The Darwin Elevator

By: Jason M. Hough

Narrated by: Simon Vance

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Jason M. Hough’s pulse-pounding debut combines the drama, swagger, and vivid characters of Joss Whedon’s Firefly with the talent of sci-fi author John Scalzi.

In the mid-23rd century, Darwin, Australia, stands as the last human city on Earth. The world has succumbed to an alien plague, with most of the population transformed into mindless, savage creatures. The planet’s refugees flock to Darwin, where a space elevator—created by the architects of this apocalypse, the Builders—emits a plague-suppressing aura.

Skyler Luiken has a rare immunity to the plague. Backed by an international crew of fellow “immunes,” he leads missions into the dangerous wasteland beyond the aura’s edge to find the resources Darwin needs to stave off collapse. But when the Elevator starts to malfunction, Skyler is tapped—along with the brilliant scientist, Dr. Tania Sharma—to solve the mystery of the failing alien technology and save the ragged remnants of humanity.

Praise for The Darwin Elevator

“A hell of a fun book.”—James S. A. Corey, New York Times bestselling author of Abaddon’s Gate

“[Jason M.] Hough’s first novel combines the rapid-fire action and memorable characters associated with Joss Whedon’s short-lived Firefly TV series with the accessibility and scientific acumen of [James S. A.] Corey’s ‘Expanse’ series.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“The best part about alien stories is their mystery, and Jason Hough understands that like no other. Full of compelling characters and thick with tension, The Darwin Elevator delivers both despair and hope along with a gigantic dose of wonder. It’s a brilliant debut, and Hough can take my money whenever he writes anything from now on.”—Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles

“Newcomer Hough displays a talent for imaginative plotting and realistic dialogue, and the brisk pacing and cliffhanger ending will keep readers enthralled and eagerly awaiting the next installment.”—Publishers Weekly

“Jason M. Hough does a great job with this huge story. The world of Darwin and the Elevator is deliciously complex and satisfying. Skyler, Tania, and all the other characters are delightfully drawn and fun to spend time with. . . . The story unfolds with just the right balance of high adventure, espionage, humor, and emotional truth. . . . As soon as you finish, you’ll want more.”—Analog

“A debut novel unlike any other . . . This is something special. Something iconic. The Darwin Elevator is full of majesty and wonder, mystery and mayhem, colorful characters and insidious schemes.”—SF Signal

“Fun, action-packed and entertaining . . . a sure contender for science fiction debut of the year!”—Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist

“Claustrophobic, intense, and satisfying . . . I couldn’t put this book down. The Darwin Elevator depicts a terrifying world, suspends it from a delicate thread, and forces you to read with held breath as you anticipate the inevitable fall.”—Hugh Howey, New York Times bestselling author of Wool

Garbage in, garbage out

Warning: spoilers.

The author spends an entire book making one of the main characters out to be extremely smart, extremely meticulous, and with an extensive, well-thought-out plan.

Then, the bad guys magically overrun all his defenses, he has no way out and no contingency, and he just dies stupidly.

Talk about lazy, garbage writing.

And he does it repeatedly.

Sad, really. It was a really engaging story ruined by never letting the good guys win for a second, no matter how contrived he had to make the bad guys' success. Somebody watched too much Game of Thrones.

Try this book!

Where does The Darwin Elevator rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've listened to over 200 books on Audible and I would rank this in the top 10%. Having my favorite narrator Simon Vance doesn't hurt.

Any additional comments?

This book is a tad hard to follow at first. It's a post apocalyptic story, but some of the facts that all the characters in the book know do not get explained to the reader/listener right way. However, after the first hour I had a hard time taking a break from it. This book really doesn't have any slow sections. It draws you in and just takes off. Eagerly awaiting a sequel.

Unique perspective on alien contact

Author Jason Hough has produced a rather unique perspective on alien contact. In this case, an automated alien vessel has entered Earth's orbit and constructed a space elevator centered over Darwin, Australia. A few years later, the rest of the planet becomes uninhabitable due to an unknown "disease" that changes people into "subhumans," all except for a patch of ground centered around Darwin. Under the influence, humans revert to more primitive behavior that is mostly violent. A few humans remain immune to the effect. Subsequently, the elevator has become a lifeline, supplying space grown food in exchange for air and water from below.

The story revolves around two young individuals caught up in the power struggles between and within the orbitals (spaced based habitats) and the people on the ground. In the meantime, another alien vessel is arriving. The sci-fi elements are standard fare with little beyond the alien artifacts which remain mysterious throughout. The action is non-stop with good pacing and nicely integrated infodumps that avoid bogging down the plot. Unfortunately there is little resolution of any major or minor conflicts as this is part of a longer story arc. The ending merely inserts some suggestive possibilities and leaves much hanging in the balance.

The narration is respectable, but unremarkable,

Interesting

This book is a particularly well-done blending of "zombie apocalypse" and hard-core old-school SF. The characters and story are interesting and complex. Simon Vance does his usual excellent job of narration. The subtle accents are especially well done, from Skyler's Dutch to Tania's Indian to Platz' Australian. I look forward to listening to the other books in the series.

Enjoyable

A bit predictable at times, but I enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next one. Performance was great.