It definitely adds an interesting perspective
Super descriptive, great story, would recommend.
February 4, 2020
I was not in love with this book at the start, I kept waiting for the action to start. At about 39% we finally got something happening, yay! But then we took a sharp turn into the evil Russkies like it is some sort of 80s action flick. That soured any desire to keep reading, and giving a quick glance to the reviews, there is no reason to think I should push onward.
September 7, 2022
This book would’ve gotten 2 stars but the author referred to a mandrill as an ape. Not only that but there a howler monkey in Africa. Oh and Lady the gorilla was absolutely ridiculous.
Suspension of disbelieve only goes so far.
Suspension of disbelieve only goes so far.
January 23, 2020
I was about to give up at 50% but then forced myself to at least skim to the end. I don't know how it could be rated 4+ stars.
September 7, 2020
This is sci-fi at its best. A first contact story with a clever premise, round characters, well-researched science, and a surprisingly steady arc of suspense. I could hardly put it down and read it in two sittings. The present tense writing didn't bother me (which it usually does). My only point of contention is the ending which I found to be a bit short and would have liked to be either more fleshed out or entirely different. But I don't think it detracts from the brilliance of the book and it might work perfectly for other readers. Big thumbs up!
August 15, 2024
Wieder sehr guter Roman von Cawdron. Für mich allerdings der Schwächste bisher in der Erstkontakt-Reihe.
June 10, 2023
Look, I'm a simple woman - if you give me a premise of aliens coming to Earth and first contact, then this is exactly what I expect to receive. However, this novel gave me only a tiny bit of that and lots of philosophizing instead. It was fine at first but wore me down pretty quick - this very basic science 101 stuff (we are all made of microbes! language is not only talking! being lightyears away is a really long way!) is perhaps better suited for younger readers.
The strange biblical interludes were kind of far fetched and forced as well, I thought.
I did, however, appreciate the African setting and all the descriptions about that.
The strange biblical interludes were kind of far fetched and forced as well, I thought.
I did, however, appreciate the African setting and all the descriptions about that.
April 16, 2024
I enjoyed how grounded but also fantastical this fascinating ‘first contact’-story was.
December 28, 2023
Really should be classified as a YA book.
It was enjoyable, even with the one dimensional characters until the Russians showed up. Didnt enjoy the military aspect at all.
It was enjoyable, even with the one dimensional characters until the Russians showed up. Didnt enjoy the military aspect at all.
May 31, 2020
I am sexually confused about this book. On the one hand, it really, really excites me. On the other hand, I'm surprised I am attracted to it. Basic storyline: alien civilization lands in the Congo, humanity makes First Contact. Except... is it the First? The alien civilization is based on the Von Neumann principle and it's interesting to see this unfold in this fictional world. Characters, though... characters, man. Dialogue is at times great, at times incredibly shallow. A little bit of deus ex machina at play but I can forgive that for a good story. The people populating this world are one-dimensional; what makes this book exciting is the pacing. The pacing is fantastic!! You really can't put it down. This is a work by an indie author and to be honest I think he deserves to be in print way more. There is a lot of space for this kind of exciting, fast paced, SF thriller style. Recommended for SF nutters.
November 19, 2019
First half was really good, but once the aliens and the Russians arrived the story fell apart. I almost didn’t finish it. The ending was good though. The authors book Xenophobia was so great that his other books aren’t even close. So if you want to read one book read that one instead.
September 17, 2020
My god this was bad. I enjoyed some other books by Cawdron, and I wasn't expecting great literature, but this was just awful. But worst of all it was written from an offensive, infantile, colonial and borderline racist perspective. Couldn't finish this.
March 12, 2020
What a great read this was! Really enjoyed this sci-fi (almost realistic) story with a brilliant ending. 👏👏👏
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