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Damocles
When Earth is rocked by evidence that extraterrestrials may have seeded human DNA throughout the universe, a one-way expedition into deep space is mounted to uncover the truth. What linguist Meg Dupris and her crewmates aboard the Earth ship Damocles discover on Didet—a planet bathed in the near-eternal daylight of seven suns—is a humanoid race with a different language, a different look, and a surprisingly similar society.
But here, it’s the “Earthers” who are the extraterrestrial invaders, and it’s up to Meg—a woman haunted by tragedy and obsessed with the power of communication—to find the key to establishing trust between the natives and the newcomers. In Loul Pell, a young Dideto male thrust into the forefront of the historic event, Meg finds an unexpected kindred spirit, and undertakes an extraordinary journey of discovery, friendship, and life-altering knowledge.
Told from both sides of a monumental encounter, Damocles is a compelling novel about man’s first contact with an extraterrestrial race.
But here, it’s the “Earthers” who are the extraterrestrial invaders, and it’s up to Meg—a woman haunted by tragedy and obsessed with the power of communication—to find the key to establishing trust between the natives and the newcomers. In Loul Pell, a young Dideto male thrust into the forefront of the historic event, Meg finds an unexpected kindred spirit, and undertakes an extraordinary journey of discovery, friendship, and life-altering knowledge.
Told from both sides of a monumental encounter, Damocles is a compelling novel about man’s first contact with an extraterrestrial race.
11 pages, Audio CD
First published May 28, 2013
About the author
S.G. Redling
11 books309 followersS.G. Redling, a graduate of Georgetown University, has spent fifteen years waking up the good folks of Huntington WV and its environs on the WKEE-FM morning radio show. She recently wound up her headphones for the last time and is focusing on thrillers, mysteries and urban fantasy. When S.G. isn't writing, she loves to paint, travel and embarrass herself by speaking wretched Italian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
July 14, 2023
Brilliantly refreshing!
Some days, I need to be reminded that, more often than not, people are filled with wonder and curiosity. We possess the desire to learn, so that we may better ourselves, individually and as a community.
Damocles is such a reminder. This book rocks my socks.
Imagine going to a place where no one speaks your language. Take it a step further. There are no translation books, programs or apps. No documentation of social graces, gestures, or potential hierarchy exists. Add to that. You’ve appeared unexpectedly, as an unknown entity. There are only four companions with you; you are surrounded and exponentially outnumbered. Although you’ve come in peace, with only a desire for edification, there is no way that the odd-looking humans warily regarding you can know that.
This is how Meg meets Loul. As the human-relations-language expert among astronauts, Meg is more than instrumental when she and four members of her crew are forced to abandon their damaged vessel and lone captain. While the sole crew member remains in orbit, vainly attempting to repair Damocles for the group’s return to Earth; Meg and crew must work quickly to establish rapport with the humans on Didet.
WAIT! Please, don’t dismiss this as a “Sci-Fi” thing. It is so, very much, more than that. Ms. Redling’s extraordinary talent creates a cast of characters that are simply delightful. The conversations among the crew members are sharp, witty and often hilarious. The arguments and bouts of irrational and misplaced anger add a realistic touch.
I am amused and charmed to have found the most genuine, honest and real emotions captured within the works of fiction. While the story is not true, the hopes, dreams, trust and desire for advancement are very, very real. We only need to look, to see the Megs and Louls among us. Thank you, Ms. Redling, for this reminder.
I never expected to say this, but; with the right person (hint, hint Oh, Danny Boyd) this would be a remarkable film. Generally, when I love a book this much, the thought of it becoming a movie saddens me. I fear that the story may be cheapened. I worry that much will be lost in the translation. I am often convinced that actors will not be capable of capturing the person I envisioned and related to when I read the book.
I feel differently about Damocles for one reason only. I like the story so much, that I genuinely want it to reach as many people as possible. This story deserves to be told. I want to hear Ms. Redling discussing it with Terri Gross on Fresh Air and watch it climb best-seller lists.
p.s. The cover is bad-ass.
Some days, I need to be reminded that, more often than not, people are filled with wonder and curiosity. We possess the desire to learn, so that we may better ourselves, individually and as a community.
Damocles is such a reminder. This book rocks my socks.
Imagine going to a place where no one speaks your language. Take it a step further. There are no translation books, programs or apps. No documentation of social graces, gestures, or potential hierarchy exists. Add to that. You’ve appeared unexpectedly, as an unknown entity. There are only four companions with you; you are surrounded and exponentially outnumbered. Although you’ve come in peace, with only a desire for edification, there is no way that the odd-looking humans warily regarding you can know that.
This is how Meg meets Loul. As the human-relations-language expert among astronauts, Meg is more than instrumental when she and four members of her crew are forced to abandon their damaged vessel and lone captain. While the sole crew member remains in orbit, vainly attempting to repair Damocles for the group’s return to Earth; Meg and crew must work quickly to establish rapport with the humans on Didet.
WAIT! Please, don’t dismiss this as a “Sci-Fi” thing. It is so, very much, more than that. Ms. Redling’s extraordinary talent creates a cast of characters that are simply delightful. The conversations among the crew members are sharp, witty and often hilarious. The arguments and bouts of irrational and misplaced anger add a realistic touch.
I am amused and charmed to have found the most genuine, honest and real emotions captured within the works of fiction. While the story is not true, the hopes, dreams, trust and desire for advancement are very, very real. We only need to look, to see the Megs and Louls among us. Thank you, Ms. Redling, for this reminder.
I never expected to say this, but; with the right person (hint, hint Oh, Danny Boyd) this would be a remarkable film. Generally, when I love a book this much, the thought of it becoming a movie saddens me. I fear that the story may be cheapened. I worry that much will be lost in the translation. I am often convinced that actors will not be capable of capturing the person I envisioned and related to when I read the book.
I feel differently about Damocles for one reason only. I like the story so much, that I genuinely want it to reach as many people as possible. This story deserves to be told. I want to hear Ms. Redling discussing it with Terri Gross on Fresh Air and watch it climb best-seller lists.
p.s. The cover is bad-ass.
January 17, 2015
3.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book
I enjoyed reading Damocles, but I'm going to bet not everyone will like it as much as I did. There are probably some questions you need to ask yourself before you decide whether or not to pick this one up.
Are you looking for action, romance, or maybe a just good alien invasion story? If so, move on to something else.
This is a story about trust and friendship.
Awwwwww.
Ok. Touchy-feely stuff is not my thing. At all. In fact, I actively avoid anything that features children or animals on the cover. Well, unless the children or animals are covered with blood and gore.
Anything about the Power of Friendship (think: Ya-Ya Sisterhood)? Out.
Nicholas Sparks? No. Just...no.
I'm not saying these books aren't good. Obviously, they make lots of people happy. I'm just not one of those people.
Having said that, I was pretty shocked that I liked Damocles. I think the thing that really saved it for me was the surprising amount of humor in the story. I'm not saying I was clutching my sides with tears streaming down my cheeks, but I definitely giggled.
Damocles is told in Meg and Loul's alternating POVs. Sometimes I find multiple POVs too distracting, but this is one instance in which I don't think the story would have worked as well without both sides to the story. Meg is a language specialist from Earth, and Loul is a low-level government employee from Didet. As the story unfolds, they form an unusual bond with each other.
*sigh*
And before you perverts ask, no. That bond has nothing to do with Meg getting some kinky alien lovin'.
Jeez, you guys are gross!
The basic plot is, sometime in the distant future, the inhabitants of Earth receive a message (the how is not explained) from an advanced species stating that they were the ones who seeded the planet. Not only that, but there are other planets out there that they seeded, as well. The message included the coordinates of the other humanoid planets, so that they could reach out to them if they wanted to. Shockingly, some of the religious groups didn't take this news very well. After a few attacks on scientific buildings, the government (of the world?) decided to fund an expedition to discover if the message was real. This is where Meg and the crew of Damocles come in. Meg is a brilliant linguist, and her job is to help the crew communicate with any alien life forms they might find.
Loul is introduced as your run-of-the-mill nerd. He has a desk job that he hates, and a group of friends that he hangs out with to play a game called Circle (which sounds a lot like Dungeons and Dragons). He's disillusioned with his life, because he was demoted and labeled a nut job after he wrote a What To Do If Aliens Invade report. So imagine his surprise when the Men In Black collect him and drop him off at an alien landing site! The poor guy is torn between pooping his pants and totally geeking out. In the end, his inner dork wins, and he ends up being the one who makes First Contact.
The rest of the book is filled with many funny (yet touching) moments. And as the two groups try to learn how to communicate with each other, there are some hilarious misunderstandings. Now, some of it was kind of kind of boring (like I said, this is not an action-driven plot), but for the most part I thought it was pretty entertaining.
It also made me think. I mean, what if aliens really are out there? And what if they aren't some hyper-intelligent beings who want to spread peace? Or what if they aren't evil reptilian space monsters hell-bent on galactic domination? What if they're just like us?
Huh.
Personally, I'll be kind of let down if they can't at least shoot laser beams out of their eyes.
*cue theme to Star Trek*
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book
I enjoyed reading Damocles, but I'm going to bet not everyone will like it as much as I did. There are probably some questions you need to ask yourself before you decide whether or not to pick this one up.
Are you looking for action, romance, or maybe a just good alien invasion story? If so, move on to something else.
This is a story about trust and friendship.
Awwwwww.
Ok. Touchy-feely stuff is not my thing. At all. In fact, I actively avoid anything that features children or animals on the cover. Well, unless the children or animals are covered with blood and gore.
Anything about the Power of Friendship (think: Ya-Ya Sisterhood)? Out.
Nicholas Sparks? No. Just...no.
I'm not saying these books aren't good. Obviously, they make lots of people happy. I'm just not one of those people.
Having said that, I was pretty shocked that I liked Damocles. I think the thing that really saved it for me was the surprising amount of humor in the story. I'm not saying I was clutching my sides with tears streaming down my cheeks, but I definitely giggled.
Damocles is told in Meg and Loul's alternating POVs. Sometimes I find multiple POVs too distracting, but this is one instance in which I don't think the story would have worked as well without both sides to the story. Meg is a language specialist from Earth, and Loul is a low-level government employee from Didet. As the story unfolds, they form an unusual bond with each other.
*sigh*
And before you perverts ask, no. That bond has nothing to do with Meg getting some kinky alien lovin'.
Jeez, you guys are gross!
The basic plot is, sometime in the distant future, the inhabitants of Earth receive a message (the how is not explained) from an advanced species stating that they were the ones who seeded the planet. Not only that, but there are other planets out there that they seeded, as well. The message included the coordinates of the other humanoid planets, so that they could reach out to them if they wanted to. Shockingly, some of the religious groups didn't take this news very well. After a few attacks on scientific buildings, the government (of the world?) decided to fund an expedition to discover if the message was real. This is where Meg and the crew of Damocles come in. Meg is a brilliant linguist, and her job is to help the crew communicate with any alien life forms they might find.
Loul is introduced as your run-of-the-mill nerd. He has a desk job that he hates, and a group of friends that he hangs out with to play a game called Circle (which sounds a lot like Dungeons and Dragons). He's disillusioned with his life, because he was demoted and labeled a nut job after he wrote a What To Do If Aliens Invade report. So imagine his surprise when the Men In Black collect him and drop him off at an alien landing site! The poor guy is torn between pooping his pants and totally geeking out. In the end, his inner dork wins, and he ends up being the one who makes First Contact.
The rest of the book is filled with many funny (yet touching) moments. And as the two groups try to learn how to communicate with each other, there are some hilarious misunderstandings. Now, some of it was kind of kind of boring (like I said, this is not an action-driven plot), but for the most part I thought it was pretty entertaining.
It also made me think. I mean, what if aliens really are out there? And what if they aren't some hyper-intelligent beings who want to spread peace? Or what if they aren't evil reptilian space monsters hell-bent on galactic domination? What if they're just like us?
Huh.
Personally, I'll be kind of let down if they can't at least shoot laser beams out of their eyes.
*cue theme to Star Trek*
April 19, 2013
I’m sure I would not enjoy the experience of space exploration in a search for intelligent life, but I love the armchair travel experience of reading about it and this book is exceptionally well thought out and engrossing. When the people of Earth find evidence that human DNA may have been scattered far and wide throughout the universe, a handful of Earthlings undertake a journey through deep space hoping to make contact with humanoids who may be distant relatives. After a long time traveling in a suspended state the crew lands on the distant planet of Diodet, not without problems of course, and makes contact.
The Earth human narrator Meg is a linguist--not an engineer, pilot, or biologist--and since it’s her job to learn the language of the strange but still human resembling people they encounter, readers have a front row seat for the excitement of first contact. Sharing narration duties with Meg is Loul, a young Dideto male who is called on by his government to advise them on the unfolding situation, even though his report on the possibility of space travel had caused him to be shunted away to a menial job years ago. It’s just as fascinating seeing Earth humans through his eyes as it is learning about the language, physical biology, and culture of the Dideto people with Meg.
Amazing as it is to find other humans, it’s not all smooth sailing. Crew tensions, Dideto politics, and the quirks and superstitions of deep space travel complicate and then threaten what is already a difficult, dangerous venture with the Earthlings (or Urfers as the Dideto call them) far away from their homes and loved ones in both space and time. To me this is science fiction at its best--expansive, thought provoking, and steeped in “what if’s” inspired by science, but also strong on characterization as it explores the possibilities of human connection.
The Earth human narrator Meg is a linguist--not an engineer, pilot, or biologist--and since it’s her job to learn the language of the strange but still human resembling people they encounter, readers have a front row seat for the excitement of first contact. Sharing narration duties with Meg is Loul, a young Dideto male who is called on by his government to advise them on the unfolding situation, even though his report on the possibility of space travel had caused him to be shunted away to a menial job years ago. It’s just as fascinating seeing Earth humans through his eyes as it is learning about the language, physical biology, and culture of the Dideto people with Meg.
Amazing as it is to find other humans, it’s not all smooth sailing. Crew tensions, Dideto politics, and the quirks and superstitions of deep space travel complicate and then threaten what is already a difficult, dangerous venture with the Earthlings (or Urfers as the Dideto call them) far away from their homes and loved ones in both space and time. To me this is science fiction at its best--expansive, thought provoking, and steeped in “what if’s” inspired by science, but also strong on characterization as it explores the possibilities of human connection.
May 17, 2013
Damocles - A Study in Humanity
You know how you start reading a book, at first you’re real slow, well-mannered and paced, and you remember to stop reading in time to make lunch or dinner, or go to bed? And then you get drawn in, and forget everything else, even making dinner for the family?
Well, that.
I missed my favorite TV show (CSI:Vegas) to finish Damocles, and when I did, my first thought was, “Oh no! Is she planning a sequel? I want a sequel! We never found out what that meant, with the kraken, and those Sea Gods! I want to know!”
Sheila Redling has written a compelling, gripping novel. In a way, it reminds me of Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow, which I also loved very much, but Sheila’s book is more human.
Damocles is the name of the spaceship that takes a small group of people to explore a far-off planet after receiving a message from The Set, who claim to have seeded Earth with life. The human explorers find an alien culture, and make first contact.
The thing I really like about this novel is the emphasis on language. There are no weapons, no intrigue, no violence. There are only two cultures trying to communicate, and get concepts, values, and ideas across to one another.
How do you explain night to someone who has never seen darkness?
How do you make someone from a world that never sleeps, understand that humans need sleep?
And how do you express that you trust someone when you don’t speak the same language?
Just like Russell’s The Sparrow, Damocles is about finding similarities and accepting differences, about making friends despite those differences, and finding that at the core, the same things count, regardless of culture: trust, love, friendship, honesty.
I love this book: I love its language, and its theme. And I really hope there will be a sequel.
You know how you start reading a book, at first you’re real slow, well-mannered and paced, and you remember to stop reading in time to make lunch or dinner, or go to bed? And then you get drawn in, and forget everything else, even making dinner for the family?
Well, that.
I missed my favorite TV show (CSI:Vegas) to finish Damocles, and when I did, my first thought was, “Oh no! Is she planning a sequel? I want a sequel! We never found out what that meant, with the kraken, and those Sea Gods! I want to know!”
Sheila Redling has written a compelling, gripping novel. In a way, it reminds me of Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow, which I also loved very much, but Sheila’s book is more human.
Damocles is the name of the spaceship that takes a small group of people to explore a far-off planet after receiving a message from The Set, who claim to have seeded Earth with life. The human explorers find an alien culture, and make first contact.
The thing I really like about this novel is the emphasis on language. There are no weapons, no intrigue, no violence. There are only two cultures trying to communicate, and get concepts, values, and ideas across to one another.
How do you explain night to someone who has never seen darkness?
How do you make someone from a world that never sleeps, understand that humans need sleep?
And how do you express that you trust someone when you don’t speak the same language?
Just like Russell’s The Sparrow, Damocles is about finding similarities and accepting differences, about making friends despite those differences, and finding that at the core, the same things count, regardless of culture: trust, love, friendship, honesty.
I love this book: I love its language, and its theme. And I really hope there will be a sequel.
June 2, 2017
What would happen if aliens suddenly appeared in our skies?
''Whatever planet this was, there was life, and the environment was not overtly hostile to human life.''
''Because we're all supposed to be friends. We're all supposed to like each other and respect each other and be interested in each other because everyone has a story.''
This book made me smile. It was absolutely amazing and a good sci-fi story. I really enjoyed the journey of this story and it was a great experience to read it. I loved both main characters Meg and Loul. Their unlikely friendship is a joy to read.
''They look like a badly matched dance pair, he too short, she too nervous.''
''Whatever planet this was, there was life, and the environment was not overtly hostile to human life.''
''Because we're all supposed to be friends. We're all supposed to like each other and respect each other and be interested in each other because everyone has a story.''
This book made me smile. It was absolutely amazing and a good sci-fi story. I really enjoyed the journey of this story and it was a great experience to read it. I loved both main characters Meg and Loul. Their unlikely friendship is a joy to read.
''They look like a badly matched dance pair, he too short, she too nervous.''
June 7, 2013
S.G. Redling is definitely working her way towards becoming one of my favorite authors.
I was very excited for this book to come out and I was in no way disappointed. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from it after the fast-paced grittiness that was Flowertown, but Redling has proven she can write science-fiction based on Earth and in the far reaches of space.
I'm not going to go into a plot synopsis or anything because I'm sure that's been covered, over and again. I just want to state why I thought this book was great. First, I loved her idea that things you wouldn't think would be universal, like press conferences and comic books, could so easily be part of any culture anywhere, but things so simple and so mundane that we take them for granted as being part of the human experience, like sleep, could be so wildly different. Second, her descriptions of the people and places start off so neutral that you couldn't differentiate between what was supposed to be alien and what was supposed to be familiar, but by the end are so vivid that it feels like you are with these people at the site. I love that. Also, I liked that ending makes this book an excellent stand alone or a great beginning to a series.
I always look forward to more from this author.
I was very excited for this book to come out and I was in no way disappointed. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from it after the fast-paced grittiness that was Flowertown, but Redling has proven she can write science-fiction based on Earth and in the far reaches of space.
I'm not going to go into a plot synopsis or anything because I'm sure that's been covered, over and again. I just want to state why I thought this book was great. First, I loved her idea that things you wouldn't think would be universal, like press conferences and comic books, could so easily be part of any culture anywhere, but things so simple and so mundane that we take them for granted as being part of the human experience, like sleep, could be so wildly different. Second, her descriptions of the people and places start off so neutral that you couldn't differentiate between what was supposed to be alien and what was supposed to be familiar, but by the end are so vivid that it feels like you are with these people at the site. I love that. Also, I liked that ending makes this book an excellent stand alone or a great beginning to a series.
I always look forward to more from this author.
December 19, 2014
Damocles is not an action-packed novel. Most of the book is talking, describing the laborious task of humans and aliens trying to establish communications when they share no culture or language in common. The linguistics are not described in detail, but the process of constructing a bridge to translation is realistic.
This is also a "humans are the aliens" novel, in which it's the Earthers who come from outer space, to the shock and awe and terror of a less advanced civilization.
The setting the Earthers come from is barely fleshed out — humans have expanded to other colonies, but the message from an older alien race giving Earthers the secret of FTL travel and telling them that there are other races seeded from the same DNA as humanity is never described in more detail than that. It's a MacGuffin to send the crew of the Damocles out into space.
Damocles is told in alternating chapters from the viewpoints of Meg Dupris, the linguist aboard the Damocles, and Loul Pell, a socially awkward nerd in a dead-end government job when the Earthers arrive.
Besides the realistic communications problems, the best part of Damocles is the realistic aliens, the Didetos. They are close enough to human that their psychology and physiology is understandable, but different enough that they're clearly not human. Their culture constantly throws the Earthers off-balance with its similarities and differences - Didetos don't sleep, and although they have an industrial society that has begun launching satellites, they have never in their history undertaken to explore their oceans. Yet, they have press conferences, a military-industrial complex, and comic book nerds.
Loul Pell is one of the latter. A disgraced scientist, now working as a cubicle drone because he once presented a paper speculating about alien contact, he suddenly finds himself whisked away by Dideto Men In Black when aliens actually appear, pretty much where and how he said they would. And so he accidentally takes the role of speaker-to-aliens, and befriends a strange, willowy, extraterrestrial named "Meg."
Although there are some misunderstandings and tension over miscommunications, and questions about whether the Earthers will be able to return home, there is no dramatic action in this book. It's a novel about inter-cultural communications, and if aliens ever do visit Earth, I can see Men In Black whisking S.G. Redling off to advise our first contact team on how to communicate with them.
A thoughtful, intelligent sci-fi novel that explores linguistics and alien cultures in a realistic way. Damocles is not a particularly exciting book, but it's a fine work of genuine speculative fiction. 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4, because I just read Fluency, which sucked, so I'm glad to see a SF novel about a linguist making contact with aliens that doesn't suck.
This is also a "humans are the aliens" novel, in which it's the Earthers who come from outer space, to the shock and awe and terror of a less advanced civilization.
The setting the Earthers come from is barely fleshed out — humans have expanded to other colonies, but the message from an older alien race giving Earthers the secret of FTL travel and telling them that there are other races seeded from the same DNA as humanity is never described in more detail than that. It's a MacGuffin to send the crew of the Damocles out into space.
Damocles is told in alternating chapters from the viewpoints of Meg Dupris, the linguist aboard the Damocles, and Loul Pell, a socially awkward nerd in a dead-end government job when the Earthers arrive.
Besides the realistic communications problems, the best part of Damocles is the realistic aliens, the Didetos. They are close enough to human that their psychology and physiology is understandable, but different enough that they're clearly not human. Their culture constantly throws the Earthers off-balance with its similarities and differences - Didetos don't sleep, and although they have an industrial society that has begun launching satellites, they have never in their history undertaken to explore their oceans. Yet, they have press conferences, a military-industrial complex, and comic book nerds.
Loul Pell is one of the latter. A disgraced scientist, now working as a cubicle drone because he once presented a paper speculating about alien contact, he suddenly finds himself whisked away by Dideto Men In Black when aliens actually appear, pretty much where and how he said they would. And so he accidentally takes the role of speaker-to-aliens, and befriends a strange, willowy, extraterrestrial named "Meg."
Although there are some misunderstandings and tension over miscommunications, and questions about whether the Earthers will be able to return home, there is no dramatic action in this book. It's a novel about inter-cultural communications, and if aliens ever do visit Earth, I can see Men In Black whisking S.G. Redling off to advise our first contact team on how to communicate with them.
A thoughtful, intelligent sci-fi novel that explores linguistics and alien cultures in a realistic way. Damocles is not a particularly exciting book, but it's a fine work of genuine speculative fiction. 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4, because I just read Fluency, which sucked, so I'm glad to see a SF novel about a linguist making contact with aliens that doesn't suck.
January 30, 2014
In the beginning I liked Damocles.
The author did make his life easy by setting up a universe where life on many planets was seeded by some ancient alien race. So finding aliens that aren't very different from Earthlings isn't improbable.
This setup allows us to exprience two first contact stories at once as the story is told from two points of view. One of an Earther space traveler and one of a native of a far away planet.
I admit I couldn't put this book down as first contact was made.
However as the story went on, the juvenile glee of the two characters that had me egging them on in their first attempts to bridge the language barrier, started to get on my nerves.
This is a story about a D&D playing nerd that gets his wish and meets the space aliens of his fantasies.
The whole backstory feels contrived and the characters are all stupid juvenile teens.
Every crisis including the one that sent the space exploration mission on its way is contrived. We don't get to learn anything about the alien message that resulted in this mission to search for other human life in the universe. Actually it doesn't seem like the crew actually knows what their mission is.
All narratives are contrived to some extent, Pratchett calls this Narrative Causality.
But a well built story can make you forget this.
Perhaps if I was still a teen this story would have appealed to me.
I like YA stories that have a good idea behind them but are just written to a younger audience.
However Damocles seems to be all teen and no ideas.
The author did make his life easy by setting up a universe where life on many planets was seeded by some ancient alien race. So finding aliens that aren't very different from Earthlings isn't improbable.
This setup allows us to exprience two first contact stories at once as the story is told from two points of view. One of an Earther space traveler and one of a native of a far away planet.
I admit I couldn't put this book down as first contact was made.
However as the story went on, the juvenile glee of the two characters that had me egging them on in their first attempts to bridge the language barrier, started to get on my nerves.
This is a story about a D&D playing nerd that gets his wish and meets the space aliens of his fantasies.
The whole backstory feels contrived and the characters are all stupid juvenile teens.
Every crisis including the one that sent the space exploration mission on its way is contrived. We don't get to learn anything about the alien message that resulted in this mission to search for other human life in the universe. Actually it doesn't seem like the crew actually knows what their mission is.
All narratives are contrived to some extent, Pratchett calls this Narrative Causality.
But a well built story can make you forget this.
Perhaps if I was still a teen this story would have appealed to me.
I like YA stories that have a good idea behind them but are just written to a younger audience.
However Damocles seems to be all teen and no ideas.
April 6, 2013
One novel I had read a long time ago "Contact" by Carl Sagan set the standard for me for books from this genre. Of course in that book as well as many others that have followed almost always have us Earthlings making contact on our own planet. This is the first time I have come across a book in which the Earthlings make the first contact and the planet they land on has not ever space traveled.
This was a wonderful novel that kept me engrossed the entire way and in fact, I wish it were an even longer book so I could see what happens to everyone. The characters are complex and the author takes pains in proving that though the Dideotans are similar to us, yet in their own subtle ways they are vastly different. We get a good description of the natives but it still boggled my mind, so I never really had a clear picture of them. I did get a feeling that they were more like us than I thought but even though they had a lot of technology, they were still a few rungs below us on the physical evolutionary ladder. It is not until the last couple of chapters that I did have my suspicions confirmed.
The book did get a bit bogged down in the complexity of what these two `sides' had to do just to start to communicate and the lack of communication did get a little frustrating for the reader. However, if the author had simplified it in any way I think that the purity of the story would have been compromised and it would not have been such a thought provoking novel.
I think if you give this book a chance, it will grab you and not let you go until the very last page.
This was a wonderful novel that kept me engrossed the entire way and in fact, I wish it were an even longer book so I could see what happens to everyone. The characters are complex and the author takes pains in proving that though the Dideotans are similar to us, yet in their own subtle ways they are vastly different. We get a good description of the natives but it still boggled my mind, so I never really had a clear picture of them. I did get a feeling that they were more like us than I thought but even though they had a lot of technology, they were still a few rungs below us on the physical evolutionary ladder. It is not until the last couple of chapters that I did have my suspicions confirmed.
The book did get a bit bogged down in the complexity of what these two `sides' had to do just to start to communicate and the lack of communication did get a little frustrating for the reader. However, if the author had simplified it in any way I think that the purity of the story would have been compromised and it would not have been such a thought provoking novel.
I think if you give this book a chance, it will grab you and not let you go until the very last page.
August 1, 2015
I've been really, really bad about reviewing this year. I just read and rate. But, I feel compelled to say something about this book. I didn't know what to expect going in, but I loved what I heard.
Damocles is my favorite kind of science fiction novel. It's a character-driven first contact story that doesn't make it completely easy. It's a story in which the humans are the aliens. I liked that it alternated between the points of view of an Earther woman and a Dideto male. I liked the relationship that developed between the two. The bond they developed was romantic and passionate, but not is a sexual way. I know that doesn't even make sense. They had the closeness of best friends who shared an enthusiasm for the same things.
The planet Didet and how the people of the planet evolved was pretty interesting too. If I got it right, many planets, including Earth, were settled by a common humanoid species. As a result, Earthers and Didetos share a lot of characteristics, but diverge significantly. Didet has three suns and only goes into complete darkness once every 10 Earth years. It's subject to high winds that blow dust and rocks around. As a result, the Didetos have tough skin and digestive systems that can handle gritty, fibrous food. They rest in short bursts of "dropping". In contrast, the Earthers need several hours of sleep per day, can't digest Dideto food, and are subject to sunburn and abrasions from the windstorms. I thought the author did a fantastic job of thinking through the differences between the two species based on the planets they evolved on.
Angela Dawe did a very good job of narrating. I wouldn't rank her as one of my favorite narrators, but she did do a good job of differentiating between the characters. Her pacing was a bit odd at times, but otherwise she was good.
Damocles is my favorite kind of science fiction novel. It's a character-driven first contact story that doesn't make it completely easy. It's a story in which the humans are the aliens. I liked that it alternated between the points of view of an Earther woman and a Dideto male. I liked the relationship that developed between the two. The bond they developed was romantic and passionate, but not is a sexual way. I know that doesn't even make sense. They had the closeness of best friends who shared an enthusiasm for the same things.
The planet Didet and how the people of the planet evolved was pretty interesting too. If I got it right, many planets, including Earth, were settled by a common humanoid species. As a result, Earthers and Didetos share a lot of characteristics, but diverge significantly. Didet has three suns and only goes into complete darkness once every 10 Earth years. It's subject to high winds that blow dust and rocks around. As a result, the Didetos have tough skin and digestive systems that can handle gritty, fibrous food. They rest in short bursts of "dropping". In contrast, the Earthers need several hours of sleep per day, can't digest Dideto food, and are subject to sunburn and abrasions from the windstorms. I thought the author did a fantastic job of thinking through the differences between the two species based on the planets they evolved on.
Angela Dawe did a very good job of narrating. I wouldn't rank her as one of my favorite narrators, but she did do a good job of differentiating between the characters. Her pacing was a bit odd at times, but otherwise she was good.
June 10, 2013
Re-reading this one. LOVE this book. I am not a big sci-fi reader, but if that's the case with you, don't let the "category" throw you. This book is a great story, which I always enjoy. I'm reveling in the second read through and am amazed by the talent of this author and friend.
June 1, 2013
A quick and interesting read. Someone complained about the lack of anything happening in the story. If your expecting big space battles, best you look elsewhere. This is the nuanced story of how two civilizations meet and establish communication. It's done painstakingly, sussing out one basic concept at a time. No Star Trek universal translators here. I found the process fascinating to read. Redling makes the heavy lifting of language interpretation interesting by endowing her two lead characters (Meg and Loul) with heart and soul. The Didet civilzation the 'Earthers' discover was well fleshed out. The secondary characters were also very good.
The point where the story faltered for me was in some of the plot contrivances. The 'Earthers' starship is bedeviled with problems which set the story in motion. The solution was, literally, right under their noses. That made me roll my eyes. Deus ex machina anyone? The story ended a little too abruptly for me. It felt like there was a chapter missing.
The Pros: An interesting story. A nice twist on the alien invasion scenario. Flesh and blood characters.
The Cons: Uneven plotting, and an abrupt unsatisfying ending pulled the rating down from 4 to 3.
The point where the story faltered for me was in some of the plot contrivances. The 'Earthers' starship is bedeviled with problems which set the story in motion. The solution was, literally, right under their noses. That made me roll my eyes. Deus ex machina anyone? The story ended a little too abruptly for me. It felt like there was a chapter missing.
The Pros: An interesting story. A nice twist on the alien invasion scenario. Flesh and blood characters.
The Cons: Uneven plotting, and an abrupt unsatisfying ending pulled the rating down from 4 to 3.
March 20, 2015
In this book, Redling gets to the root of good science fiction by basing her story around a single "What If?" and teasing out the possibilities from there. She imagines a first meeting between humans from Earth and humans (with some variations) from another planet. This concept has been done before, but I admire Redling's dedication to exploring what such an encounter might really be like. The resulting slow pace may not be every reader's cup of tea, but the fact that she forces us to stick with the main characters as they clumsily try to figure out how to communicate -- instead of giving us what would undoubtedly be a sped-up musical montage in a movie -- makes this book a unique and intriguing reading experience. (There were some awkward passages and I felt the writing was a bit wooden when describing the Earther protagonist, but these quibbles did not prevent me from enjoying the story.)
June 16, 2013
"Damocles" is a very nice follow up to "Flowertown," but comparing the two would be comparing apples to oranges, which I was guilty of doing about halfway through the read when there was a lull in the story. But I caught myself doing it, stopped and continued enjoying my intergalactic, linguistic adventure. There was so much charm sprinkled into this unique tale. It flows well for the most part and there is a certain degree of build towards the end that crescendos to a nice little climax. Highly recommended.
January 7, 2014
Sorry. At the end of the day I can not abide alien societies that mirror our own human civilizations. Maybe I'm missing something...
February 19, 2022
I found myself eager to get back to 'Damocles' each time that I put it down, not so much because it's a page-turner thriller (although there are some very tense moments) but because I was delighted by the way the story was told and I wanted to know more about the people and how they would work things out between them.
The basic premise is that, on a future Earth where space travel has been established for generations, evidence is discovered that extraterrestrials may have seeded human DNA throughout the universe. This leads to Damocles and its six-person crew being sent on a one-way expedition into deep space to uncover the truth. The crew encounter their first humanoid race when Damocles arrives at Didet, a planet bathed in the near-eternal daylight of seven suns.
This is a First Contact novel with a twist. Instead of watching how the people of Earth respond when an alien spacecraft appears, 'Damocles' looks at what happens when people from Earth arrive, unannounced, on a planet the inhabitants haven't made it out the gravity well and where even the idea of life on other planets is ridiculed. The tension is ratcheted up when a problem with Damocles forces the crew to land on Didet before they've had time to learn any of the local languages.
The story is told from two alternating points of view: Meg the Damocles linguist who has to bridge the gap between the crew and the people of Didet and Loul, a young Didet male who, seven years earlier, had presented a career-ending paper on how to prepare for aliens arriving on the planet, finds himself thrust into the centre of history-making events.
The dual-preselective story-telling worked very well. I particularly liked seeing Meg through Loul's eyes. He becomes fascinated by how different she and the other Earthers are both physically and culturally and in the process, lets the reader see humans as others might see us: as strange, wonderful and hard to understand.
My favourite parts of the book were when Loul and Meg are working together to try to build a common language. The process is both plausible and exciting. It made me think about how language works and how much communication between different language groups is powered by a hunger to know and enabled by patience, mental flexibility and a willingness to make mistakes.
'Damocles' is a people-centric book. It covers some of the big cultural, linguistic and technological topics but its focus is always on the personal, whether the person comes from Earth or Didet.<
There are enough plot twists and challenges to sustain a level of tension throughout the book and to create some moments of high drama and personal trauma.
I ended the book knowing that I'd found a new author that I needed to read more of. S. G. Redling didn't write any more Science Fiction so my next book will be 'Flowertown' one of her thrillers.
November 21, 2017
Sci-fi is not my genre but I enjoyed this book tremendously! Worth reading.
September 6, 2013
S.G., you've done it again! Loved Flowertown, but Damocles is just wow! My first thought after finishing was "Oh I hope there's another one!"
I spent years reading almost any science fiction I could find, (Anne McCaffrey was a fave), some I've collected to savor at my leisure whenever the sci-fi bug hit me and now I can happily add Damocles to that collection. I was happy to read from a few of the reviews that I'm not the only one salivating for another Damocles novel.
Please, can we? Please, please??? Pleeeeese?
As with some reviewers, the slower pace of the book took a bit getting used to, but this gives one the time to really get to know our two main characters. Meg has a delicate, intuitive sense of how to interpret language of all sorts, including body language. Searching for and finding sentient human life in the greater galaxy must be a dream come true...especially for someone who has left nothing of much importance back on or near Earth. Loul is a thinker in a society that tolerates "thinking" to a certain degree and then not so much. Together, Meg and Loul develop a deep, unforgettable bond. Meg's back story is just heartbreaking and Loul is just the sweetest character I've read in a long time.
I loved how the Earthers had advanced technology, but not over-the-top technology. I'm not as bothered as other reviewers by the fact that the Didetos had a culture that was semi-similar to our culture. After all, humans communicate and it would figure that even a human culture not Earth-derived would figure out a way to communicate much as we have here on Earth.
Also like other reviewers, I enjoyed the lack of violence even though the threat was certainly there. For once having a sci-fi, first-contact scenario not end in dissection in a lab or with a "shoot first, ask later" perspective is a fresh angle. The spirit of mutual cooperation is dealt with in the book and is due in large part to Loul being who he is and to Meg playing a vital role in the landing party. Redling even plays with the language in that the Didetos aren't able to pronounce names or words correctly and some fairly important Earth concepts are missing from their culture because they aren't necessary to the Dideto culture such as sleep, night and oh yeah, boating or swimming. Redling really thought about the differences that such "what if's" would create. Well done! Damocles is a bright new star in the universe of space-oriented science fiction.
I finished this book last week and I keep finding myself still thinking about it. I love when that happens. I think most often of Loul and his overt sweetness and I'm so glad that the landing of the "Urfers" will eventually net him that which he most desires, but also more than he dreamed possible. If one asked me, Loul is the true star of the novel with Meg being a close second. Their willingness to be sensitive to each other and more importantly, to trust each other despite their vast differences is a lesson any of us can take with us into our own relationships. And, more, in exploring their differences, they draw even closer to each other through their similarities.
Loul is indeed a very special character.
Do pick up this book if you're thinking about doing so, it's a great read with an interesting cast and crew.
Enjoy!
I spent years reading almost any science fiction I could find, (Anne McCaffrey was a fave), some I've collected to savor at my leisure whenever the sci-fi bug hit me and now I can happily add Damocles to that collection. I was happy to read from a few of the reviews that I'm not the only one salivating for another Damocles novel.
Please, can we? Please, please??? Pleeeeese?
As with some reviewers, the slower pace of the book took a bit getting used to, but this gives one the time to really get to know our two main characters. Meg has a delicate, intuitive sense of how to interpret language of all sorts, including body language. Searching for and finding sentient human life in the greater galaxy must be a dream come true...especially for someone who has left nothing of much importance back on or near Earth. Loul is a thinker in a society that tolerates "thinking" to a certain degree and then not so much. Together, Meg and Loul develop a deep, unforgettable bond. Meg's back story is just heartbreaking and Loul is just the sweetest character I've read in a long time.
I loved how the Earthers had advanced technology, but not over-the-top technology. I'm not as bothered as other reviewers by the fact that the Didetos had a culture that was semi-similar to our culture. After all, humans communicate and it would figure that even a human culture not Earth-derived would figure out a way to communicate much as we have here on Earth.
Also like other reviewers, I enjoyed the lack of violence even though the threat was certainly there. For once having a sci-fi, first-contact scenario not end in dissection in a lab or with a "shoot first, ask later" perspective is a fresh angle. The spirit of mutual cooperation is dealt with in the book and is due in large part to Loul being who he is and to Meg playing a vital role in the landing party. Redling even plays with the language in that the Didetos aren't able to pronounce names or words correctly and some fairly important Earth concepts are missing from their culture because they aren't necessary to the Dideto culture such as sleep, night and oh yeah, boating or swimming. Redling really thought about the differences that such "what if's" would create. Well done! Damocles is a bright new star in the universe of space-oriented science fiction.
I finished this book last week and I keep finding myself still thinking about it. I love when that happens. I think most often of Loul and his overt sweetness and I'm so glad that the landing of the "Urfers" will eventually net him that which he most desires, but also more than he dreamed possible. If one asked me, Loul is the true star of the novel with Meg being a close second. Their willingness to be sensitive to each other and more importantly, to trust each other despite their vast differences is a lesson any of us can take with us into our own relationships. And, more, in exploring their differences, they draw even closer to each other through their similarities.
Loul is indeed a very special character.
Do pick up this book if you're thinking about doing so, it's a great read with an interesting cast and crew.
Enjoy!
August 12, 2013
this review refers to the audiobook version.
i wish goodreads would give us half stars, cause i'd really like to give this one another half, anyway.
this is a first-contact tale with an interesting viewpoint, that of a linguist in charge of learning how to communicate with a species that appears to share a biological history with humans, but whom we've never met. i love linguist tales, or tales about how intelligent species communicate, or fail to (The Sparrow, Embassytown), and what the consequences are.
ultimately this story is about a relationship, though, and that's what i really appreciate about it. our heroine Meg's attempts to communicate with Loul are marvellously drawn--if you've ever lived in a place where you don't speak the language, you know exactly what it is to try to will someone to understand, how much meaning there can be in a raised eyebrow.
the other thing i appreciate greatly about this book is that it doesn't try to drum up suspense with war or the threat of war. the suspense is all in the characters' striving for trust over innate xenophobia and constant misunderstanding.
one disappointment in the book, however, is the many similarities between human culture and Didet culture. i do wish they had been more different... part of the fun of linguist stories is examining our assumptions, turning them on their heads. (The Sparrow does this superlatively well.) another is that i suspect there are inaccuracies in what linguistics itself is about.
but on the whole, this is a book about a friendship, and about trying to build a bridge between cultures. and it does that very, very well.
re: the audiobook version. the reader does a great job with voices, which can't have been easy in this book. i suspect the print version is littered with different typefaces in an effort to convey who is speaking, when. the reader is a little overpowered, though--one wishes sometimes she'd just relax.
i wish goodreads would give us half stars, cause i'd really like to give this one another half, anyway.
this is a first-contact tale with an interesting viewpoint, that of a linguist in charge of learning how to communicate with a species that appears to share a biological history with humans, but whom we've never met. i love linguist tales, or tales about how intelligent species communicate, or fail to (The Sparrow, Embassytown), and what the consequences are.
ultimately this story is about a relationship, though, and that's what i really appreciate about it. our heroine Meg's attempts to communicate with Loul are marvellously drawn--if you've ever lived in a place where you don't speak the language, you know exactly what it is to try to will someone to understand, how much meaning there can be in a raised eyebrow.
the other thing i appreciate greatly about this book is that it doesn't try to drum up suspense with war or the threat of war. the suspense is all in the characters' striving for trust over innate xenophobia and constant misunderstanding.
one disappointment in the book, however, is the many similarities between human culture and Didet culture. i do wish they had been more different... part of the fun of linguist stories is examining our assumptions, turning them on their heads. (The Sparrow does this superlatively well.) another is that i suspect there are inaccuracies in what linguistics itself is about.
but on the whole, this is a book about a friendship, and about trying to build a bridge between cultures. and it does that very, very well.
re: the audiobook version. the reader does a great job with voices, which can't have been easy in this book. i suspect the print version is littered with different typefaces in an effort to convey who is speaking, when. the reader is a little overpowered, though--one wishes sometimes she'd just relax.
October 27, 2014
Well what would YOU do if aliens landed in your backyard? In this case, we Earthers are the aliens and the chunky Dideto are the invadees. This is a story about first contact. Not about what happens in the lead up to the journey, or the journey itself. It’s not a story about after first contact; you know – where our two species are finally all palsy-walsy and slopping jam and cream and Tut juice on their scones while they swap funny stories about peeing in zero gravity. Unfortunatley, unless you have a penchant for the ins-and-outs of linguistics, or you actually have a ProLingLang (Hahaaaa...you'll have to read the book to find out what that is) you'll find about 70% of this story gets bogged down in communication difficulties and protocol with a painfully slow relationship developing between Loul and Meg. A sci-fi action book it ain't! By the end I was just sooooo wishing Douglas Adams would suddenly appear and whack one of his Babel fishies into Loul's earhole so we could all finally understand each other and get on with it. I felt the ending just lacked any lustre or closure or something. A bit like ordering carrot cake and not getting any icing. The title of the book is taken from the name of the Earther's ship, which is odd because the ship really doesn't feature all that much in the story. Hmm..unless it has something to do with our poor mythical buddy Damocles with that big honking sword suspended by a hair above his noggin? I still fail to see any connection.
July 28, 2014
Imagine that you're a geek boy whose obsession with comics, roleplaying games, and the possibility of aliens has doomed you forever to a cubicle job monitoring ocean weather. Only, it turns out that when aliens do arrive on the planet that the government seeks you out because of a plan you wrote years ago about how to receive aliens. A geeky social misfit has suddenly become the most important person on the planet ... other than the Earthers who have newly arrived ... in the exact spot you predicted that they might.
This book stands apart from many first-contact books because of the lovable alien geek boy, Loul, and the intimate friendship that he builds with Meg as the Earthers and Didetos try to communicate with each other. The understanding isn't instant, but it's persistent. And even though the Didetos are short, stout, and loud with brown teeth, you hope that Meg will insist on Loul coming with them when they leave the planet.
The thing is that so much is still left in question at the end of the book. How did the Earthers receive the message that human DNA had been seeded throughout the galaxy and where to look? And who were the sea gods from the Didetos' myths? I'm still curious and I still want more at book's end. But I want more only if I can also have Loul in a sequel.
This book stands apart from many first-contact books because of the lovable alien geek boy, Loul, and the intimate friendship that he builds with Meg as the Earthers and Didetos try to communicate with each other. The understanding isn't instant, but it's persistent. And even though the Didetos are short, stout, and loud with brown teeth, you hope that Meg will insist on Loul coming with them when they leave the planet.
The thing is that so much is still left in question at the end of the book. How did the Earthers receive the message that human DNA had been seeded throughout the galaxy and where to look? And who were the sea gods from the Didetos' myths? I'm still curious and I still want more at book's end. But I want more only if I can also have Loul in a sequel.
July 25, 2013
I gave up on this book (which is extremely rare for me). I was very excited to read it, as I'm really interested in sci fi that deals with our first contact with aliens. It seemed especially interesting that it was with other humans.
But this book DRAGS. I got over halfway through it and felt like very little had happened. Granted, this is true to the "realities" of the situation, but I had so little investment in any of the characters that I stopped caring what happened. If a plot is going to move at an excruciating rate such as this it should at least be character-driven. When characters were fleshed-out they often felt one-dimensional and almost comically exaggerated.
I think the pace also suffered from being told from two different points of view. In some places, a single event would be described from the two views but not in any especially significant way.
Overall, what seemed like an interesting concept just wasn't handled well. Maybe the ending had some shocking reveal that I'm doing myself a disservice by missing out on. But I'd probably enjoy reading it on Wikipedia more.
But this book DRAGS. I got over halfway through it and felt like very little had happened. Granted, this is true to the "realities" of the situation, but I had so little investment in any of the characters that I stopped caring what happened. If a plot is going to move at an excruciating rate such as this it should at least be character-driven. When characters were fleshed-out they often felt one-dimensional and almost comically exaggerated.
I think the pace also suffered from being told from two different points of view. In some places, a single event would be described from the two views but not in any especially significant way.
Overall, what seemed like an interesting concept just wasn't handled well. Maybe the ending had some shocking reveal that I'm doing myself a disservice by missing out on. But I'd probably enjoy reading it on Wikipedia more.
June 13, 2016
S.G. Redling is working her way into my list of favorite authors. After reading Flowertown - a thriller that perfectly captures the nuances of small town life with elements of dystopian fiction - I wasn't sure what to expect from a foray into sci-fi. Nevertheless, Redling shines regardless of genre because her true talent lies in giving depth to her characters. Much like Flowertown, Damocles features a smart and complicated female lead, this time paired with a male alien counterpart.
Redling perfectly captures what is universal in the human experience in this work by making the humans the aliens. Do not be put off by the genre if you are not normally a fan; the real story here is about our shared need to communicate, to be understood, and to lead a life with purpose. And most importantly, she pulls this off without it being the least be hokey or trivial. In my book, that's the real mark of a talented author.
Redling perfectly captures what is universal in the human experience in this work by making the humans the aliens. Do not be put off by the genre if you are not normally a fan; the real story here is about our shared need to communicate, to be understood, and to lead a life with purpose. And most importantly, she pulls this off without it being the least be hokey or trivial. In my book, that's the real mark of a talented author.
February 10, 2015
While it wasn't as good as Flowertown, it was an interesting first contact book. Humans have discovered that Earth was "seeded" and they set out in search of our alien ancestors. What they find is a race of beings somewhat physically similar to us but socially different. The bulk of the story is learning to communicate with each other.
There were a few storylines that never got resolved. One - how we came from a people who don't travel in space. Two - where the large shrines on the planet came from. Three - How the fictional stories from their planet line up with reality on ours. It would have been nice to have had a bit more follow-through on these to find out about our shared history. Unfortunately it seems they were dropped in order to focus on the communication issues and then we left the planet. Perhaps someday there will be a follow-up book.
There were a few storylines that never got resolved. One - how we came from a people who don't travel in space. Two - where the large shrines on the planet came from. Three - How the fictional stories from their planet line up with reality on ours. It would have been nice to have had a bit more follow-through on these to find out about our shared history. Unfortunately it seems they were dropped in order to focus on the communication issues and then we left the planet. Perhaps someday there will be a follow-up book.
June 8, 2013
From Urf to Didet...
I thoroughly enjoyed author Redling's last book "Flowertown" and was excited about reading her latest offering. And it didn't disappoint.
I love "Damocles." From its rich character-driven story to its dazzling imagery, Redling took me on a flight across the stars to the planet of Didet and I got to meet two extraordinary characters - Earth woman linguist Meg and Didato native Luol.
This is a tale of two unlikely kindred spirits, finding each other across millions of miles of space. There is drama and lots of humor and touching scenes by the score. This is a wonderful science fiction book that will appeal across a lot of genres.
Lyrical, inspiring, touching, revealing - "Damocles" took me on this armchair voyage and I didn't want to come back.
I thoroughly enjoyed author Redling's last book "Flowertown" and was excited about reading her latest offering. And it didn't disappoint.
I love "Damocles." From its rich character-driven story to its dazzling imagery, Redling took me on a flight across the stars to the planet of Didet and I got to meet two extraordinary characters - Earth woman linguist Meg and Didato native Luol.
This is a tale of two unlikely kindred spirits, finding each other across millions of miles of space. There is drama and lots of humor and touching scenes by the score. This is a wonderful science fiction book that will appeal across a lot of genres.
Lyrical, inspiring, touching, revealing - "Damocles" took me on this armchair voyage and I didn't want to come back.
June 6, 2013
This is a really great book about first contact with alien species. And it is told from the perspective of two individuals involved with this incident of first contact. One is a human female linguist who is on a deep space mission to discover new, aline worlds populated by species similar to humans. The other main character is a male from the "discovered species" who is helping the linguist learn to communicate his species.
As it goes, this is a great book for someone just entering the world of Sci Fi, or for those of use who are hooked in the "first contact" premise.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book, and hope to see more from this author, in this world.
As it goes, this is a great book for someone just entering the world of Sci Fi, or for those of use who are hooked in the "first contact" premise.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book, and hope to see more from this author, in this world.
July 14, 2013
Certainly a unique story. As a reader you really have to accept much as given, there's not a lot of explanation of how, or why, a five person crew is being sent into the galaxy on some sort of exploratory mission. Accepting this deficiency, the discovery of a new intelligent species and the interaction between the humans and new beings is fascinating. The relationship and dialogue between Meg and Loul is what makes the whole book worth the reading. Loul, the alien, is really the heart and soul of the story.
June 2, 2013
A strong book with such an interesting backstory and plot line to follow. There was something so culturally significant about the whole piece that showed the interaction between two very different and how much language and nonverbal communication is necessary. A strong piece by the author and a complete story.
June 6, 2013
Light reading and interesting tale of first contact. Scenes are sometimes described twice, once per species, and the two points of view made me laugh several times. We *will* have a hard time once we encounter something truly alien :-)
June 12, 2013
I really enjoyed this--first contact, as experienced from both sides. Big ideas, well explored. How to build language, communication, and understanding from next to nothing? Good character development. Recommended.
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