Synopsis
On the planet Talos VII, twenty-three years before the events of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, an anomaly is detected: a vast circular pit, with dimensions so perfect that it could only have been the result of conscious design. So a small team is assembled to learn more – perhaps even who built the hole and why. Their mission will take them on a hazardous trek to the very edge of existence.
For one explorer, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. For another, a risk not worth taking. And for xenobiologist Alex Crichton, it’s a desperate attempt to find meaning in an uncaring universe. But every step they take towards that mysterious abyss is more punishing than the last. Ultimately, no one is prepared for what they will encounter.
Review
Who knew that four scientists walking towards a hole could be an absolute sci-fi masterpiece! On the surface of things — that’s what this story is. A quest. A search. An exploration. Call it what you want, there’s a clear goal right from the outset. Aliens have built a hole that’s shielded by insane conditions, and four people are trying to walk there. But take a peek under the surface, and what do you find? One man’s journey through grief — and it’s absolutely soul-wrenching.
I loved everything about this book. How it built. How it resolved. How a thud coming from a big hole every 10.6 seconds resulted in characters speculating over the meaning of life. And in the midst of it all, a man trying to move on from the worst moment of his life. How he does that is where you’ll find the magic of this book.
For the characters, their journey to the hole can be a literal crawl, (surrounded by alien turtles, of all things) but for the reader, there’s so much suspense and tension and intrigue packed into every step, you’ll be riveted. My eyes were glued to the pages. And my heart took a battering as Alex’s trauma manifested itself through memory and determination.
There’s a definite build as the suspense mounts. One of the things I loved was how this is depicted on the page. Some clever formatting really aids the momentum. It never once lets you breathe. It forces you to the edge of your seat, but then it keeps on pushing, and you can sense the growing tension with every page-turn. But it never overwhelms or tires you. It reminds you that there’s an end in sight. And the payoff or all this build delivers in spades. The pacing is beyond perfect. To say that this is a true master at work is kind of putting it mildly.
Different characters open up a huge spectrum of speculation. The varying viewpoints and debates lead to philosophical conundrums in the midst of extreme conditions. It makes me wonder whether explorers striving to surmount an impossible voyage spend their time pondering impossible answers to impossible questions, because they’re constantly grasping for the impossible.
Fractal Noise is, on paper, a simple enough story. But in reality, it’s a deeply complex, rich, and visceral journey that’ll take you by surprise. Thrill rides don’t come more satisfying than this. It’s an absolute monster of a hole that’ll swallow you completely, packed with meaning and symbolism, and you’ll feel so rewarded for having taken the plunge.
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