Columbus Day

Expeditionary Force, Book 1

By: Craig Alanson

Narrated by: R.C. Bray

Nominee, Audie Awards - Audiobook of the Year, 2018

We were fighting on the wrong side of a war we couldn't win. And that was the good news.

The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits.

When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved. The UN Expeditionary Force hitched a ride on Kristang ships to fight the Ruhar, wherever our new allies thought we could be useful. So, I went from fighting with the US Army in Nigeria, to fighting in space. It was lies, all of it. We shouldn't even be fighting the Ruhar, they aren't our enemy. Our allies are.

I'd better start at the beginning.

©2016 Craig Alanson (P)2016 Podium Audio

Think "Farscape" not "Star Trek"

What made the experience of listening to Columbus Day the most enjoyable?

Great story of a young soldier from rural Maine that who's life is changed radically when aliens show up in his little home town. The story becomes a little ridiculous when he meets an super-intelligent alien AI but its well written and fun so it's easily forgiven. However, by book two, it starts to get a little redundant. Regardless, I am very much looking forward to book 3 and beyond.

What other book might you compare Columbus Day to and why?

I would compare it to the TV show "Farscape" the sometimes ridiculous and some times funny sci-fi show. It even includes wormholes...

Which character – as performed by R.C. Bray – was your favorite?

Sippy is my favorite character... He's an "a**hole". lol

A Fun Read

I was looking for a Sci-fi book to read by an author I did not know. I seem to be in a rut reading the same authors continuously. So, this is my brake away book.

The protagonist in this story is a U. S. Army enlisted man name Joe. The Earth is invaded by the Ruhar. Then the Kristang come to the aid of Earth to defeat the Ruhar. The Kristang then ask for volunteers to help them fight the Ruhar in space, and Joe volunteers. He discovers Skippy the Magnificent. Skippy is a millennia-old artificial intelligence who acts like a child and is the source of endless amusement. Skippy is highly intelligent and helps Joe stay alive. The question is about the Kristang: Are they friend or foe?

The plot is okay. There is lots of action and suspense. The book is irreverent and funny. It is hard to take the book seriously. The book makes a good “escape from it all” story. Of course, in my opinion Skippy is the star character of the story.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is sixteen and a half hours long. R. C. Bray does a great job narrating the book. Bray is an actor, voice over artist and a multi-award winning audiobook narrator.

Great Surprise. Loved it!

This is perhaps the best science fiction audiobook I've ever had the pleasure to listen to. It was intelligently written, poignant at times, very funny (as funny as Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon was lame), and well performed. I plan on listening to the entire series.

One of the best Sci-Fi books I've read in a long time.

Columbus Day is a very original story written in a new universe. I can't wait for the sequel to come out.

awesome

rc Bray never disappoints. love the story and the non stop laughing. it is a must read.

What a cracka' of a book! Truly awesome.

Awesome book! Well written, funny and left you wanting more. I actually stopped halfway to check to see if the second book was available for purchase. Well done Craig Alanson, and good choice of RC Bray for the Audiobook narration.

Starts slowwwww, gets interesting half-way through

What made the experience of listening to Columbus Day the most enjoyable?

After it takes a long time making you think it is a run of the mill nothing to see here sci fi story, it takes a turn that makes it worth listening to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Skippy - no spoilers

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

After I broke through the relative boring "aliens fighting humans and humans vowing revenge" stuff, yes.

Any additional comments?

It takes a while to get fun. Give it time.

One of the best I have read in a long time!!! I simply loved it!!!

Holy cow!! This series had me laughing so much, that when I was in my car I received some weird glances from drivers. First of all RC Bray is my favorite narrator, so I knew I was going to enjoy the book right away, then when Skippy is introduced into the mix, the pure enjoyment began.
This is a must read!!!

Utterly Enjoyable

Loved it! I can’t remember smiling and quietly chuckling so much. The interchange of the characters was throughly enjoyable. The performance was outstanding.

Good story, great narration, very funny.

Not a fast paced space opera but good story about Earth invasion. What the story lacks in action, it makes up with humor, it's extremely funny at time and made me laugh out loud multiple times.
The narrator really nailed the 2 primary characters which made it so funny. I don't I would have laughed so much by reading the book.