Damocles

By: S. G. Redling

Narrated by: Angela Dawe

Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

When Earth is rocked by evidence that extraterrestrials may have seeded human DNA throughout the universe, a one-way expedition into deep space is mounted to uncover the truth. What linguist Meg Dupris and her crewmates aboard the Earth ship Damocles discover on Didet - a planet bathed in the near-eternal daylight of seven suns - is a humanoid race with a different language, a different look, and a surprisingly similar society. But here, it’s the "Earthers" who are the extraterrestrial invaders, and it’s up to Meg - a woman haunted by tragedy and obsessed with the power of communication - to find the key to establishing trust between the natives and the newcomers. In Loul Pell, a young Dideto male thrust into the forefront of the historic event, Meg finds an unexpected kindred spirit, and undertakes an extraordinary journey of discovery, friendship, and life-altering knowledge.Told from both sides of a monumental encounter, Damocles is a compelling novel about man’s first contact with an extraterrestrial race.

©2013 S. G. Redling (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

mind expanding

wow, mind expanding around importance on communication and meaning of life, well done and worth every minute.

Because of the performer, couldn’t wait for the book to be over...

Felt like I was in church for 10 hours listening to someone reading a bible...

Great Story

This was a great story! I thuroughly enjoyed the concept and plot. It had me hooked from the start. It gives an intelligent approach to a first contact! Loved it!

Ok

The story was entertaining and I appreciated the author's intent to show the complications of language and protocol. It did drag at parts and the ending sequence didn't make much sense to me to address the need for so much 'fuel' to return to Earth.

On level with SM Stirling's "The Sky People"

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

Aliens, Language, and Relationship

What did you like best about this story?

I love first-contact Sci-Fi and have since I read SM Stirling's book "The Sky People." This story puts you right in the middle of our first interactions, and relationships, with a race of aliens not unlike humans. The struggles and triumphs of linguistics, the nuances of a completely unknown, yet familiar, culture are sketched in the sands of an unknown world. Politics and science clash and meld in a great Sci-Fi book I am happy I spent my money on! Great entertaining read full of imagination.

stunning and mezmerizing

Like many others here,I don't generally listen to (or read) sci fi.. I don't think this was your standard though. I loved it that WE were the aliens! The society was well thought out,I really enjoyed the main charactors. The narrator was great through 3/4 of the book although I felt she was a bit harsh sounding at first before she really started in with the real story!

An excellent book but tough narration

I started, then restarted this book several times. The cadence and voice of the narrator took me some time to get used to. I felt like she read everything in a rush and tried to say as much in a single breath as she could. Once I was able to move past my initial dislike for the style of the narrator, the story of humans being the aliens on another planet, drew me in like a magnet until the next thing I knew it was over. This was definitely a good "listen".

cool story

I liked how the point of view kept changing back and forth. I could see this becoming a cool series with different places.

Could have been better

Narrator just didn't have as much energy and life as I would have liked for this story. It almost felt like I was listening to a computer program read the story rather than a real person.

Simple but enthralling

A story of first contact, told from both sides.

The story is quite simple (nothing much happens from an action perspective) and only two characters are developed (one human, one alien) but I was enthralled by the story and kept listening to the audiobook at every opportunity.