Foreigner

Foreigner Sequence 1, Book 1

By: C. J. Cherryh

Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May

Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

The first book in C.J.Cherryh's eponymous series, Foreigner begins an epic tale of the survivors of a lost spacecraft who crash-land on a planet inhabited by a hostile, sentient alien race. From its beginnings as a human-alien story of first contact, the Foreigner series has become a true science fiction odyssey, following a civilization from the age of steam through early space flight to confrontations with other alien species in distant sectors of space. It is the masterwork of a truly remarkable author.

©1994 C.J. Cherryh (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

struggled to relate to human

the narrator did a good job with the names and manuvering dialect. I found the story very hard to relate to the main character. I found him whiney and over accommodating. I'm not sure I want to continue the series. I understand the concept of being at the mercy of others, but...I don't like the human.

Not sure I would like it.

It turned out to be better than expected. I already downloaded the next in the series.

The beginning to an epic anventure

First off let me say that this review is sorta about these 3 books in the "Sequence 1" as its easier to do this for these types of stories, and to be honest I am not really telling much about what happens in the book that's what the description is for.

This starts off differently than the whole rest of the series ends up going, its strange really I thought there was going to be more "space stuff" but that comes in the later "sequences" of this story and I suspect it will be elaborated on when the next "sequence" is written (as of now 22 Oct 2014 its only up to sequence 5 but more are being written) and hopefully this series goes on for dozens of more books, I really love the story.

Now I usually have problems with female sci-fi writers and the way the books seem to go, sci-fi is not something that many people can do to this degree and since there are fewer women writers of sci-fi in general the ods are against it so I was apprehensive about this one but it turned out to be one of the best series I have ever read.

Without giving anything away the world is filled with "Atevi" except for one content with Humans and there is this one Human in the Atevi world (its forbidden for Humans to be there as per the thready and this Human Bren Cameron who ends up being in more control than he wanted to be and for a while he is wondering what is going on, along with the reader but it will make sense soon - hes taken from the place he is staying by his guards and taken all over the place not knowing why and attacked, then its reviled the space ship that left 200 years ago has come back and the world is panicking.

This is really a great set of books it wraps up most questions and brings up new stuff all the time so the story could continue for a while even over generations of the characters in the books.

Wonderful Immersive SciFi

I've been a major fan of this series since my sister and I discovered it years ago, and it feels like I never stop discovering things about it. I've gotten behind on it though thanks to various life events, so I decided to pick up from the beginning on my kindle and save myself having to buy new hard copies. Then on a whim I decided to take a chance on the Audible version, since I was offered the discounted price as an add on.

While I find the narrator has ALL of the Atevi speak with an measured slowness I've never pictured in them as characters (Especially Illisidi, who while she appreciates the past, also doesn't strike me as a lady to mince about when she could pin you to the wall with a few choice syllables instead)

Still it's fun to be able to put this on and listen, and a nice change from my podcasts at work (I love podcasts, and there are some excellent ones out there like Tanis, but it's nice to not have to wait on a bi-weekly schedule to get some good fiction going on when I'm doing things.)

I'd recommend this book to pretty much anyone, especially people who love an great immersive world and complicated interpersonal relationships, and intrigue. There's no shortage of motives, hidden motivations and not so hidden ones, and all of them are fantastically written.

1st book in the stories of humans not on earth

My favorite stories of humans living on a planet that does not belong to them.

Enjoyed

Liked the narrator and enjoyed the book even more this time than the first time.

Listened to multiple times

A classic for those who love alien /human. Contact, with Cherryh's love of politics and internal monologue. I have bought the whole series, though I have the paper books. Because I do love the narration.

A wonderfully engaging series

If you could sum up Foreigner in three words, what would they be?

I liked the book but was not deeply engaged at the end. But I was curious enough to get the second book in the sequence and that fully locked me in. I am now 8 books into the series. What more can I say in the form of endorsement?

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could easily have sat and enjoyed this in one sitting. Daniel May's performance is excellent .

Any additional comments?

If you like to get engaged in a large series of books that build on one another you will enjoy this one.

A complex, gripping political/social thriller

This novel is about a human trying and often failing to understand a familiar but ultimately alien psyche, and using this flawed understanding to navigate a complex political web. This alien psyche will confuse and captivate you just as it does the protagonist.

still fascinating

I first read thus when it was published in 1994. it was amazing then and it still is.

CJ Cherryh remains the queen of writing alien psychologies. Daniel May is perfect as the narrator.

Bren Cameron still remains onr of my favorite characters.