The Explorer [Hardcover]

This is a book based on an interesting premise. The main character, Cormac, is a journalist who joins the crew of an expedition heading deeper into space than anyone has ever been. As the expedition progresses, the other members of the crew die so Cormac is left alone, the book charting his time in space and his growing suspicion that something about the expedition is very wrong - particularly when the ship doesn't turn around as it was supposed to, and automatically head for home.

I won't give anymore of the plot away, as it would spoil it for other readers, but the development of the story is interesting and carries a real claustrophobic feel as all the action is set within the confines of the ship. Seeing developments through Cormac's eyes is also good, as you do get a sense of confusion and helplessness, which makes it quite a dark novel.

It is readable, and the quality of the writing is good. I liked the resolution, and the growing sense of awareness of what was really going on, and there isn't much technical detail in which to get bogged down. All in all a decent read.

Cormack is no scientist, nor is he an engineer. In fact he is the most unlikely astronaut one could conceive of. He knows nothing about the ship nor about space, only that as a journalist he has the job of his lifetime chronically the first manned mission into deep space. Such is the setting for the doomed expedition, as one by one the crew die off until finally Cormack is left on his own drifting inexorably into space.

Though this could be considered a science fiction novel, the science itself takes a back seat to the fiction. Whilst indeed this is a story set in space, it could just have easily have been set in an isolated cabin in Antarctica since so very little of the book focuses upon the technicalities of the science of the future but instead focuses upon the man.

The book begins with the disaster as Cormack recounts how the crew died and how he came to be by himself. Though as the book continues it turns darker, and it quickly appears that Cormack is indeed exploring something that has never before been explored, and he has been doing it for years.

This is a splendidly well written book that leaves an appropriate number of cliff-hangers to keep you reading from page to page. The concept is quite unique and I am quite a fan of the genre. My one criticism is that the ending left a number of questions in my mind that can never be answered. Otherwise excellent.

Cormac Easton is a journalist. A journalist left on a space-ship where his crew has died; all alone, contemplating the end. What happened isn't really the question, they died in mundane ways, things that happen in space. In a vacuum.

First off, I absolutely loved this book, gripping and clever; it kept me up reading late into the night. Set in the not too distant future, the technology is on the edge of possibility. The spaceship setting has an eerie, claustrophobic feel. For as much as space is fascinating and beautiful, it's pretty scary place even without the threat of aliens or anything the mind can fabricate. It doesn't take much for something to go wrong and be life threatening.

James Smythe manages to combine a first person narrative with third at the same time. That might not make sense now, but I don't want to reveal a spoiler for the second act. This removes some of the limitations of first person whereby things not in Cormac's knowledge are revealed to the reader and to Cormac. Going forward, the novel is full of things that don't quite make sense at the start. It's the stuff of nightmares that a few days without brushing your teeth will make them loose! I read on (whilst trying not to poke my teeth) and patience was rewarded. And isn't just a nice feeling when you have that ahhh moment?

Back on earth, flashbacks start to patch together the events that brought Cormac to the mission and his relationship with his wife. Elena came across as a bit needy and over-reactive at the start, but as the information is drip fed, you begin to realise why she was the way she was. Hindsight is all very good when he's floating around in a doomed spaceship but most of us would be overjoyed that a loved one had a chance to do something so amazing. However is all leads up to another moment of realisation.

The politics of space travel are also touched on. Gone are the days of the space race where millions of dollars were thrown at space exploration. It is expensive and dangerous and there are justifications for the Ishiguro's mission, even in an age where it's not considered that important. Also raised are questions about private sector funding and implications.

The minutiae of space living is either going to be fascinating or tiresome, depending on if you're interested in space travel. There's not a lot to do in space after all. I enjoyed the descriptions of the day-to-day on-board the Ishiguro. Even if it's not your thing, still give the book a chance, the writing and plot will carry you through.

Finally, there are some lovely writerly little touches; comments about tense and a wonderful passage approaching the end, contemplating the act of finishing reading an ebook.

Review copy provided by publisher.