The Visitor

First Contact Hard Science Fiction

By: Tony Harmsworth

Narrated by: Marni Penning

Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

The Visitor - hard, near-future science fiction for the listener who likes realism.

Specialist astronaut Evelyn Slater encounters a small, badly damaged, ancient alien artifact on the first ever space junk elimination mission.

Where was it from? Who sent it?

International governments impose a security clampdown. Evelyn leads a team of handpicked scientists who make amazing discoveries within the alien device. Secrecy becomes impossible to maintain. When the news is finally released, she becomes embroiled in international politics, worldwide xenophobic hatred, and violence.

This is the first book in the Tony Harmsworth’s First Contact series of novels. If you like realistic near-future stories which compel you to imagine yourself as the protagonist, The Visitor is the book for you. The Visitor is a science fiction for the "thinking" listener and with a wicked twist. Buy it now and be transported into orbit.

©2017 Tony Harmsworth (P)2019 Tony Harmsworth

decent story

This is a lesson in atheism's and liberalism disguised as science fiction. Ok, plot though.

Hopeful and painfully real take on modern humanity

Good story with some fictional science. Nothing technical, just imaginative. Some strong emotional moments and some pointed ridicule of religious fervor and its societal poison, particularly in elected officials. If you cringe at born agains or evangelical hypocrisy, then you'll nod along. If you're going to prayer meetings and church more than 1 time a week, you might feel discomfort. An enjoyable read for those who see truth.

More about us than them

A highly advanced "alien " visits earth and grows to evaluate our society and culture as compared to his.

Great story

Started off really strong, fascinating story. Some of the progression felt a little rushed, but was fine. The ending was mushier than I liked, but that’s my personal opinion. Great story overall.

Great plot but mediocre execution

Warning: Spoilers ahead. Up front, I want to say that the story overall is great. Performance by Marni Penning was adequate, but it takes a while to get past her nasally, british performance of all her characters beyond the main. Tony Harmsworth, the author makes a few things clear throughout the story; religions are stupid and for the uneducated, human nature sucks, alien life forms are good and he has a less than favorable attitude towards the US. This book is touted as "hard" scifi, but I would reclassify it as "soft" hard scifi - his descriptions of space flight and life aboard the ISS are good, and I'm sure somewhat accurate, but lack any real detail to be considered "hard". I liked and could relate to his protagonist, Dr. Evelyn Slater, young wide-eyed and adventurous in the beginning, but became distant when she soon became a somewhat pretentious, entitled bitch after her promotion to "Dame Evelyn". Most notable flaw was the her sudden focus on ensuring - demanding her minions were being politically correct with accepting the visage of an actual alien, after she had initially mocked its ugliness upon first seeing it. The story then devolves into nothing but the dark-side of humanity and the worst that the minority bring to the front. The story could have easily evolved past the faults of us as humans and proceeded towards developing a peace-loving, explorer race helped along by the discovery of an alien ambassador, but instead we get a perceived future humanity that is a deemed a threat to the rest of the galaxy's intelligent lifeforms. Thanks, Tony.

Exciting story, great characters and good reader

This was the fastest I've read a book since I've had my 16month old!... which is one day. The way the story was written made you crave to know what would happen next, what's under the hood, what are they going to say next? I loved it!

bashing

im not religious but the religion bashing was a bit much. yes there are poor in the world but you dont have to be religious to help them and if you dont believe anything spiritual then fine but it doesnt really make you superior. and no i dont believe the earth is 6000 years old

Disappointing bias in story

I throughly enjoyed the early part of this story and it’s concept. I love SiFi stories and have read or listened to many many. The concept of this story had much potential, and could have gone in a similar growth as the Bobiverse story. However, for whatever reason the author decided to induce their own personal political, religious and political correctness in the story, as well as painting humans as immature and uncivilized. The concept of the alien encountered and the culture it had supposedly come from is completely unrealistic. So the end 1/3 of the story lacks much to be desired.

Good, but not for everyone.

This was an interesting story, but it is more of a story about the human condition. As a fan of Peter Cawdron first contact books, this was in the same vein. More telling how we react as a species than the ET themselves.

With that said the main character is a British woman, if female narrators or accents are not for you than skip it. The character is also a bit …pretentious at times. This was admittedly a bit of a turn off, but not a deal breaker.

All in all the story was good, the narrator was very good, the character she plays may not be for you, but her ability to convey emotions was done very well. When she voiced the male characters it didn’t sell it for me as much, but that is no fault of hers and it again was not a deal breaker as you came to know them in that voice.

All in all it was good, but it is sci-fi more in name than in story. It’s a human condition story with sci-fi aspects.

The Visitor is all that!

I only have about 3 hours every morning to myself to drink my coffee and listen to a good book while I knit or crochet or do some other mostly brainless task. For me, the test of a great audiobook is whether or not I think about the story after I've stopped it for the day, if I look forward to starting it back up the next, and if I feel what the characters feel. This is a great story with fascinating characters as well as intriguing science. Very enjoyable.