Hole in the Sky
A Novel
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Hole in the Sky
Narrated by:
Matt Godfrey, Sacha Chambers, Kholan Studi, Ari Fliakos
Buy Now for $26.99
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Narrated by:
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Matt Godfrey
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Sacha Chambers
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Kholan Studi
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Ari Fliakos
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By:
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Daniel H. Wilson
About this listen
"Thrilling and personal... an important addition to the landscape of science fiction."—Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Rising
"Hole in the Sky is mind-bending… indigenous knowledge collides with science fiction in a thrilling page-turner."—Sterlin Harjo, filmmaker and writer of Reservation Dogs
On the Great Plains of Oklahoma, in the heart of the Cherokee Nation, a strange atmospheric disturbance is noticed by Jim Hardgray, a down-on-his-luck single father trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter, Tawny. At NASA’s headquarters in Houston, Texas, astrophysicist Dr. Mikayla Johnson observes an interaction with the Voyager 1 spacecraft on the far side of the solar system, and she concludes that something enormous and unidentified is heading directly for Earth. And in an undisclosed bunker somewhere in the United States, an American threat forecaster known only as the Man Downstairs intercepts a cryptic communication and sends a message directly to the president and highest-ranking military brass: “First contact imminent.”
Daniel H. Wilson’s Hole in the Sky is a riveting thriller in the most creative tradition of extraterrestrial fiction. Drawing on Wilson’s unique background as both a threat forecaster for the United States Air Force and a Cherokee Nation citizen, this propulsive novel asks probing questions about nonhuman intelligence, the Western mindset, and humans’ understanding of reality.
If you scroll through the reviews, you’ll see many that state this is a book of two parts, which is entirely accurate. The first two thirds of this book are amazing. Five stars out of five. Each of the four narratives is intriguing and engaging, with rich and detailed character development. I felt a real emotional connection with two of the main characters, and a third was something out of a top notch techno thriller.
The pace was exciting, truly un-put-downable. However, it was the premise and overall narrative that was amazing. This was an exciting, thought provoking and original take on the first contact trope. Juxtaposing the sci fi aspect with the Native American cultural perspective was brilliant. That was the first two thirds.
The final third? Well, to quote Krusty the Clown, “what the hell was that?”
The final third gave me whiplash, with a sharp and completely unavoidable turn from uplifting scifi into schlocky techno horror. It was confusing, unnecessary, and a complete waste of the first part of the book. The warm characters became caricatures. The brilliant, fun and beautifully neurodivergent mathematician became a complete mess that I still don’t understand. To be honest, I don’t understand much of what happened in the end. I don’t really want to though. Which is really sad, considering how promising the start of the book was.
The performances were wonderful, full of humours, suspense and emotion.
I started off wanting to read more of this author’s work. Now I intend to walk the other way when we I see any of his books.
A book of two halves
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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.