Tantalus Depths

By: Evan Graham

Narrated by: Andi Arndt

Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

An AI cannot lie. An AI must obey human commands. An AI cannot kill. These are the laws SCARAB has broken, and only Mary knows.

The Tantalus 13 survey expedition went off the rails as soon as Mary Ketch and the crew of the Diamelen learned that the thing beneath their feet wasn’t a planet. An impossibly vast and ancient artificial structure lies below, hidden from the universe under a façade of cratered stone.

SCARAB arrived on Tantalus 13 two years ago. An artificially intelligent, self-constructing factory, it was supposed to aid the crew in their mission, to meet their every need. But when erratic behavior in the AI coincides with a series of deadly accidents among the crew, Mary faces the horrifying possibility that SCARAB has gone rogue.

With the AI watching her every move, any attempt to warn the crew could be disastrous. But SCARAB knows far more about the Tantalus 13 enigma than it lets on, and the secrets it’s willing to kill for may have dire implications for all humankind.

©2022 Evan Graham (P)2022 Audible, Inc.

Good primer for Young Adults new to sci-fi!

A good intro to a number of sci-fi concepts like the Fermi Paradox (If the Universe is so big and old, why does it appear to be so empty of life?), Asimov's laws of robotics, and a number of other modern theories or older sci-fi ideas. It's a neat adventure with some interesting ideas! Older listeners and/or people already well familiar with most of the foundational concepts behind classic sci-fi and current lines of thought about the Universe around us may not enjoy it quite as much as most of the discussion and interactions between characters occurs on the Explain Like I'm 5 level of discourse. That said, though, it's a very approachable and non-intimidating place for new people to start developing a love for sci-fi adventures!!

Andi Arndt wasn't the best choice of narrator for this one. I've enjoyed her work on a few other books, but hers is just the wrong energy and tone for this particular story and I found myself having a difficult time paying attention at critical points, having to either back up and listen to it again or just shrug it off and try to figure out what I missed by context later on.

That's just my opinion on it though, don't let it dissuade anyone from checking it out. Worst case, if you share my thoughts on Andi, it's worth getting a copy of the actual book and just reading it.

Solidly recommend.

Brilliant Story

I do not usually write reviews, however this book caught me by surprise with how good it was.

Unlike a lot of science fiction, this story is imaginative and does a great job illustrating what types of alien life may evolve in other star systems. The mysteries in the story makes the listener just as curious as the characters in the story to find out the purpose and origin of planet construct.

I am looking forward to other works by the author because he crafted an excellent debut novel!

I perceive a need.

This was really fun. Great concept and I wish I knew everything SCARAB knows. I'm really happy I'm not on this space crew.

Great performance.

I can't wait to read what's next by this author.

Tantalizing!

This is must-read sci-fi. Can't wait for the next installment of the proposed series. I started listening at 2x speed because I didn't know anything about it going in except I needed a sci-fi title to listen to. I got it on sale so I didn't really have any other reason for choosing it. Then I kept listening at 2x for most of the book because I couldn't stand the suspense! I'm careful not to say anything about the story because you should let it tell itself and enjoy! I very rarely take the time to review but there were a couple of misguided negative reviews in there and that needs to get nipped in the bud. This is sci-fi at it's very best without a doubt.

Perfectly Paced Story and Enjoyable Narration

Nothing groundbreaking but thoroughly enjoyable listen. Definitely recommend for some easy-to-listen to sci-fi. Narrator was excellent.

Absolutely intriguing and fun

Man this was cool! This book is a unique ride of Lovecraftian horror in a classic Asimov sci fi setting with characters reminiscent of Alien and Blade Runner. Love it.

DNF

I was only an hour away from being done
But found the ending was shaping up to be way too adolescent. The best part was the sci fi part, but the characterizations were flat and predictable.

Promising start but the plot twist through me

This wasn't exactly what I expected. I liked it, but I felt it stretched my ability to suspend disbelief a little too far. I won't go into details, but this is not just a rogue AI tries to eliminate the humans book. I think I would have preferred that in this case. Overall it was pretty good, but not my favorite.

Thrilling story!

Fantastic world-building! Engaging characters. Admirable, relatable protagonist fighting against a seemingly indomitable force. Very satisfying plot, story, and ending. Impressively well written. Superb audio performance. All in all, completely deserving of my 5 stars.

What an absolute ride!

Tantalus Depths from the getgo is an absolutely gripping science fiction thriller. The author's love of the genre is communicated clearly and beautifully in every chapter. This is a must read for anyone who finds the concept of deep space exploration equally tantalizing and terrifying.