Wow, this book just never lets up. I kept trying to put it down and then I'd turn a page instead and not come up for air for hours. Tragic, hopeful, complex, interesting and thoughtful. Really, really enjoyable what-if with regards to alien contact and evolutionary paths. ( )

Good solid science-fiction. Nice to see older women in prominent narrative positions. I don't like kids so having a toddler presumably save the day was the least credible or interesting part of this story. Otherwise, the science part is developed and well explained for a large audience. There is much time spent in labs and little focus on the societal impact of alien arrival and its consequence. So, if you like a good first contact story with emphasis on the science more than on the politics, have at it.

This was actually two stories in one. The first one, about an alien first contact, was pretty good. The second, I didn't care for nearly as much.

Kress uses a variety of narrators, some of whom she pulls off better than others. The little boy, for instance, is really lifelike, especially considering how bad some authors are at writing children.

However. There is a Black woman narrator, for a few chapters, and it really made me uncomfortable. All the other adult characters seem pretty normal and able to discuss the scientific questions involved, even if they aren't scientists. This character, Sissy, is all down-home about not understanding a bit of that tough old sciencey stuff! Guess it's cause she didn't get as much of that fancy book larnin! I'm not joking. It was that bad. ( )

This had a great premise but the story kinda loses focus about 40% in. It's ok and I'll read the next installment. ( )

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

I've read a lot of Nancy Kress, going way back to the Eighties and Nineties when she was a regular in Asimov. I'll be honest and say that I was amazed by her debut novels. Some of the later ones, though? Not so much. I know that this novel isn't going to get a super-glowing review, but I can tell you that it's solid novel. Very solid.

As with a lot of Kress, we get a lot of single or at most dual high-science concepts taken all the way as the grand arc for a novel, and this one is no different. In this case, were talking about the global effects of an invasive species in an ecological System, only we see it from the actions of an alien first-contact scenario and focus more on the subtle effects rather than an in-your-face action sequence that dominates most stories.

I appreciate that a lot.

It's thoughtful, personal, and because of the nature of the theme, usually only obvious long after the initial contact is done and done. That's not to say the effects aren't long lasting... because they are. And in a very real way, it's very dangerous and even possibly catastrophic.

This is just assuming that all parties involved, I.E., both humans and aliens, enter into some sort of dialog or transaction with the highest possible motives!

I think that's Kress's main strength. People are generally rational and even when everyone is doing their best on either side of a huge (or small) genetic gap, unintended consequences always can ruin your day. :)

For everyone else just wanting to know what they can expect, science-wise? Genetics, a bit of cool physics, Systems Theory, and a lot more than a hint of species-change. :) And there are a few cool surprises and scary points, too, with action and explosions, but this is NOT the coolest part of the novel. The coolest part is how down-to-earth it is and how much good science is explored in a really fascinating way. :)

I'm looking forward to any sequels to this. It's so nice to see rational people struggle and eventually succeed in good stories. We all know how often the other sort tends to dominate the hero business.


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