Review of Survive!

[abstactlemon]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Survive!" by Charles P. Graham.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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The invention of faster-than-light travel has brought the advent of space travel to the twenty-third century. However, this new technology is not without its dangers. While on the hunt for habitable planets, the Copernicus, an exploratory ship, is wrecked by a hail of meteors. Only a handful of the crew and the scientists on board make it to Tau Ceti g, a harsh and unfamiliar world. Chris Elliott, our protagonist, is one such scientist, and he now has to fight for his survival at every turn, trying to shepherd the survivors while dealing with diminishing supplies and pretty much everything that can move on this planet trying to kill them. Can they hold out till someone comes to their rescue? Will they find some other means to send out communications to Earth? These questions permeate the entirety of Survive! by Charles P. Graham.

The planet the crew crash-landed on is endlessly fascinating. This is the highlight of the novel for me. Seeing the different ideas for this world that Graham came up with is what pulled me through to the end of the book. From little bugs to vicious creatures, and even flora and fauna, everything felt meticulously planned and thought out. Another thing I enjoyed was seeing how the characters interacted with this world. Watching them adapt to the different challenges appealed to the part of me that loves a good problem to solve.

The science behind the technology was also superbly constructed. Everything was consistent, and Graham never broke the rules that he set up, which is something I will always appreciate about any book. There were some unique things I haven’t seen anywhere else, and there was always a contrast between Tau Ceti g and Earth, which is something I really enjoyed. The book was also fantastically edited, and I found no errors.

This book is not without its flaws, however, and there are many. This was not the tension-riddled, gut-wrenching tale of survival that the synopsis promised. Yes, the characters had to face and overcome challenges, but it almost felt too easy. Speaking of characters, a lot of them fell flat for me, and that sadly includes the protagonist and most of the female cast as well. There was barely any character development, and what little there was went to Chris and no one else. The way they speak bothered me as well; it was a little too robotic, and a lot of it felt like things no real human would ever say.

A lot of thought clearly went into crafting the planet of Tau Ceti g, but it’s also just as clear that most of the book was written to showcase that wonderfully built world rather than tell a story. Once I figured that out, it removed most of the stakes for me, so I have to give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

If you love good world-building, fascinating technology, and what-if scenarios, then this is the book for you. People who prefer character-driven stories might want to look elsewhere.

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Survive!
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[NetMassimo]

This seems like a classic type of science fiction with great focus on action and sense of wonder coming from future technologies and aliens worlds. Thank you for your honest review!