Axiom's End

Axiom's End is a science fiction novel and debut novel by Lindsay Ellis. Set in 2007, the novel is about a U.S. government coverup of contact with extraterrestrial life. Axiom's End entered The New York Times Best Seller list at number 7.[1]

Axiom's End
AuthorLindsay Ellis
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience fiction
PublishedJuly 21, 2020
PublisherSt. Martin's Press
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Pages384
ISBN978-1250256737

Plot

In an alternate version of the United States in 2007, a famous whistleblower named Nils Ortega leverages his large online following to repeatedly attack the Bush administration, alleging a series of government cover-ups. The nature of Nils's work forced him to flee the country, abandoning his family. The story follows Nils's daughter Cora Sabino, a young college dropout living with her mother and her two younger siblings in Southern California, where her paternal aunt also resides. Cora's family find themselves under constant supervision by agents of the U.S. government, including a high-ranking CIA official named Sol Kaplan.

Following a meteor strike not far from where they live, Cora's family is abducted by government agents while Cora flees from a monstrous alien creature that broke into their house at night. The alien eventually catches Cora, implanting a tracking and communication device into her, using her as a human puppet to launch an infiltration of the Googleplex for unknown reasons. This infiltration fails when a mysterious pulse of energy knocks out the alien controlling Cora. It is revealed that the alien came to Earth to figure out how another member of his species died while being held in captivity by the government. Cora and the alien strike a wary alliance, as Cora wants to reunite with her abducted family members while the alien needs a human interpreter. Cora names the alien Ampersand, after the government's leaked codename for the meteor.

As the story unfolds, more and more dark secrets about both Cora's family and Ampersand's species come to light, with it being revealed that humanity will likely be wiped out by the hostile alien species Ampersand belongs to. Meanwhile, Nils and his followers continue to attack the government, embroiling George W. Bush personally in a scandal around an alleged attempt to cover up first contact with an alien species. Through it all, Cora and Ampersand forge a deep, romantic bond in spite of the vast differences between their species, biology, and culture.

Reception

Reviewers liked Axiom's End's fast pace and cultural commentary.[2][3] Pajiba said it is "less about action than an exploration of communication across boundaries both human and deeply inhuman," and praised Ellis's handling of the book's themes, and that her "well-trained eye for the oddities and political edges of various cultural contexts comes in very handy."[3] Ryan Britt of Syfy Wire said that Ellis's authorial voice serves to "demystify" the story's central concepts: "Luckily, unlike so many 'big idea' sci-fi books, it's utterly unpretentious."[4] John Hickman of Like the Dew noted that the novel moves readers from a pessimistic to an optimistic astrobiology assessment of First Contact.[5] Kirkus Reviews said the book "uses first contact to interrogate our tendencies toward xenophobia and prejudice and challenge our conceptions of what humanity means" and that it is "solid" but unpolished.[6] Other critiques focused on the novel's conclusion, which balances tying up the story's events while setting up a sequel.[2][3]

According to the review aggregator Book Marks, Axiom's End received "positive" reviews, based on 7 reviews.[7]

Sequels

In a video uploaded to YouTube on July 19, 2020, Ellis announced that the second and third books in the Axiom's End series would be released in Summer 2021 and 2022. The title for the second novel will be Truth of the Divine.[8]

References
  1. "Combined Print & E-Book Fiction – Best Sellers – Aug. 9, 2020 – The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  2. "Axiom's End." Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  3. Donaldson, Kayleigh (2020-07-15). "Book Review: Lindsay Ellis Brings Aliens to the Near Past in Her Sci-Fi Debut 'Axiom's End.'" Pajiba.com. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  4. Britt, Ryan (2020-07-21). "'Axiom's End' Is the Most Relatable Sci-fi Novel in Years." Syfy Wire. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  5. Hickman, John (2020-10-04). "Spoiler Alert: Existential Extraterrestrial Threat Tamed". LikeTheDew.com. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  6. "Axiom's End" (2020-05-04). Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  7. "Book Marks reviews of Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis". Book Marks. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  8. Lindsay Ellis. The Bookening (YouTube). Event occurs at 4:31. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
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