The Hole

Hard Science Fiction

By: Brandon Q. Morris

Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's Summary

A mysterious object threatens to destroy our solar system. The survival of humankind is at risk, but nobody takes the warning of young astrophysicist Maribel Pedreira seriously. At the same time, an exiled crew of outcasts mines for rare minerals on a lone asteroid.   

When other scientists finally acknowledge Pedreira's alarming discovery, it becomes clear that these outcasts are the only ones who may be able to save our world, knowing that the Hole hurtles inexorably toward the sun.

©2019 Brandon Q. Morris (P)2019 Tantor

Just OK. Won't repeat it. Won't do more this auth.

I actually find it hard to know what to say here. I don't usually write reviews if I love a book, since those usually have lots of other reviews. But, if I don't like the book, then I'm more likely to write something. In this case, I didn't love this one and didn't hate it. I won't repeat it, and I won't pursue others by this author. I want to make everyone aware that Audible does have a return / exchange option. I would encourage people who REALLY don't like a book to return it. However, this one was entertaining enough and provided enough of an escape while listening to it, that I am not returning it.

I do not wish to put off people who might enjoy this, as there are obviously many. But, I'll try to explain my reasoning.

Let's get the hard sci fi thing out of the way. The cover image specifically says it's hard science fiction. There is a big controversy in the comments about whether it is, or isn't. I don't really care about that. I grew up on Star Trek and Star Wars. I like space opera. Now, in my opinion, good space opera science fiction has whatever plot devices required to make a good coherent story. So, if you need faster than light travel, which you do for a space opera, then I don't care if our current scientists THINK that's impossible. You cannot ever prove an impossibility. You can only prove what IS possible if you achieve it.

HAVING said that, if the story includes some real proven scientific things, I can appreciate that. So, this book has lots of cool scientific things, and lots of cool scientific SPECULATION about black holes. Don't flame me for that. EVERYTHING we know about black holes is speculation, since we've never been close enough to one to measure, analyze, and test it ... and we probably never will.

OK, what else? The book has some decent world building, some decent narration, and some decent characters. The black hole plot even threatens the entire population of Earth. But, for reasons I cannot quite identify I just couldn't get really concerned about the characters or the plot.

The book has some foul language. It's not incredibly pervasive, but it's also not trivial. It adds nothing to the story, and makes me less desirous to read the story. If it were a movie, I'd say between PG-13 and R rated.

There is some sexuality in the book, although not an explicit sex scene. Again, this adds nothing to the story. If I wanted that, I'd go get a book that specifically has that. I don't need it in my sci fi. I don't mind romance though. I wouldn't let a young child read it.

There are lots of international characters, with lots of odd names, and odd accents. Not a big deal. Some might actually like it. I found it a little disconcerting at times.

I'm not going to tell you whether they save the Earth. But I will tell you that the ending is VERY strange, a bit anti climactic, and has some strange players which seem to come out of nowhere and have no context.

That's the best I could think of to say. Hope it helps.

Ron

I really wanted to like it

This isn’t hard sci-fi. It has more of a YA feel to me. When I think of hard sci-fi I like to go full nerd on it this wasn’t it for me. It’s a bit of a light weight.

overall great read!

great story and only one thing upset me which was his view on political progressives. painting them out to be terrorists is extremely wrong, unless you love dictators and fascism...

Clear and full of REAL Science

Just about all of the “Science Fiction” stories now a days are more Fantasy then Science. But not books written by Brandon Q. Morris.
Mr. Morris shows us that it is still possible to learn about REAL Science and then pass that knowledge along in an easy to understand and entertaining fashion. Combine that with the GREAT auditory skills of Daniel Tomas May and you have a FANTASTIC REAL Science Fiction book.

Actually, not too bad.

I actually enjoyed this book. The narration wasn't bad, wasn't fantastic, but again not bad. The story was pretty good with some decent science in it. (my favorite subject being black holes, I found the science to be fairly accurate to what we understand of them thus far). The only hangup I had was the last 5 minutes.. it just kind of ends, quick resolution and then "this has been an audible production". I actually laughed at how quickly it ended. However, I was entertained for the prior 10+ hours).

Don't use the credit.

I waited and waited for the story to get better and it never did. I would have stopped reading 1/4 of the way through but I kept thinking that the author was going to setup a neat resolution. NOPE. The characters had very little depth, the story was pretty flat and the narration was somehow as bad or worse than all of the story problems. The black hole physics and the other science was pretty good.

Decent story, odd narration at times

The narration didn't kill the story, but some characters are like caricatures. It was a if English was a second language to the narrator and they were using ridiculous stereotypes of an American as their source material.

Characters are charicatures

Every character has an backstory so unbelievable it pulls you out. Sometimes characters acted stupid (person leading effort to save everyone on earth starts crying because someone she met for a day a month before died. Later dozens of people she knew die, but not a hint of remorse. I guess to summarize - the characters are not at all believable, are sometimes idiots, and so it makes it hard to connect or care.

Well above average sci-fi

Good science, futurism somewhat lacking, a female protagonist, but character development is weak. Male characters better developed. It’s the first time I understood living in a simulation.

A good Sunday read

Interesting characters and a good premise without the weight of “seven eyes”. Good comedy. If only Syfy picked this up....

The Hole... Had plenty of holes.

Not his best work, poor on the ending too. Almost as if the author had given up the story only to finish it as fast as he could.